EMU XL-7 Command Station User manual

XL-7 Owners Manual i
Owners Manual
© 2001 E-MU Systems
All Rights Reserved
FI11541 Rev. G
E-MU World Headquarters Europe, Africa, Middle East
E-MU Systems E-MU Systems
1600 Green Hills Road Suite 6, Adam Ferguson House
Scotts Valley, CA USA Eskmills Industrial Park
95067-0015 Musselburgh, East Lothian
Te l ephone: 831-438-1921 Scotland, EH21 7PQ
Fax: [phone] Tel: [phone]
Internet: www.emu.com Fax: [phone]
Important Notice:
In order to obtain warranty service on your XL-7 unit, the serial number sticker
must be intact and you must have a sales receipt or other proof of purchase. If
there is no serial number sticker on the XL-7, please contact E-MU Systems at
once.
This product is covered under one or more of the following U.S. patents:
4,404,529; 4,506,579; 4,699,038; 4,987,600; 5,013,105; 5,072,645;
5,111,727; 5,144,676; 5,170,367; 5,248,845; 5,303,309; 5,317,104;
5,342,990; 5,430,244 and foreign patents and/or pending patents. All other
trademarks belong to their respective companies. Specifications and features are
subject to change without notice.

ii E-MU Systems
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................. 1
Product Description .......................................................................................1
Important Safety Instructions .................................................. 4
Foreign Language Warnings - German ................................... 7
Foreign Language Warnings - French .................................. 10
Setup ...................................................................................... 15
Unpacking....................................................................................................15
Connection Instructions..............................................................................16
Basic Setup ..............................................................................................16
Studio Setup ............................................................................................17
Performance Setup ..................................................................................18
Power Down Sequence ............................................................................19
Rack Mounting XL-7................................................................................19
Instant Gratification ............................................................... 21
Playing Patterns & Songs ........................................................................21
Playing Songs ..........................................................................................23
Playing Demo Sequences ........................................................................24
Auditioning Presets .................................................................................24
Selecting and Quick Editing Presets .......................................................25
Exploring the Master Arpeggiator ...........................................................27
Multi-Channel Arpeggiator ....................................................................28
Time to Save? .......................................................................................30

XL-7 Owners Manual iii
Basic Operations .....................................................................33
Power Switch .......................................................................................... 33
Volume Control ...................................................................................... 33
12VDC Lamp .......................................................................................... 33
Mode/View Buttons ..................................................................................... 34
Track/Channel +/- Buttons .....................................................................35
Data Entry Control ................................................................................. 35
Left/Right Cursor Buttons ...................................................................... 35
LED View Select Section ..............................................................................35
Sequencer Controls...................................................................................... 36
Stop Button ............................................................................................. 36
Play Button ............................................................................................. 36
Record Button ......................................................................................... 36
Song Record modes ............................................................................. 36
Pattern Record modes .......................................................................... 36
Tap Tempo ............................................................................................. 36
Edit Section .................................................................................................. 37
Song Edit Button .................................................................................... 37
Pattern Edit Button ................................................................................. 37
Preset Edit Button ................................................................................... 37
Global Button ......................................................................................... 37
Controllers Button .................................................................................. 37
Arpeggiator Button ................................................................................. 38
Real-time Controller Knobs ......................................................................... 39
Knob Functions ...................................................................................... 40
Quick Edit mode ................................................................................. 40
Programmable Knobs mode ................................................................ 41
Multichannel Volume Knobs ..............................................................41
Multichannel Pan Knobs .................................................................... 42
Trigger/Mute Buttons................................................................................... 43
Trigger Mode ........................................................................................... 43
Preset Menu Jump Keys .......................................................................... 43
Touchstrip, Transpose, Keypads & Glide..................................................... 44
Touchstrip Hold ...................................................................................... 44
Transpose Buttons .................................................................................. 44
Rubber Keypads ...................................................................................... 44
Glide Button ........................................................................................... 44
Erase Button ............................................................................................ 45
Repeat Button ......................................................................................... 45
Preset Screen ................................................................................................ 46
MIDI Channel Selection .........................................................................46
Preset Selection ....................................................................................... 46
Channel Volume .................................................................................... 47
Channel Pan ........................................................................................... 48
Channel Arpeggiator .............................................................................. 48
Sound Navigator .......................................................................................... 49
Preset Category ....................................................................................... 49
Instrument Category .............................................................................. 49

