Bad Gear - Novation XioSynth - Desert Island Plastic Synth???
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- Опубликовано: 22 окт 2024
- In this episode of Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools, we are going to talk about the Novation XioSynth. Is it the almighty desert island plastic synth and music production studio?
This whole series is a testament to the concept of "stop wasting money and actually learn to make some f* music". Thank you, sir.
Wasting money is really helpful to eventually find out that wasting money is not the solution 😅
AudioPilz you gotta waste money to make these videos haha
@@outdatedgear5036 I consider these synths as an investment;)
AudioPilz I do too. But I know I have spent money on something that I thought would have been great and ended up selling it. What you are doing I really appreciate because we get to see a different angle. I bought the rhythm Wolf knowing many people hated it, but I love it.
Is it really a waste if you keep the stuff but never use it?
I mean, yes, probably, but how else are you going to pretend you're musician when you're having friends over.
Friend: "hey bro, nice guitar!"
Me: " -sweating in Wonderwall-"
I must admit that the cracking sounds of this synth's case were ghastly.
It hurts me...
Made me feel poorly
They'd make nice samples though. :)
@@Symmetronic You're absolutely right.
@@Symmetronic dark. You're dark dude. I'll show on the synth where Florian touched me
I'm struggling making a beat with my 100 dollar midi controller, and this guy is creating symphonies from gear he finds in the trash
In your defense most if not all of his "bad gear" was once $300+?
EDIT* oh yeah and talent... don't forget talent...🤭
Thanks!
loollllll
man, he is good.....
Come on man, the xio is more sought after than that
Cubase SX3? I remember _upgrading_ to that. Simpler times indeed.
Btw - love the self deprecating humour. If an episode didn't include such pronunciations as "wirtual analogue" then it wouldn't be legit Bad Gear. :)
Bad Gear - Bad English ;)
@@AudioPilz Great English. Austrian tongue.
Part of the charm. Wery much so. 😉
Cubase SX3 was great and it was (kind of) free if you know your torrent:-))
@@RobGutmannclassic
the sound when you press the key really hard during build quality makes a great snare. Great vid as always!
Thanks! Still better than the snare on the Korg Volca Beats;)
If you like that, youll adore the metallic 'ting' the supernova 2 keyboard makes when it bottoms out (really easily)
I am amazed at your ability to crank these videos weekly. They have amazing production quality and your jams are making me want to buy a synth and start twiddling knobs on my own...
Thank you so much!
I think many ppl overlook how a good musician the bad gear guy is
I'm flattered to hear that, thanks!
What an insane show. Your production is beyond RUclips quality. This show is incredible
Thanks! I'm very happy to hear that
@@AudioPilz Did you switch microphones, though? The spoken sections sounded a bit darker in this one.
@@user-ld8ep5qr7m thanks for the Feedback. No, same signal chain as usual. I'll take a look
@@user-ld8ep5qr7m The black shirt he's wearing makes things a little bit darker I suppose
Oh boy, I have been waiting for this like the newest release of a Behringer clone! 🎵
Just wait til you see what Uli's working on next, once the Midas team nails the Austrian accent...
At least Uli didn't sue me for the Behringer episode ;)
your fast-cut video editing is getting better with each video, this channel just keeps on giving
Thanks! Working on it!
Still killing it. I have some other ideas for Bad Gear (cough cough Mirage), but the idea I had the other day I thought might be really fun- an old TASCAM cassette Portastudio. You'd blow some kids minds and I am sure can still find some tricks oldheads aren't aware of (I just recently saw how people record clicks on a channel to master clock sync their synths and drum machines to their compositions on tape and my jaw dropped).
Thanks! I had one of those but couldn't resist to sell it when prices were skyrocketing
Bad synth idea: Korg Kossilator
Yeah the og kaossilator is stupid limited.
Yeah, already searching for one!
@@AudioPilz I have a pro if you wanna barrow it for a video
Only good thing about the kaossilator is the arpeggiator. The pro version doesn't have it.
Bad synth idea: synth that takes money like a change machine in order to oscillate.
