Xils lab PolyKB II User Manual
PolyKB II
User Manual
www.xils-lab.com
Table of contents
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 4
2 FEATURES .......................................................................................................................................................... 5
3 INSTALLATION ................................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1 ELICENSER DRIVERS ............................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1.1 If you already own a eLicenser ............................................................................................................... 6
3.1.2 If you have received a eLicenser dongle from XILS-lab .......................................................................... 6
3.2 ILOK DRIVERS ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
3.3 WINDOWS (XP, VISTA, WINDOWS 7) ................................................................................................................. 7
3.4 MAC (OSX 10.3.9 AND LATER) ........................................................................................................................... 7
4 QUICK START .................................................................................................................................................... 8
4.1 LAUNCH, PLAY ................................................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 TOOLBAR ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
4.3 ADJUSTING THE INSTRUMENTS PARAMETERS (KNOBS, SWITCHES) ................................................................................. 9
5 PRESET COMPATIBILITY WITH VERSION 1 .......................................................................................... 10
6 PRESET MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................... 10
6.1 MAIN TOOLBAR ................................................................................................................................................ 10
6.2 PRESET MENU .................................................................................................................................................... 11
6.3 SORT MENUS ..................................................................................................................................................... 13
6.3.1 Sorting Menu: Additional Functions .................................................................................................... 14
6.4 A/B COMPARISON .............................................................................................................................................. 15
7 POLYKB MODULES DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................... 16
7.1 SYNTHESIS ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
7.1.1 Oscillators ............................................................................................................................................. 16
7.1.2 Oscillator 2 Special features. Optional Noise Oscillator ...................................................................... 18
7.1.3 Filter ...................................................................................................................................................... 19
7.1.4 Envelopes ............................................................................................................................................... 19
7.1.5 LFO1/2 .................................................................................................................................................. 21
7.1.6 Matrix Modulation sections .................................................................................................................. 22
7.1.7 Main level and keyboard settings ........................................................................................................ 28
7.2 ARPEGGIATOR .................................................................................................................................................... 30
7.3 SEQUENCER ...................................................................................................................................................... 31
7.3.1 Sequencer display module ..................................................................................................................... 32
7.4 VIRTUAL KEYBOARD ........................................................................................................................................... 34
7.5 SPECIAL EFFECT AND STEREO MODULES. ADDITIONAL MODULATION TOOLS ................................................................ 35
7.5.1 Sequencer display module ..................................................................................................................... 35
7.5.2 DynaMYX .............................................................................................................................................. 35
7.5.3 PolyMYX ................................................................................................................................................ 36
7.6 EFFECTS MODULES ............................................................................................................................................. 38
7.6.1 Delay ...................................................................................................................................................... 38
7.6.2 Chorus ................................................................................................................................................... 39
7.6.3 Phaser .................................................................................................................................................... 39
7.6.4 EQ .......................................................................................................................................................... 40
8 OPTION MENU ................................................................................................................................................. 41
8.1.1 Main ....................................................................................................................................................... 41
8.1.2 Display ................................................................................................................................................... 41
8.1.3 Misc ....................................................................................................................................................... 42
9 SPECIAL TIPS ................................................................................................................................................... 43
9.1.1 Voices management ............................................................................................................................... 43
9.1.2 Sequencer and Arpeggio synchronization ............................................................................................. 44
9.1.3 How to modify a preset to make it V2 compatible ................................................................................. 44
10 CREDITS .......................................................................................................................................................... 46
1 Introduction
Thank you for choosing the PolyKB II !
The PolyKB II is a virtual instrument based on the architecture of a venerable vintage
polyphonic synthesizer, which proposed a very unusual, advanced, and revolutionary
waveform-morphing feature.
Waveform morphing allows you to change the sound
of your oscillators in a continuous way. Of course
this parameter can be modulated with a large
amount of sources. This brings very new and special
synthesis sound you have never heard before.
This synthesizer provides a wide range of
modulation possibilities making it as a great
performance instrument. But this goal wouldn't
be achieved without the help of an arpeggiator
and a polyphonic sequencer, which has its own
dedicated presets.
Famous sound designers and artists have already made hundreds of presets for the PolyKB, so
you can enjoy this instrument even if you do not have any knowledge of sound design!
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2 Features
The PolyKB II offers:
• Two aliasing-free morphing oscillators: from triangle to pulse, through saw.
