Xils lab XILS 4 User manual

XILS 4
Ultimate Matrix Modular Synthesizer
User Manual
www.xils-lab.com

Table of contents
1 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................................4
2 XILS 4 FEATURES:...........................................................................................................................................5
2.1 SYNTHESIZER MODULES:..................................................................................................................................5
2.2 INPUT MODULES:.............................................................................................................................................5
2.3 EFFECT MODULES:...........................................................................................................................................5
3 DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION COMPATIBILITY............................................................................5
4 INSTALLATION................................................................................................................................................6
4.1 ELICENSER DRIVERS.........................................................................................................................................6
4.2 ILOK DRIVERS..................................................................................................................................................6
4.3 WINDOWS (WINDOWS 7 8 10 11).....................................................................................................................6
4.4 MAC (OSX 10.9 AND LATER)..........................................................................................................................7
5 QUICK START...................................................................................................................................................
5.1 LAUNCH PLAY................................................................................................................................................8
5.2 TOOLBAR.........................................................................................................................................................8
5.3 ADJUSTING THE INSTRUMENTS PARAMETERS (KNOBS SWITCHES).......................................................................9
6 PRESET MANAGEMENT..............................................................................................................................10
6.1 MAIN TOOLBAR.............................................................................................................................................10
6.2 PRESET MENU.................................................................................................................................................10
6.3 SORT MENUS..................................................................................................................................................11
6.3.1 Sorting Menu: Additional Functions....................................................................................................12
6.4 ADVANCED PRESET MANAGER.......................................................................................................................13
6.5 A/B COMPARISON..........................................................................................................................................14
7 XILS 4 GUI DESCRIPTION...........................................................................................................................15
XILS 4 COMMON GUI DESCRIPTION:.....................................................................................................16
9 XILS 4 MATRIX DESCRIPTION:................................................................................................................17
10 XILS 4 TRIG CONNECTION DESCRIPTION..........................................................................................1
11 XILS 4 SYNTHESIZER ROUTING:...........................................................................................................19
12 XILS 4 MODULES DESCRIPTION............................................................................................................20
12.1 MAIN SYNTHESIZERS...................................................................................................................................20
12.1.1 Oscillators.........................................................................................................................................21
12.1.2 Filter..................................................................................................................................................22
12.1.3 Envelope Shaper................................................................................................................................23
12.1.4 Noise enerator................................................................................................................................24
12.1.5 Ring Modulator.................................................................................................................................24
12.1.6 Reverb................................................................................................................................................24
12.1.7 Output filter.......................................................................................................................................25
12.1.8 Input Level.........................................................................................................................................25
12.1.9 Joy-Stick and output levels................................................................................................................26
12.1.10 The Drop-Down Matrix Modulation...............................................................................................26
12.2 ADDITIONAL MODULES.................................................................................................................................28
12.2.1 Two additional Envelopes.................................................................................................................28

12.2.2 Tempo synced LFO............................................................................................................................29
12.2.3 Sample and Hold...............................................................................................................................29
12.2.4 Voltage Processor.............................................................................................................................30
12.3 SEQUENCER..................................................................................................................................................30
12.3.1 Front sequencer controls...................................................................................................................30
12.3.2 Connecting the Sequencer.................................................................................................................32
12.3.3 Recording a Sequence.......................................................................................................................32
12.3.4 Playing a Sequence............................................................................................................................33
12.3.5 Using the Sequencer Editor...............................................................................................................34
12.3.6 Using the Sequencer preset menu......................................................................................................34
12.4 VIRTUAL KEYBOARD AND CONTROLS............................................................................................................35
12.5 INPUT MODULES...........................................................................................................................................36
12.5.1 Transient follower.............................................................................................................................36
12.5.2 Envelope follower..............................................................................................................................37
12.5.3 Pitch Tracker.....................................................................................................................................37
12.5.4 Input ate..........................................................................................................................................38
12.6 EFFECTS MODULES.......................................................................................................................................38
12.6.1 Delay..................................................................................................................................................39
12.6.2 Chorus................................................................................................................................................39
12.6.3 Phaser.................................................................................................................................................40
13 OPTION MENU..............................................................................................................................................41
13.1 MAIN...........................................................................................................................................................41
13.2 DISPLAY......................................................................................................................................................41
13.3 MISC...........................................................................................................................................................42
14 CREDITS.........................................................................................................................................................42

