Search - Stylus RMX

Kit Mode

Global Modes » Kit Mode

In KIT MODE, Stylus RMX is optimized for quick building of Kits and acts like a classic drum machine-style sound module. Kit Mode exclusively uses individual drum hit elements called “Kit Modules” that can be organized into General MIDI-compatible drum…

Default Kit Mode

Concepts » Default Settings » Default Kit Mode

When switching to Kit Mode, Stylus RMX searches for a Default file to load. RMX looks inside the SAGE/Stylus RMX/Patches/defaults directory for a file called “default.kit_rmx”. This is the file RMX loads as its default settings for Kit mode. Spectrasonics has…

Kit Mode Settings

Part Modes » MIDI Modes » Kit Mode Settings

Kit Mode has three different MIDI Modes. These Mode options are different than the ones available in Multi Mode. This allows for maximum flexibility when working with incoming MIDI. They are: KIT CHANNEL 1-8 Each Part responds to a different MIDI…

Global Modes

There are two completely different global operation modes available in the Stylus RMX interface: Multi Mode and Kit Mode These two Global Modes can be accessed on the Mixer Page Header via the MULTI / KIT switch: NOTE: All 8 Parts will be in the same global mode.…

Global MIDI Modes

Global Modes » Kit Mode » Global MIDI Modes

Kit Mode has three different MIDI Modes. This allows for maximum flexibility when working with incoming MIDI. They are: KIT CHANNEL 1-8 Each Part responds to a different MIDI Channel. Part 1 = MIDI channel 1 Part 2 = MIDI channel 2 Part 3 = MIDI channel…

Multi-Mode

Global Modes » Multi-Mode

MULTI MODE is where you will find all of the Groove Elements (Core Library, Xpanders and imported REX files) and Sound Menus. When the Stylus RMX plug-in is opened, it defaults to Multi Mode. If you want to work with loops, Multi Mode is where you’ll do…

Slice Menu Mode

Part Modes » MIDI Modes » Slice Menu Mode

Slice Menu Mode works with the current Groove Element that appears in the Element Name Display. This MIDI mode is ideal when you want to have a single groove with all of its slices presented across the keyboard, with each slice triggered by an independent note.…

Sound Menu Mode

Part Modes » MIDI Modes » Sound Menu Mode

Sound Menu Mode is a special MIDI Mode for use solely with Sound Menu Elements. RMX automatically switches to Sound Menu Mode when the Sound Menu Sound Directory is loaded and is the only choice available. Sound Menu Mode always plays notes immediately when…

MIDI Mode Display

The Footer » MIDI Mode Display

The menu choices displayed in the MIDI Mode Display are dependent upon the active Mode and Element. Please take some time to watch the MIDI And Trigger Modes tutorial video for more information on this important section. Slice Menu, Groove Menu, and Sound Menu…

Trigger Mode Display

The Footer » Trigger Mode Display

The Trigger Mode Display controls the playback synchronization of Groove Elements when selecting from the Browser/Play buttons and the timing of RMX Grooves to incoming MIDI note data in Groove Menu MIDI Mode. IMMEDIATE When a key on a MIDI controller is pressed…

Groove Menu Mode

Edit Groups » Groove Menu Mode

Edit Group Assignment works in Groove Menu MIDI Mode much in the same way that it works in Slice Menu MIDI mode, except they work with an entire Groove Element at once—all slices instead of individual slices. CREATING AN EDIT GROUP FOR ONE GROOVE IN GROOVE MENU…

Default Multi Mode

Concepts » Default Settings » Default Multi Mode

When Stylus RMX is first loaded, RMX searches and loads a Default Multi. RMX looks inside the SAGE/Stylus RMX/Patches/defaults directory for a file called “default.mlt_rmx” and loads it as the Default state for the entire plug-in. Stylus RMX comes with a…

Groove Menu Mode

Part Modes » MIDI Modes » Groove Menu Mode

In Groove Menu Mode, all the Groove Elements in a Suite are mapped as MIDI notes across the keyboard, with each key triggering a different groove in the Suite. This MIDI mode allows you to perform or arrange with dozens of entire grooves spread across a single MIDI…

