Novation XStation.

[exquisiteoath]

Let me start by saying that I have the worst studio set up in the world right now.

1) 80's casio midi keyboard. I like the keys on this, and the price was right. It's got great action and I'm not afraid of breaking it if I hammer at it with Wagnerian gusto. I don't use it's sounds as they are just so cheese, but I love the midi out.
2) Edirol PCR30: My main control surface. I love this, it's small and light and portable and has a good selection of knobs and sliders.
3) Acoustic guitar: My primary instrument, and still a big part of my arsenal. Which is fed through a (wait for it) craptastic desk mic from radio shack.

So, right now it's edirol into laptop via usb, desk mic into laptop through mic in, and guitar through mic. It's horrible and bad, but it's what I've got to work with.

So, the midi keyboard gets no loving at all, and all of my synthesis happens in vsti's (all free, mostly from Novakill Ugo, Betabugs and Voxengo)

So the Novation Xstation sort of jumped out at me as I was looking at options today. It's almost in my price range, and it looks like it might do most of what I need.

(Of course I still need to pick up a better mic for vox and a soundhole pick up for the guitar)

I'm describing my stuff as "Pink Floyd meets Skinny Puppy" (but extending both softer and heavier than that description suggests).

I guess my question is, has anyone used the Xstation, is it any good, are there any other similar units in the same price range?

[musikmachine]

I guess my question is, has anyone used the Xstation, is it any good, are there any other similar units in the same price range?

How much are the xstations now?I got a discount for mine and paid £299(25key version).The obvious alternative is the new xiosynth which can be used as a synth and controller at the same time(this may be added in a future os update to the xstation but i really don't know)The synth is a cut down kstation i believe.I wasn't keen on the it at first until they added a preview function in the latest update which allows you to check the parameter levels without actually changing them.This makes all the difference when it comes to programming patches as now i can check delay levels,distortion,levels of each oscillator etc, great for reverse engineering patches and creating new ones.I'm having a lot more fun with it now.Yeah the synth engine is very nice and you can load patches from most of the other novation synths,even the xio!The effects are quite useable too(still not sure about the chorus/phaser, or the distortion but i use the filter overdrive instead)I'm not too familiar with pink floyd or skinny puppy so i don't know the type of sound your looking for, maybe someone more familiar can help you?

I've done very little recording with the mic/line inputs so i can't tell you much about them but as a midi controller it's very nice and easy as pie to create your own templates.There are 40 memory locations and they already have templates for the most popular softsynths out there.It has midi in out,thru and an extra midi input,sustain and expression pedal inputs(havent used em)an xy touchpad and a joystick instead of seperate pitchbend/modwheel.

It's a neat little package and with the latest drivers and os update it's much improved.Maybe someone else can help you with the recording side of it.There are alternatives like the alesis photon:

http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=15

but i dont think there's another that includes a synth or as comprehensive a contol surface/midi interface.

Hope this helps

[Kyran]

There's the xiosynth, which is quite a bit cheaper new.

I own an x-station and I totally love it.
The synth sounds very nice (but if you're used to using all soft, you'll have to get used to the whole hardware paradigm, vsti's are a lot easier to use)
The keyboard feels very fine, and the audio interface does it's job very well.
I like to put a whole bunch of effects on what I record, so the dual effect units are a real plus for me.

[exquisiteoath]

Looking at the other two options that have been mentioned (xiosynth and photon) I don't think either of them will do everything I need.

Kyran, do the effects sound digital at all?
And yes, I'm sure it will take some getting used to hardware synthesis, but if it will free up some CPU cycles, that's a good thing.

[p51superace05]

I am in a similar situation, though I don't need the audio interface as much as the synth itself. Two other keyboards to consider:

Roland SH-201
Alesis ION

The SH-201 is really easy to pick up... I found one at Guitar Center the other day and had a blast. (Call me a heretic, but it was way more fun and user-friendly than the Moog Little Phatty next to it.) A good first hardware synth, from what I've been reading.

The ION is a straight-up analog modeling board -- good base sound, but not so much in terms of effects. Most people seem to think that it has a lot more flexibility than the SH-201.

note that neither of these really has an I/O like the Novation. The ION does have a sweet vocoder though...

-------------

If you already have plenty of soft synths and are just looking to improve your recordings, you might want to go with a standard USB audio/midi I/O box. Tascam, Emu, Lexicon, M-audio, etc etc all have thesefor under $200. Personally I like the M-audio fast track pro.

Just some options.

[Kyran]

The synth uses the same effects as the input.
I have used the effects on vocals and guitar. I think they sound good (I really like the distortion), nothing to complain about.
I don't own any other effects (apart from some dj stuff), so I can't really compare to other hardware.
I don't know what you mean with digital.
The best way to find out is to head over to the shop and give it a try.

I'm personally very satisfied. The effects were the major selling point for me.

[thecontrolcentre]

I paid £250 for my X-Station 25 ... total bargain. It's a really nice synth, with a decent keyboard action, aftertouch and plenty of controller options. Integrates very well with Live6. I've found it quite inspirational. Gets used on every track.
The Xio-Synth is worth a look too ...

[exquisiteoath]

So far what I'm hearing is that it's probably worth a further look. Now to find someone in Toronto that carries them.

So far that's proving to be a challange.

@kyran: by digital I mean lacking harmonic overtones, thin, etc.

