Today, we released a new firmware update for the Xer Mixa (and Expando Expandi) that add a number of new features and workflow tweaks, many of which were requested by users like you. There were also a number of minor bug fixes that were implemented, ensuring a smooth patching experience. Read on to learn more.

As usual, the user manual has been updated with the new features if you need to reference anything as you’re patching.

To get the new firmware, navigate to the Customer Portal and click the “Open Wizard” button for a tutorial on loading the firmware onto your Xer Mixa. If you have an Expando Expandi, you’ll need to update its firmware, too. All you need to update the firmware is a data-capable micro USB cable, and the whole process just takes a few minutes.  

Solo

One of the new features that was highly requested is the ability to solo a channel of the mixer. To do so, quickly double tap one of the channel select buttons. The channel LED will turn white and the rest will turn off to indicate that the channel is soloed. To unsolo, tap any channel select button. 

This can be helpful when dialing in a patch, tuning, working on sound design… anywhere you just need to hear one channel for a moment. 

Hot edits

It’s now easy to tweak channel settings from any screen. Hold down a channel select button, turn the Pan, A, or B encoders to adjust the channel’s level and position, then release the channel select button to return to the screen you were on previously.

Channel trim

Speaking of channel editing, you can now set input trim for the individual channels, from 0dB (the default) to -60dB. This makes it easy to do some mix preparation that keeps all sounds at their proper levels when the faders are at the top, which can be a helpful performance tool. 

To do this, select a channel, press “Config,” and edit the “Trim” setting. 

A relevant pro tip that isn’t new, but is useful: you can multi-select multiple channels and edit their settings all at once. Hold down a channel button and tap a few more channels, releasing all buttons, then press “Config” and make your edits

More CV destinations

Last update, we added the “clk” channel destination for Expando Expandi routings, allowing for analog clock sync of mute timing. (If you haven’t played with clocked muting, you should – it’s a whole lot of fun to cue up a bunch of mutes/unmutes that happen in time with your patch!)

This update, we added the OA, OB, and OM channel destinations. These allow you to control the levels of the three output channels, for huge changes to your whole mix. 

More CV, more better. 

Performance timer

You can now use Xer Mixa to keep an eye on the length of your performance! From the main meter screen, hit “Config” then scroll down to the “Timer” page. The timer can be set to behave like a stopwatch or a countdown, and can also flash every set number of minutes. 

More MIDI

Speaking of send and pan settings, A and B send levels and pan position now send out MIDI CC messages when adjusted. They always responded to CCs, but a number of customers requested that they also output MIDI when changed, so now they do that, too. 

We also added the ability to control the A, B, and M output levels with MIDI. In the global MIDI configuration menu, you’ll now see a “Bus CC On/Off” setting. When enabled, you can control the output levels of Xer Mixa with MIDI CCs, and they’ll output CCs when adjusted with the three encoders from the main meter screen, too. 

You can find the entire MIDI spec in the respective section in the user manual. 

Workflow tweaks

A few refinements were made to the general workflow of Xer Mixa. 

When you create a new Expando Expandi modulation routing, you’ll now be taken directly to the edit screen for that routing, which makes the modulation routing workflow more efficient (especially if you need to create a bunch of routings). 

Turning the Pan encoder from the main meter screen now changes the level of the main outputs in stereo, quad, and hex modes. (Already implemented, but worth mentioning here anyway: in stereo mode, the A and B encoders adjust their respective outputs; in quad mode, the A encoder adjusts the A output level.) 

A few minor changes were made to screen navigation, so using the channel select and “Back” buttons should make more intuitive sense now. 

There were also a number of bug fixes throughout the entire firmware, so using Xer Mixa should be better than ever.

Have no fear

If, like us, change can be a scary thing for you, worry not. All of the changes in this firmware update are very easy to ignore. While this may sound rather silly to emphasize, we understand the importance of muscle memory, and keeping performance tools familiar. If there’s nothing new that’s interesting to you, we understand, and you can use your Xer Mixa the exact same way after you update its firmware – none of the core behaviors have changed at all.