The release of Pro Tools Intro has brought Xpand! 2, the super-flexible workstation virtual instrument which has been bundled with Pro Tools since version 8, to the attention of a new group of users who might never have come across it before. In conversation with the team we’ve failed to find any Pro Tools users who have anything other than praise for this stalwart VI.

However, while Xpand!2 is very easy to use, having everything from drum kits, acoustic instruments and a wealth of synths all available as presets, there is an awful lot of power and configurability on offer if you go under the hood and get editing.

In this free video tutorial, brought to you with the support of Avid, Julian constructs a beat using Xpand. See how multitimbral drums, audio loops and layered patches can form the basis of a track using nothing but this versatile VI.

Everything You Need To Know About Xpand! 2

Even longtime users of Xpand! can be forgiven for taking it for granted, dialling up a patch and passing over the potential of this instrument. In this series of three premium tutorial videos Julian takes a comprehensive tour of Xpand! 2, from patch structure and effects use, MIDI control, different configurations, from huge monophonic synth leads, through complex , evolving pads which use the built in arpeggiator to create sequenced elements, through to real time modulation to create playable, expressive patches which come into their own when played live.

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