Sonicware Liven XFM | Is this something for an 80s guy?
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- A modern 2021 groovebox/pattern based sequencer and a fully editable 4-operator FM synth. An interesting combination for sure. Can the Sonicware Live XFM be inspirational and useful to someone buried deep in 80s form and function? Let's find out.
Check it out here:
sonicware.jp/pages/liven-xfm
When I'm playing sounds from the external keyboard I use some external effects.
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Growing up I listened to so much synth-pop and it's only natural that my own music takes inspiration from many of the acts I loved back then. I still love them and listen to them!
Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Erasure, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, The Human League, Propaganda. FGTH, Ultravox, OMD, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha as well as loads of artists doing what is now called Italo Disco. And many more great acts like Nik Kershaw, Spandau Ballet, Wham, Dire Straits ++
The XFM through it's own distortion, is magical!!!! Playing all four tracks at once, you can create some really cool sonic textures, with 4 different synth lines interaction with each other, when running through the same distortion. Very different kinds of tracks, or very similar, are both capable of amazing interactions in the distortion. I hope that makes sense. XFM is capable of a million incredible sounds...
Something not mentioned is how patch editing and the FM engine work on the XFM is kinda crazy. Unlike pretty much every single other FM synth out there that I'm aware of, the XFM doesn't rely on preset algorithms (it has some, but you don't HAVE to use them). You can route any of the four operators to any other operator you want, and each operator has its own feedback loop too. Each operator even has its own mixer send level, so you can go as far as making an operator both a carrier AND a modulator at the same time.
It's pretty insane, and is the main reason I bought one of these things.
That sounds great. Do the operators/carriers have multiple waveforms, or are they all sine?
@@inthefade Sadly they're all sine, so no TX81Z-style multiple different waveforms for the operators business. It's pretty easy to use the feedback loops for each operator to create faux saws and squares, though.
Sounds like the 80s to me, even looks a little 80s with the blue and black color scheme, LEDs and multi-segment LED display.
This suggests that an authentic EK 80s tune can be produced out of 2021 gear, which is actually illuminating and will raise an eyebrow on many of us followers.
The 80s are a state of mind, not limited to the years 1980- 1990!
I love this thing. Initially I felt like it sounded very Sega Genesis/ Megadrive, which I actually was very happy about, but I found out it can absolutely be an industrial drone monster even with just the built in effects. For an impulse buy I was very surprised by how much mileage I got out of it.
Thank you for playing some useful musical sounds on this synth. It could be something a musician might want to use.
Man your skills are amazing. That flute sound at 10-ish minutes is amazing! If I hadn't seen this, I would not believe that came out of this little box!
Cheers!
You crank such great sounds and interesting stuff out of anything! 😁
Cheers!
I was about to dismiss this as just another DSP based novelty box of cheap FM noises from the past… but then I heard some of the sounds you came up (with outboard reverb added), the filtering and looked up the price. That’s actually a lot of fun for under $200, though disappointed it’s only 6 note polyphonic. Glad you demoed this Espen!
Still 50% more than on most of the older Roland Boutique stuff...hahaha! 😂
@@sauermusicDE Exactly! The Junos had six voices forty YEARS ago! What is WRONG with you, Roland?!?!?!?!
It’s not junk. One of these Liven boxes will mothership a fleet of Volcas or Pocket Operators. I didn’t need it, but pre-ordered anyway and got the case.
I've owned the Liven XFM for awhile, and it's definitely more than a novelty. It's shocking how powerful this thing really is for a little more than the price of a Volca. You'd think for something so cheap they'd skimp on the FM synth engine, but nah; it's full on 4 op FM synthesis, and you can route the operators to each other in any combination you want. It's got a line in as well, so it works as a funny little FX box if you want it to. Only thing that kind of sucks on it is the keyboard, it's definitely not the most playable thing in the world, but better than the touch strip of the volcas for sure
I love my Sonicware XFM, and 8bw, from the bottom of my heart. I play both, nearly daily.
You are wonderful Espen just love the stuff you do mate, cheers from New Zealand.
I now own one and it’s very capable. Not struck on the sequencer, but I’m using the synth engine as a 4 operator fm synth to obtain 80s style bell, pad and piano sounds. Finally bought another dx100, which should arrive any day, but the xfm is so easy to program decent sounds. And y portable.