1 Introduction
Thank you for choosing the XILS 4.
The XILS 4 is a virtual instrument, based on the architecture of a classic matrix modular synthesizer.
Modularity and the Modulation Matrix are the basis of these synthesizers: U to 1080 connections are
available to build any synthesizer structure, using many finely emulated synthesis modules.
The XILS 4 is based on two main Synthesizers, with hard synchronization available between the
oscillators. It also incor orates a 3-layer sequencer.
The left-hand exam le shows
the Main Matrix, with 16 in uts
and 16 out uts. The right-hand
exam le shows the Extended
Matrix, with 15 in uts and 15
out uts.
Other matrices are available
for connecting the sequencer,
and/or the various trig signals.
“like” us on Facebook htt ://www.facebook.com/XILSLabs and join in the conversation.
Note 1: We lan to release a series of tutorial videos to hel you to get the most out of XILS 4.
When available, you will be able to view these videos on our YouTube channel.
Please visit:htt ://www.youtube.lcom/user/xilslab

2 XILS 4 eatures:
2.1 Synthesizer Modules:
•12 Oscillators, grou ed in 6 airs.
•2 self-oscillating Low Pass Filters (12db, 18db, 24db) with analog-like behaviour.
•4 Am litude Envelo es (ADSR or Tra ezoid).
•1 tem o-synced LFO.
•2 Poly honic Ring Modulators.
•1 Voltage Processor.
•2 S ring Reverbs.
•1 Sam le and Hold Generator.
•2 Noise Generators.
•4 Out ut Filters.
2.2 Input Modules:
•1 Envelo e Follower.
•1 Pitch Tracker.
•1 Gate.
•1 Transient Detector
2.3 Effect Modules:
•1 Delay.
•1 Chorus.
•1 Phaser.
•1 Reverb
3 Digital Audio Workstation compatibility
XILS 4 is available in the following formats:
•Mac OSX 10.9 and later (Apple M1 compatible) 64bits: VST2.4, VST3, Audio Unit, AAX.
•Windows 7, 10, 11 (32 & 64 bits): VST, AAX.
"VST® is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH registered in Europe and other countries."
Minimum system requirements: 1 Gigabyte of RAM and a 2 GHz rocessor.
XILS 4 is a lug-in, and is not available as a standalone a lication.
Please note: The screen resolution must be set at least to 1024 ixels width.

4 Installation
XILS-Lab offers you the choice of using an eLicenser, or an iLok.
4.1 eLicenser drivers
The XILS 4 uses an eLicenser dongle. You must have this dongle connected to a USB ort on your
com uter to make the XILS 4 work.
Im ortant : Please take care of your dongle. You need it to run the XILS 4, as it carries your license!
Please Note: Even if you have already installed the eLicenser drivers for a revious roduct, lease install the
latest version of the eLicenser License Control.
To download the latest eLicenser Control Center (eLC), lease go to:
htt ://www.elicenser.net/en/latest_downloads.html
You will need a XILS 4 Activation Code, to load your license onto the dongle:
First, lug your dongle into a USB ort of your com uter, then launch the License Control Center. Launch the
Enter authorization code. Enter your Activation Code in the reserved field, and ress Next.
Wait for the license to be downloaded, and then check to see if the license is correctly loaded on to the dongle,
in the main section of the License Control Center.
4.2 iLok drivers
To use the iLok version of the XILS 4, you need to lug an iLok USB key into your com uter.
After downloading and installing the latest PACE drivers, lease login into your ilok.com account, to
download your XILS 4 license on to your iLok USB key. You may need to redeem the license, using the
license code you received. Follow the “redeem license code” link in your ilok.com account)
To download the latest PACE drivers, lease go to:
htt ://www.ilok.com/download-ilok-software.html
4.3 Windows (Windows 7,8,10,11)
To install the XILS 4 on Windows 7 and later, launch the XILS 4 installer file.
Please download the latest version from the XILS-lab website.
htt ://www.xils-lab.com/ ages/XILS 4_Download-Installer.html
Once you have acce ted the license agreement, you will be asked to select the com onents to be installed :

