Integrating the XW-P1 with other hardware + DAW

[oildrops]

I've had the XW for a few years and have enjoyed the presets, but I am getting into techno production and looking for ideas on how to expand on the XW.

 

I am weighing the pros and cons of getting an ipad to use for solo synth control, more drum sounds, sampling, and whatever else ipads are capable of, vs picking up something like a volca drum.

 

Or, finally just learning ableton and using plugins to fill in where I find the XW is lacking for a performance/recording hybrid, namely drums and adding effects and filters to individual tracks.

[Brad Saucier]

Check out this video if you haven't already.  

 

 

[oildrops]

@Brad Saucier I have seen that, and watching it again it doesn't seem worth buying an ipad just for that. The menu isn't too hard to get around, and I'm not sure I would end up using the ipad for anything else. I wish there was a way to hook my midimix up to control the envelope.

 

There are a lot of synths out for $300 these days that I would probably get a lot more use out of than an ipad, and I guess I'm not interested in investing anything but time in the Casio. I'm thinking a novation circuit or one of the volcas would compliment the XW pretty well with some drum variety and extra motion, but then do I really need 2 powerful sequencers?

[Jokeyman123]

The XW sends and receives midi clock-so i don't think you'll have trouble syncing other hardware devices to it. I'm not so sold on the Volcas since these seem to loop in a very similar way to the XW, although maybe a little easier to program their sequencer and i'm not convinced the additional sounds or tones on the volcas are better than the XW, might be I don't have one to compare, can only go by Youtube.

 

Controlling the envelopes-from midimix-I think the individual tone parameters such as filter, amp etc. would need sysex messages specifically to control those. Have you tried the Windows XW-P1 editor which can at least program tones individually and the 4 performance zones' levels with a mixer?  I don't know if it will change parameters in "realtime' for live performance, I've never tried with mine, but it might. Once I start chaining hardware with software-it can get cumbersome, and there is always the problem of "latency" for live playing keys with software in between-or even directly. You could just connect the Midimix to the XW-and experiment-see if the XW responds to any of the Midimix controls-short of deciphering sysex messages to see what does what, hit and miss might be the only solution there. And your DAW might be able to send sysex or CC messages directly to the XW to give you some software control. In a more indirect way-i'm wondering if the Midimix-connected to a software sequencer-the software might record your "movements" with the midimix-which could be then passed onto the XW connected to the computer. why do this? Because now you could sync whatever else you record with your DAW-with changes automated to the XW.  Sort of like recording a "scene" with a hardware mixing board to be able to execute several changes all at once-for live this might help. Midiclock through software usualy does not exhibit any latency or delay I've experienced-this way the master midi clock-whether you set it from your DAW to control the XW and other hardware-or the opposite-using the XW's clock to sync the software-and anything else you've recorded with it, might be a nice setup for live. the XW is one of the few Casios that have midi clock built-in-and this is a powerful tool for multi-hardware software setups. 

 

[oildrops]

That's a lot to think about! It's not really a matter of better or worse as far as the tones, although there is a certain eq/compression in the XW-P1 that I can't really escape especially on the drum samples, great for many purposes but I would prefer a rawer timbre to many of the PCM tones.

 

The major appeal of adding a drum machine is the ability to use more than one custom synth tone on the sequencer. Sure, you can edit PCM tones, but you know what I'm saying. For instance I just tried to edit the kick drum sounds with DSP and then realized there is only global DSP in the sequencer so my custom kick drum can be used.

 

While I'm on the topic, I still need to figure out how to even add mono-synth to a sequence while maintaining the filter and cutoff control.

[Jokeyman123]

It is alot to think about-I post muc , at least you know what your options might be, even if you don't need any of them! One of the not so bad limitations IMO of the XW is that the monophonic synth sounds can only be used in 1 mixer channel at a time. And internal midi channels for the XW are fixed depending on where you are-in performance mode, sequencer mode or tone mode. As long as you know what those midi channels are-and set your software or hardware to send to the channel/tone you want to trigger-and remember what "mode" you are in-I think whatever changes you send from software or another sequencer for effects/volume/pan/send/etc. will be recognized by the XW although i haven't done much with the XW and an external hardware or software sequencer. 

 

For example-in performance mode, however you set your 4 zones-the performance mode will respond on midi channels 1-2-3-4.  in sequencer mode-midi channels are fixed to midi channels 8-16-page 50 in the manual shows clearly if you forget which is which-for the sequencer anyway. And you have 4 control channels from the sequencer mode which can be recorded and sent out through midi. I forget which midi channels these use. And you can see on page 49-whatever changes you make in reealtime is sequencer mode-filter sweeps, pan, resonance whatever you want to set up-will be recorded in whatever sequencer channel you are recording-whichever sequencer "part" you have in front of you. 