• One 4 poles low pass self oscillating filter
• Two freely assignable envelope generators (ADSR) with 2/3/4 Multiplier
• Two Multi Waveform MIDI syncable LFO with Monophonic and Polyphonic action
• One MIDI synced Sample and Hold
• One 128 steps polyphonic sequencer
• One arpeggiator (monophonic or polyphonic)
• Chorus , Phaser, Delay and EQ effects
• Mono/Unison/Poly playing mode with up to 16 voices of polyphony
• 3 independent Modulation Matrixes
• One exclusive fully configurable Dynamic Stereo Enhancer
• All parameters are MIDI controllable
The PolyKB II is available in the following formats:
• Mac OSX 10.3.9 and later: VST, Audio Unit, RTAS (Pro Tools 7.0 and later)
• Windows 7, XP and Vista: VST, RTAS (Pro Tools 7.0 and later)
Minimum system requirements: 1 Gigabyte of RAM and a 2 GHz processor.
The PolyKB II is a plug-in and is not available as a standalone application
Notice : The screen resolution must be set at least to 1024 pixels width.
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3 Installation
3.1 eLicenser drivers
The PolyKB uses an eLicenser dongle. You must have this dongle connected to a USB port on your
computer to make the PolyKB work.
Important : Please take care of your dongle: you need it to run the PolyKB and it carries your
license!
3.1.1 If you already own a eLicenser
Please Note: Even if you have already installed the eLicenser drivers for a previous product, please
install the latest version of the eLicenser License Control.
To download the latest eLicenser Control Center (eLC), please go to:
http://www.elicenser.net/en/latest_downloads.html
You need a PolyKB Activation Code to load your license onto the dongle:
First, plug your dongle into a USB port of your computer. Then launch the License Control Center.
Launch the Enter authorization code. Enter your Activation Code in the reserved field, and press Next.
Wait for the license to be downloaded and then check to see if the license is correctly loaded on
the dongle in the main section of the License Control Center.
3.1.2 If you have received a eLicenser dongle from XILS-lab
You must first install the eLicenser drivers (eLicenser Control Center, eLC).
To download the latest eLC please go to:
http://www.elicenser.net/en/latest_downloads.html
Then plug your dongle into any free USB port on your computer. Then launch the License Control
Center and enter the authorization code you received as explained above.
3.2 iLok drivers
With the iLok version of the PolyKB, you need to plug an iLok USB key into your computer.
After downloading and installing the latest PACE drivers, please login into you ilok.com account to
download your PolyKB license into your iLok USB key.
To download the latest PACE drivers, please go to:
http://www.ilok.com/download-ilok-software.html
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3.3 Windows (XP, VISTA, Windows 7)
To install the PolyKB II on Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, launch the PolyKB II installer file
polykb_II_syncrosoft_win_setup.exe. Please download the latest version from the XILS-lab website.
Once you have accepted the license agreement, you will be asked to select the installation directory
and provided with a default one. Presets and various files, like this manual, used by the PolyKB will
be stored in this directory. Please note that this location is different from the VST install directory,
which you will need to specify in the next step of the installer.
Once the installation directory is specified , you will be asked to select the VST plug-in directory, with
a suggested default location. Keep this default directory if you do not use the VST version.
Important notice for Vista or Windows 7 : be sure to use a folder owned by the user (do not
use “c:/program files” for instance). Otherwise you will have to run your music application with
“administrator rights”.
The RTAS plug-in and its table control management ProTools are directly copied into the following
directory: C:\Program Files\Common Files\DDigidesign\DAE\Plug-Ins
3.4 Mac (OSX 10.3.9 and later)
To install the PolyKB II on a computer equipped with Mac OSX 10.3.9 or later, double-click the file
polykb_II_syncrosoft_osx_setup.dmg. You will find this on the CD-ROM installer or you can
download it from the XILS-lab website to make sure you have the latest version of the software.
Then launch the install program, PolyKB.pkg, and follow the instructions.
Warning: the install program will ask you for your system password.
The various files of the PolyKB will be copied into the following directories:
Library/Application Support/Digidesign/Plug-Ins
Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST
Library/Audio/Presets/XILS-lab/PolyKB II
Library/Application Support/Documentation/XILS-lab/PolyKB II
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4 Quick Start
4.1 Launch, Play
When you open the PolyKB in your host, an Init preset is loaded.
