XO by XLN Audio

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-008'
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09 Apr 2019


https://www.xlnaudio.com/products/xo

Hadnt seen this posted here yet... this seems downright godly for hammering out quick beats. :thumbs_up:

Anyone else worried the little dot graph will look like a solid puddle of paint in their 20yr, over sized sample collection?
:lol:
:reason: "Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” -Epictetus

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diminished
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09 Apr 2019

Oh my goodness, I want this. Now until this comes at least with a connector VST (like Loopcloud does) to work sufficiently in Reason, which it doesn't right now, I'll patiently wait. Or for the competition to catch up.

Edit: Browsing sounds is one of my least favorite things to do in Reason, it's a shame.
:reason: Most recent track: resentment (synthwave) || Others: on my YouTube channel •ᴗ•

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boingy
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09 Apr 2019

For that price it would have to cook the dinner and wash-up afterwards to interest me! :shock:

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eusti
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09 Apr 2019

There was another, cheaper app that seemed to do something similar. Forgot the name though.

D.

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hurricane
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09 Apr 2019

Way too expensive!

Algonaut's atlas is $49 right now.


https://www.algonaut.tech/
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eusti
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09 Apr 2019

hurricane wrote:
09 Apr 2019
Way too expensive!

Algonaut's atlas is $49 right now.


https://www.algonaut.tech/
Yep. That's the one I was thinking of! Thanks!

D.

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-008'
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10 Apr 2019

hurricane wrote:
09 Apr 2019
Way too expensive!

Algonaut's atlas is $49 right now.


https://www.algonaut.tech/
So thats where XLN "borrowed" the idea from! lol :lol:

That said, if that Algonaut thing is worth $50, then XO is probably well worth $180. (to me)
XO: looks nicer, seems to have many more features, better export options, and it's from a seasoned DEV.

whichever the one is right for you, we're lucky to have options i guess!
:reason: "Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” -Epictetus

Free Kits and :refill: @ -008' Sounds

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diminished
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03 Sep 2019

Any more opinions on XO vs. Atlas?

Has XO been on sale yet?
:reason: Most recent track: resentment (synthwave) || Others: on my YouTube channel •ᴗ•

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diminished
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03 Sep 2019

Correct me if I'm wrong, please:

While both plugins use classification algorithms (not very sophisticated ones) and share the "Space" view, XO is more of a loop generator, with audio and midi export, while Atlas is more of a sample manager as well as a player / instrument.

Atlas let's you assign your sounds to individual channels, which you then can grab from the back of the Rack. XO only puts out WAV or MIDI files, which you have to drag&drop into your DAW.
Atlas let's you choose between General MIDI, Native [Instruments], etc, mapping.

None of them can handle stereo samples; maybe XO does because it doesn't have separate outs for each sample slot. Couldn't find any info.

I would have expected XO to be the much more potent tool (and it probably is in terms of sound design), but when it comes to Reason integration, I think Atlas in combination with Drum Sequencer wins the race. Especially if all you're looking for is something to manage your samples.

Price XO: €179.95
Price Atlas: $99.00 ($49.00 on sale)
:reason: Most recent track: resentment (synthwave) || Others: on my YouTube channel •ᴗ•

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LABONERECORDINGS
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03 Sep 2019

Challenge accepted :D

We'll double check XO since we have that running and (goddamn!) 150,000+ drum samples (pilfing through a ridiculous amount of sample discs and libraries from yesteryear as well as new ones, talking 15yr old cover disc stuff that's going to be rare and hard to come by :D), we'll see about the extra sockets (if possible). We think they are and we'll see about the stereo sample thing (will feed in a purposely 'designed' stereo file with 2 mono sounds to check if it can)

If it's anything like Addictive Drums when it comes to wiring up, it's going to be class for sure. We love the drag and drop stuff too, especially when using with AD2, recording the MIDI back into AD2, swinging around with Beat Transform, pulling the MIDI back out of AD2 and let XO retrigger via the sequencer.

Seriously cool fun for insta loop gratification.

We haven't tried Atlas but at the time we had everything (pretty much bar MIDIpaks) that XLN catalog has, and then they go and drop XO... so GAS... lol

Now you got us inspired to pull XO apart and get making some more loops - kitchen is unbelievably percussive and we are churning out loops so damn fast which makes everything much more fun.

Don't take our word for it though, we're sure Atlas has its place in many people's hearts too, it just all depends on what helps get you from A to B and funkstation drop offs along the way :D

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diminished
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03 Sep 2019

LABONERECORDINGS wrote:
03 Sep 2019
we'll see about the extra sockets (if possible). We think they are and we'll see about the stereo sample thing (will feed in a purposely 'designed' stereo file with 2 mono sounds to check if it can)
Thank you! I'm looking forward to your findings.
It would be a real shame if XO doesn't have multiple outs you can assign the internal sounds to. If it can handle stereo or dual mono too, I'll change my opinion :D
:reason: Most recent track: resentment (synthwave) || Others: on my YouTube channel •ᴗ•

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diminished
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04 Sep 2019

Alright, good news.