Damn, the Waldmensch did it again: Another spot on review. Two thumbs up!
Thanks! Beware of the exploding trees!
you changed the intro tune. could we say it's in-novation???
i'm so sorry.
No, I'm just testing the YT-copyright infringement algo ;)
Only God can forgive you
wow.
This is by far the best edited episode you have to far, just insane!
THX!
It is incredible how many of these videos you have done the past 3 months - so much Synth Entertainment and Learning mannnn
Thanks!
Love this thing. I used a KS4 and K-Station on a lot of my records and use the Xio in the live show to play those parts. Can read KS patches and nails the sound. Love how compact it is.
Yeah, handy little keyboard. Pleasure to have you around!
Man, your creative potential and productivity are absolutely amazing!
Thanks!
That was extremely fun to watch, still amazed at the range of the tunes you come up with. (;
Thanks!
Once again a amazing episode! Already looking forward to the next episode. Take care!
Thanks!
I was going to suggest this for an upcoming video, then it came up on me feed! I just discovered your channel, and it's golden! Thank you.
Thank you! Stick around!
how did people not appreciate this ?!
The synth or the video? ;)
AudioPilz haha i would say both!! But initially I just meant the synth 😅
Got one second hand for EUR 50, sounded ok if a bit flat compared to other Novation VAs, but then it started to randomly spit out pitch bend and mod wheel data. Apparently it's a common fault, and makes it almost unusable.
Barry Jenkins yes, this is a common problem - with the X Station as well - just open it up and give it a clean and it should stop.
@@barryjenkins1179 I took apart and liberally applied rubbing alcohol to mod/pitch stick on mine and it resolved the issue. Same thing worked with a couple of the knobs which were throwing out random data.
I owned a second hand Xio for several years - it was a bit of a hassle to program with the tiny screen. The knobs on mine would come off with little effort if I pulled on them. I beat the hell out of mine from touring but it was nice to a have a portable synth that could run on batteries if needed. I ran mine through guitar pedals and multi-fx units and got some killer sounds.
6.5/10 - I would recommend it if you find one under $200.
It's a great synth for traveling and touring
Great video, as always! Your channel is the only one that provides great content on every episode, IMHO.
Thank you so much!
I used my XIO for years until it final died. I loved this synth. It traveled around the world with me and was packed full of my own patches. I ran it through an EHX LP2tube preamp and it sounded amazing. If I ever find another for cheap I will grab it.
Agreed! Great travel synth!
The sound of you twisting it was the hard laugh I needed today. Thanks again!
It's a dirty job but someone had to do it
novation VAs are underrated. My first ever synth was the KS4
Beautiful sounding stuff. I got lost playing the K in a music store as a kid and have been addicted to them ever since.
The Xio is great. Backwards compatible with K- series patches, too. Fits on my desk and stows away when I'm not using it, I also use it to drive older analog midi gear, and use the built-in sound card to pipe the audio back into my PC. Works great!
I even liked the V-Station plug
I have a Bass Station 2 and an Ultranova, but they just don't hit the spot the way my K Station does. It's a great sounding synth.
@@MikeRenouf the Ultra is a beast for a VA
Totally forgot this one existed, good catch!
Happy to have you around!
I just found this channel and have been binging all episodes! im so glad you don't have a section of your videos "thanking this videos sponsor" and then going into a minute long ad read about some stupid product I don't want. thank you for that
Thank you so much!
Video editing is getting better every time. Also you are getting better with those bad synths as well. Not enough bad synth moments and frustrations anymore hehe. The show is almost like myth busters of synths at this point :D
Thank you so much!
WOW...its uncanny how much of your reviewed/stared stuff ive actually owned as if i only done my homework b4 parting wiv me dosh or knew then wot i know now only 2 see it 10 years later on here having the piss ripped outer it...lol...love it .thanks 4 some great vids...
Thanks for watching!
You are on a roll dude. Great content. The xiosynth was actually my first hardware synth. Wish i got a Micron, but it’s definitely not a bad synth.
Thanks!
