Engine Quicksilver 303 User Manual Download

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QUICK START

12.If the sequencer is already running, you should hear and see the song progress

from snapshot 1 to snapshot 2. The LEDs and display will change to show the song

progress. After playing snapshot 2, the song loops back to snapshot 1.

Now that you know how to create patterns, snapshots and songs, you can explore

polyphonic programming, drum programming, realtime recording, arpeggios and drum

rolls and more across all eight tracks!

USER GUIDE

Summary of Contents for Quicksilver 303

Page 1: ...m u l t i t r a c k s e q u e n c e r USER GUIDE Social Entropy Electronic Music Instruments ...

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Page 3: ...t near water for example in the rain near a bathtub or sink in a wet basement or near a swimming pool 2 This product in combination with an amplifier and headphones or speakers may be capable of producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable 3 Never use aggressive cleaners on the cas...

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Page 5: ...GS 11 FUNCTIONS 12 QUICK START QUICK START 14 CONNECTIONS 14 CONNECTING MIDI 14 CONNECTING AUDIO 14 CONNECTING POWER 14 SELECT A TRACK 15 CREATE A PATTERN 15 MODIFY A PATTERN 16 CREATE SNAPSHOTS 16 CREATE A SONG 17 REFERENCE GUIDE TRACKS 20 SELECTING TRACKS 20 SELECTING PATTERNS AND PATTERN CHAINS FOR A TRACK 21 SELECTING PATTERNS USING MIDI 23 MUTING TRACKS 24 SOLOING TRACKS 25 ...

Page 6: ...N 39 SETTING PATTERN TIME SCALE 40 SETTING PATTERN SHUFFLE 42 SKIPPING PATTERN STEPS 44 REALIGN A PATTERN 45 TEMPO LOCK 45 TAP TEMPO 46 INCREMENT DECREMENT TEMPO 46 PATTERN TYPES 47 CHANGING PATTERN TYPES 47 DRUM TYPE PATTERNS 48 SELECTING DRUM INSTRUMENTS 48 PROGRAMMING DRUM TYPE PATTERNS 49 GRID PROGRAMMING 49 ADDING OR REMOVING A TRIGGER 49 SETTING NOTE REPEAT 50 SETTING STEP DELAY 50 REALTIME ...

Page 7: ...ING 73 QUANTIZATION 73 STEP RECORDING 74 TRANSPOSING SYNTH PATTERNS 77 ALL ACCENT 79 NO ACCENT 79 ALL SLIDE 80 NO SLIDE 80 REALTIME RECORDING TRANSPOSE ACCENT AND SLIDE 81 REALTIME ARPEGGIATOR 82 CHANGING THE ARPEGGIO DIRECTION 83 CHANGING THE ARPEGGIO OCTAVES 83 LATCHING THE ARPEGGIATOR 84 RECORDING AN ARPEGGIO 85 CHORD MEMORY 86 STEP FUNCTIONS 87 OPERATING ON ALL DRUM INSTRUMENTS 87 STEP ROTATE ...

Page 8: ...TING THE LAST SONG STEP 108 GLOBAL CONFIG 109 SETTING KNOB CHANNELS 110 SETTING KNOB CONTROLLER NUMBERS 111 DUMP MACHINE STATE 112 CV EXPANSION MODE 113 CV MODE 8 TRACKS 114 CV MODE 4 SYNTHS 115 CV MODE 1 DRUM 116 CV MODE 6 CONTROLS AND CLOCKS 117 SETTING INPUT MIDI CHANNEL 118 ENABLING MIDI THRU 119 SYNC SOURCE 120 SENDING MIDI CLOCK 121 FORMAT ALL PATTERNS 122 USB MIDI 123 DIMMING LEDS 124 CHECK...

Page 9: ...DE CIRCUIT 131 CV CONVERTER MODE 132 ENABLING CV CONVERTER MODE 132 DISABLING CV CONVERTER MODE 133 SELECTING USB OR DIN MIDI INPUT 133 MONOPHONIC POLYPHONIC CONVERSION 134 SETTING CONVERSION MIDI CHANNELS 135 ENABLING HARDWARE SLIDE 136 CV GATE OUTPUT MODE 137 MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART 138 ...

Page 10: ...device that had a particular workflow whether it was for drums or synthesizer This is where the old machines really shine But we also wanted even greater control over multiple machines and the ability to control any device with the same type of dedicated interface whether it was a VST a sound module or even a modular synthesizer At this point we decided it was time to design and build a sequencer ...

Page 11: ...ost any of the live performance modes making it extremely easy to capture an interesting musical event Second most changes to a sequence are quantized to the loop point This means that changing the selected pattern snapshot scale shuffle or length won t cause patterns to fall out of sync with each other during live performance There are still a few functions that apply immediately such as muting a...

Page 12: ...ed the TIME button will not be shown in every diagram To illustrate that a button should be pressed and held the button will be displayed as RED To illustrate that a button should be pressed and released clicked the button will be displayed as WHITE Example When multiple buttons are used to perform an action the diagram will use a plus sign to show the combination of buttons used Example USER GUID...

Page 13: ...d in pink When an LED is blinking it is represented with a dotted line around the LED Example When a knob should be turned it will be shown with a red arrow USER GUIDE 4 Showing that a knob should be turned A blinking LED One brightly lit LED and two dimly lit LEDs ...

