all i want for christmas is a xone 3d

subterFUSE · Post by **subterFUSE** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 5:59 am

I have recently made the switch over to Ableton Live, and pretty much no longer use my turntables or CD players.

So, for me, a MIDI controller + Audio mixer is not very useful. I just need a pure MIDI controller, with the right amount of faders, knobs, and buttons for Ableton.

I love my Allen & Heath Xone 62... so I'm a big proponent for A & H... but that Xone 3D just doesn't look like the right answer for someone using Ableton.

It looks like a permanent club install mixer, to me. Just one that happens to have MIDI so that people can plug laptops into them. It's not a good portable option, from the looks of it.

I also do not like how the MIDI faders are 4 per side.... with a large gap between them where the audio mixing section is.

Innate · Post by **Innate** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:25 pm

Harmony Central is leading with an announcement of this at the moment http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2005/Xone-3D.html.

This looks kicks ass...is there anything else like it available?

Unfortunately -- and as per --
http://www.xone.co.uk/3d.htm -- the Harmony Central piece says that pricing is still TBA.

Grr

Innate.

smartabletonuser · Post by **smartabletonuser** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:41 pm

it looks like a big expensive gimmick. looking at the big jpg they have posted, you can do all that within the live environment (filters, efx, etc.)

if you wanted to step it up, you could run individual outputs into a dj mixer. granted, a&h stuff is top notch, this just looks like a big toy.

KU · Post by KU » Tue Sep 13, 2005 12:22 am

I think it's friggin sweet

It suggests a very logical/forward approach to mixing techno/house

the soundcard supports 3 stereo pair outs+1stereo return!

2 "decks" each with 4 parts/faders and a 4x4 launch button matrix. 2 busses and a Master in Live, use the master for VST instruments.

I love the idea of keeping EQ/filters in the hardware realm

I'm just gonna call it "the Answer"

of course it would be nice if the jog wheels were removable modules that could be replaced with joysticks.

it would be cool if a future ableton version would allow one to place the busses/master section in between two sets of tracks to mirror the mixer.

$2k isn't that steep considering there's very little else like it.

DonStone · Post by **DonStone** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 2:20 pm

as for the price... I'd be REALLY suprised if this was less than $2000.00

First of all it is pretty much an Allen & Heath Xone 92 DJ mixer... $1500.00
then you get a soundcard. $500
and then you get a midi controller that actually looks well built and not just a toy that everyone else is putting out. $500

When you add it all up, $2000 - $2500 is not that much to spend on this piece of kit.

Agreed they should have just done this as a midi controller/soundcard. But this is a great step forward for controllers.

As for the filters on the A&H.. they are friggin amazing... and good luck getting the same sounds out of Ableton as quickly as you can on the A&H. Put high pass on one channel, low pass on the other and use the fader to control the mix... you get some amazing sounds.

The only issue I see is the fact that it would be a pain to use in a club that already has everything installed.

With all this being said, I won't buy it since I already own an A&H 92...and don't need another mixer.

zebastian21 · Post by **zebastian21** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 2:39 pm

With all this being said, I won't buy it since I already own an A&H 92...and don't need another mixer.[/quote]

how does the midi work in the A&H 92? how do you use it with live 5? im very curious, there are not so many mixers with midi....the one im trying to get is a roland dj-2000 dj mixer..its has midi in/out and fx.....but its an old product and disscontinued.....i wonder how i could make use of midi out in a mixer...
A&H OR ROLAND?

DonStone · Post by **DonStone** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:17 pm

I don't use the midi on the 92 yet.... I use a m-audio ozone and a uc-17 for ableton right now... (just in the bedroom)

My mixer is in and out of my house & in the club every weekend so I just haven't had time to hook it up and try any of the midi on it yet.

The midi on the 92 was something I didn't really care about when buying... I bought it for it's sound/build quality & it's filters... the midi is an added bonus that I will try eventually when I get a chance.

nuperspective · Post by **nuperspective** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:01 pm

this doesnt look like a well thought out solution to me and not one for the home user. the amount of interest and the fact that people would be willing to shell out over 2 grand for it really does expose the void in the market. it could be a master stroke by a & h releasing this before anybody can deliver a truly functional mass market option.

subterFUSE · Post by **subterFUSE** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:29 pm

If the industry were listening to us.... someone would make a nice, well-built, portable MIDI controller with enough assignable faders, knobs and buttons to make us Ableton people happy.

But, alas... no one is listening yet.

TonySoprano · Post by **TonySoprano** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:21 pm

Just wish I could get a concrete release date for it. I need a new soundcard (got an Audiophile USB - only 2 outs, so no headphone cueing), and I need some sliders (got Evolution MK-249C keyboard - just has knobs). Would kill 2 birds in one stone at least. the cash is here - come and take it Xone!

robtronik · Post by **robtronik** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 8:08 pm

I've looked at this thing much closer via the super big graphic they have on the site.

I think this thing really has legs and will be a good solution. The fact that you can route your tracks to output through the mixer and into the hardware based faders, eqs etc. while leaving all the rest of the buttons on the MIDI sides for other Live manipulation is really compelling.

Hm. This is starting to grow on me now. Before I hated it, but it looks pretty versatile for just using Live.

Maybe add my electribe to it and good to go. Slave Live to its master clock maybe too and then you can have (hopefully) rock solid midi clock timing (as Live's isn't good to power external gear in sync with its internal audio clip playback. Hopefully they are working on that. Of course, if you slave Live to a MIDI clock you can adjust latency settings for syncing external gear still either - 5.01 anyway...haven't checked 5.02 on that front yet).

But anyway, this is looking like a really good solution after my initial reaction against it.

rob.

subterFUSE · Post by **subterFUSE** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 1:04 pm

Good points....

But is the thing portable? It just looks so big. What are the dimensions on that thing, or have those specs not been released yet?

robtronik · Post by **robtronik** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:51 pm

if you look at the video on sonicstate.com, it is pretty big.

But then again, I've also reconsidered that I take my laptop (which would stilll be used, duh.

), an ozonic keyboard, and a mouse - and sometimes a triggerfinger if I want to get all jiggy with it.

I'm starting to think that if this is the single controller and audio card, that might not be a bad thing since you could probably put it in a case. I don't know yet for sure, but rethinking the way it could be used based on its functions that I didn't take into account in my first pass, makes me like it even more.

I think the Lemur is totally awesome, but over the last few months I've started to really think that I would miss the tactile nature of a keyboard or DJ Mixer. The Xone has that in abundance....

hm.

rob.

TonySoprano · Post by **TonySoprano** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 3:23 pm

The 'when's it shipping?' question will base my decision. Last issue's DJMag said it wasn't shipping until Spring, sonicstate has 'later this year', and Xone's own forum has people asking the same question, but no-one has deigned to answer. Maybe that new M-Audio controller will give someone a kick up the arse, and provide something concrete.

mike holiday · Post by **mike holiday** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:00 pm

sweetwater's got it listed at $2,700 ATM...

....should be usb 2.0 IMHO