I got a hold of one of these on loan today, along with an Alesis DM5 drum module. I don't have enough cables to hook them all up together, so a $150 patch/midi cable order is on the way haha. I'm planning to hook the drum module via the cv gates on my Beatstep, using direct midi for the Minibrute mk1 I just picked up from the beatstep and then live playing lead lines with the novation. Should be fun! Wish me luck!
Edit I don't know yet if I'm going to be able to send midi to the Xeo from the laptop, but I can always go audio in and use a live looper I guess. Either way, I'm really enjoying my first dip into outboard hardware since the 1990s!
AHAHAHAHAHAAAA! The hardware soundcheck was brilliant. Torsion pain and key stroke CLANG! You're a comedian growing ever more proficient by the video!
Thanks! It was quite painful to do ;)
I have one of these I bought back in the day, the review is pretty spot on. Synth engine is nice, build quality is meh, and he is not lying about keys, worst keys I've ever played. The keys were so bad I sent my first one back thinking it was a defect. He mentioned it in text on the video, the labels for the knobs are impossible to read unless you're at just the right angle. I gigged with it once or twice back in the day and it was fine, but since I've only ever used it as a travelling keyboard for a couple of years, now it basically collects dust, I'd love to delve into it someday again, I think I found unofficial editor software for it once. I also have an UltraNova, which is much more of a joy, night and day.
Thanks for watching!
"I think I found unofficial editor software for it once" Do see if you could find it. I got one recently to play around with. Not much expectations other than the basslines :)
I had a Xio and the sounds were really noice. The keybed was unlivable.
I totally agree
If you get one of these, get the CTRLR software and a Xio template, it opens the thing up for programming. There are useful things buried deep inside inscrutable menus, such as an extra AD envelope and one-shot modes for the LFOs.
Good to know!
I just got my first analog synths this summer and I still have so much to learn. I enjoy these videos greatly - informative & entertaining, and always with the lesson that expertise can transcend the limitations of so called "bad gear." My only problem is, Florian, I'm trying to find out more about you and your music - beyond this channel!
Thanks, but isn't it all about the gear?
@@AudioPilz Yes, but I feel certain there's much more to learn beyond (not so) bad gear. And your journey might inform my own. I mean, the gear is one thing... but your video production techniques merit a separate tutorial page (as if you're not busy enough)!
I've mostly been a straight ahead jazz pianist, but I've grown exceedingly frustrated with what passes for "hip" nowadays (it's math equations set in rhythm). I always liked analog synths, but the learning curve plus price turned me off - until I realized they've become more affordable. I'm enthused about music for the first time in years, and honestly man, everything about what you're doing is an inspiration. You have a perfect balance between important info and lighthearted fun, and I don't underestimate the skill required to pull that off. I've done a fair amount of digging, and I just can't wrap my head around the notion that you just appeared online in February 2020, fully formed into this absolute boss. Unless you're an alien. Please don't eat my brain.
P.S. - I spent a couple weeks in Innsbruck doing a jazz clinic way back in 1998. It was one of the most wonderful times of my life.
When i saw The Piano used in the intro, i literally howled with laughter. Great fun 🤠
I think the best Novation VA's of that era, were the SuperNova & Nova. They were packed with programmability, great presets, and incredibly for the time, you could run different multi effects on each part in a multi timbral set up. I had them, and used them for years on a lot of stuff. They also never crashed, even when things got hectic over MIDI.
This was from the next generation of their VA range, and is like robocop 3; no one remembers it.
I knew something was amiss when i saw the LHS (left hand side) of the case; what on earth is going on there?
Like most things from the noughties, it's dated faster than a boyband haircut & is best off retired. The sound engine is extra lite mayonnaise, which i suppose can be used to invigorate crispbread.
Speaking of which, it looks like a long dried cracker, which you'll eat once, but only if it's smothered in soft cheese and at least one other topping.
If someone threw me one for £50 (or less) and added a duty free pack of tic tac (large container, various flavours), I'd close one eye whilst using it & pretend it was the supernova keyboard, only with a lobotomy (and a er, vasectomy).