 

I forget how to do it-but you can change the default solo synth channel from midi channel 14 to channel 1.

 

Long posts-because the XW is one of the more complex synths I've ever owned-and I've owned some pretty complex beasts-and still do. I post info that took me a long time to learn with this one-the good thing-there is a tremendous amount of info right here about the XW-whatever question you might have-is probably somewhere in here already. Even though I've been here for quite awhile-sometimes when I need to reference something I've forgotten-I use Google search-and it points me back here!  and check AlenK's manuals-pick up where Casio left off-and beyond.....XW-P1....the final frontier....................

 

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[oildrops]

@Jokeyman123 I decided to take a step back and actually learn the software and hardware on their own terms before trying to get them to talk to eachother, esp since I very new to MIDI in general. 

 

Is there a definitive guide on how to set the XW-P1 up as a DAW controller? I'm getting notes, but no sliders or knobs. I've tried drawbar mode but still unable to map anything. One thing to note is my interface doesn't see MIDI when it's set to MIDI in general settings, only KEY. I have a midimix which sits nicely on the ipad spot, but it would be more convenient if I could map the drawbar sliders, plus more knobs is more knobs!

[Jokeyman123]

I am not aware of a definitive guide as a DAW controller-but AlenK's tutorial guides will help. One simple tool that might help-download and run Midiox on your computer-if you have a Windows-based computer-and connect the XW-through the din or usb connectors on the XW-and monitor the control messages you see when you move the control knobs and sliders. You also might want to study the midi implementation chart for the XW to see which messages are sent from the the knobs and sliders-and this is dependent upon which XW mode you are in-performance, sequence or tone mode. Without having the XW in front of me-I'm going by memory-I think the knobs and sliders do not send the same information out in these various modes, or at all. We have quite a few posts right here already about what info the sliders and knobs can send to a DAW, but you'd have to dig around various posts in the XW section to find the specific info we've already discovered. As I've said, it is a complex beast-but only because it is capable of so many functions!

 

I like your idea-learning each separately-to tie the 2 together. I still am, and I've owned mine for several years now. I have my Malletkat connected to it via midi and use it as a

 

1) tone module for mallet tones-vibes, marimba, bells anything that I would ordinarily play with mallets-and

 

2) for its accompaniment patterns with the sequencer while I play the Malletkat, very nice.

 

One of the most versatile uses I have for it-is to develop separate pattern variations (many of the factory sequences already have these built in) and set the left-most button on to sense key-changes when hitting the lowest octave to switch around. For me at least, I find the direct ability to work up original patterns is even easier than doing this with the auto-arranger boards. You may be limited to the length of the sequences but with some tricks that can be lengthened too. I sold my CTK and kept the XW once I learned my way around this-admittedly takes more studying initially-but once learned, very powerful tool.

[oildrops]

I haven't checked out the manual, but I played with every setting I could and discovered I could either  have the knobs and two right-most sliders send midi, or only the leftmost 7 sliders and no knobs. The organ mode results in the sliders sending midi in steps, which is better than nothing I guess, but actually makes it not very useful/musical to use. I have the akai midimix which maps easily, so it was really just unnecessary frustration. I think I'm done messing with the casio as a controller besides the keybed. 😄

 

I just picked up ableton, so right now my focus is split, but I do plan on continuing to slowly learn the ins and outs of the Casio so that it feels more immediate to make sequences and tones on, even if that means just sending single sequencer tracks into the DAW as a sketch pad. After watching all of the available video tutorials, I am still not entirely sure what's possible regarding using the solo synth as a part in the step sequencer. I get the feeling once I start using the controller tracks and creating chains, the XW-P1 will open up a bit more.

 

My dilemma for this keyboard has always been is it worth learning the deeper parts, since on the surface it feels limited for how much I can design step tracks, and manipulate them in real time based on what I have read in the manual and heard people do with the sequencer- or would it be more worth my time to just keep it as a organ/rhodes/preset machine, and pick up something like an electribe, circuit, or elektron box.

[hippie403]

I use my XW-P1 with an old iPad 3 I inherited from my wife when she upgraded, saved it from going in the e-waste. I was initially just using it for the XW-P1 solo synth patch editor but it turns out it is capable of much more. I started by getting the official CASIO CZ App and just kept going. Korg M1 App, Cubasis DAW, vocal effect processors etc.

It's  a very simple powerful setup, USB MIDI and 1/8" audio out to the XW-P1. I'd go with the recent basic iPad rather than the old tat I am using. Cubasis is excellent, a full DAW with a touch screen interface, right there sitting on top of your keyboard.