BloXpander has been reviewed at www.soundsandgear.com !
“I really enjoyed using the software live and myself and my band were all very impressed with the stability in use.”
Richard Lockett - Pure Passion - UK
(Current Version : 1.1.2 -> Version History)
BloXpander is a music application originally designed to meet the requirements of musicians and engineers in “live” situations.
BloXpander combines the power of a computer and the efficiency of a dedicated device.
Its interface has been designed to match this basic specification. It is visually attractive and clear, the construction of projects and the access to prepared instruments and effects is very fast. The plugins manipulation is direct (especially when BloXpander is coupled to an external MIDI controller).
FEATURES :
ASIO Host for VST plugins (Windows only)
- 24 channels
- 4 Auxiliary bus + 1 Master bus
- 6 inserts per channels (theoretical 174 Instrumetns / FX slots)
Advanced support for external MIDI controllers (lets you control the mixer and plugins)
- Control up to 8 plugins (8 parameters each) with just 8 potentiometers + 8 buttons.
- Displays the controlled targets names on screen
- Lightning fast configuration procedure
- Mackie Control protocol supported
Advanced routing
- Global management of MIDI and Audio streams (MIDI VST Fx supported)
- Advanced user-defined MIDI Inputs filtering and routing (per channel and per user-defined link settings)
- Assign the same MIDI input port to several channels (MIDI Split)
- Assign the same Audio inputs to several channels (Audio Split)
- Assign any available audio and/or MIDI output or the Master bus to any channel
- Pre/Post fader selector (aux sends)
- Specific routing solutions for “multi out” and “sidechain capable” plugins
- Audio inputs monitoring
- Outputs Solo and Mute functions
- Inserts Bypass function.
Full screen friendly and fast interface
- Designed as the panel of a hardware unit
- Touchscreen friendly (for critical functionalities)
- No main menu and no massive amount of overlapping windows
- Auto-created visual representation of your plugins (GUI screenshots)
- "Drag 'n Drop" your plugins and their states from insert to insert (copy / move)
- Supports multi-screens
- Netbook friendly
“Libraries” system
- Store and callback a plugin and its state from one double-click on a large zone
- Custom management of your favorite plugins and presets.
“Sets” and ”scenes”
- Store and callback the complete state of BloXpander ("Scene") from one double-click, keyboard, or MIDI messages
- Organize your scenes as “sets” (easy and fast access to what you need during a show)
Categorized Plugins library (“The Case”)
Optimized and secured operations
- Analyze your plugins compatibility from a stand-alone tool
(limits the eventuality of the main application malfunctioning) - Fast launching
Time Line
Mini Sysex Librarian
- Receive, store, import and send Sysex the easy way
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :
- Operating system : Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7
- Processor speed : 1.5 GHz (minimum)
- RAM : 1 Go (minimum)
(the necessary memory amount depends on the loaded plugins) - Screen Resolution : 1024x600 pixels (minimum)
- Plugins format : VST only
- BloXpander requires an audio interface with ASIO drivers.
- An access to the Internet is required to authorize the software.
You are a keyboard player...
You probably use virtual instruments coupled to effects, all loaded into your favorite DAW. BloXpander is not intended to replace your favorite sequencer, but to facilitate the handling of your plugins when speed and control are critical factors. This is the case during rehearsals and live performances, or when you want to play your instrument when inspiration is in the air or just for pleasure...
If your master keyboard has additional controllers (potentiometers, for example) you will fully enjoy BloXpander optimized MIDI control.
You are a vocalist...
No need of a great speech on the need to apply some effects on your voice so it "sits into the mix". If you have experienced a studio quality recording, you are already aware... During rehearsals and public performances, BloXpander provides a way to benefit from your virtual instruments and effects without the need to make you look as a secretary in front of a computer between two songs.
You are a guitar or a bass player...
Enjoy an arsenal of effects in the space of a laptop.
Serenely prepare your virtual rig during rehearsals (or at home) for each tune of each of your sets. Only one action is needed to change your complete rig between two songs.
Control all your effects from a MIDI pedal board and maximize the actions your foot will have to accomplish.
You can connect the audio outputs of your computer directly to the hardware mixer or if you don’t want to quit good habits, connect them to a preamp or a guitar/bass amplifier (equipped with line inputs).
You are a drummer...
By using electronic drums, you have the opportunity to play a hyper realistic software drums sampler and switch from a jazz set to a metal set in no time. You can then assign effects such as compression, gate, EQ, etc. to the various elements of your virtual set (especially if you use a plugin with multiple outputs). Only one action is needed to change the set and retrieve your presets.
If you have an external MIDI controller, you can pre-mix your drums or apply a temporary creative effect from your throne.
If you play acoustic drums and don’t have a sound engineer at your disposal during live performances, an audio interface with multiple inputs coupled to BloXpander will give you the opportunity to assign all types of effects or simply mix the microphones placed on your drums set. Mostly, BloXpander will preserve all your ready-to-call settings.
You are a band...
If your audio interface and the power of your computer are sufficient, all the musicians of your band can use the same unique computer... Only one of you is then needed to control the sound from a readable interface.
You are a sound engineer...
You are used to make the sound of multiple bands during a same live performance.
In this case, some serious efforts are needed to organize and remember the nice amount of the settings you defined during a long sound check, aren’t they?
You probably already know... switching from one band to another and recalling much of these settings from a double click or even refining these settings during the show from a motorized MIDI controller can seriously make your life easier.
You are surely familiar with your VST effects and maybe you would like to use them outside the studio.
BloXPander has been thought for you by providing an optimized control and a lightning fast access to all your VST effects and instruments, without the need to be visually invaded by features you don’t need during live situations.
You don’t use Windows™...
Your main computer is equipped with OSX or Linux and BloXpander cannot be installed on it. We do not plan to release non-Windows™ versions of BloXpander soon. In the future, if something brings the opportunity to adapt BloXpander to another OS, we will think about it.
However, BloXpander has initially been thought to be installed on a PC dedicated to it, in order to make a musical instrument from a laptop.
If you already have a good laptop equipped with Windows™, additionally to your main computer, it’s possible to link the two computers during studio sessions, and take a part of your studio when going outside. Finally, a laptop is not larger than a stack of dedicated machines!
To link a computer with OSX (or Windows™) to another computer equipped with Windows ™, several solutions are available to you, such as MIDI linking and/or the excellent free Plasq Wormhole 2 plugin.
In General...
A good laptop dedicated to BloXpander, with a full-load of VST effects and instruments, can be a kind of very big expander coupled to a massive multi-effects, both integrated in an intuitive mixer that provides routing possibilities which should satisfy the most "twisted" of you!
