Novation Xio 25 - jas_review007

[Supersolyman]

why do people always say sorry for my English when the means of communication is text? your English is fine i cant even recognize your accent

[V19torrent]

This doesn't have any drum kits, but could you control kits from a computer using MIDI?

[gamblemadman]

How much are these?

[cjsinister6]

@gamblemadman novation xiosynth 25 is 300 however I can't find it anywhere on legit music stores the same synth with 49 keys is 400$

[gamblemadman]

@cjsinister6 Thanks dude.

[vaghoust]

bad sounds!Why not to give 130 euros for a m-audio 49 blue with more modules and knobs and dozens of soft synths with real sounds?

[cjsinister6]

I don't suppose anyone knows where I could buy the xiosynth 25??? it got discontinued off my music sites and I'm very upset..

[anim8orjoey]

dubstep wobbles!! :D this is a good synth for deep wobbly bass lines i hope?

[Rickster372]

You' ve just sealed the deal, thanks for sharing the sounds.

[FawitoBlues]

What the hell is doing a Commodore 64 in front of you? Kinda inspiration? :) BTW, I'm gonna buying a 49-keys one! This machine sounds so ANALOG and it's quite easy to move around the "complexity" of editing a sound!!! Nice video man, the best I've found about the Xiosynth!!!

[recherpico]

@blackmeinu ooh daaang that suxxxx

[recherpico]

is this the type of keyboard that you can hook a mic to and synthesize your voice??

[blackmeinu]

@recherpico No. That's what I thought, but It's just phantom power. I got one, & It's pretty cool if you like f-up sounds.The only problem I have with it is there is no looping, witch could really need it.

[MIROSLAVSATANFAN]

I am thinking about buying this for home recording on my PC. Can i plug it in using USB, and record directly to my recording software?

[blackmeinu]

@MIROSLAVSATANFAN Yes.

[StickManga]

can you loop effects and make beats on this synth

[blackmeinu]

@StickManga  No.

[naveed211]

what is that patch that starts at 6:37? that's awesome.

[CarnisVale]

3:07 - Coil!

[StAm533]

How do you plug this to your PC? Can you use jack cables?

[blackmeinu]

@StAm533 USB or jack.

[StickManga]

can you hook this thing up to an amp or only a computer?

[unklekarma]

@StickManga

Both ;)

[Lamantino89]

@unklekarma this synth have a MASTERBLASTER effect sound? sorry for my english

[AllectoCerebrum]

This demo just swayed me, i was deciding between this or a microkorg, though they're really close, I think this is just what I'm looking for

[blackmeinu]

@AllectoCerebrum Take a look at the KAOSSILATOR_PRO.

[AllectoCerebrum]

@blackmeinu ha it's kinda funny you suggested that. I ended up getting a regular Kaossilator and the mini KP. Going to have fun with those til I save up and get a microkorg. After reading some more reviews, seems like the Xiosynth has a tendency to stop working properly and I've read a few places that knobs come off

[blackmeinu]

@AllectoCerebrum That's cool. Now I got to save up for the KAOSSILATOR_PRO myself. The xiosynth is cool but very limited. Matching it up with the KAOSSILATOR_PRO should do the trick. Good look on obtaining the microkorg.

[forstedestruktion]

you should review that that typewriter behind it.

[unklekarma]

@forstedestruktion

Some day we might ;)

[0anorexicsumo0]

I have a yamaha ydp-151 digital piano, would anyone know if this synthesizer would plug into the midi sockets on my yamaha?

[unklekarma]

@0anorexicsumo0

It has midi and can ofcourse use the midi standard.

[0anorexicsumo0]

@unklekarma Thnx for the response

[ahtartersauce101]

I've always loved 25 key synths so portable and affordable. Now if I chose between a Korg R3, a Remote SL 25, and this (which I found on craigslist), which one should I get?

[7ofakind]

Sweet review. If i were looking in between a xiosynth and a micron, which would u recommend? I want to it to be very versatile and make unique sounds, and for live and studio use. By the way, do the lack of inputs or hardware quality bother you?