Decades, centuries.. AND millennia :)
As you say, the Sonicware stuff is cheap and cheerful.. I have the XFM & 8-bit warps, nice fun little boxes
Thank you Espen for all the efforts and a lot of hard work you do ! Nice
Lovely! I've just ordered the Sonicware Liven Bass & Beats for my Acid House live/studio set up, can't wait to get busy. Despite being the proud owner of a Yamaha DX-21 I'm very much a fan of the Groovebox style of production/performance and having heard your excellent run down I'm definitely going to be getting this at some point, fantastic!
Cheers!
Fantastic content Espen especially given your great playing skills, 80s rich background and vintage collection to compare with. A very honest review and great to see in a nice synthpop musical context. Thank u :)
Not as in-depth as a loopop review, but man so much more enjoyable!
The overlay to program the sounds is a neat trick and imho it is a great looking little groove box. As ever Espen you amnaged to create a great track from it.
I'll be watching this again and again. Awesome stuff Bud.
Cheers!
Nicely reviewed Espen. Always good when someone's won over by something they had little reason to be initially interested in because it simply wasn't the "thing" that they do.
We all appreciate your musical skill with 80's gear, but it was great to see an inexpensive device like the XFM being put through its paces and shown off for what it's capable of in experienced hands. Great demo, of a very musical sounding device. Thank you, and I'm going to be adding one of these to my Amazon wish-list for my next pay day. Much appreciated ! 🙂
Many thanks! :)
Interesting synth and very nice track you've made! 💯💯💯
Cheers!
I was considering buying this synth and watched a number of videos but wasn’t convinced. Your video convinced me! 😎👍🏼
Sonicware will be well pleased. ;-)
Great review of a great piece of kit. PLEASE do some Liven XFM patch tutorials (or just general 4op FM patch tutorials). I can never have enough FM synth patch tutorials.
Cuba 👍🙂
Nice review, you made me like it with your usual skills and taste.
Thanks!
Very nice demo. I have the Liven 8bit warps and it’s pure fun. It’s seems pure fun too !
Cheers!
I got an XFM wanting an 8bit warps.
When they came back in stock I got the one. The warps is definitely much simpler than the XFM.
My biggest beef is having to synthesize your own drums in it.
That and trying to make your own waves using a straight line of LEDs...
😅
Nice touch on the Hobbit theme at 10:00 👌🏼
:D
I was wondering what that was; it sounded vaguely familiar :D
I've seriously considered this. I got Sonicware's 8bit Warps and really like it, especially for the price.
Great, thanks! Cuba yeah!
Any chance you could do some 4Op sound creation videos? I'm having trouble understanding how to create with my DX9.
Morning Mr. Kraft. I've been interested in getting one for the road. Your explanation as always is great. Much appreciated. Do you think you'll be making a video with another one of liven's products? Cheers! Have a great day...... 😊
Thanks! I don't have any new ones and I highly doubt I'd be interested in any more of these, in this form factor. Can't say I enjoy operating them much.
@EspenKraft I was confused on the models. Specially on how many tracks they can use. I've noticed the new Mega synthesis, maybe I'll get me that. I like the FM and the square/triangle waves it has for on-the-go. Thanks again for the video and looking forward to a new one. Cheers 🍻
Can you recommend some resources for learning fm synthesis / sound design? Those sounds you made are exactly the kind i want to design on my own using fm synthesis. Just gorgeous. I dont want to be stuck in presets or just turn knobs and hope like so many do with fm and you clearly know what you are doing
I think there are many videos on UA-cam showing basic FM synthesis. Back in the day there would be keyboard "clinics" in magazines, but you just experimented most of the time.
@@EspenKraft yeah ive seen some that go over basics but I'd like something pretty deep if possible. A book suggestion would be welcome. I think we are still just scratching what is possible with fm. I'm already solid with subtractive synthesis but i am convinced that the next great truly new sound will come from fm. Everyone now is so focused on analog chasing the old but they will be chasing fm soon enough when someone really starts using it in unorthodox ways.
Those snappy, emotive, nostalgic lines just emanate from your hands. Do they come with the Liven XFM? 😜
They come with ME. :P
Thank you so much for the great video!
Can we post a link to this video on our XFM web page?
Many thanks! You sure can. :)
@@EspenKraft Thank you so much!
Thanks a lot for playing it with external keyboard, I think you are the only one at this time that did it on youtube. You really are the 80!
Did you use external effect or build in effect only for this video?
External effects used.
@@EspenKraft Thanks, just to be sure. Very interesting little box for the price.
Another machine I would love to see you review is the Analog Keys which I recently acquired and seems quite commercially misunderstood. Would be great to see that in an 80s experiment!