iv E-MU Systems
Sequencer .............................................................................. 51
Overview ......................................................................................................52
Definitions ...................................................................................................53
Events ......................................................................................................53
Tracks ......................................................................................................53
Patterns ...................................................................................................53
Pattern Recording & Editing ...............................................................54
The Asterisk .........................................................................................54
Standard MIDI Files .............................................................................54
Songs .......................................................................................................55
Song Record Modes .............................................................................55
Pattern Mode................................................................................................56
Pattern Play .............................................................................................56
Restart/Pattern Fire Key ..........................................................................57
Realtime Recording .................................................................................57
Preparing to Record a Pattern .................................................................57
Input Quantize ........................................................................................58
Count In ..................................................................................................59
First Note Record .....................................................................................60
Pattern Length ........................................................................................60
Metronome .............................................................................................61
Recording a Pattern .................................................................................61
Automatic Channel Assignment .........................................................65
Replace Record ........................................................................................66
Grid Recording ........................................................................................67
What is Grid Recording? .....................................................................67
Step Time Recording ...............................................................................71
Note Value/Number of Ticks ............................................................72
Pattern Edit Menu........................................................................................74
Track Enable/Mute Buttons ....................................................................74
Name Pattern ..........................................................................................74
Pattern Length ........................................................................................74
Setting Meter (Time Signature) ...............................................................75
Metronome .............................................................................................76
Loop Section ...........................................................................................77
In Pattern Mode ..................................................................................77
In Song Mode ......................................................................................78
Quantize ..................................................................................................79
Quantize Parameters ...........................................................................79
More about Swing ...............................................................................80
Scale/Shift Start Times ............................................................................81
Tips & Tricks ........................................................................................81
Scale/Shift Duration ................................................................................82
Thin Events .............................................................................................83
Erase Events ............................................................................................85
Transpose ................................................................................................86
Scale/Shift Velocity .................................................................................87
Extend Sequence Data To .......................................................................88
Erase Track ..............................................................................................89

XL-7 Owners Manual v
Cut Track to Clipboard ...........................................................................90
Copy Track to Clipboard ........................................................................ 91
Paste Clipboard to Track ......................................................................... 92
Apply Clipboard Settings ........................................................................93
Explode/Combine Tracks ....................................................................... 94
Combine Tracks .................................................................................. 94
Explode Tracks .................................................................................... 94
Channel Assign ....................................................................................... 96
Multichannel Track Recording ............................................................... 98
Note List Editor .......................................................................................99
Event List Editor ...................................................................................100
Continuous Controller Edit .............................................................. 100
Continuous Controller Screen .......................................................... 100
Pitch Strip Edit ..................................................................................100
Pitch Strip Screen ..............................................................................100
Poly Pressure Edit .............................................................................. 101
Poly Pressure Screen .......................................................................... 101
Program Change Edit ........................................................................ 101
Program Change Screen .................................................................... 101
The Conductor Track (track 0) .......................................................... 103
Conductor Track Screens .................................................................. 103
Revert to Saved Pattern ......................................................................... 105
Song Mode ................................................................................................. 106
Song Play .............................................................................................. 106
Song Step Recording ............................................................................. 106
Realtime Song Recording ...................................................................... 110
Song Edit Menu ......................................................................................... 113
Song Name ............................................................................................ 113
Event Source ......................................................................................... 113
Setting Meter (Time Signature) ............................................................ 114
Metronome ........................................................................................... 115
Quantize ............................................................................................... 115
Scale/Shift Start Times .......................................................................... 116
Scale/Shift Duration ............................................................................. 116
Thin Events ........................................................................................... 116
Erase Events .......................................................................................... 117
Transpose .............................................................................................. 118
Scale/Shift Velocity ............................................................................... 119
Cut Track to Clipboard .........................................................................120
Copy Track to Clipboard ...................................................................... 121
Paste Clipboard to Track ....................................................................... 122
Song Channel Assign ............................................................................ 123
Note List Editor .....................................................................................124
Event List Editor ...................................................................................125
Continuous Controller Edit .............................................................. 125
Continuous Controller Screen .......................................................... 125
Pitch Strip Edit ..................................................................................125
Pitch Strip Screen ..............................................................................125
Poly Pressure Edit .............................................................................. 126
Poly Pressure Screen .......................................................................... 126