[unklekarma]

@7ofakind It's two completely different synths. The Micron is far more versatile and is capable of making weird sound textures and so on. But the Xio synth is more than just a synth -> controller and soundcard. And not to forget that Micron might have to few knobs for your taste ;)

[7ofakind]

@unklekarma Yeah it has few knobs and sliders, but its very adjustable underneath. I wanna be able to make really unique noises. This is a really tough decision, but I think i might go with the Micron. If you want to make any final comments on the subject that would be cool.

Thanks for the help!

[suspect2000]

@7ofakind its really easy to use the micron as a controller aswell. get a midi to usb cable of ebay (like 10 dollars). you can assign the controls too. means you get a midi controller and an alright hardware synth for the price of one

[SmokeBeard]

which one would you recommend the 25 key xio or the 49 key xio???

[EpisodeOfKevin]

Im thinking about buying one. A few questions though. Does it record, does it have drum playback?

[unklekarma]

@EpisodeOfKevin

Yeps it does record as it is also a soundcard (and a pretty good one when compared to m-audio, behringer and other low budget thingies).

Drum playback? No it's not a drum machine :)

[jekyll66]

This or Korg MicroX? Which one is better?

[jekyll66]

I want to buy a synth (never had one) and I'm thinking about this one and Korg MicroX. Which one will be better for a beginner? I want to play stuff like Depeche Mode, Tangerine Dream or Vangelis;) Personally, this one sounds better to me, more like the old stuff, but Korg has more sounds, am I right?

[jekyll66]

I want to buy a synth (never had one) and I'm thinking about this one and Korg MicroX... I know that they are quite different, but which one will be better for a beginner like me? I've listened to some YouTube samples and actually this one sounds better to me, although it seems to have less sounds to offer... Am I right? I want to play stuff like Depeche Mode, Tangerine Dream or Vangelis;)

[sonicattack77]

Fantastic, just bought one off ebay, cant wait to get my hands on it, thanks for this vid, it helped me decide to get one :0)

[Euphoriaman]

that pretty cool

[afab232]

nice review man...i want this

[robmlisanti]

i have to buy this would be great along with my Guitar!

[ibnz93]

are there any onboard drum patches for this? and can it loop?

[BionicTom]

@ibnz93 No, neither drum patches nor looping capabilities

[ibnz93]

ok thanks

[mrrandom177]

to quote unklekarma..... "dont expect any analogish sound from this little beast"

from your demo sounds pretty full on analogue to me ?

[justastudio]

@mrrandom177

Well, you can't compare the sound of an Xio with Doepfer, Moog, Korg (vintage) and so on ...

[mrrandom177]

Agreed. But, there's no denying these are analogue TYPE sounds :-)

[BryanKibble]

I jut got my xio and I noticed that with most of the sounds you are unable to play chords. Only one note at a time. Is this a function that can be altered?

[justastudio]

Some of the sounds are monophonic.

[BryanKibble]

Can I change that?

[BionicTom]

@BryanKibble

Yes, you can.. somewhere in the menu is the option to change between mono and poly modes, please refer to the manual for the exact way to do it.

[plasmaforce11]

2:15 sounds pretty cool :P

[Bleezy321]

anyone knows if you can connect this shit to fl studio and use the plugins off it ?

[fpviacom]

@Bleezy321 yes. FL studio has a bit of a latency problem though

[Bleezy321]

@fpviacom what would be a good program to use with it ?\

[fpviacom]

@Bleezy321 Well there are a lot of programs out there to use but if you want to make some electronic music, Reason is pretty good. It would just take some time to learn how to work it

[lisamp7]

How does this synth compare to the novation x station? anyone know?

[unklekarma]

@lisamp7 You can't compare the xiosynth with Novation X station (sorry).

Two different synths imo

[invaderzim447]

this is a pretty lame review

and the sounds i have on my $99 board can do this haha

[enthusia492]

@invaderzim447

$99? Really? what do you got? some beginner Yamaha or Casio? does it have Oscillators? LFOs? ADSR Mod Capability? Arpeggiators? ...do you even know what those are?

