"GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of Oxium, its newly-launched performance-orientated soft synth, as of July 21, 2012...
Oxium is a unique, yet cost-conscious (€99.00 EURO/$129.00 USD) Mac-compatible (OS X 10.4 — 32-bit PowerPC and Intel; Mac OS X 10.6 or later — 32- and 64-bit Intel; Audio Unit, VST, RTAS — Pro Tools 7.0 and later) and PC-compatible (Windows XP, Vista, and 7 — 32- and 64-bit; VST, RTAS — Pro Tools 7.0 and later) performance-orientated soft synth plug-in, adept at giving equal billing to still-sought-after classic analogue sounds and more adventurous modernistic tones.
Mastering Oxium is far from being a steep learning curve, however, thanks to its intuitive user interface. An Instant Visual Feedback (IVF) concept based around a ‘Flower’ design allows standard synth building blocks — oscillators, filters, and LFOs, etc — to be quickly absorbed at a glance. Meanwhile, modulation options are also accessible quickly and simply via a central page, and include the usual suspects — never has it been so simple to add performance-enhancing Vibrato (oscillator pitch), Tremolo (VCA level), or Auto-Wah (cutoff frequency) modulations to a patch!
Looking for ‘photorealistic’ analogue-sounding sounds? Then look no further: take two cumulative analogue- modelled oscillators and simultaneously select several (Triangle, PWM Triangle, Saw, Square, and PWM Pulse) waveforms for each (together with cross and ring modulation); shape them with a flexible double- multimode filter structure using XILS-lab’s proprietary third-generation zero-delay feedback algorithm featuring six self-oscillating filter types (12dB and 24dB Lowpass, 6dB and 12dB Bandpass, and 12dB High- Pass — plus 12dB Lowpass, Bandpass, High-Pass, and an additional Formant Filter option on the second filter that can also be modulated); finally, mix to taste using the flexible double-mixer architecture with fully- configurable serial or parallel modes, and... voila! Subtractive synthesis speedily taken to a new dimension.
Seeking something more modern and exotic-sounding? Then try using the Grid, Oxium’s onboard advanced sequencer modulator, adapted from the masked zones idea introduced in XILS-lab’s Le Masque: Delay timeline-driven delay effects plug-in namesake, featuring 16 freely-assignable zones, horizontal and vertical quantise modes, and two level parameters for added musical flexibility. Ditto the three (Amplifier, Filter, and Auxiliary) D-ADSR envelopes easily at hand to assist with sound sculpting — perfect for triggering tempo- synched modulation, for example. And rounding off this fanciful feature set, three full-featured LFOs that can be set to run polyphonically (with each voice having its own LFO) or monophonically (with all voices using the same LFO), each capable of modulating oscillator pitch and width, filter frequency (host application synchronised or otherwise), and amplifier level.
To top things off, Oxium comes complete with over 250 carefully chosen performance-showcasing presets from XILS-lab’s talented team of well-known, world-class sound designers, while two user-selectable skins reflect its ‘split personality’... so why not choose one today?
Oxium is available to purchase from the dedicated XILS-lab online Store for a special introductory price of €69 EURO/$89.00 USD until August 15 (rising to €99 EURO /$129.00 USD thereafter). Note: this is a serial number-protected product — no iLok required!
"XILS-lab creates KaoX as virtual instrument inspired by legendary FM synthesizer bolstered by virtual analogue and chaotic algorithms
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: virtual instrument- and effect plug-in-specialising software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of KaoX — a virtual instrument inspired by a legendary FM (Frequency Modulation) synthesizer, albeit bolstered by virtual analogue sound synthesis and additional chaotic algorithms in an advanced two-layer architecture allowing for a powerful sound creation tool to fuel DAW-driven synthesizer dreams with a much more easily understood signal path than its iconic FM forefather — as of April 12…
To appreciate its iconic inspiration is to truly appreciate the power of KaoX, XILS-lab’s latest virtual instrument. Indeed, the early-Eighties synthesizer market was dominated by analogue synthesizers using analogue circuits and analogue signals to generate sounds electronically, which, when made available as programmable polysynths with patch storage, were costly with limited polyphony. Putting paid to that dominance, an Eighties-dominating 16-voice FM synthesizer changed course — changing the course of musical history in the process — by generating sounds via frequency modulation, a form of sound synthesis whereby the frequency of a waveform is changed by modulating its frequency with a modulator. Mass manufactured using very-large- scale integration chips by a Japanese giant of a company who had licensed the technology from Stanford University, California — composer, musician, and professor John Chowning developed the digital implementation of FM synthesis while there, the world’s first commercially-successful digital synthesizer subsequently sold over 200,000 units within three years — around 20 times more than the most iconic analogue synthesizer of all time sold in its impressive decade-long lifespan — and its preset sounds soon became staples of the Eighties pop pantheon with E PIANO 1 purportedly ending up on 40% of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers throughout 1986. Therein lay the rub. Really complex menus and a lack of conventional controls meant that few learned to program the comparatively keenly-priced instrument in depth — despite FM synthesis lending itself to creating brighter, glassier sounds, as well as imitative acoustic sounds so much better than its instantly unfashionable analogue adversaries, programmable polyphonic or otherwise. Of course, fashions change with time and technology; the instrument in question has long since fallen out of favour. Although analogue synthesizers — somewhat ironically — are now more commonplace than they ever were with a perceived warmth of sound and appealing hands-on control working in their favour, the convenience of an ITB (in the box) workflow with DAW-driven virtual instruments and effect plug-ins has far from lost its appeal for today’s music-making masses. Time to revisit the wonderful world of FM synthesis with a modern-day twist? Knowingly, KaoX does just that. After all, as a virtual instrument- and effect plug-in-specialising software company, XILS-lab loves to create tools that inspire its users to create more imaginative music than they ever dreamed possible!
