AndreiR

XW-WCM (With Coherent Manual)

Something like that    ...

Thank you guys for your support on this one! I just absolutely don't get it, why is it such a problem for a big company like Casio to invest let's say $50K in creating a clearly written manual?! Don't they have a product research / market research department? Of course they do!

Now, go to Musician's Friend website -- there is only one user review which also mentions that "the manual is very VERY VERY confusing!" -- not exactly a selling point. Right? And if I would write a review, I would write the same.

Thank you, guys! I agree, there is room for improvements. Thank you for your encouragement!

I'm far from mastering my XW-G1, and I'm not a keyboard musician. Just cooked something here and wanted to share with you.

All done in step sequencing, with addition of a few notes added during "performance/recording" into two channels of Reaper, with TASCAM US-1641 interface:

Hephaestus's little tricks

Warning! Very dark

Alright, I got it. But please correct me if I'm wrong.
So in the Perform mode, one shouldn't use Tone to select an instrument -- it will render in ungodly loud sound, and it might heart your ears!

Instead one has to use Up or Down arrows to choose a Zone, and then go to Edit menu and in the Zone Param > Ent, change an instrument for soloing, and choose Volume for that instrument. 

Is that right?

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think you have to set the individual parts' volumes in the Mixer control and then save it as a performance. Changing the tone changes the performance parameters so I think you'd have to save with the new tone as a new performance.

Thank you Happyrat1 for your reply! As you suggested, I saved my sequence as a performance. Now I go through the instruments for soloing and they all sound just MUCH MUCH louder than the sequenced background I created. Every new instrument has to be adjusted volume-wise. And why should it be such big difference between those in the first place? Something obviously not right here.

Hi everybody!

I created tracks with step sequencer as would-be a background. Now I'm trying to play solo "on the fly" with this background. I press TONE to choose different instruments for soloing, and all instruments sound MUCH louder than my background. All my sequencer tracks' volume are at or around 100%. What do I do wrong? How do I achieve balance? 

It's XW-G1.

Thank you for your help!

Interesting perspective. Although if one remembers any pieces of music gear, they all start with some great music made with those, and then somebody would ask: so what amp did J.Hx use for his amazing tone?! and so on. So far I haven't heard any "good" music done with XW. Oh well, there are lots of dancing fluff on Youtube... And of course this is not a fault of the XWs themselves -- they are fine pieces of electronic engineering, to say the least. I agree, Patrick Arend .. "The xw-p1 is worthy", so Let's hope for the future.

Go ahead, David, create sounds! And then share with us what you came up with.
 

Thank you, Brad! Your version of the phrase sounds fine.

Probably I don't understand something about XW's step-sequencing, i.e. --  I actually play in real time, and the machine quantized the notes on the fly. I just don't know if there is another method here to record, besides a phrase sequencer or a sample looper, which I don't know how to insert into the pattern.

About the "tie" function -- thank you for explanation. I should play with it more, but I think I already did with the same unpredictable result. Of course, being sloppy, I can say, it's O.K. , nobody'll notice some minute things, but again, why not do it how I want to.  If I can.

Try setting the tempo to 60bmp and re record your loop from scratch.  In other words the tempo may be too fast for the beat your recording.  The beat I heard in the Mp3 should be around 60bpm. I'll try it myself with the MZ. 

I don't really understand why tempo should be slower .... but here is a recording, Brad, as you proposed - 60bpm. First two - played, second two -- recorded (sorry for some off-beat playing)).

P.S. One thing I notticed, when I switched from 120bpm. to 60bpm., the whole phrase fitted on one line (1-8), as opposed to two lines (1-16).

XW-G1_test_02.mp3

I don't know if it is relevant but have you done the firmware update to your XW-P1? 

I did firmware update to my XW-G1. It's 1.10

Wow.  Those notes are way short in the playback.  Whats your tempo setting? 

 

Some short, and some are actually longer. Tempo is 120

Here is an MP3 file playing one phrase twice -- first is by me playing, and the second - already recorded.

It was recorded in step sequencer, with all setting as above:

bass:

max step : 16

step size: 1/4

note length: 100%

step edit: tie

Mixer: Tone : P:135, Perc. Organ.