Kit Modules

The Browser » Kit Modules

There are three different types of Elements in RMX: Grooves, Sound Menus, and Kit Modules. KIT MODULE ELEMENTS also consist of single-hit material, but the approach is different than Sound Menus and they can only be used when RMX is in Kit Mode. The sounds here are…

Kit Patches

Global Modes » Kit Mode » Kit Patches

A Kit Patch saves the current state of the ENTIRE plug-in—meaning any changes made to RMX are saved in the Kit Patch. Kits can be shared across platforms, since they aren’t host-dependent. *Spectrasonics has included hundreds of Factory Kits as a starting…

Cloning Controls / Omni Mode

Concepts » MIDI Learn » Cloning Controls / Omni Mode

There are two main philosophies on setting up a controller with RMX: SINGLE PART STYLE Controlling a single Part with your controllers assigned to different Part parameters (Cutoff, Resonance, LFO rate, FX sends, etc). MULTI PART STYLE Controlling multiple…

Multi / Kit Management

The Footer » Utility Menu » Multi / Kit Management

These three menu choices change labels when switching between Multi Mode and Kit Mode and affect the status of the entire plug-in. MULTI / KIT OPEN This menu item will open a Multi or Kit Patch from your hard drive via the standard “Open” dialog of…

Kit Suites and Modules

Global Modes » Kit Mode » Kit Suites and Modules

Building a Kit from scratch begins with the Browser Page. Kit Suites are directories that contain different categories of sounds which are called Kit Modules. There are 8 categories of Kit Suites and Modules: CLAPS CYMBALS HI…

Header

The Mixer » Header

MULTI/KIT MODE SWITCH There are two distinct Global Modes of operation in RMX: Multi Mode and Kit Mode. These Modes apply to the entire system, meaning that all 8 Parts are always in the same Mode. E.G. it’s not possible to have Parts 1-4 in Multi Mode and…

Parts and Edit Groups

Global Modes » Kit Mode » Parts and Edit Groups

A Part in Kit Mode consists of an EDIT Page, FX Page, and a MIXER Strip (the Chaos Page is not used in Kit Mode). There are 8 Parts in Stylus RMX. Parts may be Saved, Loaded, Copied, Pasted, Cleared, and Reverted. Since each Kit Module resides on its own Part, there is…

Time Signatures

Concepts » Time Signatures

With Time Designer, you can change the time signature of any groove in the RMX library in real-time, using the Meter function on the Time Designer page. View the Time Designer tutorial. There may still be times and applications where you might want to manually edit…

Manual Assignments

Edit Groups » Manual Assignments

Assignment is the process of creating a new Edit Group or moving slices from one group to another. Clicking on the ASSIGN window reveals a drop-down menu that displays the options for creating and customizing Edit Groups. There are two types of Assignments: MANUAL…

Glossary

AAX Avid Audio eXtension – Avid’s proprietary, cross-platform plug-in format for Pro Tools. Audio Unit Apple introduced the Audio Unit (AU) plug-in specification in Mac OS X. Since this plug-in standard is native to OS X and not to any specific host or…

The Mixer

The Mixer Page offers many features: • A traditional eight-channel mixer for adjusting and monitoring overall volume, pan, and aux send levels of entire Parts. • Control of Audio Output Assignments for each Part. • Muting and Soloing of Parts. • Switching…

Internal / External Timing

Part Modes » Trigger Modes » Internal / External Timing

The Trigger Mode feature works even if a host is not playing because RMX has it’s own internally running bar/beat clock. RMX switches between it’s own internal time system and the host’s time system depending on the “Play” status of the…

Multi Patches

Global Modes » Multi-Mode » Multi Patches

Since RMX is a multi-timbral instrument, it can simultaneously play Grooves on all eight Parts with multiple Groove Elements playing in each Part. The possibilities of combinations are virtually endless once you consider the size of RMX’s Core Library, the…

Sample Mapping

Global Modes » Kit Mode » Sample Mapping

Each Kit Suite category and all the Kit Modules inside it are pre-assigned to a fixed range of MIDI notes that conform to the General MIDI specification. There is no user-mapping of Sounds. This allows you to switch a complete snare module in any Kit for another snare…