vi E-MU Systems
Program Change Edit ........................................................................126
Program Change Screen ....................................................................126
Revert to Saved Song .............................................................................127
Live Performance Features .........................................................................128
XMix .....................................................................................................128
Using the Repeat Button for Live Performance ....................................130
Mute Hold .............................................................................................130
Loop Section ......................................................................................131
Restart Pattern Fire Key .....................................................................131
Pattern Change Tempo Hold ............................................................131
Event Timing..............................................................................................132
Track Priority .....................................................................................132
Applications ...............................................................................................133
Using the Internal Sequencer with an External MIDI Keyboard .........133
How to Record the Audition Riffs ........................................................134
Controllers Menu ................................................................. 135
Realtime Control Functions.......................................................................136
Keyboard Transpose ..............................................................................136
Keyboard Channel ................................................................................136
Aftertouch Curves .................................................................................136
Local Control On/Off ...........................................................................137
Footswitch Jack Function .....................................................................138
Trigger Buttons Function ......................................................................139
Trigger Buttons .....................................................................................140
Trigger Button Select .........................................................................140
Latch on/off .......................................................................................140
MIDI Key ...........................................................................................140
MIDI Channel ...................................................................................140
Destination ........................................................................................140
Key Velocity .......................................................................................140
Triggers Pattern Select ...........................................................................141
Trigger Mode Quick Select ....................................................................142
Programmable Knobs ............................................................................142
Knob Preset Quick-Edit .........................................................................143
Real-time Controller Assignment .........................................................143
MIDI Footswitch Assign ........................................................................145
Tempo Controller .................................................................................145

XL-7 Owners Manual vii
Global Menu .........................................................................147
Multisetups ................................................................................................ 148
Restoring Multisetups ........................................................................... 148
Multisetup Name .................................................................................. 149
Saving Multisetups ............................................................................... 149
Defining Global Parameters....................................................................... 150
Transpose/Tune .................................................................................... 150
Bend Range ........................................................................................... 150
Velocity Curve ...................................................................................... 151
Mix Output ........................................................................................... 152
Master Effects............................................................................................. 154
Effects Mode ......................................................................................... 154
Effects Multi Mode Control .................................................................. 154
Master FXA Algorithm .......................................................................... 155
A Effect Types .................................................................................... 155
FXA Parameters: Decay/HF Damping FxB -> FxA ................................ 156
FXA Send Amounts ............................................................................... 156
Master FXB Algorithm .......................................................................... 156
B Effect Types .................................................................................... 157
FXB Parameters: Feedback/LFO Rate Delay Time ................................. 157
FXB Send Amounts ............................................................................... 157
Miscellaneous Parameters.......................................................................... 158
Edit All Layers Enable ........................................................................... 158
User Key Tuning ................................................................................... 158
Output Format ...................................................................................... 158
Screen Viewing Angle ........................................................................... 159
MIDI Menu ............................................................................161
Base Tempo ........................................................................................... 162
Pattern Change Tempo Hold ................................................................ 162
Rechannelize Input ............................................................................... 163
Keyboard Outputs MIDI ....................................................................... 164
Knobs Output MIDI .............................................................................. 164
Transmit MIDI Clock ............................................................................ 164
External Song Start/Stop ....................................................................... 165
Merge MIDI In to MIDI Out ................................................................. 165
MIDI In Channels ................................................................................. 165
MIDI Enable .......................................................................................... 166
Receive Program Change ...................................................................... 166
MIDI Program Change -> Preset ........................................................... 167
MIDI SysEx ID ....................................................................................... 168
MIDI SysEx Packet Delay ...................................................................... 168
Send MIDI System Exclusive Data ........................................................ 168
MIDI Mode ........................................................................................... 170

viii E-MU Systems
Programming Basics ............................................................ 171
Modulation ................................................................................................172
Modulation Sources ...................................................................................173
Random Sources ....................................................................................174
Modulation PatchCords.............................................................................174
Envelope Generators..................................................................................175
Tempo-based Envelopes ....................................................................176
Envelope Repeat ................................................................................176
Low Frequency Oscillators (LFOs) .............................................................177
Clock Modulation ......................................................................................178
Modulation Destinations...........................................................................180
Modulation Processors...............................................................................181
Preset Modulation Processors ....................................................................183
Using the Modulation Processors .........................................................185
More Examples ......................................................................................187
Dynamic Filters ..........................................................................................189
What is a Filter? ....................................................................................190
Parametric Filters ..................................................................................193
The Z-Plane Filter ..................................................................................194
Signal Flow .................................................................................................195
MIDI Channels & Real-time Controls .......................................................196
Bank Select Commands ........................................................................198
Stereo Mix Outputs ....................................................................................199
Preset Edit Menu .................................................................. 201
Preset Name ..........................................................................................202
Four Layer Architecture..............................................................................202
Selecting Layers .....................................................................................203
Defining Layer Parameters.........................................................................204
Selecting an Instrument ........................................................................204
Sound Navigator ................................................................................204
Defining Key Range ..............................................................................205
Defining the Velocity Crossfade Range ................................................207
Defining the Real-time Crossfade Range ..............................................209
Transposing the Instrument .................................................................212
Tuning ...................................................................................................213
Background: Transpose vs. Coarse Tuning .......................................213
Amplifier ...............................................................................................213
Volume Envelope ..................................................................................214
Selecting the Mode ............................................................................214
Defining the Volume Envelope .........................................................215
Chorusing the Layer .............................................................................216
Sound Start Offset, Delay & Key-up Layer ............................................216
Non-Transpose Mode ............................................................................218
Solo Mode .............................................................................................218
Assign Group .........................................................................................219
Glide ......................................................................................................220

