Sonicware Liven XFM Prototype - Demo 2 - No Filter Funk

Full Disclosure: I occasionally take on freelance work at Sonicware on an hourly rate producing synth & sample sound design, beta testing, checking English text, video manuals etc. This video wasn't paid for directly but as a result of my work with Sonicware it is marked as Paid Promotion
No Filter Funk on Sonicware Liven XFM - Demo 2
Find out more about Sonicware and the XFM groovebox synthesizer via this link: sonicware.jp/
The Liven XFM Prototype in this video was supplied by Sonicware (obviously 😁)
It's time for another Liven XFM Prototype demo, but a slightly different prototype than in the last video. If you do a direct A/B comparison with that one you'll see there's a lot of moving around and renaming of functions that have been done since the last one, of course with accompanying firmware so it all works the way it should. A few new things have been added including LFO delay to pitch which I wholly approve of.
To clarify, I've been hired on a freelance basis by Sonicware to make preset sounds and loops, plus promotional videos like this.
This demo started out as an attempt to make something a bit more 'traditionally FM synth' sounding. It technically is because I haven't used the filter at all on this, but I got really carried away playing with all the probability based triggering and effects so this is not very traditional sounding FM at all, again! I'll make some nice gentle ambient on it at some point, maybe 😄
So the bass-line from the 4th pattern onward is using probability based triggering for some of it's notes which gives a great amount of variation. Some of the drums are using this too to give a bit more of a human feel. I'm using the X-Lab manual morph function to morph between the Flanged Bass preset (which I love!) and a Bright Trumpet to add some noise. I'm also using the tone control in places to soften the sound, this is a manual control that lowers the level of feedback on all the operators. Then we get into the effects. There's a single send effect that can be saved with each pattern but each track has it's own send amount. First is overdrive, then a super short delay, bit crusher (♥️), chorus, flanger then back to delay. There are other effects to chose from but I was having the most fun with these on this track.
I had an absolute blast making this is has to be said. As with the last demo track this was all made from the pattern editing mode of the XFM without resorting to making any new preset sounds as there is plenty that can be done by combining and tweaking sounds without having to do that. I could have spent a lot longer fiddling around and refining patterns, but I've got deadlines to meet 😁
Btw, the gloves. I'm not cold in the studio but I did slip over on some ice on the way to the shops and managed to punch the tarmac on the way down just before I was going to film this so my knuckles are a bit bloody, and I don't think that's a look to go for here!
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[@coenrens]

Love it! I got some oldskool early 90s first person shooter / RTS game vibes from this one.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you 😁

[@ceekeyz6454]

Ordering mine today!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Nice one. I hope you have fun with it 😁

[@ramseydoon8277]

You're a dang sorcerer, Mr Lody!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you 😁

[@RootSuitMan]

holy shit, this is so inspiring

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you, glad you like it 😁

[@SimpleHold]

Nice tones with this! Some have a kind of analog sound, which makes it surprising that no filters were used. Great sound design and playing!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yes it's capable of really smooth transitions between sounds and also some real-time control of tone which is uncommon in FM. Plus you can add some wonk with LFOs and the effects can get pretty lush.

[@DJDigitalJosh]

Great Demos Chris! Think I like this XFM demo track the best! 👍🔥

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you. It's been a lot of to work with

[@DWatso]

OMG yes, that is some dark and crispy goodness right there!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you 😁 There will more demos soon too

[@DWatso]

@@ChrisLodyMusic defo a new sub for sure, great work, looking forward to more! 👌🏻

[@ElectronisoundsAudio]

SIIIICK! Sounds Great! Subbed!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you 😁👍

[@Vyseblues]

Thank goodness for groove machines!

[@crolodon8024]

So glad you got one, looks like a nice little interface update from the 8bit with the see-through squishy button text, looks professional.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yeah they've done a great job, lots of clever design decisions. Deep editing for the FM sounds is done in a separate mode for which you drop an overlay over the panel for example, great idea

[@crolodon8024]

@@ChrisLodyMusic Whoa I love that idea!!!