Page 14: ...THE BASICS USER GUIDE 5 ...

Page 15: ...d in the box are the following 1x Engine hardware sequencer white red or white blue edition 1x USB cable 1x 9V DC international power supply 5x International power plug attachments 1x Quickstart postcard 1x Sticker USER GUIDE 6 ...

Page 16: ...FRONT PANEL USER GUIDE 7 ...

Page 17: ...NS 327 W x 66 D x 133 H mm 12 7 8 W x 2 5 8 D x 5 1 4 H inches WEIGHT 1 2kg excluding power supply options 2 lbs 9 oz excluding power supply options POWER 9V DC 300mA 2 1mm center positive USER GUIDE 8 SOCIAL ENTROPY ELECTRONIC MUSIC INSTRUMENTS ...

Page 18: ...or chain of patterns A pattern contains all of the steps that make up a musical passage up to 64 steps There are two distinct pattern types DRUM type patterns and SYNTH type patterns Each pattern type has different capabilities specifically designed for programming either drum or synth type sequences we will cover these differences in more detail later in the manual Each pattern contains settings ...

Page 19: ...he pitches of the step VELOCITY The velocity of the note to be played accent is a quick way to set the velocity to a preset value GATE LENGTH Defines the note length slide is created when a note overlaps the next note also known as legato This is interpreted by most 303 clones as a slide TYPE The step type can be a step tie or rest The total length of a note is determined by the combination of a s...

Page 20: ...at A SONG also contains settings for SONG LENGTH After reaching the last song step a SONG will loop back to the beginning or move to the next song in the chain There are 32 total songs in memory MODES There are many modes accessible using different buttons on the front panel Some examples of available modes are MUTE MODE Mute individual tracks TRANSPOSE MODE Transpose a synth type pattern PATTERN ...

Page 21: ...apabilities in other modes Some examples of functions are PATTERN CLEAR Clearing pattern data STEP COPY Copy step data to the step copy buffer PATTERN ROTATE Move pattern data forward or backwards one step at a time ALL ACCENT A realtime performance function that plays every note accented RANDOMIZE Randomize pattern data Each function is documented in full detail throughout the remainder of this m...

Page 22: ...QUICK START USER GUIDE 13 ...

Page 23: ... generate sound MIDI clock can also be sent to synchronize other devices to Engine To begin we recommend starting with one MIDI device such as a synthesizer that can be used as a sound source for programmed patterns Connect MIDI output 1 from Engine to the MIDI input of the synthesizer CONNECTING AUDIO Connect audio cables before turning on audio amplifiers Connect the audio output of the MIDI dev...

Page 24: ...hot button Select the desired MIDI port and channel by turning control knob 1 The current MIDI port and channel is shown on the LED display 3 Click the FUNCTION button to leave function mode 4 The track is now ready to be sequenced CREATE A PATTERN Now we will quickly create a new pattern There are multiple ways of entering pattern data but for this exercise we will use the grid programming method...

Page 25: ... press the ACCENT button all notes will play with accent while ACCENT button is held Try the ALL SLIDE function by pressing and holding the TRANSPOSE button then press the SLIDE button all notes will be played legato while the slide button is held Release the TRANSPOSE button Modify the pattern length by pressing and holding the TIME button and then pressing a pattern step button The new length wi...

Page 26: ...ter step record press and hold FUNCTION and then click RECORD The FUNCTION and RECORD LEDs will start blinking 3 For our song structure we will play snapshot 1 three times then switch to snapshot 2 for one repetition then loop back to the beginning 4 The current song step number is shown on the numeric display it should be showing St 1 for step 1 5 Although it should already be selected click PATT...

Page 27: ...The LEDs and display will change to show the song progress After playing snapshot 2 the song loops back to snapshot 1 Now that you know how to create patterns snapshots and songs you can explore polyphonic programming drum programming realtime recording arpeggios and drum rolls and more across all eight tracks USER GUIDE 18 ...

Page 28: ...REFERENCE GUIDE USER GUIDE 19 ...

Page 29: ...ELECT mode TRACK SELECT mode is the normal mode when no other modes are active In Track Select mode the eight white buttons of the mini keyboard are used to select the track you wish to work with You can change the selected track by clicking one of the white mini keyboard buttons The step LEDs will change to show the programmed pattern for the selected track USER GUIDE 20 TIP Engine remembers the ...

Page 30: ...ange to show the selected pattern for the track While in TRACK SELECT use the pattern step buttons and the section button to select the pattern and pattern bank assigned to the track There are four banks of 16 patterns available per track The section button is used to switch between the four banks USER GUIDE 21 TIP You can also double click the selected track button to pin it then you can select p...

Page 31: ...king LED To change the selected edit pattern within a chain while still holding the selected track button press and hold the function button and then click one of the patterns in the pattern chain to make it the edit pattern You will only be able to select patterns within the current chain You can select different patterns and pattern chains for each of the eight tracks The patterns and pattern ba...

Page 32: ...ed using MIDI program change messages There are 64 patterns per track 16 patterns x 4 banks which can be selected with the corresponding MIDI program change number Each track will listen for program change messages on the MIDI channel assigned to that track USER GUIDE 23 ...

