PLEASE NOTE: The new Drum sounds I describe were revised shortly after the video was finished so are available as individual samples rather than a bank. Therefore the upload procedure is not the same as shown at the start of the video. Sonicware has provided an update guide for the firmware and new sounds so please refer to that for guidance.
I really have to add, I absolutely love Sonicware's commitment to their products even after their initial release. This is obviously evident here, but also the new SmplTrek also got a huge system update recently - with important changes and new capabilities added. Additionally, they are making their products affordable. What a GREAT company!
@@rorz999 I hear you, but keeping that in mind, Sonicware actually seems to listen to their customers post purchase. In my experience, not too many companies do this!
Between this update and finding a powered lav mic the other day, this little box has become a very capable sampler. I’ve got a show in a week and a half and my life has become so much easier. Thanks for the vid!
I got the MAONO from amazon. It was like $20. Just a heads up, the power pod is CHONKY. I haven’t used it much yet outside of seeing if it works, but I mainly got it to have all my bases covered. I also bought a carrying case, a pair of cheap earbuds, and a DC-USB cable for it. I honestly bought it for a fun cheap way to do a little sampling without all the screens so my eyes can take a break, but now it’s made its way onto my live set with MOOGs, Arturias, SSLs and the like. I’m even thinking of buying another because they’re honestly too cheap for all they do especially after the V2 update.
Yes it will degrade everything back down to the selected sample rate. The device as a whole still operates at 48khz for the filters and reverb so all those bright edges will be knocked off again. It reminds me of when 4 track cassette is bounced down to a single channel
Wow this is a really great update !! Only thing is I’m running out of user banks!! I guess i can overwrite some of the presets that I don’t use. Great video. I can’t wait to try this !
Yes mine is already full too 😄 At least all the preset sounds are available to download. I’m considering just being brave and wiping the whole thing to make room for all new samples 😁
@@ChrisLodyMusic that isn’t such a bad idea. I hardly really use any of the sounds. I mean sometimes one mauve not Also I’m happy to report that I successfully did the update and also saved all my samples I had precisely made to sysEx and then added the 8 new drum samples (had to write over some of yours lol ) but as you said we have the backups!! Thanks again and when I have time I will be experimenting with the new features !
@@sonomute The quickest way I can think of is to initialise each sample and save over them one by one from the sample edit menu. Probably the easiest way to clear patterns is to load an empty pattern and just repeatedly save it over full patterns. This will keep copying the name of the pattern which can be a bit confusing when you load them so be aware of that.
Ha I knew you’d like this. It’s a massive boost in features! I’m sure there’s someone that would take your SmplTrek, it’s had a new set of features added this week too 😁
Damn.. those are great updates. I wish i could get one here in Colombia. Just got a volca sample 2 yesterday but what i really want is the Lofi 12. Especially now that it has resample and drum chop mode.
Yeah it's a damn fine little sampler. Sonicware are a small company which makes setting up worldwide distribution quite tricky, but hopefully you're able to get one eventually
For anyone considering using an iOS device with this I think they’re a great pair. I use a Fore MIDI interface (from Amazon) to my iPad 8 (via Apple camera connection adapter) with iOS 16.2 and the MIDI ToolBox app for SYSEX transfers and storage. Make sure to follow most recent procedure to update and import because I think it’s different. Also, if you have an i-device (or Android should work) with a headphone jack, you can use a stereo 3.5mm cable to play samples from the device into the LoFi-12 quick and easy. So you can, for instance, record using the iPad mic or other mic into the iPad and then play it into the LF. You might be able to do a pass-thru but I haven’t tried it. With this recent update this thing is killer and I have a lot of experimenting to do!
I've folled this countless times and there is definitely a step missed somewhere in this video. I don't care how many people as far as the followers go that know how to do this. I've even followed all of your hand movements and those are not explained while you're doing it. oh well my loss I guess. MPC and SP404 rule. I'll just use this device for sample coloring and sell it later. The price is good. The sound is good. But the work flow and how you update it is an extreme pain. Thanks for the tutorials Chris.
Can you tell me what you're trying to work out please? Maybe I can help. If it's importing the free drum sounds, they were changed from a bank to individual samples after I made this tutorial
Ha now there's an idea. I have a mate who services Fairlights so I'll have to get him to give me all the most iconic stuff 😄 He has one of these too btw
Hey Chris! Just wanna say thanks for all the help here on the Lofi-12, you’ve been a huge help, really appreciate it I dunno if I even want to ask this since you put in a lot of effort already, maybe quite a drag for you.. Buuuut if you want to! Would you care to explain how you made loads of samples into one? Like your drumpack, all of these sounds mashed in to one sample. Was it through the computer or the sampler? Would love to have my own recorded drum samples into one sample so I can use it playing it in poly Sorry if this dosent make sense, I’m quite new with this haha Cheers
Glad you're enjoying the Lofi-12, I'm still having fun with mine 😁 During development of version 2 I created kits on my computer by setting my DAW to an appropriate tempo (say 60 BPM) and then dropping individual drum hits into the timeline, evenly spaced so they would chop up nicely using the Drum and Chop modes. But once version 2 was completed they added the resample function I mentioned so it's actually possible to do that entirely with the Lofi-12. Sonicware added a section to the latest version of the manual which I'll link to below. It's on page 41, "Creating a drum kit" www.sonicware.co.jp/DL/LIVEN_Lofi-12/DOC/Lofi-12_v2_1_manual_en.pdf Experiment with this technique though. If you split your drum sounds across the different tracks you can layer them, add different filters and effects to different hits etc
@Chris do you need to set the pattern tempo accurately before using the split function? The issue I'm finding is the source loop may not be 100% quantised, i.e. i h as human feel, so the slices are often OFF on some slices and correct on other slices. I guess without a level threshold feature , it has to be like this, but I wondered how you have best found, dialling in the split length? So far, it seems better NOT to fill all the slots, but to set the division for the majority of good slices. However some are still late, or early.