You can choose which format is to be installed, selecting any or all of AAX, VST3 and VST2.4 (32 and 64 bits).
You will then be asked to choose the various install directories.
A destination directory is rovided as a default. Presets and various files used by the XILS 4, such as this
manual, will be stored in this directory. Please note that this location is different from the VST install directory,
which you will need to s ecify in the next ste of the installation.
Once the installation directory is s ecified, you will be asked to select the VST lug-in directory, with a suggested
default location. Make sure that the ath for the 32 bits lug-in differs than for the 64 bits lug-in (as does the
default ath)
Important notice: Be sure to use a folder that is write-enabled, and owned by the user. (Do not use
“c:/ rogram files” for instance). Otherwise you will have to run your music a lication with “administrator
rights”.
By default, it's c:/users/Public/Documents/XILS-lab/XILS 4
4.4 Mac (OSX 10.9 and later)
To install the XILS 4 on a com uter equi ed with Mac OSX 10.9 or later, download the latest version of either
the iLok or eLicensor versions from the XILS-lab website, to make sure you have the latest version of the
software.
First, download from:
htt ://www.xils-lab.com/ ages/XILS 4_Download-Installer.html
Next, launch the install rogram XILS 4. kg, and follow the instructions.
Warning: the install rogram will ask you for your system assword.
Just after selecting the drive where the XILS 4 will be installed, you can choose which com onents are to be
co ied, by clicking on “customize” and selecting or deselecting them :
The various files of the XILS 4 will be co ied into the following directories:
Library/A lication Su ort/XILS-lab/XILS 4
Library/A lication Su ort/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins
Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Com onents
Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST
Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3
Library/A lication Su ort/Documentation/XILS-lab/XILS 4
And for the User Preset and various o tion :
..users/username/Library/Preferences/XILS-lab/XILS 4

5 Quick Start
.1 Launch, Play
When you launch XILS 4 in your host, an INIT reset will be loaded.
It is a sim le filtered one-oscillator sound, which can be seen as a basis for your sound design.
You can directly use or modify this reset, or load one of the factory resets.
To browse the reset library, just select a category of instruments, using the BANK dro down menu found at
the left of XILS 4 Tool Bar. (See Picture Below)
You can then use the u and down arrows located at the right of the reset name, or o en the bank dro down
list by clicking in the PRESET NAME AREA
Note: We have also rovided different INIT Patches, which can be seen as a good basis to begin to design new
resets.
.2 Toolbar
Note: The toolbar at the to of the interface lets you load or save resets (as well as BANKS of resets), make
a com arison between two different versions of the current reset (A & B), or modify the o tions. These
functions are described in detail later in this manual.
Selecting a reset: Click on the PRESET NAME AREA to dis lay the list of the available resets in the current
sorted grou .
Warning: Please note that selecting a new reset without saving your current settings will erase any changes
you have made to those settings.
Selecting a group of presets: Click on one of the two CRITERIA buttons to change criteria, and define a grou
of resets that will match the two filtering criteria.
You can sort resets by: Author, eeling, Type, Style, Bank or Projects.
Info: Please note that XILS 4 will dis lay resets sorted by instruments Categories (Ty e = Bass, Keys, Leads
etc.) and Library Bank by default.