Page 33: ...mode press and hold the MUTE button then click the track you wish to mute or unmute Muted tracks are shown as an unlit track LED while unmuted tracks are shown with a lit LED USER GUIDE 24 TIP The MUTE button can be double clicked to pin the track mute function This is useful for live performance when muting and unmuting tracks is a common action ...

Page 34: ...te all other tracks To solo a track while in TRACK SELECT normal mode press and hold the MUTE button then press and hold the FUNCTION button then click the track you wish to solo The selected track will be unmuted all other tracks will be muted USER GUIDE 25 ...

Page 35: ... the MIDI channel while in MIDI channel mode rotate control knob 1 The LED display will change to show the new MIDI channel and port USB MIDI output uses port assignment 1 This means that tracks assigned to port 2 will not be output over USB MIDI Use the track select buttons to switch tracks while in the MIDI channel mode to quickly set the output channel for multiple tracks USER GUIDE 26 TIP You ...

Page 36: ...es The velocity offset can be used as a creative volume control to fade out certain notes in the sequence or normalize all notes to a high velocity To set the velocity offset while in FUNCTION MODE rotate control knob 1 The current velocity offset value will show briefly on the LED display GATE OFFSET The gate offset effect will shorten or lengthen all notes in a synth pattern by up to one step Th...

Page 37: ...splay NOTE REPEAT The note repeat effect creates a ratchet type effect for steps that have note repeat set Please see the sections on GRID PROGRAMMING to learn how to set note repeat on a pattern step When a step with note repeat enabled is played it will quickly retrigger the same note multiple times The number of times the note retriggers can be adjusted using control knob 4 The range for note r...

Page 38: ...the FUNCTION button SETTING TRACK KNOB CONTROLLER NUMBERS The MIDI controller number for each control knob can be set separately per track This allows each control knob to be used to control a different parameter per track if needed To use track controller numbers set the knob channels to tr in GLOBAL CONFIG mode To set the MIDI controller number for a control knob for the selected track while in ...

Page 39: ...ing it while holding pattern step button 2 press and hold the track select button corresponding to the controller knob that you wish to view The current controller number of the corresponding knob will be displayed on the LED display USER GUIDE 30 Viewing MIDI controller number for knob 4 ...

Page 40: ...am change message will be sent on the MIDI channel defined for the track The selected program change message can be set from 1 to 128 or OFF default To define a PROGRAM CHANGE number for the current edit pattern while in UTILITY MODE press and hold the CHANGE PATTERN TYPE roll arp button then rotate control knob 1 The current program number will be shown on the LED display while holding the CHANGE...

Page 41: ...dumps from all Quicksilver machines and Avalon Bassline Pattern dumps are sent from the current contents of the pattern buffer this means you must first copy a pattern using the PATTERN COPY function then dump the pattern using system exclusive This is also true for receiving a MIDI system exclusive message for a single pattern After receiving the pattern dump the pattern will be placed into the p...

Page 42: ...ose Transposition applies only to synth type patterns To enable or disable MIDI transpose for a track in UTILITY MODE click the TRANSPOSE button When transpose is enabled for the track the TRANSPOSE LED will be lit if transpose is disabled the LED will be off The MIDI transpose function respects the settings for MIDI input channel and track channels this means that you can transpose different trac...

Page 43: ...rnal controller to set the pitch of steps or enter chords in grid recording To enable or disable MIDI pitch entry for a track in UTILITY mode click the OCTAVE DOWN button When MIDI pitch entry is enabled for the track the OCTAVE DOWN LED will be lit if MIDI pitch entry is disabled the LED will be off MIDI pitch entry respects the settings for MIDI input channel and track channels USER GUIDE 34 ...

Page 44: ...he beginning of a note will be hard quantized to the step When quantization is disabled the gate length of the note will be set to the nearest clock tick allowing more expressive sequences to be captured The start of the note will be recorded with the nearest delay value for the step To enable or disable TRACK QUANTIZATION while in UTILITY MODE click the TIME button When quantization is enabled th...

Page 45: ...fferent setting for CV MODE The available modes are To set the CV MODE for a track while in UTILITY MODE press and hold EXP MODE step 9 button Then rotate control knob 1 to select the desired mode The current CV Gate output mode will be shown on the LED display while holding the EXP MODE button PSvO Positive gate 1 volt per octave nGvO Negative gate 1 volt per octave PShv Positive gate hertz per v...

Page 46: ...for a pattern This includes the pattern length timing scale shuffle and skipped steps An initialized pattern is automatically set to a length of 16 steps 4 4 timing zero shuffle with no skipped steps The TIME button has a black line surrounding it with the word TIME below it This is a visual indicator to understand the TIME functions of the other buttons Other button labels that are below the butt...

Page 47: ...ion If the last step is not in the current selected section the section LED for the section which contains the last step will light dimly To set a new pattern length while in TIME mode select the section which will contain the new last step and click the pattern step button for the desired last step For example to set a pattern to be 28 steps long select section two and click the pattern step butt...

Page 48: ...y this allows the pattern to play uninterrupted while continuing to edit the longer pattern Extend also works well when creating variations on an existing pattern because you don t have to manually re enter all of the note events to make a small change To extend a pattern while in TIME mode press and hold the RECORD button while clicking the SECTION button For example to extend a pattern from 16 t...