So yeah if the loop your chopping has swing or loose timing then you won't necessarily be able to hit all the parts of a loop you might want to, its a restriction of the simple slice method on offer. Like you say though, slicing it into longer slices might work but you're best off just experimenting with it and seeing what works for a given loop. The tempo won't have any affect on the way the loop is sliced
@@ChrisLodyMusiccan you share if they plan to upgrade this slicing model to more advanced in potential future update? It's quite a big disappointment for such a device.
I doubt they have any plans to change that. Making anymore advanced with the interface available would just make it incredibly difficult to use. There is the old method of chopping drum loops up though which gives you 128 places to slice but without the ability to finger drum. I made a video about it before the v2.0 firmware came out: th-cam.com/video/HvGAmcKiqDw/w-d-xo.html
Would it be possible for Sonicware to enable manual adjustment of slice points? That would make this machine nigh-on perfect (well, barring the absence of digital sample transfer)
I agree that would be awesome, feel free to suggest it to them. It was added as a bit of an afterthought so I think they just went for a simple to understand method, but if you have any ideas of ways it could work then let them know that too
@@samgriffiths3143 It depends what you're trying to plug in. Anything that has a line out or headphone out can be plugged directly into the Line In. The same with the output, if your interface etc except Line In it will work. Anything else will need to be run though a mixer etc before being connected to the Line In
Looks like CLR removes all instruments for a given step, for example: is there a way to clear the HiHat on step 13 without also clearing the Snare on 13?
Yes there is. So in this example if you turn on Rec, press step 13 then the key for your hi-hat sound it can be removed from the sequence. In Rec mode like this the keys toggle recorded notes on and off in the sequence
I really appreciate your tutorials, but I'm having problem getting decent audio level into my interface without boosting 40db from it and having everything on full on the Lofi-12. It adds too much noise and the headphone output works fine with my headphones. I'm using a cordial 3.5mm two-sided stereo cable with adapter into 6.3mm. What kind of cable are you using?
From what you describe you've run into a common problem, connecting a stereo source into a balanced input. The sockets on an audio interface use a trs 1/4" plug as a connector for a balanced mono input which means if you try to connect a stereo source the left and right inputs will cancel each other out resulting in a very quiet signal. What you need is a cable that splits the 3.5mm stereo plug to two mono 1/4" plugs. You can get a special cable that does this or get a 3.5mm to phono splitter then a couple of phono to 1/4" mono adapters which is what I use. This is the first one of those two options: www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Roland-1-8-TRS-Dual-1-4-Interconnect-Cable-10ft-3m/1HXJ?origin=product-ads&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1rqkBhCTARIsAAHz7K1fzcgH5LbcwkRN4Tel9b7HbNzeru19bMIbEEQO6lyPtyRw2OGacwAaAomkEALw_wcB
@@ChrisLodyMusic Thanks a lot mate, that is what I was thinking of, since I've had the same problem with Volca's and ran them through JHS Colour box v2 to get the sound.
Hi Chris.. another question for you. Is it possible to edit the start and end points of individual chops in chop and drum mode? Thanks. By the way you are doing a great job with your work for Sonicware and these videos. Very thorough and no nonsense.
@@ChrisLodyMusic OK I figured that was the case. I worked around it by automating the start point. In order to learn the machine I had a crack at recreating Aphex Twin Xtal only in the Lofi-12. What do you think? th-cam.com/video/QcDJAZPT5KM/w-d-xo.html
@@socialnarcotics1147great job on recreation of Xtal! That's one of best projects made on Lofi 12 for sure! Can you share how did you automate the start points and on which mode?
After wanting a Korg ES-1 with it's well regarded "crunchiness" and getting burned with a faulty unit off an auction site, perhaps this is the droid that I'm looking for as the LoFi isn't: 1.23 years old 2. Using a SmartMedia card the size of a slice of toast & can only be 64mb max 3. Using encoders that are now unobtanium should they go wrong. Great video !
Damn sorry to hear that about the ES-1. Been burned a few times myself regarding gear. "Perfect working order" lies on eBay that turn out to be beyond saving and I spent nearly a hundred quid on a keyboard at an auction house that was dead on arrival too. Metal back panel had been cut in half with a disc cutter 🤷♂️🙄 The Lofi-12 is definitely a good way to access that sound and workflow. It does bring with it some pretty old school restrictions itself like backing up data via midi sysex which is pretty slow, but yeah it isn't going to be 20+ years worn out at least!
In poly mode I am trying to play a melody real time recording but it is not recording the length of the notes I am playing, but gating the notes to the step length. Can I set the sequencer to record the note lengths I play into it?
Great update, and thanks for the quick overview Chris! Regarding Re-Sampling, you can capture all the filters and FX setting but not the Reverb knob setting, correct? Just want to be sure I'm not missing something here. Thx!
cant find any info on how to check what firmware ver your running and you can only update thought the midi port? how ya supposed to plug midi into a pc i have to buy a interface just to update the thing? unless it ships with 2.0 also does the 2.0 update include the new drum kits or that separate download ? just ordered one and curious .
There is a button combination to check the firmware. The text under the button will be different but it works the same way on all Livens as shown at start of this video th-cam.com/video/bHxyV0qwFns/w-d-xo.html Yes you can only update via midi. I use a PC but it's also possible on Mac and tablet apparently. New ones should ship with v2.0 installed but I'm not sure about the drum samples, sorry
Is there an undo button to delete your last performance? Lol I'm sure you've touched on this but I haven't ran into it yet. When your using the PRM LOCK function for lets say drums. Let's say I've recorded a Bass and Snare drum going nuts both at alternating pitchs. Now I'll go in to track the High Hats and fail. Using the prm lock feature. Now the hats are sharing same grid spaces with the bass and snare drums. So if I go to delete the grid parts that came out wrong, im also deleting the bass and snare drums on the same grid spaces I'm deleting. How can I just erase the high hats? I've had to redo entire tracks that never sounded the same again. I mean i like the idea of being able to stack different samples on the same track. But it seems if a couple samples utilize the same space and one has to be redone... Your in deep stuff. Unless there was an undo feature! Lol. If you do touch on this Chris, could you or someone tell me at what time you explain this on the video? Thanks much!