[Cygnus X-1]

I am in a similar situation, though I don't need the audio
interface as much as the synth itself. Two other keyboards to consider:

Roland SH-201
Alesis ION

The SH-201 is really easy to pick up... I found one at Guitar Center the other day and
had a blast. (Call me a heretic, but it was way more fun and user-friendly than the Moog
Little Phatty next to it.) A good first hardware synth, from what I've been reading.

The ION is a straight-up analog modeling board -- good base sound, but not so much in
terms of effects. Most people seem to think that it has a lot more flexibility than the
SH-201.

note that neither of these really has an I/O like the Novation. The ION does have a sweet
vocoder though...

-------------

If you already have plenty of soft synths and are just looking to improve your
recordings, you might want to go with a standard USB audio/midi I/O box. Tascam, Emu,
Lexicon, M-audio, etc etc all have
thesefor under $200. Personally I like the M-audio fast track pro.


Just some options.

As far as synth power is concerned, the SH-201 and the ION shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence The SH-201 is an immediate live-friendly little synth that has far less (minute) synth capabilities when compared with the ION.The ION is "almost" a modular system, with 3 analog modelled oscillators, 17 filter types for each of its two multimode filters and endless routing modulation capabilities.
I thought a lot about the two, and the only plus I could say the SH-201 has over the ION is its immediacy. Everything is laid out in front of you. No menus. So, it's pretty easy to dial good sounding presets, but you could only go so far with its limited synth structure. On the other hand, ION is a lousy controller because it uses NPRN instead of CC, SH-201 will be a better controller.

Best.

[kodama]

exquisiteoath, I think the X-Station will be an excellent choice for you, it's not as deep as some synths and it's mono-timbral, but is very tweakable and sounds awesome.

It integrates very well with your daw (I still think the XIO & X-Station are the only USB powered synths?).

The USB interface is very nice & clean, the effects are very standard but sound nice.

The XY pad is awesome!

While some other synths may be more experimental and deeper, the X-Station is a good all-rounder.


Also, I REALLY want to hear your stuff, the description sounds amazing, so PM a link or post one here if you can (huge SP fan!).

[kodama]

BTW, the only K-Station features missing are vocoder and processing the input via the synth engine. (although the larger KS 49/61 and Ks Rack feature mulitimbral, 24 voice poly and drum maps as well)

[p51superace05]

Two other keyboards to consider:

Roland SH-201
Alesis ION


Just some options.

As far as synth power is concerned, the SH-201 and the ION shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence
I thought a lot about the two, and the only plus I could say the SH-201 has over the ION is its immediacy. Everything is laid out in front of you. No menus. So, it's pretty easy to dial good sounding presets, but you could only go so far with its limited synth structure. On the other hand, ION is a lousy controller because it uses NPRN instead of CC, SH-201 will be a better controller.

Yeah, I'm getting that feeling. I'm basically trying to replace the Emu PK-6 in my live set-up (I couple it with a Yamaha S80). I play a lot of gigs where I have to improvise a sound fast, so maybe the Sh-201 would be better for that. I just get worried because I have my own projects where I *do* get to play around with sound design, and I want a board that will last me a good long while. When I can program my S80, I just need a controller that can transmit basic note data on whatever channel. (The PK-6 isn't the strongest thing out there, but it is WAY easy to use for MIDI...)

I really want to do a side-by-side comparison of the X-station, Sh-201, and ION -- if only because they're all in the same price range. ($500-700) There doesn't seem to be a whole lot else out there at that price, except some of Korg's little boards like the MicroKorg and MicroX. Those just seem to dern small to take onstage...

[exquisiteoath]

exquisiteoath, I think the X-Station will be an excellent choice for you, it's not as deep as some synths and it's mono-timbral, but is very tweakable and sounds awesome.

It integrates very well with your daw (I still think the XIO & X-Station are the only USB powered synths?).

The USB interface is very nice & clean, the effects are very standard but sound nice.

The XY pad is awesome!

While some other synths may be more experimental and deeper, the X-Station is a good all-rounder.


Also, I REALLY want to hear your stuff, the description sounds amazing, so PM a link or post one here if you can (huge SP fan!).

Sadly, I've only laid down one track to date, about a year ago and was <b>really</b> unhappy with it.

But thanks for the interest. As soon as I do have anything I can share I definately will.

I've got about 4 tracks worked out on guitar and am putting the synths/etc. together for them now.

But thank you for the interest.

[Kyran]

The effects don't sound thin to me.
They're very bread n butter though: a reverb, delay, etc. You won't be making any totally crazy effects chains with them, but what they do, they do good.
They're kind of like the kjaerus classic series (instead of u-he's more feedback machine).
I get a whole lot of use out of them.
Same goes for the synth: all controls have a button or a slider or something, you get designing sounds very quickly and they sound very good.
But it's still just a 3 osc VA, so you won't be doing any absynth stuff with it
If you can find one second hand, get it, you won't regret it.

[exquisiteoath]

Thanks Kyran.
I think I'm going to do exactly that once the money comes available.

For effects, I need a thick sound but nothing too complicated. I'm not looking at endless shifting delay or anything, just a nice fat back alley blues tone or something a little more bell-like.

Mind you, now people have got me looking at the Ion too... it seems like a reasonably costed hardware synth, which should allow some offloading from the laptop CPU.