Lobotomy solves so many problems😂
I had the Gen. I Supernova, and I loved it to death, though I remember thinking it sounded thin. It was blue, though. Dalek blue.
I thought it sounded thin but then you started playing it about 2.46 and I'm actually impressed. Sounds great for trancelike sounds also!
Sounding thin is not always a bad thing. :-)
Yeah, it can move quite some air
Supreme, you really put everything into these videos, love it x
Thanks!
I had the Xio 49 and sold it 'cos I thought it was flimsy and the sounds on the thin side. And then, a few years later, I listened back to the demo I'd made to sell it and liked it so much I bought another one. It's not up there with the rest of Novation's gear (which I love), but it has some unique timbres which means it still a keeper for me. And I love the XY pad. Great video, by the way :-)
True! It's a keeper!
Xio 49 was my first synth. And my first audio interface. And my first MIDI controller, back in 2009. I was always so annoyed that it had no MIDI in, but then I got an iConnect box (6 years later) and that wasn't an issue any more!
Amazing series, you've made me laugh a lot and kept me sane these last few months, keep it up plz!
Thank you so much!
The Xio was my first "real" synth. I remember being pretty disappointed with it, but that was probably mostly due to me being clueless. You definitely got some nice sounds out of it!
Thanks!
That outro, you absolutely nailed what this synth was built for!
Definitely would never get one, but your jams today were bangers.
Thank you so much!
I love this, bringing back my XioSynth coffeehouse days to crystal clear memories!!!
It sounds really nice!
Loved the backseat section!
That's how I travel ;)
I used to have one of these LOL, you have to admit that it was very versatile having a built in sound-card. You don't see that on synth's these days. Some of the patches were actually designed by ...James Zabiela, Ferry Corsten, Rennie Pilgrem, Roots Manuva, Shimon, and Skeewiff...some huge Reese Basses in there. One more fun fact, looking on ebay US, there are zero for sale. So, somebody's using them. LOL Anyway, I have the X-Station which is it's big brother. . Your music video had me rolling. Keep 'em coming! Cheers
Thanks! Either someone's using them or they have gone the way of the Dodo ;)
AudioPilz yes, prob. so lol
Your music rifs and visual effects are outofthisworld !
Thanks!
Amazing as always!!
Since we are on a novation kick, maybe the circuit deserves an episodes? I love mine, but I know they get looked down on, and seen as a "toy synth". I think it has one of the best sequencers ever and is a great polyphonic controller. You can easily load your own samples, and it's battery powered! The components software really expands the possibilities as well. Maybe it's synth engines leave something to be desired.
All in all, it's one of my favourites!
Thanks for the input!
@@AudioPilz thanks for being awesome!
Another shout for my faves in the synth world!
(That means both you and Novation
Thanks! Really? AT on the MiniNova? Must have!
Mann, das war total awesome! :) Your videos always make me smile.
Danke!
"Take through a tropical country" and discover the pots jam up. I used to work in the analogue sound desk industry at the back end of the last century. We sold desks to the far east and discovered the plastic shafts of the pots were hydroscopic , in other works they absorbed water, swell and jam up.
I agree. How long did it usually take for the pots to swell up?
@@AudioPilz Depended on the season, rainy or dry. When we got the modules back to the UK, they were fine, we just had to build with brass pot shafts for tropical climate customers.
"I wanted to try out some novation gear that doesn't seem to fall apart on touch" Made me spit out my tea in laughter :) (although luckily didn't land on any synths like the puke of a Koh Phangan hippy!), I thought it was gonna explode when you tried to break it. Both my Mininova and Bass Station 2 have decayed in the humidity of Hong Kong-the rubber on the mod wheels has distintegrated and the rubber on the knobs is a sticky rubbery gloop. Still love them though.That bass sound is massive.
