Update for XW-G1
At the end of last week an update to the Data Editor along with a firmware update for the XW-G1 was posted on Casio’s website. Looks like the major change is to the “multifunction key” capabilities of the XW-G1. In addition to it’s other capabilities you can now assign keys on the keyboard to switch patterns. Check out Casio’s support page for the update –
Vangelis on the XW-P1
Well it’s not Vangelis playing, it looks like Casio’s Mike Martin has been doing some programming. Very cool.
The XW and the iPad (Getting Connected)
There is no question that Apple’s iPad has been embraced by professional musicians and hobbyists alike for its music making capabilities. Applications such as Apple’s GarageBand, Moog’s Animoog and SampleWiz offer some incredible capabilities and are really inexpensive (excluding the cost of the iPad itself).
It is clear that Casio recognized the importance of the iPad when they were designing the XW series. They even made a place to put one! Better yet they made it easy to integrate it but there are a couple things you’re going to need to get started.
First, you’re going to need an ordinary USB Cable. Next you’ll need Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit. The two of these things combined allow you to use the XW as a MIDI controller for your iPad.
Last you’re going to need an audio cable. The XW synths have an 1/8″ audio input on the back. So simply connect the headphone output from the iPad to the audio input on the back of the XW. I found it convenient to get one of these right angle adapters so the iPad could still sit comfortably on the iPad and the audio cable was conveniently tucked away.
Now you’re ready. What you’re doing to do with it depends on your application. You can set up the iPad to be one of your zones in Performance mode and play the iPad apps from the keyboard. You could also an iPad instrument as one of your parts in the Step Sequencer. We’ll get into both applications in one of our next posts. So get some Apps and the Camera Connection Kit and get ready!!
XW-P1 tutorial video from Casio
They say this will be the first of many “how to” videos on the XW-P1. They’re off to a great start!
Sweetwater’s Daniel Fisher plays Shine On on the XW-P1
Wow, leave it to Daniel Fisher to unlock the capabilities of the XW-P1. Check out this performance.
XW-P1 Pro Review at Harmony Central
XW-P1 Pro Review at Harmony Central
It just started. We’re anxious to hear what Craig Anderton has to say about the XW-P1.
Performance Mode: Creating a basic keyboard Split
The PERFORMANCE mode allows up to 4 tones to be combined simultaneously. Each tone has its own keyboard zone (known as Zone Parts 1-4), allowing key splits, layers, or combinations of both. Here’s an example of how to create a basic keyboard split:
Get to know your Solo Synth – KeyFollow
The XW’s Solo Synth has some incredible depth and one parameter that you need to know and love is KeyFollow. You’ll find this parameter in every area of the SoloSynth take a moment to understand what it does.
So we’re all starting with something simple go to Solo Synth P:9-9 Basic&Mic IN
- Press EDIT.
- Select OSC Block and press ENTER
- You should now be looking at Syn1 (Synth 1 or Oscillator 1), select OSCILLATOR and press Enter
- Scroll down to the next page and here you’ll find KeyFollow
To understand what this does, change the KeyFollow from +64 to -64 and play the keyboard.
SURPRISE! Now you can impress your friends and play the keyboard backwards. Note: Joe Zawinal used to do this when he had two keyboards side by side. He’d play a solo with his left and right hands doing mirror image runs. Experiment with different values like +128 then return it to +64.
So you’ll find KeyFollow on other screens such as the Filter or Amp. In the filter section, a positive value will make the filter open or brighter as you play higher notes. In the Amp section a positive value would make it louder as you play higher notes. Using negative values would do the opposite.
KeyFollow is a great parameter, it can allow you to shape your sounds and make them more expressive and dynamic. Enjoy!
Using the SoloSynth’s External Input
So Casio’s XW has 6 oscillators…well technically 5 that it can generate. The sixth comes from an External Source. On the back of the XW you’ll find mic and line inputs. Anything that is plugged in here can run through the SoloSynth’s engine including envelopes, LFO’s and best of all the Total Filter.