[@MisterGrooves]

bought this on sight. 200 bucks for these features is a no brainer.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yes it certainly is. $200 for that spec is very impressive

[@KeurslagerKurt]

Great! These machines are insane for the price too, lots of great stuff coming out in the lower price range these days!!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yes there's no shortage of great gear at the moment. I love that trend to have built in sequencers too, anything that makes it possible to build whole tracks on a single piece of equipment is great I think

[@EleniEliades_]

Grooves are flying! 💥🙉🎵🎹🔥

[@PaulBoos]

Love this tune, not sure it fits funk.. It has some funkiness, but it doesn't feel like funk to me. Doesn't mean I don't like it. It's actually quite cool. And this synth kicks butt (was glad to pre-order after backing the Warps on Kickstarter). Anyway, good synthy parts even if I disagree on the funk 'definition'

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thanks. I've had this problem before on the channel. Trouble is I always go in cold into the studio with very little idea what to write and then I try to come up with something descriptive afterwards. I've no idea what this is either to be honest 🤷‍♂️

[@PaulBoos]

@@ChrisLodyMusic No worries - I suffer the same I think. Sometimes (rarely) I have an idea for some 'name' and that inspires a creative direction, but is usually some experiment that I wind then going, "now WTF to call this..."

[@dinogoldie9716]

Lush. Looking forward to my preorder arriving in early summer. I hope Sonicware are already at work on a third in the Liven range and I hope it's a drum synth.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yes I hope so too. There's been no discussion of what the next one night be, but I'm fairly sure there will be more

[@crolodon8024]

Oh my gosh seriously, the power you already have to create awesome long jams with just something like nanoloop mono & the 8bit is bananas, dual Liven combo would be insane on the go.

[@Gainn]

Excellent demo.. It's all good, but the bit from 1:31 to 1:55 had me bopping along in a rather uncharacteristic way.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you 🕺😄

[@validcore]

You just sold one

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Awesome, I think you'll like it 👍

[@validcore]

@@ChrisLodyMusic now the waiting game......

[@validcore]

Right

[@michaelnervOus]

Sounds Awesome! Did you get the 8bit version?

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you. Yes I have that too so expect a dual video with them synced together at some point :)

[@michaelnervOus]

@@ChrisLodyMusic Look forward to it. They kinda have a volca vibe to them...I'm trying hard not buy one. I'm still wrapping my head around the afx station and blackbox

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Oooh afx station, nice 👌 Would like one of those

[@michaelnervOus]

@@ChrisLodyMusic Yeah, it's pretty great. I sold a guitar I've had for over 20 years to get it. I smile everytime the purple lights come on. It also became my main midi keyboard, just saying if you need an excuse....lol

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

@@michaelnervOus I do need a main controller........🤔

[@TheDarkDigital]

Nice demo. Can you clearefy how to make drum track on this thing...does it has it's own drum engine? do you create drum pattern on 4 tracks and then convert it to loop?

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thanks. Yes sure can. The sequencer makes no distinction between drums and melodic sounds and they are all made using the same 4 Op FM synth engine and played back in real-time on the 4 tracks available. Plus no matter what the sound is they are programmed in the same way so you can even have pitched rhythms. The patch selection can be automated on each track so more than one drum sound can play on the same track, during this demo for example when we get to pattern 4 the hi-hats and claps are are the same track set to monophonic. So it's very flexible with whatever you can fit into 4 tracks and 6 notes of polyphony

[@TheDarkDigital]

@@ChrisLodyMusic "The patch selection can be automated on each track so more than one drum sound can play on the same track" wow, this is great!! thanx for answerin :)

[@ZerryLeppenz]

hey chris. how sequencer and loopers are different in this one? and overall, which one is better?

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

The tracks are real time on this rather than the audio loopers that the 8Bit Warps has. So each pattern saves the content of all 4 tracks and they play back at the same time using up to 6 notes of polyphony. I'm not sure which is better. The XFM has a much versatile palette of sounds it can create but it is also more complex to use. The 8Bit Warps is more focused on lofi sounds and has a simpler workflow

[@NoxBoxdy]

Remember.. End of May is my bday...just sayin'...I expect it to arrive no later. Lol.. :-P

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

😄 My birthday is in May too, Star Wars Day to be precise

[@NoxBoxdy]

@@ChrisLodyMusic nice! May babies unite! Lol Randomly Memorial Day here. 28th

[@NoxBoxdy]

@@ChrisLodyMusic "This is the way."

[@genepozniak]

😁