Tropical climate is really harsh on electronics. I feel you
I bought an X-station 25 back when it was new. The build quality was about the same, with super cheap plastic knobs and faders that don't exactly inspire confidence. But I liked its sound quite a bit, and it was SO convenient: just plug it in, and you've got a 2-channel audio interface (with combination XLR jacks) and a darn good MIDI controller. It had one of the better early 2000's VA synth engine, in my opinion. I think the Xiosynth was based around the X-Station engine. I really wish I hadn't sold mine, since other than the flimsy build quality, it was a very handy thing to have around in the event you wanted to just do something quick and dirty.
AFAIK the underlying engines are quite similar
Same synth in the Xio and X Station, they can even share patches. There are a few small differences though, like the X Station has a less advanced Arp and no X Gator.
LOL that sound when you threw your finger down on the key. That's the sound of build quality right there. BONK!!
Used it as a clap in the Toland JX305 vid😂
@@AudioPilz That's hilarious, it sounds like slamming a screen door lmao
The are-sounds-electric-style intro is so great!!! 🤩🤩🥳
Thanks!
Haha weird coincidence that you made a video on some 2000's-era Novation gear, I was actually looking at them a few months ago: I settled on wanting to get the KS Rack, the Xio having an identity crisis as far as what it wanted to be in the studio and onstage made the KS units seem a bit more focused. That being said, there's so few videos of these units out here and you really made it sing! Maybe I'll get both someday :P
Thanks! Get both!
Another great episode! Crazy good video production skills as always 👍👌
Thank you so much!
I have an X-Station 25, which seems to be a follow-up synth to the Xio. Novation clearly addressed most of the original Xio issues regarding build quality, feeling a lot more rigid and less-plasticky. The knobs have significantly less wobble too. The audio interface was reasonable enough (the legacy drivers worked all the way up until a recent Win10 update finally killed it off) and the preamps had some interesting inbuilt multi fx but this one definitely has MIDI in so I can still use it with my DAW.
Yeah, that one seemed to be an improvement
Nice rendition of the 'Heart Asks Pleasure First' in the intro.
Great soundtrack!
At that time in Novations history, they basically kept putting a stripped down version of the SuperNova into every controller keyboard they made. The synth was great! Novation UltraNova is still one of my favorite synthesizers, and it shares a lot with the XioSynth
Agreed, I'm a big fan of that synth engine
Thanks for taking a look at this keyboard. When I bought the x-station, i felt like they only did minimal effort to tick off boxes in an effort to try and sell a lot of these to beginners. It's almost like toy shelf version of a real synth, even though it 'appears' to do all the correct things.
Needless to say, I sold it for 50$ to my friend who was just starting out. I think this was back in '06 or '07.
Thanks for watching!
So when this came out, it was the same time as microkorg and alesis micron. I saw the three as competitors. After owning all 3, the xiosynth was the clear winner for me. There is even a xio specific vst which sings in Japanese. So good!
I need that plugin!
@@AudioPilz I tried to Bing it, but couldn't find any results. It was similar to www.a-quest.com/products/aquestone_en.html
but specific to the Xio
The hand and wrist muscle toner (demo at 2:05) is amazing cool. It really does do everything
Ticks all the boxes...
The problem I've always had with the Novation VA stuff is that it sounds fairly nice when you're just noodling around, but they tend to not mix well - they're one of those synths that has its natural place in the spectrum that it likes to sit in regardless of the sort of sound you're trying to program, and the dull top end means it tends to get buried by other synths in a mix.
Yeah, you have to work differently with them
Well... After all these years, I've finally been convinced to subscribe to a RUclips channel.
Happy to hear that! Stick around!
Top work mate! Tyrannosaurus Rex was a highlight.
Thanks! Year of the Rex!
I had this keyboard back when I started and it was a way to sort of dip my feet in the hardware world without going balls deep. I only used it as a controller..
Nice synth engine, tho
@@AudioPilz I was too much of a noob to even know how to put it to good use. Novation definitely releases some of the best budget synths though.
Nice video as always. I’ve got 2 x-stations. The xio was like the bridge between x-station and ultra nova. If only they’d kept all those Nova/x-station encoders in their new lineup, but with the xio they scaled down their hardware costs. It’s the filter that’s terrible in that gen of novation (yes, lcd, Potentiometers and keybed bad too, but filter most importantly), so much better now. But I still recommend X-station to newbies. I’ll keep mine though I’d let a xio go.
