XILS Lab Analog String Machines Bundle — Free Download

Instrument Overview

The Analog String Machines Bundle combines the XILS 505 and the XILS V Plus, recreating classic analog orchestral machines from the seventies. Both instruments are built around a faithfully modeled Top Octave Divider oscillator that delivers up to forty-nine voices without aliasing, producing dense, polyphonic string textures.

Each instrument offers multiple sound sources that can be layered simultaneously. The XILS 505 can act as a paraphonic string machine, a synthesizer, a bass synth, or all three at once, earning it the nickname ‘The Analog Orchestra.’ The XILS V Plus similarly layers strings, human voices, and vocoder elements, recalling the versatility of the original hardware. Both include numerous hidden parameters from the vintage models, now exposed for deeper sound shaping.

Key Capabilities

The XILS 505 provides separate sections for strings, synthesis, human voice, and bass, each with its own filter and envelope controls. The strings section includes waveform mangling and attack-release settings. The synth section features a dedicated ADSR, a twenty-four-decibel analog filter, and modulation options. The bass section offers three cumulative waveforms with individual filtering. The human voice section includes formant and balance settings.

The XILS V Plus offers a strings section, a human voice section, and a ten-band vocoder, all finely modeled. It also includes a pitch tracker that follows the input signal for vocoder or other creative uses. Both instruments feature a true stereo space effect, a vintage reverb, and an analog-style phaser.

Effects and Modulation

Both instruments share a suite of effects designed to enhance the vintage character. The most notable is a quadruple BBD chorus/ensemble unit, which creates a thick, swirling modulation typical of analog string machines. Each section has its own send level to this chorus, allowing precise balancing between layers. Additionally, there is an analog phaser that adds a resonant sweep, and a vintage reverb that imparts a natural room ambience.

The modulation matrix is a powerful tool, offering six freely assignable nodes with fourteen sources and twenty-four destinations. This allows routing of LFOs, envelopes, and other signals to control filter cutoff, pitch, effects, and more. A dedicated glide function enables smooth portamento between notes. All parameters are MIDI-controllable, making these instruments highly expressive within a DAW environment.

Workflow and Applications

In a typical workflow, you might start by layering the strings and human voice sections to create a lush pad, then add the bass or synth section for a rhythmic element. The adjustable balance controls let you blend the registers of the strings and the inputs to the chorus, crafting a personalized orchestral texture. The exposed hidden parameters encourage experimentation, so you can tweak beyond the original hardware’s limitations.

These instruments suit electronic music production, film scoring, and ambient compositions where classic analog string sounds are desired. The XILS 505 is particularly useful for creating combined string-bass-synth arrangements in a single plugin. The XILS V Plus excels at vocoder effects and choral textures. Use the modulation matrix to introduce evolving movement, and the effects to add depth and vintage warmth to your tracks.

Key features

• Aliasing-free Top Octave Divider oscillator with up to forty-nine voices
• Layered strings, human voice, synth, and bass sections in XILS 505
• Ten-band vocoder and pitch tracker in XILS V Plus
• Quadruple BBD chorus/ensemble unit with per-section sends
• Analog phaser and vintage reverb effects
• Modulation matrix with six nodes, fourteen sources, and twenty-four destinations
• All parameters MIDI-controllable

Best for

These instruments are best for producers and composers seeking authentic vintage analog string and choir sounds, particularly for layering orchestral-style pads, creating vocoder effects, or building complex synth-bass arrangements with extensive modulation possibilities.