Session 20

Session 20: XVOL, XLEV, and Mix Scenes

20 min|intermediate|patch

Session 20: XVOL, XLEV, and Mix Scenes

Objective: Use the two scene-only volume parameters — XVOL (pre-FX) and XLEV (post-FX) — to build smooth professional mix fades. Build one scene that fades tracks in via XLEV, and another that fades them out via XVOL while letting reverb tails ring.

If you only have 5 minutes

On the AMP page, the VOL knob has a sibling: XVOL. On the MIXER page, the LEV knob has a sibling: XLEV. The X-prefixed versions only respond to scenes. With crossfader right, lower XLEV on a track to 0 — that track now fades out as you slide right.

Warm-Up (3 min)

In Session 19 you used the crossfader for filter sweeps and FX changes. Now we use it for the most important performance gesture: mix automation. Press [PLAY] on a 4-track pattern from your LAB project. Move the crossfader. The track volumes don't change yet — that's because no XVOL/XLEV is set. By the end of this session, the slider will be your mix fader.

Setup

Start from the LAB project. You need a pattern with at least 4 active tracks (Track 1 drums, Track 2 bass, Track 3 melodic, Track 4 texture). Each track should have an FX2 with reverb (Gatebox Plate or Spring) — the reverb tails matter for Exercise 3.

Place the crossfader at the center to start. Verify Scene A and Scene B exist (assign empty ones to TRIG 1 and TRIG 2 if needed via Session 19's gesture).

Exercises

Exercise 1: XLEV vs. VOL — What's the Difference (3 min)

Get the parameters straight before using them.

  1. Press [TRACK 1], then [FUNC] + [MIX] — or open MIXER PAGE (firmware-dependent route)
  2. You'll see two volume controls per track: LEV (the always-on track level you've been using) and XLEV (only responds to scenes)
  3. Press [AMP] on Track 1. You see VOL (always-on amp volume) and XVOL (scene-only amp volume)
  4. The distinction:
    • VOL / LEV = the static value, what you hear when no scenes are pulling on the parameter
    • XVOL / XLEV = the scene-modulated value. When the crossfader is at one edge, the scene's XVOL/XLEV gets applied
  5. Pre-FX vs Post-FX: XVOL is in the AMP stage, before FX1/FX2. XLEV is the MIXER's post-FX track level. This matters for reverb tails (next exercise)
DATA ENTRYTRACK PARAMSVOLUMEHP VOLLEVELOCTATRACKPTN A01 PART 1BPM 120.0Octatrack MKIIABCDEFPLAYSTOPRECTEMPOFUNCPROJPARTAEDMIXARRMIDISRCAMPLFOFX1FX2SCENE ASCENE BCROSSFADERREC1REC2REC3PTNBANKPAGEUPDOWNLEFTRIGHTYESNOT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8CUETRIG 1TRIG 2TRIG 3TRIG 4TRIG 5TRIG 6TRIG 7TRIG 8TRIG 9TRIG 10TRIG 11TRIG 12TRIG 13TRIG 14TRIG 15TRIG 16

Exercise 2: Build a Fade-In Scene with XLEV (6 min)

Make a scene where tracks gradually fade in as you slide the crossfader.

  1. Slide the crossfader fully left (Scene A active). Set ALL tracks' LEV to taste — this is your "everything playing normally" baseline
  2. Slide the crossfader fully right (Scene B active). Now you're editing Scene B's snapshot
  3. On Track 2 (bass), open MIXER. Set XLEV = 0 (silent in Scene B)
  4. On Track 3 (melodic), set XLEV = 0
  5. On Track 4 (texture), set XLEV = 0
  6. Leave Track 1 (drums) at full XLEV
  7. Slide the crossfader fully left — all 4 tracks play normally
  8. Slide slowly toward the right. Tracks 2, 3, 4 fade out one by one (or simultaneously, depending on their starting LEV)
  9. Now invert: Slide fully right. Set Track 2's XLEV back to full. Slide fully left, set Track 2's LEV to 0. Now Track 2 fades in as you slide right — it's silent at the left edge and full at the right
  10. The technique: opposite values on each side = a fade in one direction; matching values = no change

Exercise 3: Fade Out via XVOL — Let Reverb Tails Ring (5 min)

XVOL fades the amp signal pre-FX. The FX1/FX2 chains keep processing, so reverb tails continue. This is the classic "fade the dry signal, leave the reverb hanging" gesture.