Please note that the XILS 4’s owerful reset management is fully detailed in cha ter 6 of this manual.
.3 Adjusting the instruments parameters (Knobs, switches)
On the XILS 4, the sound arameters are controlled using faders, knobs or switches
To use a mouse to adjust the arameters of the XILS 4 which are controlled by faders, click on the slider of the
fader and drag it u to increase the value, of drag it down to decrease it.
To use a mouse to adjust the arameters of the XILS 4 which are controlled by knobs, click inside the knob and
move the mouse u or right to increase the value, down or left to decrease it.
If you right-click on a arameter, or if you hold shift while clicking, you can adjust the arameter with fine
recision (the hel button (?) on the toolbar dis lays a anel summarizing these shortcuts).
Keyboard shortcuts:
In addition we have rovided some soft keys combination to erform several very useful tasks:
Windows:
•CTRL+left click: reset arameter to its default value.
•CTRL+right click or CTRL+Shift+left click: initialize the default value of the arameter.
•Win+Alt+CTRL + click: o en the MIDI Control anel, with the arameter already selected.
•Mouse wheel on the matrix: o en a zoom.
OSX:
•A le+left click: reset arameter to its default value.
•A le+Shift+left click: initialise the default value of the arameter.
•A le+Alt+CTRL + click: o en the MIDI Control anel, with the arameter already selected.
•Mouse wheel on the matrix: o en a zoom.
The switches are sim ler: just left click to change their state. A right click will change the state only while the
button is ressed, and return to the revious state when it is released.
When a arameter is chosen via a dro down menu, just click on the button or label and select the item.

6 Preset Management
6.1 Main Toolbar
In the toolbar you can find two buttons, dis laying the category name (Bank, Author, Ty e, Style, Feeling or
Project), which o en the sort management menus.
The first two text fields show the current sorting grou and the third shows the current reset.
Clicking the arrow on the left of the category or reset names o ens the corres onding menus.
Note: When a arameter is modified, the name of the reset is followed by a *, indicating that the current
settings of the XILS 4 no longer match the stored reset.
When you want to save a modified reset, click on the Save or Save As button.
In order to revent you from erasing them, the Factory resets cannot be modified. When you edit a Factory
reset, the Save button will be grayed, and you will have to use the Save As function to save it in another
bank.
If you edit any reset, other than a Factory one, the Save and Save As function will both be available.
The main difference is that the Save function will save the reset under its current name, and with its current
tags, overwriting the revious incarnation of the reset, while the Save As function o ens a dialog box where you
can modify the name of the reset, the bank in which it will be stored, and all its tags
The settings of KaoX are then saved in the currently dis layed reset, and the * disa ears. Click on the Save
As button to save this reset with another name and/or to other sorting grou s.
6.2 Preset menu
Click in the Preset Name Area to dis lay the reset list. Here you can choose and load another reset from
the current selected grou of resets into the XILS 4.
In this menu, other actions are also available:
Delete Preset: Use this to delete the current reset (a o -u confirmation window a ears). This o tion is
only available if the current reset is not a factory one.
Export Preset: Use this function to ex ort the current reset to an external file location. This file can be
im orted later as a new bank. It always makes sense to back u your resets on external media.
Open Preset Browser: o ens the reset Manager window in the Browser mode.

TIP: How to create a avorite Sound-bank
There are two ossibilities:
1. Just create a bank, named “My Favorites”, and save all the interesting atches into this sound-bank. To
browse all your favorites, just set the first criteria to BANK, then select “My Favorites”. You can still use
the second criteria to filter the results by categories of instruments, in order to browse all your favorite
basses, for exam le. This method is fast, but it will du licate your atches.
2. Just create a new tag in the Project field, and name it “My Favorites”, then just re-save any interesting
atch with this tag, using the SAVE AS o tion. To browse your favorites, just choose this tag in the
roject field as the first criteria. This method is maybe more interesting because you can reverse it.
Should you later decide that a articular atch no longer deserves to be honored with it's “Favourites” tag,
sim ly remove the tag, then re-save it.
Note: Please be aware that creating too many categories can also have its drawbacks; making browsing
change from slightly difficult, to very cumbersome. Should you create around 200 different custom
instrument categories, it would become very difficult to browse the library using the Style (Category)
sorting. Use these o tions wisely.
Once you have filled out all the desired/required fields:
SAVE AS: Will save the current reset in the chosen Bank, with its new (or unchanged) Name, and tagged
with all the fields you have filled in.
MOVE TO: Allows transferring the current reset into another location (Bank). This is handy to gather a
lot of resets into a single location, or User Bank, which you can then ex ort as a single file, containing all
the resets you have created or edited for a given roject.
CANCEL: This will just cancel all o erations, and return to the standard XILS 4 GUI.
6.3 Sort menus
The sorting menus are a unique and owerful tool. They allow you to erform so histicated tasks, such as
dis laying the reset list, but organized in a variety of different and s ecific ways.
Exam les:
•All the Basses in your Sound Library
•All the Basses tagged with a s ecific musical genre.
•All the Pads created by a articular Sound Designer.
•All instruments tagged for a chosen musical genre, such as Electronica, or Funk.
•All instruments that were recently im orted into a bank (like additional sound-sets from Xils-Lab, or
it's 3rd arty vendors)
There are many ossibilities, but we are confident that you will find the best way to customize it to your
ersonal needs.

