Members monsterism Posted May 5, 2012 Members Share Posted May 5, 2012 Originally Posted by Blissful World Like a Theremin is so yesterday and a step sequencer is a new trick? There wouldn't even be an XW-P1 if Theremin hadn't done all the electronic pioneering he did. Watch the Theremin documentary and tell me how uninteresting it is. And quit raining on other posters' parades. p.s. if it was so easy to reproduce a reasonable semblance of a Theremin, every other programmer in the world would have already done it. I don't think he was taking the mickey, but it sounds impressive if no other programmer has done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monsterism Posted May 5, 2012 Members Share Posted May 5, 2012 Best video of the features so far...http://www.dv247.com/keyboards-and-m...hesizer--93756Wish us uk people could get the amazing price like you lucky Americans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gneissnfunky Posted May 7, 2012 Members Share Posted May 7, 2012 Can anyone decipher what the synth wave abbreviations mean?MM - Moog Music?MG - Moog?AP - ARP?OB - Oberheim?P5 - ???? CZ - CasioND - A New England Digital Syclavier?JP - Jupiter 80?VA - ????TB - ????SH - ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gneissnfunky Posted May 7, 2012 Members Share Posted May 7, 2012 P5 - Prophet V right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gneissnfunky Posted May 7, 2012 Members Share Posted May 7, 2012 SH - Roland... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gneissnfunky Posted May 7, 2012 Members Share Posted May 7, 2012 VA - Virtual Analog; TB - Roland Bassline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kevan Barrett Posted May 7, 2012 Members Share Posted May 7, 2012 I sort of suspected that, but from looking at some other comments, perhaps the pre-sets will be a pleasant surprise.For me at present my hearts saying XWP1 and my heads saying Juno Di, but will be able to try both in store fairly soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted May 8, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 8, 2012 I think we have enough sounds for now, and we'll be doing more as the review goes along, but I think it's time to look at the infamous Step Sequencer. First of all, it's a pretty sophisticated 16-step sequencer with 100 factory sequences (which can't be overwritten) and 100 user sequences. Each sequence pattern (what Casio calls a "part") has nine tracks - five drum, one bass, two solos, and one chord. So you can build up a lot more than just drum parts. There are eight parts per sequence. As editing is a little daunting for me right now until I spend some quality time with the manual, let's talk about playback as that gives you can idea of the sequencer's capabilities. For Ableton Live fans, you can think of each track as a loop, and each part as a "scene." So for example, one part could be just kick, snare, and high-hat. Another could add in a bass line, and another, a variation on that bass line with a chord. Another pattern could be a fill, and so on. Therefore, just as with Ableton Live you can step through Scenes to create a composition, you can step through the patterns on the XW-P1 to build up a composition. Also like Ableton Live, there's quantization in the sense that a pattern won't start until the existing pattern plays though. The buttons that trigger the patterns make for a pretty big target. When a pattern is playing, its light goes out and if it's waiting for another pattern to end before it starts playing, it's flashing. The Factory sequences can be a lot of fun, and triggering different patterns at different times can provide hours of amusement But then the question becomes how easy is it to edit sequences, and how easy it is to create patterns...so let's check that out next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Martin Posted May 8, 2012 Members Share Posted May 8, 2012 Originally Posted by Anderton Also like Ableton Live, there's quantization in the sense that a pattern won't start until the existing pattern plays though. Hi Craig, One quick clarification. You have the capability to set to pattern switching from WAIT (until next measure) to Real-time which seamlessly switches within the middle of a pattern. You'll find this capability in a Performance - which is a scene of everything that is happening on the keyboard at one time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted May 8, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 8, 2012 Originally Posted by Mike Martin Hi Craig, One quick clarification. You have the capability to set to pattern switching from WAIT (until next measure) to Real-time which seamlessly switches within the middle of a pattern. You'll find this capability in a Performance - which is a scene of everything that is happening on the keyboard at one time. Thanks Mike...good to know in case you're playing with a drummer who's close to the tempo, but not always spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Martin Posted May 8, 2012 Members Share Posted May 8, 2012 Actually Craig, not