Page 49: ... on the four attribute LEDs the 4 4 scales are shown with a brightly lit LED while the triplet version of the scale is displayed with a dimly lit LED 1 2x each step represents 1 32 note 1x each step represents 1 16 note default 2x each step represents 1 8 note 4x each step represents 1 4 note 1 2x triplet each step represents 1 32 note triplet 1x triplet each step represents 1 16 note triplet 2x t...

Page 50: ...s running will not take effect until the pattern loops this keeps the pattern in sync during live performance USER GUIDE 41 TIP As a convenience when switching scales between 4 4 and triplet the last step is automatically changed to keep the pattern in sync For example switching from 1x time scale to 1x triplet on a 16 step pattern will automatically change the last step to step 12 The last step c...

Page 51: ...shuffle levels available for the 4 4 timing scales including no shuffle SYNTH type patterns have the following shuffle levels available for the 4 4 timing scales including no shuffle The current shuffle level is displayed on the LEDs on the mini keyboard with level one meaning no shuffle 1 2x 5 levels of shuffle 1x 7 levels of shuffle 2x 8 levels of shuffle 4x 8 levels of shuffle 1 2x 4 levels of ...

Page 52: ...one of the white mini keyboard buttons If the shuffle level is not available for the current pattern type and scale the level cannot be selected Changes to the shuffle level while the sequencer is running will not take effect until the pattern loops USER GUIDE 43 ...

Page 53: ...ntinuing to hold the FUNCTION button you can deactivate steps by clicking pattern step buttons Skipped steps will be immediately deactivated even while the sequencer is running This means it is possible for a pattern lose sync with other playing tracks In this case it may be useful to realign the pattern using the REALIGN function USER GUIDE 44 TIP You can automatically set the last step and all p...

Page 54: ...lf when all tracks have looped TEMPO LOCK The tempo lock function can be used to prevent the internal tempo from being changed when moving the tempo knob This is useful in live situations where accidental changes of the tempo are unacceptable To engage the tempo lock while in TIME MODE click the black A sharp button on the mini keyboard The LED will light to show that tempo lock is active To disen...

Page 55: ... display INCREMENT DECREMENT TEMPO In TIME MODE the current tempo can be changed incrementally while the tempo lock is engaged This allows the tempo to be adjusted manually without disengaging the tempo lock To set the tempo incrementally use the BACKWARDS and FORWARDS C sharp and D sharp buttons on the mini keyboard Clicking the BACKWARDS button will decrement the tempo clicking the FORWARDS butt...

Page 56: ...UM patterns showing a lit LED and SYNTH type patterns showing an unlit LED To change the current pattern type press and hold or double click the FUNCTION button then press and hold the CHANGE PATTERN TYPE roll arp button The four section LEDs will blink to warn that this operation is destructive To confirm the pattern type change click the SECTION button Changing the pattern type is a destructive ...

Page 57: ...board and then selecting the drum instrument using the white buttons of the mini keyboard They are labeled as EXT for external BD for bass drum SD for snare drum LT for low tom HT for high tom CY for cymbal OH for open hihat and CH for closed hihat USER GUIDE 48 TIP While holding the DRUM SELECT button the track LEDs flicker briefly each time a drum instrument is played This gives a good visual in...

Page 58: ...hat you don t need to enter record mode to use grid programming Grid programming is the classic method of entering triggers using the pattern step buttons You can see the programmed steps directly on the step LEDs Accented triggers are shown with a brightly lit LED unaccented triggers are shown with a dim LED ADDING OR REMOVING A TRIGGER After selecting the appropriate drum instrument use the patt...

Page 59: ...d hold the pattern step button Then click the ROLL ARP button to turn note repeat on or off The current note repeat setting is indicated by the ROLL ARP LED SETTING STEP DELAY Each step of a drum type pattern can have a delay added to the start of the step This can create a more humanized feel in programmed patterns The amount of delay available will vary based on the current TIME SCALE for the pa...

Page 60: ...D mode the eight white buttons of the mini keyboard become drum pads for realtime recording All eight of the drum instruments can be played simultaneously into the pattern in realtime To add accents you can press and hold the accent button while playing the drum instrument pads Realtime input from an external MIDI controller can also be recorded the velocity of the incoming notes will automaticall...

Page 61: ...ght blinking LED You can begin entering step events from the beginning of the sequence immediately or you can jump to a particular step by clicking a pattern step button In STEP RECORD mode the white buttons of the mini keyboard function as drum pads for the 8 drum instruments To enter triggers click the white buttons of the mini keyboard buttons the step will automatically advance to the next ste...

Page 62: ...T event click the REST button any existing event will be erased from the current step To advance one step without entering any new data click the RECORD button To leave STEP RECORD mode click the FUNCTION button USER GUIDE 53 ...

Page 63: ...strument is shown on the LEDs of the eight white mini keyboard buttons Unmuted instruments are shown as lit LEDs while muted instruments are shown as unlit LEDs To change the drum instrument mutes while in drum instrument mute mode click the white mini keyboard buttons to mute or unmute instruments USER GUIDE 54 TIP The MUTE and DRUM SELECT buttons can be double clicked to pin the instrument mute ...