Sorry there's no undo function. Your best option is to make sure you save regularly and into multiple slots so you have something to fall back to. There are some more detailed ways that you can delete individual notes though. When you have the REC button switched on and you hold CLR and press a step only the note is deleted and not the PRM lock data. Also when the PRM record function is on (PRM LOCK button is red) and you press CLR and press a step only the parameter lock information is deleted. When both are off and CLR + a step are pressed both are deleted. That way you make sure you can delete exactly what you need to.
@@ChrisLodyMusic Thank you. I'm trying this now. Also, I have the lofi 6 and the texturelab too. Am I able to achieve the same sound with the 12 and 6, as the 8bit warps? Basically using the bit crush function? I've tried a couple things and got some pretty convincing sound. I'm basically trying to justify why I need it? Thank you
It's not possible at the moment, sorry. It would be nice if it were possible to capture the Laid-Back knob setting automatically which would give a kind of unquantized recording but I don't know if it's possible given the hardware restrictions of the Livens
@@ChrisLodyMusic hm, unfortunately...i want to creat more with fingerdrumming with very subtle nuances ( = humanizing patterns). So far only the SP404 (in a certain budget-limit) seems to do so, but perhaps the MK2 is an overkill for what I want and the older editions have other shortcomings :D
There isn't any velocity sensitivity on the keys is there? Is it all just in the menus? I'd like to use the keyboard to write chord based stuff and drum beats but having to set velocity manually might be a bit cumbersome.
The keys themselves don't have velocity sensitivity, but you can dial in different velocities with the Velocity knob which is mostly used for programming. If you plug in a keyboard you'll get velocity sensitivity hard wired to volume
Does resampling effectively reduce whichever pattern you resample to one voice monophonic? As in you resample a pattern with 4 different samples for example playing at the same time
Hi Chris, I've resampled and am getting a clicking or pulse sound when I play them back too closely together. It seems like I have to let the sample fully play out before triggering the next one or I get the click. So far my work around is adjusting the attack and release but sometimes I'd like them to overlap a little and I get the click when I try. Any ideas? Thanks! And thanks for all the great tutorials and synth oscillator banks!!! 😁
Hmm that's odd. If you retrigger on the same key it will immediately kill the original voice which in some cases might cause a click regardless of envelope etc, but it shouldn't happen elsewhere. If it is happening elsewhere it would be best to submit a bug report here: sonicware.jp/pages/support
@@ChrisLodyMusic I just realized if I'm in legato mode and holding a key and press another key it's not there, but if I let go of the first key before pressing the second key it is. I'll submit a report - thanks!
Well yes and no. They're used for some of the preset patterns, though that's not important if you're finished checking those out. So it depends whether you want to build kits from them directly on the machine which is an option. All the preset sounds can be downloaded from sonicware.jp and the preset patterns can be restored with a factory reset, so next time I use mine I think I'm just going to wipe everything and start from scratch
I don't know what's going on behind the scenes with that. It certainly makes the output louder so maybe that is a bit of compression. I'd love that as a master effect too
Kind of, at least when programming. You can sequence individual sounds at different volumes by using Velocity which is a good way to keep hi-hats at a lower volume for example. You can also use Sweep with a Speed of 0 to program drums on a per note basis with different pitches. Pan will still work on a per step basis but it can be automated if you want to get some movement into things. There is always the option to use more than one Drum or Chop track too if you want more realtime control
Can we adjust each individual drum or chop start end position? Or just with the function/adjust? Like I mean can we fine tune each chops start and stop?
No you can only evenly divide a sample. It can be anywhere from 4x 1 second sample to 16x short samples but they have to be the same length. You can chop using the old method if you prefer but it takes longer: th-cam.com/video/HvGAmcKiqDw/w-d-xo.html
I've made a guide to updating the Livens that you'll find in the link below, but yes an audio interface with midi is ideal. th-cam.com/video/bHxyV0qwFns/w-d-xo.html
I've not tried it but I've heard from another user that he was able to use his midi interface on his iPad with a midi app, to transfer sounds in and out of the Lofi-12, I think the app was Midi Tools. So yeah that will work if you have the right gear
@@ChrisLodyMusic yes it worked fine with the new update. Fore MIDI interface from Amazon to my iPad 8 (via Apple camera connection adapter) iOS 16.2 with MIDI ToolBox app. Make sure to follow most recent procedure to update and import because I think it’s different. New features that I’ve tried are excellent. It’s like a whole new machine!
It can yes. You can play midi notes into Ableton from the keys and the knobs will send midi CCs so they can be mapped to controls in Ableton too. Just be aware the keys don't have velocity
That error code means the data hasn't been received correctly. It will either be due to your midi hardware or the way midi ox is set up. Try this guide: www.sonicware.co.jp/DL/LIVEN_Lofi-12/DOC/Lofi-12_v2_upgrade_guide_en.pdf
There's a download for the 8 drum kits under the link for the update on sonicware.jp You need to transmit them one at a time so go into sample editing using the overlay then choose a sound to edit, press OK, send a sound then save it etc. To stop a track being sent to the global effect turn it's reverb send level to 0. You can access this with Func+ the 4th knob on the top row
Still can’t get it to work sadly.. I’m using a Microsoft pc. I pull up sysex and the midiox. I click the file presetdrums and select the Microsoft ones and I click drum kit lofi and I see it says drum kit lofi on the sysex view and scratched window. I click send sysex file to the lofi -12 on user1 bank. Number 15 slot. But it’s still not working, I was able to update my system I’m having trouble importing sounds into it. Seems like everytime I click sysex send it’s like it’s sending the whole update again even tho it says it’s the kit. Thanks!!