Thank you for your help!

XW-G1_test_01.mp3

Could you possibly post an MP3 here on the forum?  You could even do an ALL save and post the file to me in a private message here on the forum.   If you can get it to me early enough today, I can check it.  I'm leaving for Japan soon though and will be away from the forum quite a bit next week.

Also, have you ever done the firmware update for your XW-P1? 

Thank you, Mike! I'll try to post something. Not much to show yet, in terms of finished work. But whenever you have time -- this is not urgent. Have a good time in Japan!

That's a pretty amazing looking home studio you have there Andre.  I seriously wish that I had enough space for a setup like that.  Do you come from a musical family or do you just hold jam sessions with your friends in that amazing space?

 

Gary

Thanks, Gary! I guess, the picture makes it look bigger than in life. My wife and I play together and we think of ourselves as a core of a future group. And we also jam sometimes with our more serious and "professional" friends-musicians.

Are you recording the part while you're in Step Edit mode?  Please clarify how you're recording the part

Yes, I am recoding it in Step Edit mode. I followed a very helpful video tutorial on Step Sequencing -- thank you, by the way, for making that video!

.

Is the chop happening as the sequencer pattern is looping?  How, specifically is the part being recorded?  What is the note value set for that track (16th / 8th)?

Mike Martin, thank you for your reply!

the sequencer pattern is looping - yes.

step seq

bass:

max step : 16

step size: 1/4

note length: 100%

step edit: tie

Mixer: Tone : P:135, Perc. Organ.

Now, during recording it plays fine with notes sounding as long as I hold the keys, then when it plays back -- some notes sound choppy, cut-off, short ...

Thank you for your help!

Notes still sound chopped off in a random order, when I play the phrase back. I have to pinpoint individual notes, then they sound fine. Mystery.

Dang AndreiR.  I didn't know this topic was here until you mentioned it.  

 

Your picture:  You have a lot going on there. I'm sharing my bedroom with my setup. It's much smaller than yours.

 

Nice guitars. I play banjo myself (bluegrass).  That's what I've been playing mostly for the past few years. Now I'm refocusing on piano.  I like a wide range of music.

 

When I get the PX5 I'll have to post a pic here. Although its not an XW synth so it should probably should go in another section.

Blue grass is great, Brad! A friend of mine plays banjo and a violin, so we jam sometimes with me on my acoustic guitar. A own a little banjo -- one of those with enclosed wooden back, four-string, but I can't say I play it... I wish.

Great to see your music-making setups. I would comment, but I know nothing about it. So please forgive my not-saying anything. Although it looks great!

Here is an actual picture of my/our setup. Not much, but we can make lots of noise with it )) :
 

Here is my setup -- of the possible configurations.

Hooray!

Jared, I just found and watched your video on Youtube :

Very helpful stuff! I got connected and I got the sound! Although some MIDI related setting in XW are still cryptic, with time I hope to figure things out.

Thank you for your help! Video rules!

P.S. Just to be thorough -- here is another video on the topic:

No probs - I like to cover the basic before diving in deeper.

 

Check on the XW under "Setting > MIDI" that 'USBOutSel' is set to KEY. If you do need to change this setting you will need to turn the keyboard off and on again for it to take affect.

Also make sure everything is plugged in before you open the Garageband app. 

Thank you, Jared Beaney!

I set 'USBOutSel' to KEY.

Hi AndreiR

 

Can you just clarify exactly how your setup is connected? 

 

You've mentioned the you have the XW connected to your computer via USB, however you'll need to connect your iPad to this USB output on the synth, and then perhaps use a MIDI-USB connection from the MIDI OUT of the XW to your computer. (to have them connected at the same time)

Thanks Jared Beaney for your reply! I am aware that one can't connect iPad and a computer to XW at the same time. I just mentioned that I connected my computer without problem -- Windows started loading and installing needed drivers ans so on. But when I connected my iPad to my XW-G1 (I followed all steps in the manual), nothing happened (And what exactly should happen?). I also didn't find any controls in iPad that would suggest connection to a device.