Page 64: ...o a drum instrument while in DRUM INSTRUMENT MUTE mode press and hold the FUNCTION button then click the drum instrument you wish to solo The selected instrument will be unmuted all other instruments will be muted USER GUIDE 55 NOTE Soloing a drum instrument does not effect TRACK MUTES The LOW TOM instrument is soloed ...

Page 65: ...P button While in DRUM ROLL mode the white mini keyboard buttons can be used to play drum rolls for each of the eight drum instruments The ACCENT button can also be pressed to add accents in realtime While playing a drum roll the sequenced pattern for that instrument is overridden When the drum roll is released the sequenced pattern resumes USER GUIDE 56 TIP Drum rolls can also be played using an ...

Page 66: ...d on the LEDs of the black mini keyboard buttons To change the drum roll resolution while in DRUM ROLL mode press any of the black mini keyboard buttons The available resolutions in relation to a 4 4 16th note pattern OFF C sharp button 32nd notes D sharp button 16th notes E sharp button default 8th notes F sharp button Quarter notes A sharp button USER GUIDE 57 ...

Page 67: ... it will continue to play even when leaving ROLL mode You can add additional instruments or remove instruments from the drum roll while the roll is latched by clicking the buttons of the mini keyboard To latch the roll click the FUNCTION button To unlatch the roll click the FUNCTION button again USER GUIDE 58 ...

Page 68: ...double click the RECORD button Momentary recording of a drum roll can create interesting musical combinations in the sequenced pattern USER GUIDE 59 NOTE Drum rolls cannot be recorded at a higher resolution than the timing scale of the pattern This means that a 32nd note roll will only be recorded as 16th notes in a 4 4 16th note pattern The other notes of the drum roll will be ignored ...

Page 69: ... DRUM LEARN song button The current selected drum instrument is shown on the white keys of the mini keyboard and the current note assignment for the selected instrument is shown on the LED display To change the note assignment while in DRUM LEARN mode turn control knob 1 or send a MIDI note from an external MIDI controller Use the white mini keyboard buttons to switch instruments while in DRUM LEA...

Page 70: ...h method has it s strengths so you can choose the appropriate method for your situation Realtime recording and step recording can also be used simultaneously with grid programming allowing for very interactive sequencing GRID PROGRAMMING Grid programming mode is the default mode and is always active meaning that you don t need to enter record mode to use grid programming Grid programming is the cl...

Page 71: ...other attributes of the step To remove the step you can quickly click the step button If you wish to edit an existing step you can press and hold the step button and the step will not be removed when releasing the step button USER GUIDE 62 TIP When the sequencer is not playing the pitch of the step will be played as it is selected This makes it easier to preview the programmed notes ...

Page 72: ...E PITCH SLOT TO PROGRAM When initially pressing and holding a step button PITCH SLOT 1 is selected This is displayed by a brightly lit SECTION 1 LED If other pitch slots 2 3 or 4 are currently programmed the corresponding SECTION LED will be lit dimly Pitch slots that are not programmed will have an unlit SECTION LED To select a different pitch slot while holding a step button click the SECTION bu...

Page 73: ...press any semitone button on the mini keyboard If PITCH SLOT 2 3 or 4 is currently selected you can deactivate the pitch by clicking the mini keyboard button for the current programmed semitone You cannot deactivate PITCH SLOT 1 it will always be played if the step is triggered To change the octave of the selected pitch slot press the octave UP or DOWN buttons to the right of the mini keyboard USE...

Page 74: ...e octave buttons will light differently according to the selected octave For example one octave down will light the DOWN LED dimly two octaves down will light the DOWN LED brightly three octaves down will blink the DOWN LED dimly four octaves down will blink the DOWN LED brightly USER GUIDE 65 ...

Page 75: ... automatically increment the selected pitch slot and store the pitch value When entering multiple pitches with this method higher pitch slots will automatically be deactivated For example if the current step has four pitch slots programmed and pitch slot one is currently selected then holding a second keyboard button will automatically enter pitch slot two and deactivate pitch slots three and four...

Page 76: ...l pitches on the current step by semitones or octaves While holding a step button for grid programming press and hold the TRANSPOSE button Click the buttons of the mini keyboard or the octave up and down buttons to transpose all active pitches on the step The keyboard LEDs will show the current selected pitch but will apply any changes as an offset to all pitches on the step USER GUIDE 67 TIP This...

Page 77: ...p one step long again click the first step button to turn it off and then click it again to turn it back on This removes any programmed step length FINE TUNING GATE LENGTH The length of each step can be fine tuned to create longer or shorter note events By default a note is created with 50 gate length This means that by default a note behaves the same as the sequencer on a TB 303 You can change th...

Page 78: ... time scales For 1x scale the available length is between 1 and 12 clock ticks When changing to different time scales the step length of steps will change in proportion to the selected scale This means that note length is set relative to the sequencer tempo not absolute time When a pattern is set with shuffle timing notes that are set with a length greater than the step time will be automatically ...

Page 79: ...Each step can be enabled for the note repeat MIDI EFFECT This will cause the note to be retriggered according to the note repeat setting for the track If the track MIDI EFFECT has a note repeat setting of zero you will not hear any note repeats For details on using the note repeat MIDI EFFECT please see the MIDI EFFECTS section under FUNCTION MODE To set note repeat for a step press and hold the p...