Thanks! Yes, cool beginner's synth...
Hey, I really loved the progressive house bits! :) great skills. Thank you for covering this amazing synth, I too desired it when it came out and although I'm an analog synth guy, I do contemplate getting the Xio.
Thanks! Yeah, it punches above its weight
@@AudioPilz and I laughed out loud when you remarked that the "keyboard is an insult to humanity" 😄 it really seems like it! BTW, I would love to hear your opinion on the Volca Modular. I just bought it and quite amazed at the harmonically rich sounds it is capable of. 😊
im old enough to remember the promo vids for this from museumoftechno lmao, i honestly don't mind the sound though. Excellent demo of it!
Thanks!
Aw man I had and sold one of these as well! I kind of wish I hadn't because it's a nice engine in a small form factor. I got mine for £80 so perhaps they have got up in price since.
It took me quite some time to find one. Great engine
I really enjoy your perspective on this stuff keep it up
Thanks!
Another ‘cracking’ video, Florian, nice one! My mate had one of these which we used in a electronica duo in around 2010/2011. Hated trying to program it so we ended up only ever using the ‘tape strings’ patch 😂 I remember it feeling cheap. You can hear it if you search ‘the fishing club - 12 angry men’
Thanks!
Drivers are easily found on the Novation website. Midi in is via USB. Editor for software tweaking of sounds is pretty decent.
I actually like my XioSynth49
Nice sounds. Unfortunately, the drivers on the Webpage didn't work
@@AudioPilz in what way? PC here so cannot comment on Mac but if you have a recent version of osX then you have no chance
Thanks for watching and Xio next time!
Almost did that one;)
Got one today.
Its the first synth ive bought ever.
Superhappy with it.
Awesome laid back jam and video!!
Thanks!
ABSOLUTELY LIVING for these references to The Piano.
Thanks!
Great video. Thanks for the Michael Nymann bit!!!!
Thanks! Great score!
Another fantastic episode!
Thanks!
@@AudioPilz have you done any videos on any of the korg touchscreen units like the Kaossilator, kp3, kaoss pads etc?
Nice one! A good alternative is the (less flimsy) X-Station which also features aftertouch. These keyboards are brilliant for traveling, since they are USB-powered, and have a built-in audio interface with acceptably low latency. Nothing like this exists on the market anymore. (Edit: For me the old audio drivers still work on Win10.)
Thanks! The audio interfaces on Elektron gear are pretty nice!
@@AudioPilz True! I had the Four and Rytm for a while. But I still prefer 2-octave full-size keys when on the road.
I remember the first time I played a Novation polysynth from a friend. WOW, instant love.
Nice sound engine!
I had an XI Oback in the day, and I sold it pretty quickly. I bought it because it was an "all in one" synth/controller, and cheap but actually I had no idea what I was doing and didnt know how to incorporate the thing into my setup -
It's a quite interesting concept, though...
A synth version of a Michael Nyman track is always a win
It sounds like electronic music, anyway ;)
Damn, I watched this video and now I have that shuffle bassline stuck in my head. Thanks :-D
That's what shuffle basslines were originally made for ;) Thanks for watching
4:27 Special guest MOBY
What's that guy doing in my space car?
AudioPilz Guess we really are all made of stars.
Oh wow, I LEARNED subtractive synthesis with the xiosynth. One of my few regrets is selling it, because it's actually kind of hard to find now.
Yeah, quite hard to find
I mainly watch your channel for the constalntly rising video production standards now. I know the gear is usually NOT bad :-)
Thanks! One man's Bad Gear...
I don't know if you're not a little too harsh on this little fella.
I will agree on overall build quality - plastic fantastic. It doesn't feel like it's going to disintegrate on it's own from usage, but I've tried to disassemble mine once in order to give it a good cleaning (don't buy synths if the previous owner smokes in the studio kids, lesson learned the hard way), but in the end decided not to because two things were stuck together, i didn't know if they were glued or something, but I was afraid I'll end up breaking the case somehow. Just don't throw it around and you're going to be fine.