I did the Liven XFM because they sent me one. If someone send me the Analog Keys I'd do the same thing, but I'm not sending anything back. ;-)
@@EspenKraft makes sense except Elektron don't sell them anymore :(
Makes it all more difficult then. ;-)
Well it’s cheaper than a secondhand dx100. I like the sequence as well. Normal keys would have been nice but I have plenty of decent controllers. I’m very tempted.
The sounds are great - but I totally struggled with the double/tripple/qadruple functions on each key or knob that made that thing a total nightmare to use... and I admit I had to get rid of it again after a few months not using it - although I was one of the very first (Serial no. 00000061) who owned one and was totally enthusiastic about it...
Function, and shift keys, are easier and faster, than menu diving. In order to not be a full sized synth, you need to get a lot of controls into a small space, and tiny knobs that are too close together, during a performance, are not for everybody.
I'd like to hear more trills & bells from FM....
nice bit of Howard Shore!
4op FM synth? So, Lately Bass immediately pop up in my mind! Is it possible to program Lately Bass on this synth?
can someone make a patch video for the sound at 12:42? that was the standout for me. good stuff.
Ok, so this thing is like having a TX-81Z with *knobs*. AND a sequencer. Righteous! :D
I think so, I own the original TX81z but this is way more fun imho
++++
Those bells complete the theme. Ding ding ding dong ding dong dinnnnnngggg 🛎🔔🛎🔔
I got the other one, the Liven 8-Bit synth and its good but only flaw is the one I got, its connection for the power socket WONT fit any of my power supplies, so I can only use it running on batteries, which doesnt last very long :/
UA-cam deletes any links...
Search for this on Amazon...
KFD 9V AC DC Adapter for Korg Volca FM Volca Bass Volca Keys Volca Beats Volca Kick Sequencer Analog Rythm Machine Kross 61 88 Keyboard MS-20 Mini MK-1S KA350 9VDC Power Supply Cord
I'm using a USB ripcord for the Volcas. Works great.
This reminds me of the background music in shows like Miami Vice. Not the major tracks, but the background stuff they had going. Not sure I would use this is my recordings, but probably use it to lay down ideas to replicate on more powerful machines. It does sound cool though.
Fm tones are nice tones.
So you got a phonecall: "This is Sonicware and we want our Liven back" LOL
I think they were happy with this video actually.
@@EspenKraft Yep. I'd be very surprised if the marketing department of Sonicware feel that they've been short-changed.
So does each track have 6 voices of polyphony or is it 6 voices of Polyphony shared between the entire machine?
6 voices in total.
Hi yes my keyboard yamaha e463 sounds like its from the 80's, it got some of the famous sounds from that era, which is far better that that to be honest.
"I really didn't feel inspired...." Sonicware marketing dept. cringes. ...lol
In the end, you made it sound great. For me though, the front panel is way, way too busy, and frankly, pretty darn ugly. As a synthesizer collector, part of what I love about many of my vintage (and a few contemporary) instruments is the thought, and craftsmanship that was put into the design and build of the case and the graphic design of the interface. Roland SH series, Korg 700 series, and even many of the early Casio keyboards have elegant layouts, pleasing colours, and nice material usage.
The Liven XFM demonstrated here has essentially the same layout as most grooveboxes and drum machines but it looks like someone couldn't decide on a visual style for the size and shape of buttons, text or colours.
Thanks for the demo. Interesting tool but clearly not for me.
Anyone sending me stuff should know by now it will always me measured up against my 80s references. ;-)
sounds like early rick astley lololol
State-of-the-art Stock-Aitkin-Waterman.
Those bells... sooo casio.
Is this thing multitimbral?
Limited 4-part multi timbral. Check the manual.
@@EspenKraft Cool Thanks!
the voice track completely overpowers to music track, i can hardly make out whats being played.
Everything sounds better with a KX88 😂
Always.
I bet you wish that you'd tried it before.......like the Company who sent it to you! 😀
Some varied sounds hidden inside that little box just chomping at the bit to gallap out....😁 👍
Regrets are a waste of time. ;-)
@@EspenKraft I think you really get on w this little synth. It suits your style .. You make it work ..
what is the red star commie t-shirt for?
It's there to annoy the League of Morons.
No Cuba or commies my friend!
Take your pills. Immediately.
@@EspenKraft I don´t do pills, only snort🤩
Whoever is doing the design for sonicware needs to go back to school, the UI looks like a mess and looks plain ugly..
At that point who cares what it sounds like because I hate the very look of it
Fantastic content Espen especially given your great playing skills, 80s rich background and vintage collection to compare with. A very honest review and great to see in a nice synthpop musical context. Thank u :)
Cheers!