Conference napalm::commusic_v1

502.0. "Controllers revisited: a review of the Oberheim Xk" by BOVES::SEIGEL () Fri Sep 12 1986 17:59

There are a few notes on contollers in this conference.  Most are several
months old, and all omit the Oberheim Xk.  Since I recently bought one, I
decided to write a short review (note there is a long review in July '86
KEYBOARD), and post a new note so that it would be seen.  I'll leave out
comparisons, but I have added some conclusions at the end that might aid a
decision.  However, the only way to really compare it to the Yamaha,
Roland, etc. contollers is to try them out side by side!!  Happy reading!
    
Overview:
---------
The Oberheim Xk keyboard controller has a five octave, long throw plastic key
keyboard.  The keys are unweighted, and are much like those of the other
Oberheim keyboards (OB-8, Matrix-12, etc.).  The keyboard is both velocity,
release velocity, and pressure sensitive.  It's range is 10 octaves (MIDI
notes 0 to 120).  The keyboard can be divided into 3 zones, each zone
assignable to any of the 16 MIDI channels.  These zones can be disjoint or
they can overlap.  Each zone has 12 programmable parameters: patch #, MIDI
channel #, Voice limit (up to 16 per zone), Lower and Upper note limits
(i.e., the zone), Key transpose, MIDI Mono ON/OFF, Pressure Sense ON/OFF,
Levers ON/OFF, Continuous controller destination (i.e., what it controls),
Foot switch destination, and Mod lever Negative direction destination.  Global
functions: Hold, chord, chord latch, chord transpose, programmable multi-mode
arpeggiator (which can be assigned to any 1 zone), clock in for the
arpeggiator, pitch/mod levers, 2 velocity scales (and "off"), the Oberheim
Voice Spillover system, ability to use Normally-open or Normally-closed type
footswitch, programmable Pressure Threshhold, and of course, battery backup.

There is memory for 100 user programmable combinations of zones and global
functions called Master Programs.

Zones:
------
Each of the three zones can be set up to a distinct MIDI channel (or the same
MIDI channel if there is a need to do that).  They can be set up as spilts,
layers, or combinations of the two.  A zone can transmit a patch change to the
remote instrument or it can send "no patch change" while still setting up
keyboard limits and all of the other zone parameters.  The voice limit is 1
to 16 for each zone.  Spillover is what occurs when you play more notes than
the voice limit.  For example, if a zone is set to MIDI channel 1, and the
voice limit to 3, and you play 5 notes, the 4th and 5th notes will be sent to
MIDI channel 2.  Releasing all notes will return the zone to channel 1.  In
MIDI Mono mode, with the voice limit still set to 3, the first note will be
sent on channel 1, the second on channel 2, the third on channel 3, and the
fourth on channel 1, and so on.  I believe this is equivalent to the Rotate
Zone mode in the Xpander and Matrix lines.

For each zone, a lower note and upper note limit are set.  To disable a zone,
just set the lower limit to be key #61.  NOTE that you can still send a patch
change request from a zone that takes up no keys on the keyboard, a very
useful feature.  You can program a zone transposition from 0 to 12 semitones.
You can enable each of the 6 contollers, pressure, bend lever, mod lever
forward, mod lever backward, continuous (slider), and footswitch, for each
zone.  For some (continuous, mod lever reverse, footswitch), you can determine
which function it will control GLOBALLY, i.e., for all zones for a given
master program.

Velocity is also global to a master program.  It can be off, or set to 1 of 2
scales: scale 1 is more sensitive in the upper keyboard range, scale 2 is
more sensitive in the middle range.  The Xk also sends release velocity with
the same scale as attack velocity.  The upper limit of the velocity is
globally programmable and stored for ALL master programs in a range of 0 to 63
which translates to 0 to 127 (2x + 1).  An optimum value for the DX-7, for
example, is 42 (velocity value = 85).

Arpeggiator:
------------
The arpeggiator is quite versatile: 4 play orders (order played, reverse
oreder played, in order - in reverse, and random), play mode (held notes,
notes played on the keyboard, both), transpose up to 5 intervals.  The
arpeggiator can be assigned to only 1 zone.  The tempo is adjustable up to
20Hz.  There are about 5 pages in the owners manual that describe the
arpeggiator in detail.

Miscellaneous:
--------------
There are several miscellaneous functions: start, continue, or stop a drum
machine or sequencer, "song" select for sequencers, remote tuning, and of
course, "all notes off".  There is a global octave transposition that is not
saved.  It's range is +/- 2 octaves.  THe entire Xk keyboard is adjusted (all
zones).



Conclusions:
------------
Keyboard controllers are like cars.  They all have strong and weak features.
Some people like wood keys (like the Yamaha KX-88 and the Roland MKB-1000),
some like DX-7 style keys (Yamaha KX-76) and some will like traditional
synthesizer keys (like the Xk).  I believe that the Xk has a few weak points:
the keyboard takes some getting used to (both in terms of playability and
pressure sensing), the keyboard is only 5 octaves, and there is no way to save
all of those 100 wonderful master programs.  However, it has some *very* big
advantages: 100 master programs, 3 zones that constitute not only splits but
layers as well, global as well as per-zone transpose, and functions not
usually associated with a controller (hold, chord, chord latch, arpeggiator),
low weight (15 lbs), and low price ($995 list; it was on sale in August at
LaSalle's in Boston for $699).  All that plus a footswitch and a 10 foot
bright yellow MIDI cable!!

For more information, look in the July 1986 issue of KEYBOARD.

    Can you sync the arpegiattor to a midi clock, or can it act as a
    midi clock?
    
    len.
    

    Its got some very useable features.
    
    "I just gotta have piano-like action,tho!", he thought.
    
    Was hoping Ober. would introduce same controller
    with wooden keys at last NAMM, but no....
    
    Gonna have to !settle! for a KX88, I think.
    
    Anyone know where the best price is?
    
     Ron-the-procrastinator
    

    re: .1
    
    You can supply an external clock, but not via MIDI.  Another drawback,
    I suspect.  But (personally) I don't find all that much use in an
    arpeggiator anyway.  I do fool with it, though...
    
    re: .2
    
    Some people would rather have anything but a piano-like action.
    It all depends on the user.  Also, according to Oberheim customer
    service, there is no plan to introduce an Xk-2 with a different
    action because industry-wide sales of controllers are way way down.
    I did suggest that if they do introduce a new one, a DX7-style
    keyboard would be my preference (I think it's just perfect).
    
    my $.02...
    
    /Andy

    
    Agree: personal preference.
    
    They are all different and have good and bad points.
        
    The nature of the sound you are producing will influence
    your interaction with the keyboard....and expectations.
    
    For those reasons, I think every serious kbd player would
    do well to have more than one keyboard controller.
    
   rr   
    
     The response of a keyboard in the presence of acoustic
    feedback 
    
    

    RE: .4
    
    Yes, agreed.  When I write, piano parts are "expressed" better
    from my Rhodes than from either my DX-7 or OB-8.  But for wild
    synthesizer leads, it's a toss-up between the OB-8 and the DX.
    I like the OB-8 keyboard better than the Xk, actually...
    
    Interesting point about having > 1 controller.  Hmmmm.  I'll have
    to consider that one day when I have more $$$ !! 8^)
    
    /andy
    
    P.S.:
    > The response of a keyboard in the presence of acoustic feedback
    
    ???  This seems like an incomplete sentence.  Can you elaborate?
    

    
    reference note 511.* for  Kurzweil Midiboard.

    ron