Page 80: ... of a note using the ACCENT button press and hold the pattern step button Then click the ACCENT button to accent turn on or off To set a precise velocity for the step while holding the step button use control knob 1 to set a velocity value from 0 127 The current velocity of the step is shown on the LED display USER GUIDE 71 TIP You can quickly enter an accented step by double clicking the pattern ...

Page 81: ...reate a more humanized feel in programmed patterns The amount of delay available will vary based on the current TIME SCALE for the pattern To set the delay for a step press and hold the pattern step button Then use control knob 3 to set a delay for the step The current delay will be shown on the LED display USER GUIDE 72 ...

Page 82: ...ecorded as slides You can also continue to use grid recording on individual steps while in REALTIME RECORD mode To do this click and hold any pattern step button The step attributes can be displayed and edited when releasing the step button you can return to step recording QUANTIZATION When realtime recording the length of played notes can be quantized to the nearest half step or note lengths can ...

Page 83: ...tion is indicated on the pattern step buttons with a bright blinking LED You can immediately jump to a particular step by clicking a pattern step button or begin entering step events from the beginning of the sequence To enter steps you can click pitches on the mini keyboard buttons the step will automatically advance to the next step If you play the keyboard legato hold down two notes simultaneou...

Page 84: ...n To increase the length of the current step keep holding the current mini keyboard button and click the RECORD button this will lengthen the step event by one step and advance the current step To enter a REST event click the REST button any existing event will be erased from the current step USER GUIDE 75 ...

Page 85: ...CORD mode click the FUNCTION button You can also continue to use grid recording on individual steps while in STEP RECORD mode To do this click and hold any pattern step button The step attributes can be displayed and edited when releasing the step button you can return to step recording USER GUIDE 76 ...

Page 86: ...cross tracks To enter TRANSPOSE mode press and hold or double click the TRANSPOSE DRUM SELECT button The current transposition value will be shown on the mini keyboard LEDs and the octave DOWN and UP LEDs To change the pattern transposition in semitones click one of the mini keyboard buttons USER GUIDE 77 TIP While holding the TRANSPOSE button the mini keyboard LEDs flicker briefly each time a not...

Page 87: ...own will light the DOWN LED dimly two octaves down will light the DOWN LED brightly three octaves down will blink the DOWN LED dimly four octaves down will blink the DOWN LED brightly Pattern transposition takes effect immediately even if the sequencer is playing USER GUIDE 78 TIP You can use MIDI to transpose multiple patterns at the same time by turning on MIDI transpose listen in TRACK UTILITY ...

Page 88: ...ose mode Notes will resume normal playback when the ACCENT button is released NO ACCENT To play back all pattern steps as unaccented notes press and hold the MUTE button and then press and hold the ACCENT button while in transpose mode Notes will resume normal playback when the ACCENT button is released USER GUIDE 79 ...

Page 89: ...pose mode Notes will resume normal playback when the SLIDE button is released NO SLIDE To play back all pattern steps without slide press and hold the MUTE button and then press and hold the SLIDE button while in transpose mode Notes will resume normal playback when the SLIDE button is released USER GUIDE 80 ...

Page 90: ...uble click the RECORD button while in transpose mode While in realtime transpose record the mini keyboard and octave down up buttons can be used to transpose pattern notes This transposition is recorded permanently into the pattern data Using the ACCENT and SLIDE buttons you can add accent and slide events to pattern data Using the MUTE button in combination with the ACCENT or SLIDE buttons you ca...

Page 91: ...GIATOR mode the mini keyboard can be used to play arpeggios Before playing notes on the mini keyboard the octave can be set using the octave DOWN and UP buttons The ACCENT button and SLIDE buttons can also be pressed to add variation in realtime While playing an arpeggio the sequenced pattern is overridden When the arpeggio is released the sequenced pattern resumes USER GUIDE 82 TIP The arpeggiato...

Page 92: ... direction will be displayed on the LED display To change the direction turn control knob 1 The new direction will be displayed on the LED display CHANGING THE ARPEGGIO OCTAVES The arpeggio can be programmed to play over multiple octaves The available range is from zero to 3 octaves To change the number of octaves while in ARPEGGIO mode press the TIME button and then turn control knob 2 The number...

Page 93: ...dditional notes or remove notes from the arpeggio while the arpeggiator is latched by clicking the buttons of the mini keyboard To latch the arpeggiator while in arpeggio mode click the FUNCTION button To unlatch the arpeggiator click the FUNCTION button again USER GUIDE 84 TIP You can have different arpeggiators playing and latched in multiple tracks simultaneously ...

Page 94: ...o you can instantly record it directly into the pattern To record an arpeggio while in ARPEGGIO mode press and hold or double click the RECORD button Momentary recording of an arpeggio can create interesting musical combinations in the sequenced pattern USER GUIDE 85 ...

Page 95: ...e CHORD button The current chord shape will be shown on the mini keyboard LEDs If no chord is defined there will be no LEDs lit To define a new chord shape while in CHORD MEMORY mode click up to three of the mini keyboard buttons The lowest note represents the basis of the chord and will be played with PITCH 1 from the programmed sequence Additional notes in the chord shape will be played as an in...