MIDI Modes

Part Modes » MIDI Modes

The MIDI Mode is selected by the drop-down menu display in the lower right corner of the Footer. MIDI Mode is an important function of Stylus RMX—it determines how each part responds to incoming MIDI note data and what type of playback result occurs when the MIDI…

Edit Groups

Edit Groups are perhaps the most powerful sound-shaping feature inside Stylus RMX and yet they’re easy-to-use. An Edit Group lets you isolate any individual audio slice (or group of slices) and manipulate them independently from any other audio inside…

Add / Remove

Edit Groups » Add / Remove

This menu item reveals / hides the ADD / REMOVE button in the Edit Group Editing Area. The ADD / REMOVE button allows you to move individual slices from one Edit Group to another. There must be more than one Edit Group for this feature to work. The button…

Importing Audio

Concepts » Importing Audio

One of the most exciting aspects of Stylus RMX is that in addition to the massive Groove Control-activated core library and SAGE Xpanders that can be used with Stylus RMX, you can import your own audio loops for use in the Stylus RMX engine. This means unlimited…

Power Conservation

Concepts » Power Conservation

CPU usage is dependent on your computer’s speed and memory. SAGE is a flexible and open system which allows you to freely add FX and more editing power based on the needs of what you want to create. Switching from one Multi or Kit to another can require radically…

Grooves

The Browser » Grooves

There are three different types of Elements in RMX: Grooves, Sound Menus, and Kit Modules: GROOVE ELEMENTS are rhythm loops. Groove Elements produced by Spectrasonics are always easy to identify, since the original tempo of the groove is shown as the first four…

Working with Parts

Global Modes » Multi-Mode » Working with Parts

A Part consists of a sound Element, plus all the parameters from the EDIT Page, CHAOS Page, FX Page, and a MIXER Strip. There are eight Parts in Stylus RMX. Parts may be Saved, Loaded, Copied, Pasted, Cleared, and Reverted. THE CURRENT ACTIVE PART You can tell which…

Trigger Modes

Part Modes » Trigger Modes

Trigger Mode controls the playback synchronization of all the Elements on a particular part. This feature is extremely useful in Groove Menu MIDI Mode. When you select a Trigger Mode from the Trigger Mode Menu, it changes the Mode for all Parts. If you only want…

Interface Overview

Time Designer » Interface Overview

The Time Designer page is divided into 4 areas; the Time Designer Header, Pattern Display Area, Speed & MIDI File Area, and the Time Designer Controls: Time Shift, Groove Lock, and Pattern Modify. TIME DESIGNER HEADER The Time Designer Header contains the Power…

The Stylus RMX Directory

Concepts » Directory Structure » The Stylus RMX Directory

The Stylus RMX directory contains five sub-directories and a Documentation folder: CORE LIBRARY This directory contains all the Core Library .db files. There are no User-serviceable files in here. Do not delete of move any of these files or RMX will not work…

Sub-Page Buttons

FX » Sub-Page Buttons

There are six buttons at the top of the FX page. Each one reveals a Sub-Page with it’s own FX Rack. When first visited, the FX Page defaults to the INSERTS sub-page. INSERTS RACK PAGE The Insert FX Rack is Part- and Edit Group-specific; each Part and Edit…

Key Commands

Concepts » Interface Conventions » Key Commands

There are several keyboard/mouse click combinations that control Stylus RMX features: Command / Control-Click Sliders or Knobs Returns any slider or knob to its default position. Shift-Click Sliders Allows for precise adjustment of sliders. Shift-Click Part Play…

The Modes

Part Modes » Trigger Modes » The Modes

There are four Trigger Modes: IMMEDIATE As soon as a note/play command is received, RMX plays the Groove. There is no delay. Immediate Trigger Mode works well when playing notes from sequencer tracks or for instantaneous triggering from a MIDI controller. RMX…

Part Modes

Stylus RMX has two primary modes of operation that can be set independently for each part: MIDI Mode and Trigger Mode • MIDI Mode determines how each part responds to incoming MIDI note data and what type of playback result occurs when the note is…

