This VSTi is hard to review without at least making a cursory and rather favourable comparison to the only other dedicated flute VSTi that I have tried (dmiFlute). I dont know much about the programming in either but Ixox flute sounds so much smoother and realistic, it is my guess that the bank of samples that it relies upon is so much wider. In fact when you read the release notes you can see how much sampling went into this (3 sound types, up to 3 velocity layers and no interpolation over 1 semitone!!)
I'm sure there are sound modules, SampleTank flute patches etc but I doubt they offer what this little package does either.
The first thing I thought was that a flute VSTi would really only be of interest to a 'niche market', but with the variability of control ('presence' in this case displayed as 'distance') and the second flute, you can really squeeze a lot out of this, and it would fit so easily with many kinds of music. This is capable of lead instrumentation, backing, even doubling/trebling up for pad sounds.
In conjunction with reverbs, delays chorus etc it can sound sweet as a nut!
And thats before you come to the 'dirty', 'staccato' and 'percussive' settings..
('Staccato' and 'Percussive' enables you to get some really breathy sounds in there which liven up the instrument amazingly, and at some point I even got some Pan Pipe sounds out of it!)
I tried this out, just out of passing interest, but its staying in my VSTi folder; I'm just going to have to try to resist using it on every damn track!
The only criticism I can think of, and I'm being a bit picky here, but it might be of more interest to a flautist/classical musician; when creating a track with 2nd flute enabled, it might save time to be able to automate the 2nd Flute 'shifter' setting as a harmony line rarely works for long sticking to say, strict 7ths.. But then maybe I'm being lazy, I could just create a second track in a second instance of IxoxFlute and create the harmony line that way. As its CPU Super light that wouldn't be a problem.
Rating Notes: GUI - Not basic but not over complicated. Just right to not distract from the ease of use. Sound - see above! Features - more than you might think! (2nd flute with harmony setting, dirty setting, Staccato, Percussive, attack, release, pan, gain, presence, automation, pitch bend of one semitone - any more would be ridiculous this is a flute!!) Documentation - dont really need any! Presets - dont really need any, three sound modes 'Normal','Percussive' and 'Staccato' set you off nicely. Support - not needed it but Xavier's site/email is only a click away VFM - its free!! Stability - using this on a PIII 450mHz 256megs of Ram and it was solid as a rock.Read Review