In order to erform such selections, all you have to do is to select an item in the first sort menu. This
re resents the first, and main criteria for the search engine.
•Author: (Your name, or a Sound Designer's name for factory resets),
•Type: (Category of the instrument require: Keys, Leads, Basses, etc.)
•Style: (Musical Genre),
•eeling: (Cold, Warm, Soft) and finally,
•Project: (My Song, My_Live_Project).
•All: (This item is not used for sorting the reset)
These rimary results can then also be filtered according to the second criteria, which can be chosen from
a similar list in the secondary sort menu.
Sometimes a icture is better than a lot of text. There is an exam le below, showing how to select all the
basses designed by a given Sound Designer.
Please note that, once you are familiar with this system, you can also erform some o erations in a single click,
by using the Sub Grou s to choose a reset.
In the icture below, the rimary sort menu is used to browse through the different banks. In a factory bank, the
author Xils-Lab is selected, and then the Preset -Init2Osc Left-. In this exam le , the reset is selected in a
single click o eration, and the resets available in the reset list will be all the Xils-Lab resets available in the
entire Factory Sound Library.
Click on the row of the sorting buttons to o en the menu used to manage this sorting grou (or sub grou ).
Here you can directly select and load any reset, from any grou or subgrou .
6.3.1 Sorting Menu: Additional Functions
In this menu, other actions are also available:
Delete: This deletes all of the presets of the current group, that are not factory ones.
WARNING: Use this function with EXTREME care: If the bank does not contain any factory resets, ALL
PRESETS IN THIS BANK WILL BE PERMANENTLY DELETED.
Rename: This modifies the current grou name. Selecting this choice will o en a window where the new name
can be entered.

Use actory: This enables or disables the dis lay of factory resets.
Sort By: This function sorts the resets according to bank, author, roject, or shows all resets (Bank Name,
Author Name,Project Name,All Presets). The reset menu will show resets of the same category (same
author, same roject or same bank).
Export Bank: This function ex orts a bank in XILS 4’s ro rietary cross latform format, (Mac and PC).
The selected bank (i.e. the bank which contains the currently active reset) will be ex orted to a user s ecified
location on your hard drive.
Import Bank: This function allows you to browse through your hard drives to select a Bank file, and then
im orts an XILS 4 bank.
Please note: These last two functions (Im ort, Ex ort) are not available from the second sort menu.
6.4 Advanced Preset Manager
The reset manager rovides two modes: Current Preset Mode and Browser (or Tag) Mode.
Current Preset Mode: This mode allows you to change any of the criteria of the current reset and save
them as well as the current settings.