If you managed to get the update to work then this should work too. Try this video guide that another user made, perhaps it shows something I've missed. Each sample should take about a minute to transfer th-cam.com/video/kGR4qwIEqJY/w-d-xo.html
You can yes. You'll need an iPad to midi interface of some sort and the Midi Tool Box app from which you can send the sysex files. I've never tried it because I don't have an interface for an iPad so if you run into any problems then the official Liven Facebook group would be the place to ask for more help.
is it just me or does 12-bit mode not work anymore? it used to make the sound more crunchy and slightly louder, now it just kind of sounds the same but quieter....
I just had a go with it and it sounds the same to me as it did before. It seems more subtle on certain material than on others so maybe that's what you're hearing
@@ChrisLodyMusic It's definitely not working like it used to for me, but I can't download the older firmware to compare. It's behaving this way for every sound.
@@ChrisLodyMusic the lo-fi 12 seems more up my alley then the smpltrek like the sound but I do love my volca sample 2 more functions not always better if they behind to many menus is all I meant but that one looks learnable
TH-cam lets you set playback speed, and you can turn up the volume on your playback device, but if you’re still not happy with Chris’s product, he seems like a pretty reasonable guy, I’m sure he’ll refund the price of your ticket 😉
yes, wow, thats realy a big step forward in posibilities. but i'm sad to say that my unit already did not start up after only 4 weeks of using it, and the C-Key did not work like it should (had to hit it harder than the other keys to get response). so i hope i get a new one soon from my dealer to check the new features. afterall, two wishes i still have left for a future update, to have a song mode like the pocket-operators have, or at least a cyclemode. and specially for me a hold funktion to hold a pressed keybord-key with a loop or so, while switching to another track to play along, this would make it easy to jam without programming anything, that would be great. and thanks for the update video.....
Sorry to hear about hardware problems, I hope you were able to send it back for a replacement. The Livens have a pattern chain mode so you can sequence one pattern after another though it won't loop on the Lofi-12 (the Bass&Beats has chain looping which I'd love here too). They also have a hold mode, hold the OK button and press keys to add them to the stack of held voices
It would depend which batch it comes from but newer machines with have newer firmware yes. It would be best to contact your supplier before purchase to double check
PLEASE NOTE: The new Drum sounds I describe were revised shortly after the video was finished so are available as individual samples rather than a bank. Therefore the upload procedure is not the same as shown at the start of the video. Sonicware has provided an update guide for the firmware and new sounds so please refer to that for guidance.
Could you please post the new drum sounds in bank format so I can try importing banks for the first time? Thanks.
Is there any way to listen to the drum sounds before downloading onto the machine?
@@dinogoldie9716 Yes I could do that for you to make it easier. I'll try to do that tomorrow for you
@@socialnarcotics1147 currently no but it wouldn't be a bad idea to knock up a quick demo
By the way it's easy to make your own kits on the device be sequencing some sounds and then using the Resample function
I really have to add, I absolutely love Sonicware's commitment to their products even after their initial release. This is obviously evident here, but also the new SmplTrek also got a huge system update recently - with important changes and new capabilities added. Additionally, they are making their products affordable. What a GREAT company!
I kind of agree, tbh what they've added to the Smpletrek should have been there from the start
@@rorz999 I hear you, but keeping that in mind, Sonicware actually seems to listen to their customers post purchase. In my experience, not too many companies do this!
Yes they're doing things right, especially nice to see from a small company 😁
Whaaaaat? This is crazy. Sonicware really listens to their cutomers. What a great update.
Ha yeah the suggestions from their users have been really useful 👌
Ok, the Lofi 12 has now become my favorite synth 💕
Yes it very quickly became my favourite Liven tbh. I’m trying to make more videos about other devices but it’s difficult to put down 😄
Between this update and finding a powered lav mic the other day, this little box has become a very capable sampler. I’ve got a show in a week and a half and my life has become so much easier. Thanks for the vid!
Ooh a powered lav is a good idea, might have to invest 🤔
Which mic did you grab have you tried it out yet and would you suggest getting one ?
I got the MAONO from amazon. It was like $20. Just a heads up, the power pod is CHONKY.
I haven’t used it much yet outside of seeing if it works, but I mainly got it to have all my bases covered. I also bought a carrying case, a pair of cheap earbuds, and a DC-USB cable for it.
I honestly bought it for a fun cheap way to do a little sampling without all the screens so my eyes can take a break, but now it’s made its way onto my live set with MOOGs, Arturias, SSLs and the like. I’m even thinking of buying another because they’re honestly too cheap for all they do especially after the V2 update.
@@latashabundy2059 rock on thanks for the info I was looking for one to give a try on Amazon lol I’ll try this one
This is so cool! really happy to see re-sample! It sounds like it's doing some cool degrading when it's resampled
Yes it will degrade everything back down to the selected sample rate. The device as a whole still operates at 48khz for the filters and reverb so all those bright edges will be knocked off again. It reminds me of when 4 track cassette is bounced down to a single channel
Massive massive update....@ $250 this box is an absolute steal. So much more bang-for-buck than my OP-1...
Yeah they're really packing in the features on this one 😁
My lofi12 should be arriving in the next few days. This is great news to hear!!
Excellent, hope you have fun 😁
Sweet! Thanks for the video on the v2 update!
So, so good! You‘re tipping me over the edge to get one… It seems so hands-on !!!
Ha sorry 😄 Yes it's all very well thought out
Wow, this is a huge update in capabilities. Thanks for the info, mate.👍😎🐸
Yes it’s a massive boost in features and it’s everything that users have been asking for which is nice to see 😁
Awesome new features add a ton more flexibility without needing to add new gear super happy to see them
Yeah Sonicware is on the money with this one 😁
This is a really impressive update
Yeah they've really gone for it 😄
Resample makes this a complete no-brainer.
Yeah that's a power move by Sonicware 😄
Wow this is a really great update !!