[invaderzim447]

haha howd you know

and ya i do know what that stuff is im not stuiiipppid

you still suck

[Mtayieb]

do u know what a RFO is invaderzim447? does your $99 board have one of those

[invaderzim447]

Yes i know what all that is chill out dude! i have a crappy $99 board because im poor and im only 15. and somene gave it to me for free. im saving up for an Axiom 49.

Chill out

[trekticonographyk]

@invaderzim447 axiom is a pretty piece of junk. the keyboard feel of novation stuff is from far damn good. and axion and novation are not to distant in prices...

[Adicone16040]

@enthusia492 please can you tell me wad is it? cuz i've been searching about wad is xiosynth......please...

[enthusia492]

@Adicone16040

novationmusic*dot*com/products­/midi_controller/x_station

novationmusic*dot*com/products­/hardware_synths/xio

You can easily tell the difference between the two.

The Xio is an affordable desktop synthesizer for beginners with MIDI capability.

The X-station is a much more advanced modeling synthesizer. You should really learn your stuff before purchasing one like that.

[Adicone16040]

@enthusia492 thank you wad's is the diff of xiosynth and keyboard?

[enthusia492]

@iAdicone16040 I can see you are from Malaysia and perhaps dont speak very good English so I apologize if am not explaining this clearly enough.

The X-Station and Xiosynth are both considered keyboards. Anything with 25 or more black and white keys is a keyboard.

The only difference between the two is: the Xio is more affordable and easy to use while the X-station is more expensive but has more advanced features.

[Adicone16040]

@enthusia492 thank you so much....

[hoodwun]

is there a 1 1/4" output jack for this?

[drchezz]

yeah man, it has its own patches and sounds. no need for midi!

[DodGe111594]

exactly how do you power this in a live setting?

[hardcorefan343]

The only way it'll have power is if it;s plugged into a computer???

[DodGe111594]

i was wondering the same thing, but no. you can power it with double a batteries or a 9 volt power supply and use it as a stand alone synth.

[ndowney]

how are the bass sounds you can create with this?

[dcallito]

Hi can anyone help me, I am a guitarist and totally new to sythns. I want something where i can perhapse record a riff on the syth and be able to play it back and loop it repeatedly so on stage i can play my guitar with the syth is just playing back. Is this possible on this product?

[unklekarma]

No that is not possible.

You need a sampler for this :)

[dcallito]

thanks mate, can u recomend one?

[MatEffect]

or a sequencer ;)

some old 50 euros sequencer..

it can be connected to the midi in of the xio and play the notes in playback.

[invaderzim447]

or you could just could a loop pedal

[Naynap81086]

To anyone asking, no, you don't need a computer to use this, it comes with it's own sound generators. You will need an amp, or headphones with an adapter to plug into the quarter inch output. However, this synth also comes with MIDI interfaced to a handful of popular programs, like Ableton and others, so if you want to use it as a controller for computer software, it can be made to do so. I love this thing, only problem are the keys feel weak, and the expression ball isn't always precise.

[alltimelow513]

im thinking about getting this or a microkorg as a first synth i already know how to play piano so thats no problem i just dont know exactly how they work is there a speaker on them or r u plugged into an amp right now

[5cot99]

Can you put this through an amp or does it have to be connected to a computer?

[b4nt2k]

good question, i'm wondering the same thing. i hate going through other equip, i like direct

[alltimelow513]

u can put it in an amp to play live i just wanna know if theres a little speaker or sumthing on it hahaha can u answer that for me

[djdondavid]

how many diferent instruments or sound does this synth got

[rhoffer234]

three

[MukAlex1]

I am looking to buy a synth to make my own techno, looking mainly for a synth that has lots of techno effects, any brands let me know, thanks

[NightmareVegas]

its not the synth you need to worry about its the software you could have a £30 midi controller and make the most amazing songs with the right software aka reason,etc....