quite. It still stays in tempo. It can switch seamlessly in the middle of a pattern to another while keeping it perfectly in time. So if you switch patterns somewhere between beat 2 and 3, it will go to that exact point between beat 2 and 3 in the other pattern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Martin Posted May 8, 2012 Members Share Posted May 8, 2012 Some tutorials on the Step Sequencer: http://xwsynth.wordpress.com/2012/04...play-parts-11/ http://xwsynth.wordpress.com/2012/04...equencer-10-2/ Not that you need them Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members krissynth Posted May 8, 2012 Members Share Posted May 8, 2012 I'm new here - owning a Casio XW-P1 for a couple of weeks now (the second one already in fact . Being a big Casio vintage synth fan (CZ...) I couldn't resist finding out how this new pro synth sounds and what features it is offering, so I ordered one of the first ones available in my area. First of all I think the amount of features and general quality of sounds and SOLO synth options offered on this synth is very good for its price. I also really like the quality of information provided by Craig and Mike. One of the things I like on the XW-P1 is the possibility to stack/layer different types of sounds in performances; in my opinion the PCM sounds are mainly meant to support SOLO or HEX sounds as additional 'supporting' (background) sound layers. Now maybe I overlooked something, but one of the things I immediately and naturally wanted to do was changing the balance of sound volumes between the different parts of a performance in real time (while playing the performance, e.g. during a live session). I assumed this could be done by assigning volume control to either the four assignable knobs (to control the main sound parts 1-4) or - even better - to assign this coontrol to the sliders. But I didn't find a way to do that yet. Of course there's the mixer button, but when pushing this one during a performance, the audio changes to the sound of an individual part, which is not what one really expects during a live gig. Is there a way to control the volumes of each part of a performance in real time ? Did I overlook something in the manual (I probably did...) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Martin Posted May 8, 2012 Members Share Posted May 8, 2012 Krissynth,Thanks for purchasing the XW-P1!! You're not mistaken about volume control and the sliders within a Performance. The issue is that in a performance the sliders are set to manipulate either the solo synth or a Hex Layer sound in real time. Pressing the mixer button allows you to access all the parts because a Performance could also contain a sequence.The knobs however can save the day. Example: Four Knobs = Volume for Each ZoneFrom Performance Mode, press EDIT.Select Controllers and press Enter.Here you'll see the four Knob assignments labeled K1, K2, K3 and K4. Change each of the assignments here to Control #7 Volume.Next, Press EXITThen select Zone Parameters and press EnterYou should be looking at Zone 1, indicated by the Z1 at the top of the screen. You're going to want to scroll down to find the Knob Enable parameter for this zone. Important Tip: Rather than pressing the cursor down button a dozen or more times, press the cursor right > button to move down by pages. I think six times to get to the Knob Enable Page.So what you're going to want to do is set Zone 1 only Knob 1 is enabled. Use the Part +/- buttons and move to Zone 2, and set it so only Knob 2 is enabled. Do the same for Zone 3 and Knob 3 and again for Zone 4. Using this method you have 4 independent volume controls, one for each zone. More than likely you wouldn't want to use all four knobs for this purpose. You'd likely want to leave knob 1 open for something else and use the others to balance out the layers. Note that you could set one knob to control the volume of multiple zones at once. You may want to consider using MIDI Controller 11 (Expression) instead of Controller 7 in order to keep the relative balance of all the layers equal. I hope this helps, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daviel Posted May 9, 2012 Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 My XW-P1 arrived today and I have been working through the manual. Have not gotten very far. One annoyance is that I have a synth sound from the B below middle C all the way down to the lowest key in the bass, that sounds with the pcm and the drawbar organ sounds. I have not researched zones (it's in Zones 1 & 2) yet so I don't know how to get rid of it. I guess it's a zones thing. If I am wrong please steer me in the right direction. Initialize did not help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Martin Posted May 9, 2012 Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 Daviel,Sounds like your in a Performance. Press TONE for a single sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daviel Posted May 9, 2012 Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 Worked just fine. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daviel Posted May 9, 2012 Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 I interrupted updating the XW-P1 - a window popped up that said it wasn't able to load a certain file - it stuck on 8. Now the synth will not turn on. Have I killed it? Can I get it to operate? Help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Martin Posted May 9, 2012 Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 Daviel,Unfortunately it may be fried. I know of one other issue where this happened. Casio actually made some changes to the updater after the last case. Daviel, I'll contact you privately and we'll work on getting your XW-P1 replaced right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daviel Posted May 9, 2012 Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 Thank you Mike. David LovingWaxahachie, Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oliverhc Posted May 9, 2012 Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 I think we all appreciate your great support Mike! Thank you! Great product, affordable pricing. What more could we ask for from a manufacturer? Fortunately was able to upgrade the firmware without a hitch. Got my P1 two weeks ago, still reading and re-reading and learning. Looking forward to more tutorial. No rush though, I am a slow learner, Regards, oliver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted May 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 Originally Posted by Mike Martin Some tutorials on the Step Sequencer: http://xwsynth.wordpress.com/2012/04...play-parts-11/ http://xwsynth.wordpress.com/2012/04...equencer-10-2/ Not that you need them Craig. Apparently I do! There are a lot of little nooks and crannies in the OS. I'll check out your tutorials for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted May 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 Originally Posted by daviel I interrupted updating the XW-P1 - a window popped up that said it wasn't able to load a certain file - it stuck on 8. Now the synth will not turn on. Have I killed it? Can I get it to operate? Help! As a public service, here's something I wrote in the February 2012 issue of Electronic Musician in response to a reader question. A firmware update modifies gear at a very fundamental level, sometimes including the section that “wakes up” the gear when you turn it on. If this becomes corrupted, in addition to possible operational issues the gear may not function at all. Although in many cases you can simply try again if a firmware update doesn’t work, it’s important to make sure any firmware update completes successfully. The single most important factor is not interrupting the power going to the device doing the updating (usually a computer) and the device being updated. For a successful software update, use an uninterruptible power supply to power your computer and the device being updated (note that more updates these days are being done by loading a file from an SD card or USB thumb drive, which can simplify matters compared to using a computer). With battery-powered gear, check that the batteries are fully charged; a laptop can also be a good choice for updating if its battery is charged, as the updating process usually takes only a few minutes and you won’t have to worry about the power to the laptop being interrupted. Regarding the connection between devices (typically USB), make sure the cable is plugged in tightly, and the device being updated is sitting securely on a surface and can’t be moved accidentally. Don’t trip over the cable, either—and if you have pets, don’t let them in the same room where you’re updating gear. One good jump on a table at an inopportune team could mean the end of the update. Finally, read the instructions twice—once before doing the update, then while doing the update. Follow these to the letter, as one misstep could mean trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted May 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 Originally Posted by Mike Martin Daviel, I'll contact you privately and we'll work on getting your XW-P1 replaced right away. Class act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Martin Posted May 9, 2012 Members Share Posted May 9, 2012 Originally Posted by Anderton Apparently I do! There are a lot of little nooks and crannies in the OS. I'll check out your tutorials for sure. The Step Sequencer is obviously one of the most unique things about the XW-P1. Due to the fact that nothing like this has ever been done in a keyboard, this is a bit of a learning curve here. So far the first two questions that seem to come up are - 1. If I don't want that sound (kick drum, snare drum, bass sound....etc) on this track how do I make it a different one? 2. I want to input that part from the keyboard, instead of using the buttons or the sliders. Both of those things are covered in the links above. After that, there are some incredible depths you can go with the Step Sequencer. We're shooting some tutorial videos on this part tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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