Only thing is I’m running out of user banks!! I guess i can overwrite some of the presets that I don’t use.
Great video. I can’t wait to try this !
Yes mine is already full too 😄 At least all the preset sounds are available to download. I’m considering just being brave and wiping the whole thing to make room for all new samples 😁
@@ChrisLodyMusic that isn’t such a bad idea. I hardly really use any of the sounds. I mean sometimes one mauve not
Also I’m happy to report that I successfully did the update and also saved all my samples I had precisely made to sysEx and then added the 8 new drum samples (had to write over some of yours lol ) but as you said we have the backups!!
Thanks again and when I have time I will be experimenting with the new features !
@@sonomute The quickest way I can think of is to initialise each sample and save over them one by one from the sample edit menu. Probably the easiest way to clear patterns is to load an empty pattern and just repeatedly save it over full patterns. This will keep copying the name of the pattern which can be a bit confusing when you load them so be aware of that.
HELL YEH DUDE!!!! Please convey my massive gratitude to Sonicware for this tremendous feature update. Anybody want my Smpltrek?
Check out the brand new firmware update, before you sell it!
Ha I knew you’d like this. It’s a massive boost in features! I’m sure there’s someone that would take your SmplTrek, it’s had a new set of features added this week too 😁
Great video. Interesting as ever!
Thank you 😁
Damn.. those are great updates. I wish i could get one here in Colombia. Just got a volca sample 2 yesterday but what i really want is the Lofi 12. Especially now that it has resample and drum chop mode.
Yeah it's a damn fine little sampler. Sonicware are a small company which makes setting up worldwide distribution quite tricky, but hopefully you're able to get one eventually
For anyone considering using an iOS device with this I think they’re a great pair.
I use a Fore MIDI interface (from Amazon) to my iPad 8 (via Apple camera connection adapter) with iOS 16.2 and the MIDI ToolBox app for SYSEX transfers and storage.
Make sure to follow most recent procedure to update and import because I think it’s different.
Also, if you have an i-device (or Android should work) with a headphone jack, you can use a stereo 3.5mm cable to play samples from the device into the LoFi-12 quick and easy.
So you can, for instance, record using the iPad mic or other mic into the iPad and then play it into the LF. You might be able to do a pass-thru but I haven’t tried it.
With this recent update this thing is killer and I have a lot of experimenting to do!
Crazy part is you can get a Lofi-12, iPad mini and a few ios synths for much less than an op-1
Finally got mine! Can't wait to get busy with it!
Excellent, have fun 😁
Thank you. These are very helpful.
My pleasure, have fun 😁
I've folled this countless times and there is definitely a step missed somewhere in this video. I don't care how many people as far as the followers go that know how to do this. I've even followed all of your hand movements and those are not explained while you're doing it. oh well my loss I guess. MPC and SP404 rule. I'll just use this device for sample coloring and sell it later. The price is good. The sound is good. But the work flow and how you update it is an extreme pain. Thanks for the tutorials Chris.
Can you tell me what you're trying to work out please? Maybe I can help.
If it's importing the free drum sounds, they were changed from a bank to individual samples after I made this tutorial
nice that's actually a pretty good update....I'll probably have to get one of these soon
Oh nice, hope you have fun 😁
It's be cool to see a video where you load this thing up with fairlight cmi samples just cause.
Ha now there's an idea. I have a mate who services Fairlights so I'll have to get him to give me all the most iconic stuff 😄 He has one of these too btw
Hey Chris! Just wanna say thanks for all the help here on the Lofi-12, you’ve been a huge help, really appreciate it
I dunno if I even want to ask this since you put in a lot of effort already, maybe quite a drag for you..
Buuuut if you want to!
Would you care to explain how you made loads of samples into one?
Like your drumpack, all of these sounds mashed in to one sample. Was it through the computer or the sampler?
Would love to have my own recorded drum samples into one sample so I can use it playing it in poly
Sorry if this dosent make sense, I’m quite new with this haha
Cheers
Glad you're enjoying the Lofi-12, I'm still having fun with mine 😁
During development of version 2 I created kits on my computer by setting my DAW to an appropriate tempo (say 60 BPM) and then dropping individual drum hits into the timeline, evenly spaced so they would chop up nicely using the Drum and Chop modes.
But once version 2 was completed they added the resample function I mentioned so it's actually possible to do that entirely with the Lofi-12. Sonicware added a section to the latest version of the manual which I'll link to below. It's on page 41, "Creating a drum kit"
www.sonicware.co.jp/DL/LIVEN_Lofi-12/DOC/Lofi-12_v2_1_manual_en.pdf
Experiment with this technique though. If you split your drum sounds across the different tracks you can layer them, add different filters and effects to different hits etc
Coool!! Thank you very much man☺️ you’re awesome
Super merci 👍
@Chris do you need to set the pattern tempo accurately before using the split function?
The issue I'm finding is the source loop may not be 100% quantised, i.e. i h as human feel, so the slices are often OFF on some slices and correct on other slices.
I guess without a level threshold feature , it has to be like this, but I wondered how you have best found, dialling in the split length?
So far, it seems better NOT to fill all the slots, but to set the division for the majority of good slices. However some are still late, or early.
So yeah if the loop your chopping has swing or loose timing then you won't necessarily be able to hit all the parts of a loop you might want to, its a restriction of the simple slice method on offer. Like you say though, slicing it into longer slices might work but you're best off just experimenting with it and seeing what works for a given loop. The tempo won't have any affect on the way the loop is sliced
@@ChrisLodyMusiccan you share if they plan to upgrade this slicing model to more advanced in potential future update? It's quite a big disappointment for such a device.