You can directly use this preset, a simple one oscillator standard sound which can be seen as a
basis for your sound design, or load one of the 250 factory presets provided.
To browse the factory-preset library, just select a category of instruments, using the bank drop
down menu at the left of the PolyKB Tool Bar. (See Picture Below)
You can then use the up and down arrows located at the right of the preset name, or open the
whole bank list by clicking on the triangle located at the left of the preset name (See Picture
Below)
Note: We have also provided different Init Patches, which can be seen as a good basis to begin
to design new presets. All these presets can be found in the [mettre le nom de la banque]
4.2 Toolbar
Note: The toolbar at the top of the interface allows you to load or save presets, make a comparison
between settings A and B, or modify the options. These functions are described in detail later in this
manual.
Click on the PRESET arrow to show the available presets in the current sorted group. Please note
that selecting a new preset without saving your current settings will erase any changes you have
made to those settings.
Click on the sort arrow button to display the current sorted group and to choose the preset within
it.
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You can sort presets by: Author, Feeling, Type, Style, Bank or Projects.
Please note that the PolyKB will display presets by instruments categories (Type) by default.
Click on the sorting label over the sorted group name, to sort your preset according to your
preferences
Please note that the PolyKB 2 powerful Preset management is fully detailed in chapter 6 of this
manual.
4.3 Adjusting the instruments parameters (Knobs, switches)
On the PolyKB, most sound parameters, like the pitch of an oscillator, or the filter’s Cut-Off
frequency are controlled using Knobs.
To adjust the parameters of the PolyKB with the mouse, you have two axes: horizontal and vertical,
which will give the same results.
To increase a parameters value, click and drag the knob to the right or to the top
To decrease a parameter value, click and drag the knob to the left or to the bottom.
If you right-click on a parameter, or if you hold shift while clicking, you can adjust the parameter
with fine precision (the ? button of the toolbar displays a panel summarizing these shortcuts).
Keyboard shortcuts
In addition we have provided some soft keys combination to perform several very useful tasks:
Windows:
• CTRL+left click: reset parameter to its default value.
• CTRL+right click or CTRL+Shift+left click: initialize the default value of the parameter.
• Win+Alt+CTRL + click: open the MIDI Control panel, with the parameter already selected.
OSX:
• Apple+left click: reset parameter to its default value.
• Apple+Shift+left click: initialise the default value of the parameter
• Apple+Alt+CTRL + click : open the MIDI Control panel, with the parameter already selected.
Note: Other Gui elements and controls, like the Led Switches, or the dropdown menus, will be
described in the following sections of this manual, when you’ll need to use them.
The switches are simpler: just left click to change their state. A right click will change the state only
while the button is pressed, and return to the previous state when it is released.
When a parameter is chosen thanks to a drop down menu, just click on the button or label and
select the item.
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5 Preset Compatibility with Version 1
A bank exported by the PolyKB (1.0.0 or 1.0.1) can be imported to the PolyKB II. The
presets are compatible but a few differences in the sound will eventually be noticeable.
Please note that, to ensure the best possible compatibility, the label “MODULATION V1” should be
displayed.
To enable all the new modulation enhancements available on V2, just click on this label, which will
switch to the standard V2 “MODULATION” display.
Modulations Version 2
Modulations Version 1
Please consult our 9.1.3 section at the end of this manual to get more detailed information about
compatibility modes.
6 Preset Management
6.1 Main Toolbar
In the toolbar you can find two buttons, displaying the category name (Bank, Author, Type, Style,
Feeling or Project) which open the sort management menus.
The two first text fields show the current sorting group and the third shows the current preset.
Clicking on the arrow on the left of the category or preset names opens the corresponding menus.
Note: When a parameter is modified, the name of the preset is followed by a *, indicating that the
current settings of the PolyKB II no longer matches the stored preset.
When you want to save a modified preset, click on the Save or Save As button.
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In order to prevent you from erasing them, the Factory presets cannot be modified. When you edit a
Factory preset, 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 other preset 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 preset under its current name, and with
its current tags, overwriting the previous incarnation of the preset, while the Save as function opens
a dialog box where you can modify the name of the preset, the bank in which it will be stored, and
all its tags
The settings of the PolyKB are then saved in the currently displayed preset, and the * disappears.
Clicking on the Save As button to save this preset with another name and/or to other sorting
groups.