  1. Make sure Track 3 (melodic) has a generous reverb on FX2 (DECAY = 80, MIX = 60)
  2. Slide crossfader fully left (Scene A). Track 3's VOL is normal — you hear the dry sound + reverb wash
  3. Slide crossfader fully right (Scene B). On Track 3 AMP page, set XVOL = 0
  4. Press [PLAY]. Slide the crossfader from left to right slowly. The dry signal fades to silence, but the reverb tail keeps ringing for several seconds — pre-FX volume cut, post-FX wash continues
  5. Now do the same with XLEV = 0 instead. The track's post-FX output is muted, so the reverb is killed alongside the dry signal — abrupt
  6. The rule:
    • XVOL = 0 → fade the dry, keep the wet (reverb tails ring out)
    • XLEV = 0 → kill the whole channel (no tails)
  7. Reverb-tail fades sound expensive and produced. Use them on chorus → outro transitions
DATA ENTRYTRACK PARAMSVOLUMEHP VOLLEVELOCTATRACKPTN A01 PART 1BPM 120.0Octatrack MKIIABCDEFPLAYSTOPRECTEMPOFUNCPROJPARTAEDMIXARRMIDISRCAMPLFOFX1FX2SCENE ASCENE BCROSSFADERREC1REC2REC3PTNBANKPAGEUPDOWNLEFTRIGHTYESNOT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8CUETRIG 1TRIG 2TRIG 3TRIG 4TRIG 5TRIG 6TRIG 7TRIG 8TRIG 9TRIG 10TRIG 11TRIG 12TRIG 13TRIG 14TRIG 15TRIG 16

Exercise 4: Live Performance Mix (3 min)

Combine fade-ins and fade-outs into a 4-track performance gesture.

  1. Slide left = baseline (all 4 tracks playing)
  2. Slide right configuration:
    • Track 1 drums: XLEV unchanged (drums stay full)
    • Track 2 bass: XVOL = 0 (bass dry fades, leaving the reverb)
    • Track 3 melodic: XLEV = 0 (melodic disappears completely)
    • Track 4 texture: XLEV = 100 (boosted — texture takes over)
  3. Press [PLAY]. Slowly slide left → right over 8 bars. Hear the mix transform: bass fades to wash, melody disappears, texture rises, drums stay solid
  4. Slide back left over 8 bars. Hear the inverse: texture fades, melody returns, bass dry comes back over the still-decaying reverb
  5. This is the OT as a 4-track performance mixer — every fade-in, fade-out, and crossfade you'd do in Ableton, but with one slider

Output Checklist

  • I located XVOL on the AMP page and XLEV on the MIXER page (separate from VOL/LEV)
  • I built a scene where one track fades out as the crossfader moves right
  • I built a scene where one track fades in as the crossfader moves right
  • I used XVOL = 0 to fade a dry signal while keeping the reverb tail
  • I performed a 4-track crossfade gesture using only the slider

Key Takeaways

  • XVOL = pre-FX amp volume, scene-only. Cuts the dry signal but leaves the FX tails ringing
  • XLEV = post-FX track volume, scene-only. Cuts the entire channel including FX tails
  • Crossfader at one edge → that side's scene is being edited. Tweaks update the snapshot, not the live values
  • Opposite values on the two scenes = a fade in one direction. Matching values = no change. Ramped values = a slow morph
  • The crossfader is the OT's mix automation lane — every track's volume can be on it

Next Session Preview

Next: scene stacking. Instead of two scenes, you'll build progressions of 8 scenes on each side that escalate gradually. The crossfader becomes a long-form arrangement tool, walking you from intro intensity to chorus chaos and back.