I also asked xln's support and they answered:
1) Yes XO supports stereo samples. We do not convert samples but you can convert Stereo to Mono or swap left and right channels should you wish.

2) Yes XO has multiple outputs so you can apply additional processing without having to export the samples.

3) XO's sample slots are MIDI Mapped. I think this is the GM standard.
That's excellent, so XO is what Atlas is and then some.

I have not seen these functions in any video or manual whatsoever, but I gess it's time to install the demo and see for myself.

I hope it's on sale soon, because that's where the R11 money is going...
Although I like Algonaut better as a company (I'm always rooting for the underdog) and they have some big new features planned as well, so... hmm!
:reason: Most recent track: resentment (synthwave) || Others: on my YouTube channel •ᴗ•

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diminished
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04 Sep 2019

It's pretty amazing, I gotta say.
The sequencer is very powerful, especially with all it's shuffle/swing/groove/nudge options (global and per track) and the weird but cool "Accentuator". It has up to 3 repeats per step.
There's no pendulum or halftime or probability, but of course you can use Drum Sequencer with it; no remapping required, DS triggers all 8 samples with its default settings.

Regarding the signal flow:
It gives you 8 stereo outs, all pre FX, plus one main out post FX. If you route each sample to it's own stereo channel, and connect the main out to its own mixer channel, you get all 8 dry signals plus the seperated wet signal on the main out.

Simply click on the little M to access this menu:
XOsignalflow.JPG
XOsignalflow.JPG (28.82 KiB) Viewed 8776 times

Congratulations XO, you're #1 on my buy list.
:reason: Most recent track: resentment (synthwave) || Others: on my YouTube channel •ᴗ•

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LABONERECORDINGS
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04 Sep 2019

diminished wrote:
04 Sep 2019
..and the weird but cool "Accentuator". It has up to 3 repeats per step.
It atually has 4 for those ulra fast glitch style repeat sounds. EYou get AB or AAAB patterning too (so ABABABAB pattern or AAABAAABAAABAAAB pattern options which are neat for beat phrases), and the B pattern 'clones' the A pattern until you edit it (which is a nice touch for sure).

Drag and drop MIDI and Audio also very cool (love drag and dropping from AD2 as well). Solo yur drums and drag that MIDI so you can 'separate' if you want - or drag the whole MIDI stack to Reason and then just F8 Explode it for single lane editing in the sequencer.

Those busses allow for routing inside XO so you could have closed hat track to output 1 and open hat track to output 1 too, that sort of thing (can make things easier for sure).

We love it - wacked a sh*tload of found sounds we recorded in the kitchen and made a stupendous amount of loops so fast - like 300 in a couple of hours. Gets our thumbs up every time

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reddust
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06 Sep 2019

I remember having seen a couple of videos on this plugin and having dismissed it because of its price, I hope it goes on sale some day

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miscend
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16 Oct 2020

Atlas is back on sale for $49.

Do you guys still prefer XO to Atlas one year later?

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guitfnky
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16 Oct 2020

I was looking at this a couple of months ago, but couldn’t seem to figure out—can you use the beat/sequencing/groove options to actually drive Addictive Drums?

most of the stuff I do is focused on rock music, so I tend to prefer more realistic sounding drums, but the sequencing stuff in XO seemed pretty powerful from what I recall.
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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Billy+
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16 Oct 2020

I have XO full version and its extremely easy to use has an excellent collection of samples, the sequencer is good, the swing & nudge features are perfectly usable, the FX sound nice, you can export the samples and the midi drag n drop is really nice for extended sequencing inside Reasons note lane for fills etc.

I would highly recommend it to anyone and haven't used my massive collection of native drum machines since getting.

XO :thumbs_up:

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guitfnky
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26 Oct 2020

demoing it now, and wow, it's awesome, but...

how do you use this in odd meters? I can't even find anything in the google machine to tell me whether it's even possible. I don't see anything in the pattern sequencer, and nothing in the documentation. not even 3/4???

this has to be in there, right? if not, it's got to be a hard pass for me, regardless of how much I like it. :(
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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KarmaFunkarma
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26 Oct 2020

guitfnky wrote:
26 Oct 2020
demoing it now, and wow, it's awesome, but...

how do you use this in odd meters? I can't even find anything in the google machine to tell me whether it's even possible. I don't see anything in the pattern sequencer, and nothing in the documentation. not even 3/4???

this has to be in there, right? if not, it's got to be a hard pass for me, regardless of how much I like it. :(
Nope. Only 4/4. Crazy but true. It's a great piece of software but 4/4 only is pretty ridiculous. XLN says they have had requests for other time signatures, so maybe contact them and request the same? Hopefully, they will add this soon.

