既存のサンプルを使って再構築。

Back in 2022, I had bought (2) Lofi-12XT units from Sonicware in Japan. One black, the other off-white. Brand new with them, I was very pleased of its learning curve that I was able to sample and loop up a beat without reading the instructions. However, there were bugs and few features half-baked. So I left them alone until a fix was ready for I had bought from the 1st batch and OS was at v1.1. I already had an SPmkII, MPC Live and a DJS-1000, so I could wait.

Fast forward to 2025 and v1.5 was finally released. I tried and tried but could not update the Lofi12XT because of SD card issues. Again, I left them on the back burner and also because I was fired from my job of 18 years, life is too hectic to care about beat machines at that moment.

Back on my feet in 2026, I needed a portable sampler for I had sold the SP and MPC for cash. I was gassing for the new MPC Sample no joke. It ticked all my boxes but I really didn't want to spend any money for a while. Then I remembered the XTs I had in the vault.

Without a laptop, I manage to use my android to download and extract v1.5 to the XT's SD card and removed all android and app files from it so the OS becomes the root file. After 3 failures, it finally succeeded.

Right off the bat, I can see big changes since I last used it. The Pitch tuning has been refined, changes happen smoothly and quickly and you can globally pitch all samples at once as well as individually. Samples can reverse. I was having a ball playing with the preset sounds of Dibia$e that I slapped in a fresh SD card and spent the night feeding the Lofi12XT with samples from my CD bin because I was hyped to build my own beats. Filled up 60 slots with 10 to 12 second material in 5 hours of listening and sampling.

I use it in a basic form, which is, chop a track and then record sequence and repeat until I have layered a beat together. But it's so much deeper and versatile under the hood than I remembered. I'm feeling really glad I didn't buy another sampler. So many parameters to tweak to polish a simple loop is bananas, I really felt I had the Digitakt mk1 in my hands for a few occasions, that's why I call it the poor man's Digitakt. And not downing simple loops, I meant you can make a full blown song with a loop in the XT.

Final Verdict: It's a deep groove sampler and always on the fly. You can edit and tweak samples as sequencer plays, chromatic tuning, or whatever you need to get that sample to fit in the most easiest and musical way. Workflow is very satisfying like a cool breezy wind that never stops. Also you can sample as the sequencer plays. Sequencer can record in realtime or in steps, I have only used 64 steps but I believe it goes to 128. I like that all 16 pads can be used in Chop. The XT deserves its place among the other top portables like the SP404mk2 and the MPC Samples for example.

These two synths complement each other so well. I'm personally more of a player than a programmer with this style of synth, and the sounds found on these two are amazing.

I still think Sonicware synths are heavily slept on. I've been jamming with these in my garden constantly, it's my daily fix at this point haha

I'm looking for more small YouTube channels that feature live ambient performances with synths, so definitely link yours below if you have one!

took my ambient zero outside for some sounds

I'm considering buying one to use in my live set. I have a song or two in 6/8, and am curious if it's capable of a 12 step midi sequence (or triplets as a workaround?) I like that it's a polyphonic sampler in my price range.

Hey everyone!

I’ve been spending a ton of time with the Lofi-12 XT and overall, It’s such a fun and capable groovebox.

But a new age arrived - Custom Firmwares

What would be your added features?

Improvement, Chopping, Slicing, Punch in effects?

..... Let me hear your thoughts and hopefully they will be manifested

マトリックス風。

\-Project 'sorie gravity' (소리의 중력)

This is a collaboration between Gugak : Korean traditional music and Electronic music. I often call it neo-traditional or post-traditional music.

'sorie' means "of sound" from Korean '소리의'.

In my world, these two elements start pulling each other, like gravity.

Recently picked up the Lofi-12 as my second Sonicware synth, and I’ve been loving it paired with the Evoke. Took them out into the garden and this is one of the jams I made - Evoke on bass and Lofi-12 on the lead melody.

Anyone else using this combo? What other pairings have you all been enjoying?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqL_1iD96jk

First beat made on the SONICWARE Lofi-12.
86 BPM boom bap with dusty chops, drums, and that gritty lo-fi texture.

Anyone interested in this lofi-6? Still have original box and download card for the manual.. It’s never been turned on. Got busy with school. It should go to a better home. DM if you’re interested.

