{"id":19305,"date":"2021-12-11T14:00:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-11T19:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=19305"},"modified":"2022-05-03T17:18:03","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T21:18:03","slug":"how-to-use-xln-audio-xo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/how-to-use-xln-audio-xo\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use XLN Audio’s XO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

XLN Audio has been distributing high-quality music creation software since 2005.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may already know them for their fan-favorite multi-effects plugin RC-20,<\/a> or their realistic instrument plugins like Addictive Keys<\/a> or Addictive Drums.<\/a> In this article, you\u2019ll learn how to use their beat-making plugin XO,<\/a> a tool that takes a unique approach to drum production that allows you to fine tune grooves and pick the perfect samples to fit the vibe of your track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, we\u2019ll take a look at XO\u2019s major controls, which are largely contained in the two main pages (Space<\/strong> and Edit<\/strong>). Then, using its bounty of samples and groove presets, we\u2019ll quickly demonstrate a typical workflow and find a groove we like in the blink of an eye. Let\u2019s get into it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: XO displays some helpful tips along the bottom of the plugin window\u2014be sure to check those out if you\u2019re new.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An overview of XO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At its core, XO is a highly editable eight-channel drum sequencer with a unique take on sample selection. With XO, you can program grooves\u2014or select from and tweak hundreds of preset grooves\u2014using factory samples or your own curated library. And with XO\u2019s filtering and sample organization, it\u2019s simple to find just the sound you\u2019re hearing in your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Top Bar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive into sequencing and tweaking samples, let\u2019s just take a second to go over the controls at the top of XO\u2019s UI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First are the buttons for the Space<\/strong> and Edit<\/strong> pages, the main sections of the UI. We\u2019ll dive specifically into each of these in just a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Next you\u2019ll find tempo controls, including the Tempo<\/strong> itself and options to lock XO\u2019s tempo and playback to your DAW\u2019s tempo and playback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To the right of that, you\u2019ll find the Preset Browser,<\/strong> which we\u2019ll use to kickstart a groove later in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And to the right of the Preset Browser, you\u2019ll find a few more panels, as follows from left to right: Export WAV & MIDI,<\/strong> Search & Filter,<\/strong> Sample Folders,<\/strong> and the Top Bar Menu.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll cover these as they come up in the context of working in the Space and Edit pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Space page and the eight drum tracks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you first load up XO, you\u2019ll probably be met by an array of little colored dots, swimming in a void of black. This is the Space page, and each of these nodes represents a sample. You can consider this a constellation of your sample library, with each color denoting a specific kind of drum sound (red for kicks, blue for snares, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Samples are located near similar-sounding samples, so if at any point you\u2019re not quite feeling one of the drum sounds in your beat, finding a similar sound is as easy as searching around that node in the Space page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the left side of the plugin, you\u2019ll notice 8 lanes: Kick 1, Kick 2, Snare, Clap, CL HH, OP HH, Flex 1,<\/strong> and Flex 2.<\/strong> These are the eight channels in XO\u2019s sequencer, each of which can contain any sample in XO. You\u2019ll also notice that this area on the left side of the plugin is where you can adjust each channel\u2019s output volume, mute, and solo controls. The master output control is also located here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re not feeling the kit that\u2019s loaded up, there are a few ways to change out sounds in your kit for new samples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, you can just click around the nodes in the Space page to audition samples. When you have any sample in the Space selected, you\u2019ll notice some icons appear to the right of your channels. Click any of these icons to load the selected sample into that channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll notice a Similarity<\/strong> menu appear at the bottom of the UI when you have a sample selected in the Space. You can use this to quickly find similar sounds to the one you\u2019ve selected in the Space. There are also Next \/ Previous Similar Sample<\/strong> arrows located on the channels that let you find similar sounds to the samples you currently have loaded into those eight tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alternatively, you could use XO\u2019s hot-swapping feature to audition new samples while the beat is playing. Click the little colored dot next to the mute and solo buttons to engage the hot-swap mode. Now, you can use any of the previously mentioned methods to switch this sample out on-the-fly. This is actually done non-destructively, so feel free to experiment knowing that you can lock in your selection when you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lastly, if you want to completely switch things up, you can change the full kit out for similar samples using the Kit Similarity<\/strong> arrows shown below. This will change out all eight samples and give your kit a whole new feel while keeping the same groove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If the Space page is feeling a bit overwhelming with all these nodes, never fear! Remember that Search & Filter panel we were discussing earlier? Click the magnifying glass icon in the Top Bar to open that panel, where you can filter the active nodes in the Space page by type of drum sound, frequency, sample length, ‘drumminess’ (more percussive \/ transient sounds), and even how recently a sample was added to XO\u2019s library. Or, if you know the name of a sample you\u2019re looking for, you can always just search for it in the search bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Need more samples to work with? You can add new samples to XO\u2019s database using the Sample Folders panel from earlier. Click the folder icon in the Top Bar to open the panel, and simply drop folders or browse your computer for the location of the samples you\u2019d like to add. Then, click Scan & Refresh<\/strong> to add these samples to the Space page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On each track, if you click the circle with the channel name, you\u2019ll hear the sample played, but you\u2019ll also see a whole bunch of new controls show up at the bottom of the UI. These controls can be used to tweak the actual drum sample, effects, and the groove that sample is playing, and even select similar samples for this particular track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Before we get ahead of ourselves, let\u2019s quickly pop over to the Edit page to contextualize these new controls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Edit page<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll notice that the Edit page contains all the controls we were just looking at in the Space page, but now we can see all these controls for all eight tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You\u2019ll also notice some additional controls at the bottom in white, which we\u2019ll get to\u2014but let\u2019s start by going through each of the controls in a single track to show you how powerful this Edit page can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sound Controls<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting on the left, we have a whole host of controls that can change the sound of the sample itself on this channel. These controls behave the same on all eight channels, and affect the sound as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First is the Sample<\/strong> column. Clicking on any of the waveforms in this column will open a lightweight sample editor for this channel, where you can define the start and endpoints of the sample and apply fades to the beginning or end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Next is a Pan<\/strong> column, which performs simple panning on this channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that is an Envelope<\/strong> control. Here, you can separately adjust the Transient<\/strong> (the attack), Hold<\/strong> (the sustain), and Decay<\/strong> of the sample. This is great for shaping a sound or adding some punch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the right of that is a Pitch<\/strong> control, which pitches the sample on this channel. You can make these adjustments in 0.1 semitone increments, up to an octave in either direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next are the Tone<\/strong> and Cut<\/strong> parameters, both of which apply some EQ. Tone is a simple tilt EQ (i.e. move this control to the right to increase high frequencies while decreasing low frequencies; move this control to the left for the opposite), and Cut performs some soft high-pass and low-pass filtering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the right is a column titled VelSens,<\/strong> which is short for velocity sensitivity. By setting this parameter to the left, or between 0% – 100%, you can limit the velocity variation that this channel will play. In other words, reduce this parameter to make velocities more uniform. Moving this control to the right, or between 100% – 200%, and lowering the velocity of notes will also skip the initial transient for a softer sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that we have a Playback<\/strong> column, which contains four different controls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n