Page 96: ... the FUNCTION button Now the black sharp buttons of the mini keyboard can be used to apply a function to the step OPERATING ON ALL DRUM INSTRUMENTS For DRUM type patterns you can choose to apply the step function to all drum instruments or a single instrument By default the step function will only apply to the selected drum instrument If you wish to only apply the function to all drum instruments ...

Page 97: ...FUNCTION click the black mini keyboard button labelled BACKWARD C or the black mini keyboard button labelled FORWARD D You can move a step forwards or backwards multiple steps any previous notes on the effected steps will be overwritten STEP CLEAR You can clear a selected step by clicking the black mini keyboard button labelled CLEAR F This will remove the step event This serves the same purpose a...

Page 98: ...STEP COPY You can copy a selected step by clicking the black mini keyboard button labelled COPY G This will copy the selected step into the clipboard The length of a synth type note is also copied USER GUIDE 89 ...

Page 99: ...ipboard step into the selected step The length of the clipboard note is also pasted into the pattern overwriting any previous step data The clipboard note can be pasted multiple times This can be useful when a particular note needs to be repeated in several locations avoiding the need to manually recreate the note on each step USER GUIDE 90 ...

Page 100: ...ed by a colored line above the relevant button OPERATING ON ALL DRUM INSTRUMENTS By default pattern functions only apply to the currently selected drum instrument To operate on all drum instruments press and hold the TRANSPOSE DRUM SELECT button before performing the pattern function While holding the TRANSPOSE DRUM SELECT button the white keys of the mini keyboard display the selected drum instru...

Page 101: ...ater range or view the pattern step events at the correct pitch To apply the current transposition to the pattern while in FUNCTION mode click the TRANSPOSE DRUM SELECT button The current transpose amount is applied to the sequence notes This function also resets the current pattern transpose back to default no transposition USER GUIDE 92 NOTE This function only operates on SYNTH type patterns ...

Page 102: ...ation to other patterns It can also be useful for creating interesting variations of existing patterns To rotate a pattern in FUNCTION mode click the BACKWARD C or FORWARD D buttons on the mini keyboard BACKWARD will rotate the pattern backward left and D FORWARD will rotate the pattern forward right The pattern step LEDs will change to show the new event locations USER GUIDE 93 ...

Page 103: ...lear The current pattern is shown with a brightly lit LED on the pattern step buttons PATTERN COPY Patterns can be copied into a temporary buffer for pasting into another pattern location or transmitting via MIDI system exclusive Pattern copy can also be used to copy patterns between tracks To copy a pattern in FUNCTION mode press and hold the COPY G button on the mini keyboard then click the patt...

Page 104: ...attern location To paste a pattern in FUNCTION mode press and hold the PASTE A button on the mini keyboard then click the pattern step button of the pattern you wish to paste into The current pattern is shown with a brightly lit LED on the pattern step buttons The same pattern can be pasted into multiple pattern locations USER GUIDE 95 ...

Page 105: ...atterns and instrument triggers and accents for drum type patterns To randomize a pattern in FUNCTION mode press and hold the RANDOMIZE accent button then click the SECTION button to confirm The section LEDs blink to warn that randomize is a destructive operation After pressing the SECTION button the pattern will be immediately randomized The SECTION button can be clicked multiple times to repeate...

Page 106: ...e direction while in FUNCTION mode press the DIRECTION time button and then rotate control knob 1 The LED display will change to show the selected pattern direction When the sequencer is playing changes to pattern direction will not take effect until the pattern loops This keeps the pattern in sync with other playing patterns The reverse pattern direction will always play the first step of the pat...

Page 107: ...rum instrument mutes for selected DRUM type patterns MIDI effects values There are four banks of 16 snapshots for a total of 64 snapshots available Songs are created using a sequence of snapshots To enter SNAPSHOT mode press and hold or double click the SNAPSHOT down button The snapshot LED will light or blink to indicate you are in SNAPSHOT mode Used snapshot locations will be shown with a dimly ...

Page 108: ...d pattern chains for each track set MIDI effects track mutes and synth pattern transpose and drum pattern instrument mutes To record a new snapshot while in SNAPSHOT mode press and hold the RECORD button then press a pattern step button The new snapshot location will be recorded and selected automatically USER GUIDE 99 TIP You can continue to set the track mutes pattern transpose and drum instrume...

Page 109: ...T mode click one of the pattern step buttons You may only select snapshot locations that contain a stored snapshot indicated by a dimly lit LED The settings for mutes transpose MIDI effects and selected patterns will be recalled If the sequencer is running the snapshot will be recalled when all current patterns have looped USER GUIDE 100 ...

Page 110: ...erformance when you do not wish to make any accidental changes to an arrangement With this in mind song mode can be useful even with a single pattern ENTERING SONG PLAY MODE To enter SONG PLAY mode click the SONG button when SONG mode is active the LED above the SONG button will be lit To exit SONG mode click the SONG button again You can leave song mode while the sequencer is playing and the curr...

Page 111: ...elected song is shown with a brightly lit LED CREATING SONG CHAINS You can also chain multiple songs to play songs in sequence automatically To select a song chain press and hold the pattern step button for the first song in the chain then click the pattern step button for the last song in the chain The song chain should light across all selected song locations When chaining songs the currently pl...

Page 112: ... While holding the SONG button you can quickly move to either the first or last song step with the BACKWARD or FORWARD buttons To move to the first song step click BACKWARD To move to the last song step click FORWARD USER GUIDE 103 ...