[ja555cd]

ya but i dont hav a computer

i just want the synthesizer

any brands

[ja555cd]

same here

[HardcoreZach]

a microKORG is an amazing synth.

[MrMrDann]

im new to synths and i dont really know much about them

this looks pretty decent nd iv seen one tht i cld afford but jst wonderin if anyones got any advice on anyother synths or anything else?

[brayrouz]

will i get it or not!!!! i can't make my fuckin mind up :)

[brainac0cult]

@brayrouz get it.

[flux302]

ha man you use and audio software with that c=64? loved that thing. been trying to find one.

[Jimmmeeehhh]

is it possible to buy the 25 key version, and if you need more keys can you just use it through a 49/61 key midi controller?

[unklekarma]

That shouldn't be a problem :)

[squeakD]

Hey.., how's your Xio holding up. Im' ripping Novation a new one. I've gone through 5 Xio's and all of them have had crappy keybeds. Some keys feel and sound great while others rattle worse than a $99 Casio. I'm even getting springs that squeak really loud. Are you having any issues with yours? I posted some vids showing these issues with the Xio if you want to see them. Great video by the way :)

[unklekarma]

Well, currently I'm not using it. One of my friends is using the soundcard as it actually soundsa great. Furthermore we are trying to figure out how to make a little Linux setup with it.

[TtimePoi]

it is since there's no midi input on the Xiosynth unless you route it through the usb somehow

[squeakD]

Actually the answer is no. The Xio only has a Midi OUT port (other than the USB midi interface). The Xio does not have a Midi IN jack.., so you can't use another keyboard that has more keys to control the Xio and do this via standard midi jacks.

[unklekarma]

But you could do it through USB?

Selecting your motherboard keyaboard as midi in and Xio synth as midi out.

[squeakD]

That's one way.., but from what I got the question was could he use an external midi controller as a direct connection. Yes you can take a USB route.., but sadly the XIo's don't have a Midi Out port for direct connection of larger keyboards.

[bub27bub]

I'm into making my own techno/electronica music. Is this worth buying for the $299 I found on the internet?

[unklekarma]

Well... Do you have a soundcard and a midicontroller? If not, then it's absolutely worth the buy :)

[dustytretch]

is it true it only has 8 voices

[tnm12]

you are deaf or what?

[BillyAtAteThirty]

haha. you noticed it arlen.

[suicidecrackers]

Awesome video and awesome instrument. I'm thinking of buying it even though I never played a piano, seems easy to get cool sounds out of it.

[squeakD]

I'm so buying another one of these. I used to own this synth, but there was a bad batch that went out that had a few extremely noisy keys. I went through 3 Xio's in a row with the problem. These things are on backorder everywhere currently. I'm placing an order for my 4th Xio. Hopefully the key issue doesn't exist anymore...

[pogoleetas]

can you run and instrument like a guitar through the audio interface and add the onboards effects? or does it work strictly as an audio interface and bypass the synth

[unklekarma]

I will test it tonight :)

[barr2barr]

I tried it with a mic, and you can't add any effects; it's just an audio interface.

[unklekarma]

I thought so ... but wasn't sure :)

Thanks for sharing...

[unklekarma]

we are working on it ;)

[unclescritch]

Thank you for this video! I've been thinking about buying this synth and trying to find a good online demo of it and it's sounds.

[squeakD]

How is the keybed on your Xio? Is your unit a more recent model? I used to own the Xio and went through 3 Xio synths..., all of them having extremely noisy B keys. How are the B keys on yours? When you release them do they make considerably more noise than the rest? I found it odd that all 3 units I went through had this problem. I expected more considering the keybed is supposed to be semi-weighted. I've played cheap PSR keyboards that didn't have keys rattle like they did on the XioSynth.

[unklekarma]

I got no problems with the B key, but I must admit that one huge weakness is the keys - they are too plastic and very odd to play...

But then again, take the prce into consideration.

[Thalassa77]

Hello, very good video. I've posted your review on switchedonsynthesizer.blogspot . com

[unklekarma]

thx