Just bought an X-Station

Ive been looking for a dedicated controller for the softsynths I use and Reason, and over the weekend started looking into the X-Station. Then one came up on Ebay with a sweet BIN so I grabbed it:)

I was originally interested in the SL, but the X-Station was really what I needed. A compact controller that I can bring to work (I get a chance to do music stuff on my lunch break), use with my laptop, AND a nice hardware based VA. The demos Ive heard sound pretty good, and will complement what I already have.

Anyone else have one? How do you like it?

Got the mini version (25 keys). Controls all my soft synths, Doepfer and Nord G2. An essential tool.

Got a 49 myself... works great. But I can't use it as an audio interface with my Intel 915-chipset studio computer because of Intel's USB audio issues (records fine but playback results in occasional blasts of white noise). Not the X-Station's fault but a downer anyway because the studio computer works great otherwise. So I use the X-Station 49 as a companion with Reason and my AMD laptop... sweet...

Just thought I'd give you a heads-up on using your X-Station with an Intel computer... YMMV.

Thanks for the heads up ThePro, Im running an AMD in my DAW so I should be fine. MY Boss GS-10 has audio I/O via USB and its fine...

The final selling point for me on the X-station was that, unlike so many other budget controllers, it can transmit sysex data from all its knobs, buttons, and sliders. This means I can build templates that will help me design sounds faster on my K5000, which is going to be sweet:)

It's a wonderful controler but be warned; you cannot use the built in synth while in template mode. You must be in synth mode which limits it's knobs and sliders to thier fixed values. Novation support says there is no fix for this on the horizon.

Yeah I read about that - no big deal though. If I absolutely need to control something on the DAW while the X-station is in synth-mode, I can use another keyboard or the pad kontrol.

I have one and I just use it as a synth. When connected to my new laptop I have latency problems. I'm not blaming the X station but using the computer for music stuff has just been a disaster for me. Everytime I want to play a soft synth I have to re install the Novation drivers which takes a few minutes. Then there's a half second delay when I hit a key before I hear a sound. Buzzkill.

I bought the 49 key version and am very impressed with it so far. I haven't really gotten into using with my computer very much yet - mostly just as a VA synth. I just did a gig recently where I had it in the top of my double keyboard stand with my Korg Karma on the bottom - great combo. I also had the X-Station midi'd out to my Roland GR 33 guitar synth as an extra tone module. About a week ago I used the X-Station for a recording session in my studio with new age recording artist Steven Halpern. It has a wonderful bell-like electric piano sound that was just perfect for the mix. It's got nice keyboard action too for a non-weighted synth.

Awake 77 - I'd be very interested to hear more about the templates you are creating to tweak sounds on your K5000. I have a K5000R and I'd love to have a template for sound editing. I used to have a K5000S and really miss having all those knobs and controllers for real-time tweaking.

Hi Karma1,

The X-Station should be here this week and I intent to get started on creating templates for the K5000S immediately. For the Peavey PC1600x, there are sysex templates available on the web for the K5000S:

http://www.defectiverecords.com/pc1600/pc1600.html

(K5000 is about halfway down the list)

So I know it can be done, as long as the K5K does need a sysex string longer than 20bytes (which it shouldnt)

Check out everything you can control with that Peavey Template...makes me real excited to think I might be able to do the samething with the X-station...it would make the K5000 so much more accessable.

What do the audio outs/ins on the X station do? Well, more appropriately, what do they do on a Renote with no internal sounds?

I think its just a 2x2 USB audio interface. I believe on the X-station you can run external gear through its effects too (but not through the filters)

If you have a Remote you can download an upgrade that will add the internal synth.

This is true but is no big deal since it sends whatever MIDI you're playing to the computer while you're in synth mode. So you can get both sounds. I accidentally rigged mine up so that when the expression pedal is off the GarageBand piano is full volume and when the pedal is fully on the x-station's Je' t'aime organ preset is full volume and the piano off. The two sounds blend across the throw of the pedal. Very cool. You could do that with any two sounds, of course.

I've been using my 49 strictly as a synth until this week and have loved it as a learning tool (I'm a newbie at synths). Now I've hooked it into GarageBand and the process has been nearly seamless. Very nice.

For some it may not be a bother, but for me it is. I would like to be able to sequence the internal synth while using a custom template to control another piece of gear. You can turn local control off on the X while in synth mode but it defeats the purpose of having the ability to use the templates. In other words, the X-Station has two functions that cannot be utilized at the same time. That said, I still like it as a controller and for me it's still the best option but this crucial limitation makes the built in synth useless to me.

There's a user group at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/x-station/ that's monitored by Novation people. I includes a file area with templates and presets and all that, too.

Quite nice playable keyboards on them as well. I do wish more synths had the same pitch/mod and x/y pad setups - probably without a doubt my favourite perf control combo.

Some of my favourite x-station presets:

1) Je' T'aime --jazz organ sound; it has lots of depth and can be 'stopped' after a fashion with the touchpad, can get lost in a band but with a little tweaking it can growl quite nicely. This is absolutely my favourite preset and starting point for patches.

2) Quite Times --an FM patch not quite like any EP I've ever heard; very pretty and responsive but it can get lost in a band (unless, of course, they happen to shut up for four bars)

3) Go Lieth --just really big; can't imagine using it

4) EPic --funky EP that can cut if needed

There are some good patches at the Yahoo group, too, if you're willing to do some wading; especially a bunch that were converted from k-station patches.