I doubt they have any plans to change that. Making anymore advanced with the interface available would just make it incredibly difficult to use. There is the old method of chopping drum loops up though which gives you 128 places to slice but without the ability to finger drum. I made a video about it before the v2.0 firmware came out: th-cam.com/video/HvGAmcKiqDw/w-d-xo.html
Super dope
i hope theres a jungle/drum n bass or breakbeat tutorial with the new firmware in the works 🤞thanks for the run down
I don't have one in the works but it's a damn fine idea 😁
Wow, HUGE update.
Resamling! YES!
😁🔥
the lofi god have delivered unto us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥
Ha yeah I've been looking forward to this update launching, it's what everyone has been asking for 😄
@@ChrisLodyMusic yessir thanks as always for the instruction 🫡💯💯💯
I know it’s a lot to ask BUT a part mute feature for drum programs would be great though…… I’m waiting on mine right now and I’m super excited.
Would it be possible for Sonicware to enable manual adjustment of slice points? That would make this machine nigh-on perfect (well, barring the absence of digital sample transfer)
I agree that would be awesome, feel free to suggest it to them. It was added as a bit of an afterthought so I think they just went for a simple to understand method, but if you have any ideas of ways it could work then let them know that too
awesomeness!!!!
Hi Chris, do you have to run the lofi 12 through a DI box before it goes into an audio interface or is it fine to go direct? Thanks
@@samgriffiths3143 It depends what you're trying to plug in. Anything that has a line out or headphone out can be plugged directly into the Line In. The same with the output, if your interface etc except Line In it will work. Anything else will need to be run though a mixer etc before being connected to the Line In
now my friends we got a true mini asr 10!!
Yes it's quite the little beast now 😄
That all I needed to hear... buying one now.
Nice update!!!!!
Yeah it makes it so much more useful 😁
@@ChrisLodyMusic Exactly!, playing multiple drum hits on the same step in the same track is huge!
Looks like CLR removes all instruments for a given step, for example: is there a way to clear the HiHat on step 13 without also clearing the Snare on 13?
Yes there is. So in this example if you turn on Rec, press step 13 then the key for your hi-hat sound it can be removed from the sequence. In Rec mode like this the keys toggle recorded notes on and off in the sequence
@@ChrisLodyMusic Awesome, thanks!
Superp upgrade ... Very good and importanfunctions ...
Yes I love that they added all this so soon 😁
I really appreciate your tutorials, but I'm having problem getting decent audio level into my interface without boosting 40db from it and having everything on full on the Lofi-12. It adds too much noise and the headphone output works fine with my headphones. I'm using a cordial 3.5mm two-sided stereo cable with adapter into 6.3mm. What kind of cable are you using?
From what you describe you've run into a common problem, connecting a stereo source into a balanced input. The sockets on an audio interface use a trs 1/4" plug as a connector for a balanced mono input which means if you try to connect a stereo source the left and right inputs will cancel each other out resulting in a very quiet signal. What you need is a cable that splits the 3.5mm stereo plug to two mono 1/4" plugs. You can get a special cable that does this or get a 3.5mm to phono splitter then a couple of phono to 1/4" mono adapters which is what I use. This is the first one of those two options: www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Roland-1-8-TRS-Dual-1-4-Interconnect-Cable-10ft-3m/1HXJ?origin=product-ads&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1rqkBhCTARIsAAHz7K1fzcgH5LbcwkRN4Tel9b7HbNzeru19bMIbEEQO6lyPtyRw2OGacwAaAomkEALw_wcB
@@ChrisLodyMusic Thanks a lot mate, that is what I was thinking of, since I've had the same problem with Volca's and ran them through JHS Colour box v2 to get the sound.
Hi Chris.. another question for you. Is it possible to edit the start and end points of individual chops in chop and drum mode? Thanks. By the way you are doing a great job with your work for Sonicware and these videos. Very thorough and no nonsense.
Thank you. No sorry it's only possible to evenly divide a sample rather than making fine edits to individual drums
@@ChrisLodyMusic OK I figured that was the case. I worked around it by automating the start point. In order to learn the machine I had a crack at recreating Aphex Twin Xtal only in the Lofi-12. What do you think? th-cam.com/video/QcDJAZPT5KM/w-d-xo.html
That's fantastic 👏 I'm a big fan of Aphex Twin and I listen the Selected Ambient Work regularly so I particularly enjoyed this
@@sonomute It's a max of 16 slices, one for each of the white keys
@@socialnarcotics1147great job on recreation of Xtal! That's one of best projects made on Lofi 12 for sure! Can you share how did you automate the start points and on which mode?
After wanting a Korg ES-1 with it's well regarded "crunchiness" and getting burned with a faulty unit off an auction site, perhaps this is the droid that I'm looking for as the LoFi isn't:
1.23 years old
2. Using a SmartMedia card the size of a slice of toast & can only be 64mb max
3. Using encoders that are now unobtanium should they go wrong.
Great video !
Damn sorry to hear that about the ES-1. Been burned a few times myself regarding gear. "Perfect working order" lies on eBay that turn out to be beyond saving and I spent nearly a hundred quid on a keyboard at an auction house that was dead on arrival too. Metal back panel had been cut in half with a disc cutter 🤷♂️🙄
The Lofi-12 is definitely a good way to access that sound and workflow. It does bring with it some pretty old school restrictions itself like backing up data via midi sysex which is pretty slow, but yeah it isn't going to be 20+ years worn out at least!
In poly mode I am trying to play a melody real time recording but it is not recording the length of the notes I am playing, but gating the notes to the step length. Can I set the sequencer to record the note lengths I play into it?
You can yes. You need to turn on the Tied Notes function which is mentioned in the section that starts at 9:52
Great update, and thanks for the quick overview Chris! Regarding Re-Sampling, you can capture all the filters and FX setting but not the Reverb knob setting, correct? Just want to be sure I'm not missing something here. Thx!
Yes that's right. It will record from the output but before the reverb. So you can capture multiple channels and effects if you want to
@@ChrisLodyMusic got it! 👍
cant find any info on how to check what firmware ver your running and you can only update thought the midi port? how ya supposed to plug midi into a pc i have to buy a interface just to update the thing? unless it ships with 2.0 also does the 2.0 update include the new drum kits or that separate download ? just ordered one and curious .