Click on a criteria and choose a new one in the menu. If you need a new criteria choose “New criteria” and
submit the new name in the edit box. Click on the reset name to change it.
When done, click on SAVE CURRENT (to re lace your reset) or SAVE AS CURRENT (to du licate it)
Notice: When creating a new reset, this is the mode you need to go to for saving your settings.
Preset Browser Mode: This mode allows you to easily sort your reset among multi le criteria for a fast
selection.
Double click or hit Enter on a reset to launch it. Be careful, this will erase all the settings you could have
done with the current reset.
Use the Arrow (u and down) for browsing the resets
Click on a criteria for dis laying only the corres onding resets.
A grayed out criteria means that, according to the currently selected criteria, there is no reset that matches
that criteria.
The current reset and its associated criteria are highlighted in green.
There are two inde endent reset managers, one for the global reset (GLOBAL) and the other for the
sequencer reset (SEQ).
Clicking on the Browser icon will o en the Global Preset manager in Browser mode.
Clicking on the Save As icon will o en the Global Preset manager in Current Preset mode.
Selecting Save As in the Sequencer reset menu would o en the Sequencer Preset manager in Current Preset
mode.
On each criteria, right-clicking would o en a contextual menu. You can then rename, delete, ex ort a criteria. In
these two later cases, all the resets which are not in the “Factory” bank, corres onding to that criteria will be
deleted or ex orted.
avorite: you can add each reset in your “Favorite” or “Hidden” selection. In that case, when clicking on the
“Favorite” icon, only the reset in your favorite selection will be dis layed. When clicking on the “Hidden” icon,
all the resets in your “Hidden” selection will be removed from the list.
actory: The reset in the factory bank can't be changed or removed (shown by a lock at the right of the
reset). When clicking on the “Lock” icon, all the “Factory” resets will be removed from the list.
Import: By clicking on the IMPORT button, you can im ort banks of resets created for the XILS 4.
If the Global reset manager is selected, then the file contains global resets (.evcs files).
Click on DONE for Closing the reset manager anel.
6. A/B Comparison
You can store two different versions of a atch simultaneously in the A and B (non- ermanent) memory slots,
and instantly switch from one to the other to com are their settings.
When you launch XILS 4, the default-activated memory is A. When you load or modify a reset, this memory –
A- is also modified in real time according to your edits. You can switch to B memory by clicking on the B button.
To co y the current active memory content to the other memory slot, just ress the button labeled -> or <-,
according to the current active memory.
With this A/B com arison system, you can easily have two settings, and com are them in a convenient way.
Note: Please note that by default, the B memory slot, until you co y settings into it, or until loading another
reset into the other memory slot, is o ulated with the INIT atch loaded in the A memory, when you first start
XILS 4.

7 ILS 4 GUI description
The XILS 4 features 2 main synthesizers and, for this reason, requires a s ecific GUI management.
It is best to think of this machine as a three anel instrument: Left Synthesizer anel, Right Synthesizer
anel, and the Sequencer/Modules anel as in the following view:
When this view is two big for your com uter screen, a two cabinet with a scrolling system has been
rovided:
By clicking on the left icon you can easily change the view

You can dis lay either both of the synthesizers, or one of them beside the sequencer/modules anel by
clicking on the left or right arrows:
The left arrow allows switching between the left and the right synthesizer. The right arrow allows closing
the sequencer/modules anel.
This workflow allows:
•Playing with two synthesizers, when no sequencer/modules are used.
•Playing with one synthesizer and the sequencer, when a sim le atch is needed.
•Playing with the two synthesizers, modules and sequencer, when com lex atches are needed.
8 ILS 4 common GUI description:
As you have seen, your XILS 4 is based on one or two main synthesizers, and other ossible modules.
The main synthesizer is a matrix-based modular machine, for which every connection has to be made.
There is NO default connection between modules, and even triggers must be taken into account. This is
why the XILS 4 is so owerful, albeit having a learning curve worth the extra effort.
The main synthesizer has two matrixes, one 16x16 called the Main Matrix, and another 15x15 called the
Extended Matrix. You can dis lay either or both of the Main and Extend matrices, by clicking on the
corres onding tab.
In the Sequencer/Modules anel, you can switch between several tabs to dis lay various functions:
Env/LFO, In uts, Effects, Sequencer, and Sequencer connections.

