Akai XR20 Tutorials, hints and tricks

Hey Guys,

Yeah I know most of you are into MPCs, but whoever is interested in XR20, have one or a friend is wondering to buy, here is a collection of videos I made which is like a complete overview of this machine, from the unboxing and general overview, review and demo of functionality in detail, workflow in-depth review, hints and tricks, some of which are still not available on other XR20 videos.

Hope to be useful to somebody.

Regards
Stray Feral (a.k.a. RaverWild)

PS: Sorry if I'm off-topic, just didn't knew in which sub-forum to place this article.


UNBOXING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgqJ3L9Pzr0


REVIEWS AND TUTORIALS (6 part video)

General overview, connectivity, similar drum machines, controls overview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zucTESEU_o

Functionality and workflow general overview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PojUQzNp1RM

Pattern variations explained with demo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9SAT0v-VSU

Demo of some drum sets, quick test drive hints, setup and settings overview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrBKSxcaGrE

Recording and basic editing, basic performing and... WALTZ! (beat measure changing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3pboMO4izE

Layers, transposition, custom drum sets, quantization explained
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57sM2bOIWTo


HINTS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPCewnpIkq8


TRICKS (5 part video)

Tuning - Adding both bass and lead to a pattern
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw92u03BOMs

Overdubbing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhzE18tHoZs

Using XR20 as a MIDI module (Shown demo of connecting to drums)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDERz1ta35g

Saving battery life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR0bsS4bPKY

Scratching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6ed_T7NK_g

and let it be known that the AKAI XR20 is simply another repackaged ALESIS product. in this case, this is just an ALESIS SR-18. just in case someone wants the same piece of equipment for possibly cheaper on the used market.

crossings wrote:and let it be known that the AKAI XR20 is simply another repackaged ALESIS product. in this case, this is just an ALESIS SR-18. just in case someone wants the same piece of equipment for possibly cheaper on the used market.

I believe the sound sets are different, but yes they were released at the same time. I have all the samples of the XR20 there's actually some decent sounds in there. I think the SR-18 was more similar to the previous SR-16's sound banks.

I am discussing this topic in the Part 1/6 of the review/tutorial videos up there.

Akai repackaged not just XR20 but few more Alesis products. But I don't mind. Experience show that Akai did usually the better cover versions.

In the case of XR20 - the pads are placed like on an MPC - 3x4 matrix, which is a lot more convenient, than to have it on 2 lines like on SR18. They are also bigger on the XR20 because XR20 is marketed like a cheaper MPC500 alternative and it's intended that the user could fingerdrum on it, while I know many traditional musicians - they would never want to fingerdrum on a drum machine - they would want simply to program it and have it as a background groove while they play a guitar for example, for which SR18 makes sense too.

The other thing is depends what you need. SR18 have more acoustic samples inside, geared more for rock/jazz. There are also few electronic very cool samples, while on XR20 we have some organic samples mostly and it's geared more towards hip-hop.

Nothing more. Well except when you look at them the XR20 box looks cooler.

Aside from all this, what most people don't realize is that XR20 is one extremely easy to use and cheap external hardware MIDI sequencer. So this is another thing not to underestimate.

Metatron72 wrote:

crossings wrote:and let it be known that the AKAI XR20 is simply another repackaged ALESIS product. in this case, this is just an ALESIS SR-18. just in case someone wants the same piece of equipment for possibly cheaper on the used market.

I believe the sound sets are different, but yes they were released at the same time. I have all the samples of the XR20 there's actually some decent sounds in there. I think the SR-18 was more similar to the previous SR-16's sound banks.

Upload the sound banks and then I'll see what its worth!

Mike Boogie wrote:Upload the sound banks and then I'll see what its worth!

it's too bad the xr-20 doesnt let you add your own samples because the machine is a joy to bang out beats on. i use mine pretty much only for sequencing now days as well.

Lampdog wrote:

Mike Boogie wrote:Upload the sound banks and then I'll see what its worth!

they've actually already been posted here years ago... nothing special to be honest...

http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=100564

in my opinion, the BOSS DR-202 owns this drum machine.

I have one and its pretty chill. I use it to challenge myself and try to make it sound like a sampled beat. You can do some pretty cool things if you try. Thanks for these methods.

To me its like Tetris, but I have the sounds on most my samplers already, but still the slickest pads I ever touched.

Just got mine today. Would have been better if it had some rock or electronic patterns, but you have plenty of memory to make your own. It’s great they added pianos, vocals, and the like. I put a Korg Volca Beats into the Mic In of the XR20 and a midi cable to slave it to. It gives you tons more patterns for the Volca, and thickens the sounds of the XR20 when you play them together.

Cons? Sadly of course. Weak FX.No delays,flange/phase, chorus, etc. Menu diving, and you don’t exactly know the name of the next pattern if you switch to another beat. So you kinda just gotta keep a pattern list handy.

But it is what it is. A drum machine with plenty of funk & groove.