There is a button combination to check the firmware. The text under the button will be different but it works the same way on all Livens as shown at start of this video th-cam.com/video/bHxyV0qwFns/w-d-xo.html
Yes you can only update via midi. I use a PC but it's also possible on Mac and tablet apparently. New ones should ship with v2.0 installed but I'm not sure about the drum samples, sorry
@@ChrisLodyMusic thank you 🙏
This might be a stupid question but does updating the firmware overwrite any songs/patterns I've written?
No it won't touch your patterns and sounds so it safe to go ahead
@@ChrisLodyMusic thank you so much keep up the amazing work on the videos 👏
Is there an undo button to delete your last performance? Lol I'm sure you've touched on this but I haven't ran into it yet. When your using the PRM LOCK function for lets say drums. Let's say I've recorded a Bass and Snare drum going nuts both at alternating pitchs. Now I'll go in to track the High Hats and fail. Using the prm lock feature. Now the hats are sharing same grid spaces with the bass and snare drums. So if I go to delete the grid parts that came out wrong, im also deleting the bass and snare drums on the same grid spaces I'm deleting. How can I just erase the high hats? I've had to redo entire tracks that never sounded the same again. I mean i like the idea of being able to stack different samples on the same track. But it seems if a couple samples utilize the same space and one has to be redone... Your in deep stuff. Unless there was an undo feature! Lol. If you do touch on this Chris, could you or someone tell me at what time you explain this on the video? Thanks much!
Sorry there's no undo function. Your best option is to make sure you save regularly and into multiple slots so you have something to fall back to. There are some more detailed ways that you can delete individual notes though. When you have the REC button switched on and you hold CLR and press a step only the note is deleted and not the PRM lock data. Also when the PRM record function is on (PRM LOCK button is red) and you press CLR and press a step only the parameter lock information is deleted. When both are off and CLR + a step are pressed both are deleted. That way you make sure you can delete exactly what you need to.
@@ChrisLodyMusic Thank you. I'm trying this now. Also, I have the lofi 6 and the texturelab too. Am I able to achieve the same sound with the 12 and 6, as the 8bit warps? Basically using the bit crush function? I've tried a couple things and got some pretty convincing sound. I'm basically trying to justify why I need it? Thank you
Hello, do you know - is it possible, or will it be possible, to record unquantized into a pattern?
It's not possible at the moment, sorry. It would be nice if it were possible to capture the Laid-Back knob setting automatically which would give a kind of unquantized recording but I don't know if it's possible given the hardware restrictions of the Livens
@@ChrisLodyMusic hm, unfortunately...i want to creat more with fingerdrumming with very subtle nuances ( = humanizing patterns). So far only the SP404 (in a certain budget-limit) seems to do so, but perhaps the MK2 is an overkill for what I want and the older editions have other shortcomings :D
There isn't any velocity sensitivity on the keys is there? Is it all just in the menus? I'd like to use the keyboard to write chord based stuff and drum beats but having to set velocity manually might be a bit cumbersome.
The keys themselves don't have velocity sensitivity, but you can dial in different velocities with the Velocity knob which is mostly used for programming. If you plug in a keyboard you'll get velocity sensitivity hard wired to volume
@@ChrisLodyMusic With an external keyboard that's not so bad then. Thanks much.
Does resampling effectively reduce whichever pattern you resample to one voice monophonic? As in you resample a pattern with 4 different samples for example playing at the same time
Yes it will record the output down to a single mono sample no matter how many samples and voices are playing simultaneously
Hi Chris, I've resampled and am getting a clicking or pulse sound when I play them back too closely together. It seems like I have to let the sample fully play out before triggering the next one or I get the click. So far my work around is adjusting the attack and release but sometimes I'd like them to overlap a little and I get the click when I try. Any ideas? Thanks! And thanks for all the great tutorials and synth oscillator banks!!! 😁
Hmm that's odd. If you retrigger on the same key it will immediately kill the original voice which in some cases might cause a click regardless of envelope etc, but it shouldn't happen elsewhere. If it is happening elsewhere it would be best to submit a bug report here: sonicware.jp/pages/support
@@ChrisLodyMusic I just realized if I'm in legato mode and holding a key and press another key it's not there, but if I let go of the first key before pressing the second key it is. I'll submit a report - thanks!
Do you see any reason to keep the original non-chopped drum kit versions? The first bank.
Well yes and no. They're used for some of the preset patterns, though that's not important if you're finished checking those out. So it depends whether you want to build kits from them directly on the machine which is an option. All the preset sounds can be downloaded from sonicware.jp and the preset patterns can be restored with a factory reset, so next time I use mine I think I'm just going to wipe everything and start from scratch
Quick question - What does the Vinyl effect do, other than EQ? I'd love to have master compression
I don't know what's going on behind the scenes with that. It certainly makes the output louder so maybe that is a bit of compression. I'd love that as a master effect too
in the new DRUM and CHOP modes, is it possible to edit the volume, panning, pitch etc of the individual slices?
Kind of, at least when programming. You can sequence individual sounds at different volumes by using Velocity which is a good way to keep hi-hats at a lower volume for example. You can also use Sweep with a Speed of 0 to program drums on a per note basis with different pitches. Pan will still work on a per step basis but it can be automated if you want to get some movement into things. There is always the option to use more than one Drum or Chop track too if you want more realtime control
Can we adjust each individual drum or chop start end position? Or just with the function/adjust? Like I mean can we fine tune each chops start and stop?
No you can only evenly divide a sample. It can be anywhere from 4x 1 second sample to 16x short samples but they have to be the same length. You can chop using the old method if you prefer but it takes longer: th-cam.com/video/HvGAmcKiqDw/w-d-xo.html
What do I need to update the firmware? Would I be able to use an audio interface that has a midi connection?