XL-7 Owners Manual ix
Z-Plane Filters ....................................................................................... 221
XL-7 Filter Types ................................................................................... 221
Filter Types ........................................................................................ 221
Filter Parameters ................................................................................ 223
Filter Envelope ...................................................................................... 224
Defining the Filter Envelope ............................................................. 225
Auxiliary Envelope ............................................................................... 225
Low Frequency Oscillators (LFOs) ........................................................ 226
Shape ................................................................................................. 226
Sync ................................................................................................... 227
Rate .................................................................................................... 227
Delay ................................................................................................. 229
Variation ........................................................................................... 229
PatchCords ............................................................................................ 230
Modulator Polarity ............................................................................ 231
Pitch Bend Range .................................................................................. 233
Mix Output ........................................................................................... 233
Common Preset Parameters....................................................................... 234
Preset Effects ......................................................................................... 234
FXA Algorithm ...................................................................................... 236
A Effect Types .................................................................................... 236
FXA Parameters ..................................................................................... 237
FXA Send Amounts ............................................................................... 237
FXB Algorithm ...................................................................................... 237
B Effect Types .................................................................................... 237
FXB Parameters ..................................................................................... 238
FXB Send Amounts ............................................................................... 238
Preset Patchcords .................................................................................. 238
Initial Controller Amount .................................................................... 240
Keyboard Tuning .................................................................................. 241
Preset Links ........................................................................................... 243
Preset Tempo Offset ..............................................................................244
Audition Riff Selection ......................................................................... 244
Play Solo Layers .................................................................................... 244
Arpeggiator/Beats Menu ......................................................245
Arpeggiators ............................................................................................... 246
Arp Controllers ..................................................................................... 247
Arpeggiator Resolution ...................................................................... 247
Arpeggiator Extension ....................................................................... 247
Arpeggiator Velocity ......................................................................... 247
Arpeggiator Gate ............................................................................... 247
Arpeggiator Interval .......................................................................... 247
Master Arpeggiator Parameters.................................................................. 247
Status ..................................................................................................... 248
Mode ..................................................................................................... 248
Note Value ............................................................................................ 249
Arpeggiator Pattern Speed .................................................................... 249
Pattern .................................................................................................. 249

x E-MU Systems
Velocity .................................................................................................250
Gate Time ..............................................................................................250
Extension Count ...................................................................................251
Extension Interval .................................................................................251
Sync .......................................................................................................252
Pre-Delay ...............................................................................................252
Duration ................................................................................................253
Post-Delay .............................................................................................253
Recycle ..................................................................................................254
Keyboard Thru ......................................................................................254
Latch .....................................................................................................254
Arp/Riff MIDI Out .................................................................................255
MIDI Song Start ....................................................................................256
Send MIDI System Exclusive Data ........................................................256
Editing a User Arpeggiator Pattern .......................................................257
Pattern Step Number .............................................................................257
Key ........................................................................................................258
Key Offset ..........................................................................................258
Tie ......................................................................................................258
Rest ....................................................................................................258
Skip ....................................................................................................258
End .....................................................................................................259
Velocity .................................................................................................259
Duration ................................................................................................259
Repeat ....................................................................................................259
User Pattern Name ................................................................................260
Multichannel Arpeggiating ...................................................................260
Beats ...........................................................................................................261
Beats Mode ............................................................................................263
Status .................................................................................................263
Beats Channel ...................................................................................263
Trigger Channel .................................................................................263
Beats Controllers ...................................................................................266
Beat Velocity Group 1-4 ....................................................................266
Beat Xpose Group 1-4 .......................................................................266
Beat Busy ...........................................................................................266
Beat Variation ....................................................................................267
Beats Keys/Trigger Layout .....................................................................268
1-Bar Trigger Option .........................................................................268
Beats Keys Offset ...................................................................................269
Beats Part Velocity ................................................................................269
Beats Part Transpose .............................................................................270
Beats Part Group ...................................................................................271
Master Riff .............................................................................................271
Riff Tempo ............................................................................................272
Riff Controllers .....................................................................................272