Anyone else take their gear outside? Curious whether a change of surroundings changes what you end up making - it definitely does for me.

Additional reverb in post: Cascade by Polysynth

Hi, I have had and played a few of the livens for a couple of years now and I love them. I still have yet to master them and was hoping to get some insight from other creative people.

I have been wanting to practice riffing basslines that pop into my head, and I want to lay down the drum track first. I can do it and I understand how to at a basic level, but I just haven't been very efficient with it.

For some reason programming them by step individually just won't click and I frequently lose track, so I keep playing it back to remember the change that needs to be made. It's not so bad on the B&B where all the drums are labeled but it slows me down. Maybe others don't have this problem and just program down a basic track like signing a check?

I would prefer to record live but for some reason I make enough quantizing errors that I might as well have just programmed them in. I wonder if people generally prefer recording their drums live.

Hi all,

I'm working with patterns longer than 16 steps on the CyDrums. When I'm on page 2 (steps 17-32) of one track and select another track, the sequencer goes back to page 1 and I have to press the page switch again every time.

Is there any way to make it stay on the same page when changing tracks? I couldn't find a setting for it in the manual, in the sequencer config or in the SYSTEM menu.

Thanks!

I have recently bought an ELZ_1 Play and it's really cool, but the manual isn't helping with many of my queries and AI is completely useless - is there anywhere i can go for support?

ISSUE HAS NOW BEEN RESOLVED, see edit after main text.

Hello there folks.

I've recently acquired a Lofi-12 and I'm attempting to update the firmware from version 2.0.55 to 2.1.65, but I get a "SysEx: No Buffers Available" error message when trying to transfer the SysEx update file using MIDI-OX (version 7.0.2).

I am using a PreSonus Studio 1824 audio interface which shows up in MIDI-OX.

I've followed the official instructions from the Sonicware website on setting up MIDI-OX and the SysEx settings under "Configure" (Size 256 Num 32). I've started the Lofi-12 while holding shift so it says "UPDT" on the screen and it's connected via a cable going from the soundcard MIDI output into the unit's MIDI input.

I am on Windows 11 (version 26H2 released 30th of September 2026).

I've looked around online and I saw someone writing about a possible "device access permission" issue after a Windows security update (KB5077181) in January 2026, affecting "buffer management" for MIDI drivers. I've looked through my update history and I've already uninstalled that security update because of some other issues I had earlier this year. Is it possible that the 26H2 update has caused some similar error, or are there other Windows updates that are known to affect things like this? Could it be some issue with my specific audio interface?

Any tips on how to solve this issue are highly appreciated.

EDIT:

I've managed to update the Lofi-12 now by using a free software called Bome Send SX instead of MIDI-OX.

Here's a link to it.

https://www.bome.com/products/sendsx

Hello, I would like to share this 3D print model for the deconstruct MINIMAL. Sonicware has a few devices that use a similar design, so it might also fit those. I only have a MINIMAL so only verified for that.

"Update to the update 😂": I contacted Sonicware and they quickly replied on my isuses. As mentioned, the looper mixer is now a fn/+ to access that function but why it does not go to that "special" page when the looper is active I don't get. It should be an auto switch when you engage the looper, you also engage the looper mixer.

The memory banks can be used without having to press ok in one way...use the +/- buttons to scroll through but no access to macros while testing patches in that +/- method...so good and bad.

And "import" is now within the "backup" page which was not intuitive but now that I know, not a biggie. I do feel a bit like I am relearning the device after spending so much time learning it initially but some of the new patches are really good."

So I updated the firmware but did not reset yet. I want the new patches but don't want to lose my user created loops and patches. But now with the update I see no way to import user data. I am unsure if I should reset and figure out how to get my user date back on the box or try to import just the two backs that came with V3 update.

The other issue I see is when looking at memory banks and changing to a new one it wants me to OK EACH patch and is lit in pink....what is up with that?? Hate when things do not go smoothly!!!

Hi. Theres a big hype now about custom firmwares. Ai helps a lot. Maybe someone is making something interesting for lofi12xt or cydrums? It will be great to have a custom firmware that combines both devices in one box the way it does hacktribe with electribe2.

We need at least a proper trig conditions. Plz add))

Cheers)