I've made a guide to updating the Livens that you'll find in the link below, but yes an audio interface with midi is ideal. th-cam.com/video/bHxyV0qwFns/w-d-xo.html
Wow! This is great! Unfortunately my laptop is completely crashed right now. Is there a way to update with an iPad or android?
I've not tried it but I've heard from another user that he was able to use his midi interface on his iPad with a midi app, to transfer sounds in and out of the Lofi-12, I think the app was Midi Tools. So yeah that will work if you have the right gear
@@ChrisLodyMusic yes it worked fine with the new update. Fore MIDI interface from Amazon to my iPad 8 (via Apple camera connection adapter) iOS 16.2 with MIDI ToolBox app. Make sure to follow most recent procedure to update and import because I think it’s different. New features that I’ve tried are excellent. It’s like a whole new machine!
🙌👌
😁🔥
Anyone know if the lofi 12 can be used as a midi controller for a software DAW (Ableton? etc?)
It can yes. You can play midi notes into Ableton from the keys and the knobs will send midi CCs so they can be mapped to controls in Ableton too. Just be aware the keys don't have velocity
Anyone else get an ERROR 20 code after sending the 2.0 sysex file through midiox? I'm at a loss.
That error code means the data hasn't been received correctly. It will either be due to your midi hardware or the way midi ox is set up. Try this guide: www.sonicware.co.jp/DL/LIVEN_Lofi-12/DOC/Lofi-12_v2_upgrade_guide_en.pdf
Anyone know how to erase samples?
In part one of the tutorial I show the edit overlay. With that you can initialise a sample slot with the Init button
I’m unclear does installing the update add the new drum samples automatically or is that a different file?
Separate files
Yes they're separate so you won't overwrite any of your sounds when updating the machine
How do you get the drum samples in there? I got the firmware update but didn’t get those drum kits with it also, thanks !
Also how did you get to turn off the master effect on the drums track? I thought if you turned it off it turns it off for all tracks, love the videos!
There's a download for the 8 drum kits under the link for the update on sonicware.jp You need to transmit them one at a time so go into sample editing using the overlay then choose a sound to edit, press OK, send a sound then save it etc.
To stop a track being sent to the global effect turn it's reverb send level to 0. You can access this with Func+ the 4th knob on the top row
@@ChrisLodyMusic hey thank you so much!! I’ll try this after work
Still can’t get it to work sadly.. I’m using a Microsoft pc. I pull up sysex and the midiox. I click the file presetdrums and select the Microsoft ones and I click drum kit lofi and I see it says drum kit lofi on the sysex view and scratched window. I click send sysex file to the lofi -12 on user1 bank. Number 15 slot. But it’s still not working, I was able to update my system I’m having trouble importing sounds into it. Seems like everytime I click sysex send it’s like it’s sending the whole update again even tho it says it’s the kit. Thanks!!
If you managed to get the update to work then this should work too. Try this video guide that another user made, perhaps it shows something I've missed. Each sample should take about a minute to transfer th-cam.com/video/kGR4qwIEqJY/w-d-xo.html
Can you update with an iPad
You can yes. You'll need an iPad to midi interface of some sort and the Midi Tool Box app from which you can send the sysex files. I've never tried it because I don't have an interface for an iPad so if you run into any problems then the official Liven Facebook group would be the place to ask for more help.
is it just me or does 12-bit mode not work anymore? it used to make the sound more crunchy and slightly louder, now it just kind of sounds the same but quieter....
I just had a go with it and it sounds the same to me as it did before. It seems more subtle on certain material than on others so maybe that's what you're hearing
@@ChrisLodyMusic It's definitely not working like it used to for me, but I can't download the older firmware to compare. It's behaving this way for every sound.
I'll ask the engineers if you like, see if anything was tweaked
@@ChrisLodyMusic that would be great, if not I could try to send an email when I can.
@@OPdbx They got back to me. There's been no change to the 12bit mode, they even double checked the code to make sure
What video shows how to update the firmware?
That's here: th-cam.com/video/bHxyV0qwFns/w-d-xo.html
The workflow still seems cumbersome like the smpltrek
Well I don't think anyone else could have done a better job considering the 4 character display etc.
@@ChrisLodyMusic the volcas do a good job and more knob per function
I have quite a few Volcas, they don't have as many functions as the Livens offer
@@ChrisLodyMusic the lo-fi 12 seems more up my alley then the smpltrek like the sound but I do love my volca sample 2 more functions not always better if they behind to many menus is all I meant but that one looks learnable
horrible directions. speak too fast and too low
TH-cam lets you set playback speed, and you can turn up the volume on your playback device, but if you’re still not happy with Chris’s product, he seems like a pretty reasonable guy, I’m sure he’ll refund the price of your ticket 😉
@@mjhobo5520 Butt kissing only gets a few to high places.
yes, wow, thats realy a big step forward in posibilities. but i'm sad to say that my unit already did not start up
after only 4 weeks of using it, and the C-Key did not work like it should (had to hit it harder than the other keys to get response).
so i hope i get a new one soon from my dealer to check the new features. afterall, two wishes i still have left for a future update,
to have a song mode like the pocket-operators have, or at least a cyclemode. and specially for me a hold funktion to hold a pressed keybord-key with a loop or so, while switching to another track to play along, this would make it easy to jam without programming anything, that would be great. and thanks for the update video.....
Sorry to hear about hardware problems, I hope you were able to send it back for a replacement.
The Livens have a pattern chain mode so you can sequence one pattern after another though it won't loop on the Lofi-12 (the Bass&Beats has chain looping which I'd love here too). They also have a hold mode, hold the OK button and press keys to add them to the stack of held voices
@@ChrisLodyMusic/ well that's cool, thankx, i'm shure they allready working on further updates
Does this come already done if I
buy a new one ?
It would depend which batch it comes from but newer machines with have newer firmware yes. It would be best to contact your supplier before purchase to double check
@@ChrisLodyMusic Thanks Chris.