Put it this way: with KaoX, XILS-lab has created a virtual instrument inspired by that legendary FM synthesizer, albeit bolstered by virtual analogue sound synthesis and additional chaotic algorithms in an advanced two-layer architecture allowing for a powerful sound creation tool to fuel DAW-driven synthesizer dreams with a much more easily understood signal path than its iconic FM forefather since said signal path is easily understood through the use of illuminated modules in a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that is equally easy on the eye. KaoX’s knowing nod towards the preset-powered popularity of its iconic FM forefather is immediately obvious for all to see and hear in an easy-to-tweak simplified view allowing its UP (upper) and LO (lower) synthesizer layers — each with independent synthesis modules — to be combined in three different ways. Working in single mode, only the selected layer is active and heard, while both layers are active and heard in SPLIT and DOUBLE modes — the lower part of the keyboard playing the LO layer and the upper part of the keyboard playing the UP layer in the case of the former, while both the UP and LO layers are simultaneously played across the keyboard in the case of the latter. Limited controls are available in this simplified view, including TUNE, DRIFT, GLIDE, VIBRATO, FREQ (vibrato frequency), DEPTH (vibrato), W (wheel), TREMOLO, FREQ (tremolo frequency), and DEPTH (tremolo), plus CHORUS, DELAY, PHASER, and REVERB effects, enabling users to easily play presets and to tweak them accordingly — adding vibrato and tremolo or switching effects on and off, for instance.
Alternatively, activating an advanced settings view brings the wonderful world of KaoX into full view, allowing more adventurous users access to the virtual instrument’s internal modules to tweak or change any parameter therein, aided by contextual help windows, while active modules are helpfully illuminated. FM synthesis options are available on each of the two available layers with eight operators grouped in two banks with independent pitch — perfect for creating chorus-like FM sounds or punchy stereo patches — and two outputs (O1 and O2). Each FM OPERATOR features one LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator), one envelope, WHEEL and VEL (velocity aftertouch) access, two user-definable external modulators (assignable to any KaoX modulation source), KEYB (keyboard follower) 2D pad, RATIO or FIXED frequency selection, and a lowpass filter. Furthermore, virtual analogue synthesis options are also available on each of the two available layers with two continuous waveform analogue oscillators (ANALOG OSCILLATOR 1 and ANALOG OSCILLATOR 2), two zero-delay-like analogue filters (FILTER 1 and FILTER 2), four D-ADSR envelopes, and four VCA outputs for bringing a depth and warmth to the sound creation table. That said, KaoX also allows its users to create sounds that they had never thought possible, thanks to two chaotic oscillators (CHAOS OSCILLATOR 1 and CHAOS OSCILLATOR 2) and two chaotic ring modulators (CHAOX 1 and CHAOX 2). And as if that was not enough to keep committed sound creators seriously satisfied, KaoX comes complete with a flexible four-track step SEQUENCER, where each track can be assigned to the UP or LO layer with independent sustain and gating or used as a modulation source.
Sound-wise, KaoX comes packed with 500-plus presets programmed by world-class sound designers Mikael Adle, Soundsdivine, Status, Nori Ubukata, Tom Wolfe, Xenos, Yuli-Yolo, Zensound, and many more — more than enough to point anyone of any ability in the general direction of where they might musically want to go. Getting there is made much easier with its integrated single-window preset manager making finding the right patch for the task, managing presets and sound banks, as well as creating custom tags, an efficient easy-going experience that could barely be dreamt of back in the early Eighties. Today the time has clearly come to revisit the wonderful world of FM synthesis with a modern-day twist and appreciate the power of KaoX, XILS- lab’s latest virtual instrument par excellence — from France with love... and all without the need for very-large-scale integration chip mass manufacture!"