Other than that, this thing is kinda cool in how much it does vs how much it costs. It's a good sounding 3 oscillator VA with lots of waveforms. Decent effects section (reverb kinda sucks, but on the other side built in synth reverbs rarely don't suck). Audio interface is not the greatest, but how often do you get audio interfaces at all as an extra feature on a synthesizer? Also pitch/mod joystick > pitch/mod wheels. Keys.... I think microkorg's are worse. Also x gator and the touchpad are cool features.
The lack of din midi input is just stupid though. Don't know what they were thinking with that one. Buuuuuut I've got mine for the price of a new volca, and I would rather have this than any volca.
Harsh? I want to take it on a longer vacation! ;)
@@AudioPilz Maybe I misunderstood something. Not my first language too. But if somebody puked on my xio, my heart would be broken to the point where I would puke back on them in grief xd (because I would have to try to take it apart for cleaning, and not break anything).
I have the 48 key version that I picked up in 2007, I actually went into the shop to buy a microKorg and the shop assistant convinced me to get one of these instead. The touchpad on mine felt like it was going to break straight away, like it wasn't screwed in properly or something. It's currently sitting on the top of my wardrobe, covered in dust.
Get it down there ;) Great synth engine
Please do a segment on the Korg O1W/FD.
It was the successor to the heralded Korg M1, but it started life being cursed.
Apparently it was supposed to be called the Korg M10, but it went fully into production before someone realized whomever got the name memo on their desk read it upside down!! 😜😂
It was the spawn of the best selling synth in the world, but in an effort to make the sounds more warm and realistic, it used 16 bit sampling etc. Unfortunately the M1 was so popular because of it’s cold harsh 8-bit sound, and literally was instrumental in the character of house music. Now their
cursed synth sat on the shelves, with lush ethereal warmth.
I go one the first year of production and visited friends who were interested in jumping into the house music scene. They took one look at my Korg O1W and rolled their eyes as it already had a reputation of not hitting hard enough.
I was pretty embarrassed at my expensive poor choice, as I sold my Roland D50 to one of them for peanuts.
Yeah, we need more digital Korgs on the show!
Had this. Nice enough sounds, but man the build quality. Great review.
Thanks!
It's like the guy who had the job of giving Asian cars really shitty names got a temp job at Novation.
Not only Asian cars, think of the Fiat Multipla😅
When I was on the road with Butthole Surfers, we once had our gear delivered in Japan in an Isuzu Retarder. Really, best delivery of my whole life.
@@AudioPilz i try not to. I keep hoping it was a fever dream
Thanks Guy from Covenant, very cool!
Haven't heard that one yet😂
@@AudioPilz I'm going to find a new one for every new video; and it's going to be hard!
I'm a proud fan of digital synths, but I can see how they were looked a suspiciously 15 years back. My Blofeld and Microfreak are great for unapologetic digital sound/ workflow, whereas this era/ pricerange of digital synths just seemed to be the poor, slightly deformed younger brother of the analog sound that no one wanted to be seen with.
The digital sound is cool, the build quality is a nightmare ;)
@@AudioPilz Oh, certainly. The sound isn't bad, and you got some great results, but I think i you go digital, go the whole hog and push beyond analog modelling into wavetables and math operators and stuff to take advantage of the possibilities.
Oh, i had the 25 and hated it like 10 years ago, now i recently bought the 49 and love it! Nice VA aliasing in the higher registers is a 'feature' i dont mind these days. :)
I agree, aliasing is an integral part of the tone with this one
Fyre Island Synth ! that & X-Station 25 : perfect compact combi !
...or a Behringer Clone enclosure with a Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator on the inside and a Moog label on it
Hello from Tijuana, México, I have this keyboard XioSynth, all the things you said is correct, The keybed is noise and unstable, but the sound engine is nice, i use this keyboard as main midi interface for my volcas and microkorg, using the MIDI Solutions MIDI Quadra Thru and everything works fine. Thank you.
Midi solutions is cool stuff