There are countless applications for this. Just to experiment, plug in an MP3 player, play a song and see what you can do. There is a template built into the XW to get you started, SoloSynth P:9-9 Basic& Mic IN is set up with the External Input active.
My favorite is using the XW with an iPad and an application like AniMoog. I connect my iPad using the Camera Connection Kit and the XW’s USB port and run the audio output back into the line input. Then I can layer an AniMoog sound with other sounds from the SoloSynth. I’ll try to get a video of this up soon.
Hex Layers – Small Changes, big results
Hex Layers are one of my favorite features of the XW-P1. They offer some amazing capabilities and can create some HUGE sounds. There are 50 Hex Layer presets in the XW-P1 and room for 50 user presets. Some of my favorite sounds in the XW-P1 started with existing presets that I just made some basic changes to. Since the XW-P1 offers so much control it is easy to do.
Step Sequencer: Using the keyboard to play parts
So you’ve used the switches and sliders to quickly build a drum part, now you’ve reached the bass part and you want to play that part from the keyboard. Not a problem let me show you how.
Make sure you have the STEP SEQ button to the left of the display selected then press EDIT. Scroll down once and now select STEP EDIT on the screen. If the Step Sequencer is running, you can now enter notes from the keyboard and they’ll snap to the 16 step grid.
So why does it work this way? The XW’s are designed to always keep your primary keyboard sounds live. By doing this it allows you to build a sequence using the buttons and sliders while the keyboard is always available for a melody or other instrument part. Pretty cool. So if you’re not performing or building sequences live you can simply go into STEP EDIT to use the keyboard for all of your Step Sequencer parts including drums. Just stay in STEP EDIT mode and use the Part +/- buttons to switch between each of the tracks as you play the parts from the keyboard.
Changing Tones in the Step Sequencer
So you’ve bought a new XW-P1 and you’re ready to put down some parts in the step sequencer. You dial in a blank or untitled step sequence and begin but you don’t have the kick or snare part that you want. Don’t worry, changing tones is easy. Your first instinct may have been to press the TONE button, but that only allows you to change the sound that is live on the keyboard. The answer lies in the mixer.
Press the mixer button and it will take you to the MIDI channel that corresponds to the part you’re working on the step sequencer. Use the cursor button and select TONE on the screen then use the +/- (yes/no) buttons or the data wheel to dial in the sound you want. Scroll down further using the cursor keys and you’ll find the volume, pan and effects settings for this part. You even can use the Part +/- buttons to switch between different parts.
The parts in the Step Sequencer run on MIDI channels 8-16. Here is a quick summary:
- Drum1 – MIDI channel 8
- Drum2 – MIDI channel 9
- Drum3 – MIDI channel 10
- Drum4 – MIDI channel 11
- Drum5 – MIDI channel 12
- Bass – MIDI Channel 13
- Solo1 – MIDI Channel 14
- Solo2 – MIDI Channel 15
- Chord – MIDI Channel 16
Don’t get confused by the names “Solo1 and Solo2”, they simply mean that these are monophonic tracks that can only play or trigger one note at at time. The Solo1 track can be used to play a “Solo Synth” tone instead of one of the regular PCM tones. We’ll teach you that trick in an upcoming post.
Software Editor for XW-P1 Released
Casio just released the Mac and Windows editor for the XW-P1. This software allows you to edit tones, performances and more using your computer. It also provides the ability to back up any user data to your computer, so you can back things up without having to use an SD Card. Casio says a future version will allow for Undo/Redo commands while editing. You can download the software here:
http://support.casio.com/download.php?rgn=1&cid=008&pid=1163
Software update for XW-P1 adds new features
Casio just posted an update for the XW-P1 at the end of the last week. This update includes many new features. Specifically you now have the ability to send Bank and Program changes to external MIDI gear from Performance Mode. They also added new modulation destinations in the Solo Synth.
Download the update here:
http://support.casio.com/download.php?cid=008&pid=340
XW SYNTH BLOG 