MIDI Input

Chaos Designer » MIDI Input

In Slice Menu MIDI mode, Chaos pattern parameters that can be captured in the MIDI file are disabled on MIDI input to enable reliable playback of a captured MIDI file. However, other Chaos parameters can affect incoming MIDI notes from a sequencer track or live-playing…

Clearing Assignments

Edit Groups » Clearing Assignments

SLICE MENU MIDI MODE When you are in Slice Menu Mode, this command lets you delete all auto-assigned and custom-created Edit Groups and send all Slices back to “Main,” leaving all settings and parameter changes in “Main” intact. GROOVE MENU MIDI MODE When…

Value Display

The Footer » Value Display

The VALUE DISPLAY is a multi-purpose data display that offers several kinds of real-time feedback. There are five display modes to choose from: PARAMETER VALUE, MEMORY, SLICE EDIT GROUP, MIDI CC, and MIDI LEARN. To switch display modes, click on the display to…

MIDI Modes

Concepts » Groove Control » MIDI Modes

When working with Groove Control in RMX, there are two main MIDI modes. Slice Menu MIDI Mode In Slice Menu Mode, Stylus RMX presents each slice of a groove on its own MIDI note—exactly how Groove Control has always been presented. Pressing a single note plays a…

Tempo Handling

Concepts » Tempo Handling

Stylus RMX always follows the tempo information of the host, so you set the tempo from the host application’s tempo controls. Stylus RMX is able to play back grooves at a wide range of tempos without sacrificing sound quality due to the marriage of our Groove…

Easy Edit Page – Knobs

The Edit Page » Easy Edit Page – Knobs

The knobs on the Easy Edit Page are dual mode controls. Clicking the switches below each knob alternates between modes. PITCH / FINE TUNE KNOB In PITCH mode, this knob allows for semi-tone tuning. Turning the knob clockwise raises the pitch and turning it…

Groove Menus

Concepts » Groove Menus

Groove Menus have been around for quite awhile and have appeared on many Spectrasonics products, even in our sample libraries before we released Stylus RMX. A Groove Menu is essentially a single Patch or Part containing a collection of related grooves at the same…

The Sounds

In addition to the numerous ways to add sounds to RMX, there are a wealth of sound options that are included with Stylus RMX for you to use as a starting point for your own creativity. Here’s what’s available at a glance—click the links to find out…

Concepts and Rules

Edit Groups » Concepts and Rules

Before digging into the Edit Group rules, it’s recommended that you watch the video tutorials on Edit Groups. They will give you a basic understanding that really helps to understand these principles. • An Edit Group begins with at least one slice of audio.…

Working with Time Signatures

Time Designer » Working with Time Signatures

One of the most groundbreaking features in Time Designer is that you can change the time signature of any 4/4 audio loop in real-time. This includes any Groove in the Core Library, Classic Stylus, S.A.G.E. Xpanders, or any REX file you’ve imported (including…

The Footer

The Footer is the one area of the Stylus RMX interface that remains constant across all pages and modes. This area is central to navigation and contains many important features: Master Volume and Master Meters All Play/All Stop Buttons Host Sync Button Value…

Power Filter

The Edit Page » Power Filter

The Power Filter was developed in cooperation with GMedia, and is based on their famous* impOSCar* filter design. This rich-sounding filter requires a fair amount of CPU power and should be used sparingly on slower computer systems. !The Power Filter has…

Simplify

Time Designer » Simplify

Simplify allows you to make a Groove less busy and can give new life to your library. Simplify is the only Groove Lock parameter not subject to the Groove Lock Grid selection. It works by gradually removing slices until you end up with a simplified version of the…

Suites and Elements

The Browser » Suites and Elements

The Suites and Elements columns are used to find, audition, and load sounds in RMX. SUITES A Suite is essentially a folder/sub-directory that contains one or more Elements. Once a Directory has been selected, the left Suites column will display all the Suites…

Fullscreen

Getting Started » Stylus RMX Standalone » Fullscreen

Sometimes you might want the Stylus RMX standalone to be the only thing on your screen. Fullscreen mode hides your desktop and places Stylus RMX on a simple black background for a clean look with no distractions. Select “Fullscreen” from the View menu or…