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guitfnky
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26 Oct 2020

KarmaFunkarma wrote:
26 Oct 2020
guitfnky wrote:
26 Oct 2020
demoing it now, and wow, it's awesome, but...

how do you use this in odd meters? I can't even find anything in the google machine to tell me whether it's even possible. I don't see anything in the pattern sequencer, and nothing in the documentation. not even 3/4???

this has to be in there, right? if not, it's got to be a hard pass for me, regardless of how much I like it. :(
Nope. Only 4/4. Crazy but true. It's a great piece of software but 4/4 only is pretty ridiculous. XLN says they have had requests for other time signatures, so maybe contact them and request the same? Hopefully, they will add this soon.
wow, thanks for confirming. 👍🏼

you’re not kidding—that’s insane. not even having 3/4 is kind of a bonkers omission for a drum program. guess I’ll be saving some money for now. I’ll shoot them a feature request too, because if they do add it, I’ll definitely want to buy it.
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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Billy+
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26 Oct 2020

guitfnky wrote:
26 Oct 2020
KarmaFunkarma wrote:
26 Oct 2020


Nope. Only 4/4. Crazy but true. It's a great piece of software but 4/4 only is pretty ridiculous. XLN says they have had requests for other time signatures, so maybe contact them and request the same? Hopefully, they will add this soon.
wow, thanks for confirming. 👍🏼

you’re not kidding—that’s insane. not even having 3/4 is kind of a bonkers omission for a drum program. guess I’ll be saving some money for now. I’ll shoot them a feature request too, because if they do add it, I’ll definitely want to buy it.
Just because I don't know as I don't do anything other than 4/4 time, have you tried using drum sequencer with the project set to a time you want?

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KarmaFunkarma
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26 Oct 2020

Billy wrote:
26 Oct 2020
guitfnky wrote:
26 Oct 2020


wow, thanks for confirming. 👍🏼

you’re not kidding—that’s insane. not even having 3/4 is kind of a bonkers omission for a drum program. guess I’ll be saving some money for now. I’ll shoot them a feature request too, because if they do add it, I’ll definitely want to buy it.
Just because I don't know as I don't do anything other than 4/4 time, have you tried using drum sequencer with the project set to a time you want?
Yep. Tried all of that and then contacted them since I couldn't get it to play in 3/4, 6/8, etc. XLN confirmed to me that it's 4/4 only.

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guitfnky
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26 Oct 2020

Billy wrote:
26 Oct 2020
guitfnky wrote:
26 Oct 2020


wow, thanks for confirming. 👍🏼

you’re not kidding—that’s insane. not even having 3/4 is kind of a bonkers omission for a drum program. guess I’ll be saving some money for now. I’ll shoot them a feature request too, because if they do add it, I’ll definitely want to buy it.
Just because I don't know as I don't do anything other than 4/4 time, have you tried using drum sequencer with the project set to a time you want?
yep, I've tried a ton of different sequencing options for drums, and so far, XO is the only one that comes close to being what I need--aside from the deal breaking lack of support for different meters, of course.

Drum Sequencer is decent, and definitely handles odd meters, but just doesn't provide great groove and humanizing options (although the probability feature is great). the need to manually set velocity for each step is cumbersome, and the swing options are still very robotic sounding to my ear.

XO has a really easy humanization settings with the Accentuator and Groove engines. I'm not a huge fan of the Groove feature, since its similar to Reason's, which offers no visual feedback about what its doing--but it still beats having a multi-step process like I'd need for using Drum Sequencer.

the best tool I've found so far is Rayzoon's Jamstix--which, of course is not great in Reason because it still doesn't support VST MIDI. 🤦🏻‍♂️
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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Billy+
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26 Oct 2020

guitfnky wrote:
26 Oct 2020
Billy wrote:
26 Oct 2020


Just because I don't know as I don't do anything other than 4/4 time, have you tried using drum sequencer with the project set to a time you want?
yep, I've tried a ton of different sequencing options for drums, and so far, XO is the only one that comes close to being what I need--aside from the deal breaking lack of support for different meters, of course.

Drum Sequencer is decent, and definitely handles odd meters, but just doesn't provide great groove and humanizing options (although the probability feature is great). the need to manually set velocity for each step is cumbersome, and the swing options are still very robotic sounding to my ear.

XO has a really easy humanization settings with the Accentuator and Groove engines. I'm not a huge fan of the Groove feature, since its similar to Reason's, which offers no visual feedback about what its doing--but it still beats having a multi-step process like I'd need for using Drum Sequencer.

the best tool I've found so far is Rayzoon's Jamstix--which, of course is not great in Reason because it still doesn't support VST MIDI. 🤦🏻‍♂️
Well I know it's abit long winded but after you have created the sequence you want, you could explode the midi to multiple channels and use the regroove mixer on the channels

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