"The XILS 4 emulates a prototype that was never released, the EMS VCS4, based on two intricate and interacting VCS 3 ( Synthi) cores. We also coupled them with the famous 256 analog polysequencer"
"All sounds including drums and vocal are from KarmaFX. No external FX used except light limiting on the master. Like us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/synthdemo
More demos coming soon, both hardware and software. If you have a particular synth you'd like to see demoed please just ask in the comments.
"Checking out the wild new Plug in from Xils Lab. The XILS 4 emulates a prototype that was never released, the EMS VCS4, based on two integrated, interlinked and interacting VCS 3 ( Synthi) cores. We also coupled them with the famous 256 analog polysequencer
"Simply the most versatile and powerful analog modelled polyphonic synthesiser ever produced
Intro Price : 119€ Until January 21th, 2017
The PolyKB III captures the sound and spirit of the legendary RSF PolyKobol 2 polyphonic synthesizer, including its most revolutionnary feature : Morphing analog Oscillators.
This set it apart from all the other common analog synth recreations, because you have instant access to hundreds of different analog modelled & free running oscillators waveforms. More than in other synthesizer, including those who propose switching between oscillators models. Icing on the cake, they can be dynamically modulated by many sources.
"The XILS V+ is comparing to its hardware model, using the Famous Human Voices.
Check audio demo (and A/B comparison) in our web site http://www.xils-lab.com/pages/XILS-V%..."
"All sounds including all drums from Xils-Lab PolyKB II
Definitely a very organic sounding synth with a huge Moog style sound, I think the 808 kick is the hugest I've ever managed to synthesise - it only uses the filter set on full self-oscillation.
I always try and avoid the "it sounds just like analog" comparisons but this synth is patently designed to replicate one very specific and very analog synth so this time I think it's appropriate. Check out the lead near the end, that's one very "analog" sound.
Haven't really made heavy use of the Oscillator continuous waveform morphing, the sequencer or the innovative DynaMYX/PolyMYX in this track but these are well worth investigating if you get your hands on the demo. I'd recommend reading the pretty decent manual to help you figure these sections out.
Only a light treatment with a compressor on the master and a touch of reverb on a few tracks - otherwise what you hear is what you can expect from the PolyKB.
"The XILS V+ is comparing to its hardware model, using the glide function and a layered sound.
Check audio demo (and A/B comparison) in our web site http://www.xils-lab.com/pages/XILS-V%..."
"The XILS 3 is a virtual instrument based on the of the architecture of a classic matrix based modular synthesizer. Matrix connection brings modularity and sound design to a new dimension. More than 450 connections (audio signal, controls signal, trig signals) are available on the XILS 3, much more than any other type of modular synthesizer!"
You can find more info including samples on xils lab
I'm very impressed with the synth, the GUI is a pleasure to use and feels fun to operate, the filters sound great - you can hear a few in the track particularly the formant. The sync sound is particularly organic and the chorus compares well to my Juno 60. Modulation routings are very easy to use and I liked the default routings for 2 of the LFOs to destinations you'd generally route them anyway. All in all a well thought out synth for a pretty amazing intro price if you pre-order. Grab a copy of the demo here: http://www.xils-lab.com/products/Oxium.html"
Published on May 14, 2014 Leon van Bokhorst·28 videos
"Xils Lab Analog Matrix Modular Synthesizer, which is based on a EMS VCS3 architecture, got a major upgrade today... XILS 4. It's a double XILS 3 on steriods and much more.
Dedicated FX - Digitech Talker
Synth with Vocoder - MicroKORG
'Vintage' Vocoder - Roland Boutique VP-03
Software - Xils-Lab V+
1:43 General observations and comments
4:52 Roland Boutique VP-03
7:02 MicroKORG 37
11:37 Digitech Talker
13:22 XIls vs Boutique
15:53 Xils-Lab V+
19:56 Just the sounds"
"Xils Lab PolyM based on the legendary Polymoog, Divkid takes us through some selected sounds.
Available in AU/VST, RTAS+ AAX formats. Uses iLok authorisation (dongle or software)
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"‘Analog Reissue’ contains 100 presets for Xils-Lab Syn’X 2.5
This soundset recreates some of the classic sounds from the Elka Synthex and also brings some exciting new sounds that weren’t possible with the original hardware.
‘Analog Reissue’ features cascading arepeggios, analogue strings, dreamy synth sounds, punchy analog basses, Berlin style sequences, hard + soft sync sounds, vintage brass pads and much more."
"GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of Oxium, its newly-launched performance-orientated soft synth, as of July 21, 2012...