6.2 Preset menu
Click the Preset arrow button to open the preset menu. Here you can choose and load another preset
from the current sort groups into the PolyKB.
In this menu, other actions are also available:
Delete Preset: use this to delete the current preset (a popup confirmation window appears). This
option is only available if the current preset is not a factory one.
Export Preset: Use this function to export the current preset in an external file (.epkb format). This
file can be imported later as a new bank. It always makes sense to back up your presets on external
support like CD-ROMs, etc.
Open preset Information (or click on SAVE AS): opens the following preset information window where
the name and all other information related to the current preset can be displayed or changed.
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In this window you can modify the Name of the preset, specify the Bank in which the preset will be
saved, and also enter information in the other fields:
• Author (Your name, otherwise used by Sound Designers for factory presets),
• Type (Category of the instrument like Keys, Leads, Basses, also)
• Style (Musical Genre),
• Feeling (Cold, warm, soft) and finally
• Project (My Song, My_Live_Project).
You can also see its creation date and the last update date.
To modify a preset name, click in the preset field and enter the new preset name this will also save
all the current settings.
To change presets information, click on the display, this will open a menu when you can select one
of the existing items.
Note: You can add a new item in any category, and therefore create custom banks, custom styles,
Projects, categories of instruments etc.
To add a new item in any filed, select “New….”. At the bottom of the list.
Note (You may have to browse until the end of the list in order to select “new” depending on its
length.)
A Pop Up window opens when you can enter the new name. The current preset will then be
associated to this new item.
Note: Please be aware that creating to many categories can also have its drawbacks, making
browsing go from difficult and painful to nearly impossible. Should you create around 200 different
custom instrument categories, it would become very difficult to browse the library using the Style
sorting.
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Once you have filled all the desired/required fields:
SAVE AS: Will save the current preset in the chosen Bank, with its new (or unchanged) Name,
tagged with all the fields you filled.
MOVE TO: Allows saving the current preset in another location. This is handy to gather a lot of
preset into a single location, or User Bank, which you can export in a single file containing all the
presets you created or edited for a given project.
CANCEL: Will just cancel all operations and return to the standard PolyKB GUI.
6.3 Sort menus
The sorting menus are a powerful and unique tool. Which will allow you to perform such
sophisticated tasks as displaying in the preset list one of the following selections:
• All the Basses of your Sound Library
• All the Basses tagged with a given musical genre
• All the Pads made by a given Sound Designers
• All instruments for a musical genre like Electronica, or Funk
• All instruments that were recently imported in a bank (like additional sound-sets from Xils-Lab
or 3rd party vendors)
There are indeed a lot of possibilities, and we’re confident that you’ll find the best way to customize
it to your personal needs.
In order to perform such selections, all you have to do is to select an item in the first sort menu. This
represents the first and main criteria for the search engine.
• Author (Your name, or a Sound Designer name for factory presets),
• Type (Category of the instrument like Keys, Leads, Basses, etc)
• Style (Musical Genre),
• Feeling (Cold, warm, soft) and finally
• Project (My Song, My_Live_Project).
• ALL (this item is not used for sorting the preset)
Then these primary results can be filtered according to a second criteria, which you can choose in a
similar list in the second sort menu.
Sometimes a picture is better than a lot of text, so you’ll find below an example where you can find
out how to select all the basses designed by a given Sound Designer.
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Please note that, once you’ll get familiar with this system, you can also perform some operations in
a single click, by using the Sub Groups to choose a preset:
In the picture below the primary sort menu is used to browse the different banks. Then in a factory
bank, the author Xils-Lab is selected, and finally the Preset XO Bass. In this example the preset is
selected in a single click operation, and the presets available in the preset list will be all the Xils-Lab
presets available in the entire Factory Sound Library.
Click on the row of the sorting button to open the menu used to manage this sorting group (or sub
group). Here you can directly select and load any preset from any group or subgroup.
6.3.1 Sorting Menu: Additional Functions
In this menu, other actions are also available:
Delete: deletes all of the presets of the current group that are not factory ones. IMPORTANT: Use
this function with care: If the bank does not contain any factory presets, ALL PRESETS IN THIS
BANK WILL BE PERMANENTLY DELETED.
Rename: modifies the current group name. Selecting this choice will open a window where the new
name will be entered.
Use Factory: enables or disables the display of factory presets.
Sort By: sorts the presets according the bank, author, project, or shows all presets (Bank Name,
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