Speaker Indicator

The Browser » Speaker Indicator

The Speaker Indicator is a handy display feature that indicates which Element is being triggered. When auditioning Grooves and Sound Menu Elements, a Speaker Indicator appears next to the Element name. In the picture above, the Elements, are grouped together in a…

Host Sync

The Footer » Host Sync

The Host Sync Button enables RMX to sync with the transport in the host software. When the Play button is activated in the host, all Host-Synced Parts in RMX will begin playing. Host Sync locks to the Host Song Position, so if the transport is started mid-measure,…

Capture

Chaos Designer » Capture

The Capture feature allows you to save the results of what happens when Chaos is affecting the Groove. Pressing the Capture button while RMX is playing creates a MIDI file of the currently playing Groove. Capture will round off to the end of the current pass of…

Show All / Clear All

Concepts » MIDI Learn » Show All / Clear All

SHOW ALL This menu item opens a page in your web browser to display a list of the current MIDI Learn Assignments. This is an invaluable aid in setting up your own custom hardware controller templates. The window displaying the MIDI Learn assignments contains…

Core Library Organization

The Browser » Core Library Organization

Core Library is the term used for the standard sound set that comes with Stylus RMX. Check out the Browser – Core Library Tour and RMX 1.5 update Tour tutorial videos for a demo of what’s available in the RMX Core Library and how it is organized. When the…

Chaos Designer

“To give birth to a dancing star, one must have Chaos within oneself” —Nietzsche The CHAOS DESIGNER™ technology in Stylus RMX is a unique and powerful feature that addresses a key issue when dealing with loop-based audio—repetition. With Chaos…

Chorus Echo

FX » Delays » Chorus Echo

The Chorus Echo is inspired by the classic Roland Chorus-Echo from the 1970s. This unit combines both analog-style delay and chorusing, but includes new features like stereo width control and a dedicated ‘Dirt’ control for a more gritty…

Utility Menu

The Footer » Utility Menu

The Utility Menu is the main drop-down menu and has five system-oriented functions: Used for Managing Multis and Kits. Used for Managing individual Parts. Contains the MIDI Learn features. Accesses this Reference Guide from within the plug-in. Displays the…

S.A.G.E. Technology

Concepts » S.A.G.E. Technology

S.A.G.E.™ is an acronym for Spectrasonics Advanced Groove Engine When we created our own in-house software development team at Spectrasonics, S.A.G.E. was the resulting technology that became the basis for Stylus RMX. S.A.G.E. is an underlying core technology…

Favorites

The Browser » Favorites

There are two main purposes for the Favorites feature of the Browser: There are a LOT of Grooves and sounds in Stylus RMX and what ships with the product is only the beginning! Growing your library by importing REX files means that the possibilities are endless.…

Meter

Time Designer » Meter

The Meter Menu Display shows the currently selected time signature. The original time signature of the groove is displayed in parenthesis. Using the Meter Menu, you can change the time signature of any 4/4 audio loop in Stylus RMX in real-time. That includes any…

Patch Compatibility

The Footer » Utility Menu » Patch Compatibility

RMX Patches are not host-dependent and can be shared with users on other platforms and hosts. For instance, a Patch created in Logic can be opened on a PC in Pro Tools and visa-versa. However, there are a couple things to keep in mind when saving and sharing RMX…

Groove Lock™

Time Designer » Groove Lock™

The Groove Lock section lets you to lock the feel of a Groove to a Groove Lock Grid. The Groove Lock Grid represents the underlying rhythmic subdivisions to which slices of a Groove can be locked. Once a Groove Lock Grid is selected, you can adjust Groove Lock…

Part Management

The Footer » Utility Menu » Part Management

These seven menu items perform the same functions in both Multi and Kit Modes. PART OPEN This menu item will open a Patch file on the currently selected Part from your hard drive via the standard “Open” dialog of your operating system. Keep in mind…

Key Concepts

Concepts » MIDI Learn » Key Concepts

Here are some key points about the flexibility of MIDI Learn: Edit Group parameters are all independently controllable from MIDI. This is why RMX has no default MIDI controller template—there are nearly 20,000 parameters! The same MIDI Controller can be…