In the same way, you will find a tab to dis lay the keyboard trig matrix when the 2 cabinet view has been
chosen.
9 ILS 4 Matrix description:
All the XILS 4 audio aths and trigs are done with the matrix, so having some information regarding this
major com onent is im ortant.
A matrix is a com onent that allows you to connect the out ut of one module to the in ut of another.
In all the XILS 4 matrices, out uts are listed in the horizontal row, and the in uts in the vertical column.
Placing a in will connect the corres onding out ut to the corres onding in ut.
In ut or out ut can be an audio signal (oscillators, filters,) or control signals (Tra ezoid, Stick, Osc
Frequency, Filter frequency,...)
There is no limitation, you can always connect audio signal out uts to control in uts, and it will be
acce ted at it's audio rate.
For instance in this matrix:
Oscillator 1 saw out ut is connected to the filter
audio in ut.
Oscillator 2 square out ut is connected to the filter
audio in ut.
Filter audio out ut is connected to the VCA audio
in ut (named ENV as in the original model)
Finally out ut VCA (ENV. SIGNAL) is connected to
the out ut of the synthesizer (OUT 1/2)
Connection is always made from left to right and
bottom to to .
The matrix can sometimes seem too small. Clicking on the magnifier, or using the mouse-wheel over the
matrix, will o en it in a big o -u , for an easier reading ex erience.
When a connection is made, you can adjust the amount by clicking and moving the mouse. The in will
turn, giving you an idea of the current value. Turned fully to the right, the value is at a ositive maximum.
Turned fully to the left, the value is at a negative maximum.
The color of the in hel s you to see the adjusted value, and its olarity ( ositive or negative), in a glance.
To remove a connection, just right click on a in.
For a trig connection, there is obviously no amount setting.

10 ILS 4 Trig connection description
As we ex lained, there are absolutely no internal or default connections in the XILS 4. This means that
even the connection between the keyboard and the envelo es, for instance, must be made.
Two trig sources are available: the Keyboard and the Sequencer. They are grou ed in two different anels:
You will find the Keyboard trig matrix at the right of the virtual keyboard, and the Sequencer matrix in the
sequencer/module anel (under the tab “seq connection”)
A “trig” connection is connecting a “trig” or “gate” signal to an envelo e, sequencer start, sto , or LFO
reset.
As shown in the icture below, a “trig” is a one- ulse information event for initiating an envelo e cycle,
resetting a LFO, or starting a sequencer. A “gate” is a ulse with a certain width. For exam le, when you
lay a note on the keyboard, the gate signal it generates stays on until the note is no longer held down.
From the sequencer, the gate length is de endent on the “sustain” knobs (see the sequencer cha ter).
Details will be ex lained in the cha ter relating to those articular modules which require a trig or gate.

11 ILS 4 Synthesizer routing:
The XILS 4 rovides two synthesizers, the one on the left and the one on the right; mimicking the old EMS
VCS4, or the Crystal Machine dual AKS used by Tim Blake. These two synthesizers are mixed together
with their own level and an arameters, before being sent to the effects unit (delay, chorus and haser).
But before its level and an are a lied, the left synthesizer is sent to the right synthesizer, though the
main matrix “INPUT FROM LEFT” source. This o ens a very wide range of new ossibilities, as these new
in uts allow the right synthesizer to treat the 3 left oscillators, filtered or not, as well as its own. This
creates a 6 oscillator, 2 low- ass analog-ty e filter, and 4 envelo e synthesizer.

12 ILS 4 modules description
The XILS 4 GUI is divided into four areas: Two cabinets are dedicated to the main synthesizers. One
cabinet is dedicated to the keyboard and it's controls, and another cabinet is dedicated to the advanced
analog-like 3 layer sequencer (based on the old EMS 256 unit) and other modules.
12.1 Main synthesizers
Both the left and right synthesizers are divided in two arts; the synthesis, and the matrix and level art.
The matrix art itself has tabs that can dis lay the main 16x16 matrix, the advanced 15x15 matrix with
extended connection menus, or both of the matrices. When only one matrix is dis layed, the out ut level
and an are shown, as well as a joystick.
The synthesis part is build with:
(from the left to the right top to bottom)
•Three oscillators.
•One ring modulator.
•One self oscillating filter.
•One envelo e sha er, with its dedicated
am lifier (VCA).
•One noise generator.
•One in ut level (for using the XILS 4 as an
effect rocessor, or for connecting the left
synthesizer to the right.)
•One out ut static filter.
•One vu-meter.
The second art shows the connection matrix and
the out ut level and an.
A (MIDI controllable) Joystick can be connected
through the matrix.