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The XW-P1 Companion: Volume 1


AlenK

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I'm glad to see this document is still being read. It means new people are discovering the XW-P1 even seven years after its release. There aren't many synths special enough to motivate me to write books about them. This one is. BTW, if you haven't found it already also check out the companion document, Volume 2. 

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On 6/15/2019 at 12:40 PM, AlenK said:

I'm glad to see this document is still being read. It means new people are discovering the XW-P1 even seven years after its release. There aren't many synths special enough to motivate me to write books about them. This one is. Btw, if you haven't found it already also check out the companion document, Volume 2. 

Yes, I just bought one used to get my first intro to Synths... as a start.  At 55yo the learning curve is MAD... and I agree... the included manual is nothing more than a feature list LOL  Thanks for all your hard work, I can tell as I am a Secretary... at this late stage I am trying to get back to using my music training from University... and do some vocal, and dance arranging.  I can tell this was a labor of love!  Any tips or comments a newbie should know?  LOL

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On 4/2/2020 at 6:02 PM, Jokeyman123 said:

Watch the Youtube videos by Mike Martin as a start. There is a post here in the XW section that puts almost every tutorial about the XW in one place-very handy. I think AlenK did that.

It's in the General XW Series Discussion forum. Easier to find now (for some reason...)

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Many thanks for your work AlenK! A great effort! I own the P1 and the G1 but never found my way easily on the instruments. I do like the sounds and all the possibilities, and still I am convinced that these machines can bring me a lot of joy. So... I hang in there and keep trying to master them! With your guidance it will work out in the end...!

 

Greetz to all, Egbert

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Alen,

 

This is a very very minor point (you may not care given that the companion is a P1 centric document, and given where we are in time) but in reference to the following point:

 

Quote

Normally, all of the parts can be heard at the same time while parameters for each part are being adjusted (at least on the XW-P1; the XW-G1 evidently has a serious bug that prevents this)

 

I have to say - as a G1 owner - I do not seem to have this limitation (unless I am misunderstanding what the limitation is. This is to say that if I play a step sequence i can open the mixer and continue to hear all playing parts, including any parts being played live - whilst adjusting the likes of pan, volume, tune etc. The only caveat I would state (which is really not related to this specific point, but the points that lead on from here in your companion) is that when soloing a part, any 'held' notes are cut. However any notes played before or after soloing are heard (provided of course that it is the part being solo'd).

 

I apologise if I have got the wrong end of the stick here.

 

Equally I was going to PM this point - as I don't wish to seem critical, I just wanted to advise of my observation - but I do not seem to be able to find any messaging mechanism on the forum.

 

EDIT: I see that the 'caveat' I note is mentioned as being the case in the P1 also, so simply put then my G1 performs as per the P1 in your guide with regard to this function without the noted 'bug'.

 

Edited by CairnsFella
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Cairnsfella, 

 

That note in the document was in response to reports on the forum at the time I wrote it about the behavior exhibited by the G1. There is a thread about it verifying the operation from several G1 users. It could be that a subsequent software update (both the P1 and G1 have had a couple) or an earlier one not yet installed fixed the problem. I can update the document on the next revision. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by AlenK
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Just a note to point out that Volume 2, Emulation Examples, is also available in this forum. It is not in a sticky thread and so has migrated to page 2 where some people won't see it or know it exists. Here is a link to the thread.

 

 

I do intend to update both documents with new content but it won't happen for some time. 

 

 

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You can mix the sounds of both external instruments and voice into the XW-P1’s output by plugging instruments into the “INST IN” input (mono only) or into the “AUDIO IN (STEREO)” input while plugging a microphone into the “MIC IN” input.
 

However, the XW-P1 can’t record the audio in any way. [In fact, it can’t even play back mp3 files, although it will play back MIDI files (.smf) and WAV files converted with the XW-P1 data editor that are stored on an SD card inserted into the rear SD card slot.]
 

But you can send the XW-P1’s audio to a computer with a stereo audio input and easily record it to a WAV file (try the free program Audacity) from which another program can be used to make an mp3. 
 

Audio from whatever you plug into the “INST IN” and “MIC IN” inputs can be processed as another oscillator in the solo synth or simply be passed through the XW-P1’s effects. Audio input to the “AUDIO IN (STEREO)” jack, on the other hand, will just be summed with the XW-P1’s own sound and sent out the LEFT and RIGHT line-out jacks. 

 

Some caveats about the types of signals those XW-P1 inputs can take. The “INST IN” and “AUDIO IN (STEREO)” inputs expect line-level audio signals. The “INST IN” input, being a 1/4-inch jack, looks like it could take the output from an electric guitar. But if you try, I believe the guitar’s audio will be very low in volume and sound poor. However, I admit I have never tried it (despite also having an electric guitar) so I could be wrong! If you try it, let us know how it goes. A device called a “direct box” is usually required to plug a guitar into anything other than a guitar amplifier. 
 

The other caveat is for the microphone input. You should use only dynamic microphones or microphones that contain their own power source. You can’t use a condenser mic that requires so-called phantom power from whatever it is plugged into.
 

Lastly, what you are asking here is a general XW-P1 question. It doesn’t have anything in particular to do with my document. It would have been better had you posted it as a new question with its own title in the XW-P1 forum. That way, it would also have been easier to find by other XW-P1 users that may have similar questions. 
 

Edited by AlenK
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Hi everyone, 

Just bought one of these great synths and am searching for a copy of the "XW-P1 companion. Pdf". But all of them on this forum are showing "not available" 

Can anyone help  me find a copy please? 

Thanks in advance. 

Jason 

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