All Slices

Edit Groups » All Slices

CREATE AN EDIT GROUP FOR EACH SLICE IN ELEMENT This menu item allows you to automatically create an Edit Group that corresponds to every chromatic Slice in a Groove Element. These Edit Groups don’t become automatically active. They start out inactive and must…

Sound Menus

The Browser » Sound Menus

There are three different types of Elements in RMX: Grooves, Sound Menus, and Kit Modules. SOUND MENU ELEMENTS consist of a collection of single-hit or “one-shot” samples, mapped across the keys of your MIDI controller. Since Stylus RMX is so much fun to use when…

Help System

The Footer » Utility Menu » Help System

The REFERENCE GUIDE item in the Utility Menu is the direct link from the plug-in to this Reference Guide. You can choose this whenever you want to find out more about a feature or have question about how something works in Stylus RMX. If you wish to have a hard…

Managing Edit Groups

Edit Groups » Managing Edit Groups

The Edit Group Name Display has several options for managing Edit Groups. Edit Groups work within the structure of an entire Suite—they are not limited to a single Groove Element. This means that if a Suite is loaded with many different Grooves, Edit Groups can be…

MIDI Files

Time Designer » MIDI Files

Once a Groove has been manipulated with Time Designer, you can export a MIDI file containing those changes to the host. You can also import any MIDI file into Time Designer for use as a Groove Lock Grid. Watch The Time Designer tutorial video. MIDI FILE NAME…

Speed Controls

The Browser » Speed Controls

The SPEED section of the Browser allows you to alter the playback speed of a Groove in relation to the host’s tempo. Once you’e altered the tempo by using the Half and Double buttons, the MIDI file will also change, so the adjusted Groove can be used on…

Retroplex

FX » Delays » Retroplex

The Retroplex delay unit is modeled after the Tape Echo units of the ’60s and ’70s like the Echoplex™, with some modern enhancements. It’s unpredictable and a lot of fun! MINI-SLIDER Controls the mix of the dry signal and the processed (Wet)…

Musical Applications

Concepts » Groove Control » Musical Applications

There are many different ways to utilize Groove Control in various situations. All of these techniques involve ways of interacting with features from your host application and features in Stylus RMX. Sometimes the majority of the work will be done in the host, and…

Credits

PRODUCED BY ERIC PERSING Sanity Management by Lorey Persing. SOFTWARE Principal Software Design by Glenn Olander. Additional software coding by David Strozyk, Jay Olson, Shirley Sloper, Neal Olander. Additional DSP coding by Bernie Torelli of Nomad Factory, Bram…

Auto Assignments

Edit Groups » Auto Assignments

Assignment is the process of creating a new Edit Group or moving slices from one group to another. Clicking on the ASSIGN window reveals a drop-down menu that displays the options for creating and customizing Edit Groups. There are two types of Assignments: AUTOMATIC…

Moving the SAGE Directory

Getting Started » Moving the SAGE Directory

After installation, you might want to move the large SAGE folder directory (containing all the sound files) to a secondary drive in order to free up space on your internal drive. Locating SAGE macOS 10.12 (or later) Select the Go menu at the top of your screen while…

History

Concepts » Groove Control » History

Starting in 1999, Spectrasonics and ILIO introduced the first Groove Control-activated products. These consisted of special CD-ROM sample libraries that were loaded into a hardware sampler and contained matching MIDI files that the user loaded into a MIDI sequencer for…

Automation

Concepts » Automation

Automation and external MIDI Control let you remotely control the parameters of RMX and to record and edit these adjustments in your host. This can be achieved by either of two means: Parameter Automation and MIDI Automation. Deciding which type of Automation to use…

FX Descriptions

FX » FX Descriptions

There are 33 different professional quality FX Units to choose from in the Stylus RMX plug-in. DYNAMICS Tube Limiter Both a limiter and compressor, modeled on the warm sound of the famous Fairchild™ 670 tube limiters of the 1960s. Tape Slammer Simulates the…

LFOs

The Edit Page » LFOs

LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) are used for cyclical modulation effects like tremolo, filter sweeps, and auto-pan effects. There are three completely independent LFOs: AMP, FILTER, and PAN per Edit Group. Each LFO has it’s own sub-page with a full set of…