Page 113: ...tton to start the sequencer While in REALTIME SONG RECORD mode you can select snapshots in realtime Each repetition of a snapshot is also recorded into the song step repeats When selecting a new snapshot the snapshot recall is quantized to the loop point of the current playing snapshot When the snapshot is recalled the song step is automatically incremented If a snapshot is looped for more than ei...

Page 114: ... STEP RECORD mode While in STEP RECORD mode the sequencer does not advance through the song during playback allowing precise edits to be made To enter realtime SONG STEP RECORD mode while in SONG mode press and hold FUNCTION and then click the RECORD button USER GUIDE 105 ...

Page 115: ... or FORWARD D buttons Each song can have a maximum of 64 song steps The current selected song step will be displayed on the LED display Changing the song step happens immediately to make programming songs quicker but this also means that it can introduce abrupt changes as patterns and pattern settings change USER GUIDE 106 ...

Page 116: ... to a maximum of eight repetitions The current song step repeat is shown on the white buttons of the mini keyboard with the current number of repeats shown as a series of lit LEDs When a song is playing the current repeat location is shown as a blinking LED on the mini keyboard To change the number of song step repeats click one of the white mini keyboard buttons USER GUIDE 107 ...

Page 117: ...own with a dimly lit LED To assign a snapshot to a song step while in SONG STEP RECORD mode click one of the 16 pattern step buttons You can also switch snapshot banks by clicking the SECTION button SETTING THE LAST SONG STEP Any song step can be designated as the last step in the song When a song reaches the last step it will loop to the beginning of the song or move to the next song in a song ch...

Page 118: ...ade this includes global control knob settings CV synchronization and MIDI settings To enter CONFIG mode press and hold the FUNCTION button then click the MUTE button While in CONFIG mode the mute and function LEDs will blink To exit CONFIG mode click either the MUTE or FUNCTION button USER GUIDE 109 ...

Page 119: ...mode press and hold pattern step button 1 then turn the control knob you wish to set The channel of the knob will be displayed on the LED display You can set the channel from the range 1 to 16 for either port 1 or port 2 or tr To have the knob channel and controller change according to the selected track rotate the knob all the way clockwise until the LED display shows tr If you just want to view ...

Page 120: ...be displayed on the LED display You can set the controller number from the range 0 to 127 If you just want to view the current controller assigned to a knob without changing it while holding pattern step button 2 press and hold the track select button corresponding to the controller knob that you wish to view When the MIDI channel for a knob is set to tr track the controller number is specific to ...

Page 121: ... MIDI system exclusive messages for backup transfer and storage To dump the entire machine while in GLOBAL CONFIG MODE click the SYSEX pattern step 8 button The machine state will be sent immediately USER GUIDE 112 NOTE To reload a system exclusive dump into ENGINE replay the MIDI file into Engine All data will be overwritten immediately ...

Page 122: ...ill be displayed on the LED display Changing the CV mode takes effect immediately OFF Off CV Gate is not used default 8 tracks 8 tr Each track has a dedicated pair of CV Gate outputs 4 synths 4syn Four synth tracks will use 4 CV Gate outputs for expanded control 1 drum 1 dr One drum track will use all 8 output pairs using one pair for each of the eight drum instruments in a single pattern 6 contro...

Page 123: ...nth type patterns the outputs produce CV and Gate signals that correspond to the programmed pattern using pitch slot 1 for each step For drum type patterns the output is tied to the EXT drum instrument The outputs produce a trigger from the GATE TRIG output and an accent trigger from the CV VEL output USER GUIDE 114 ...

Page 124: ...ir The second output pair generates an accent trigger on GATE TRIG and a variable velocity voltage on CV VEL For drum type patterns the outputs are tied to the EXT and BD drum instruments The outputs produce triggers from the GATE TRIG outputs and accent triggers from the CV VEL outputs To select the four assigned tracks when setting CV MODE to 4Syn click the track select buttons to turn on off fo...

Page 125: ...ate output pair The outputs produce triggers from the GATE TRIG outputs and accent triggers from the CV VEL outputs For synth type patterns only the first CV Gate pair will be used to produce CV and Gate signals It is not recommended to use this mode for a synth type pattern To select the assigned track when setting CV MODE to 1 dr click the track select buttons USER GUIDE 116 ...

Page 126: ...b 2 CV OUTPUT 3 Control voltage corresponding to control knob 3 CV OUTPUT 4 Control voltage corresponding to control knob 4 CV OUTPUT 5 Control voltage corresponding to control knob 5 CV OUTPUT 6 Control voltage corresponding to control knob 6 CV OUTPUT 7 Control voltage corresponding to tempo knob CV OUTPUT 8 Clock signal pulse compatible with Volca sync GATE OUTPUT 1 24 PPQN Twenty four pulses p...

Page 127: ...MIDI input setting while in CONFIG mode press and hold the INPUT CHAN step 10 button Rotate control knob 1 to change the MIDI input channel The current MIDI input setting will be shown on the LED display while holding the INPUT CHAN button Ch X MIDI channel 1 to 16 static setting for the incoming MIDI channel to use OMNI Use MIDI messages coming in from any channel Tr Dynamically changes the MIDI ...

Page 128: ...e available settings are To change the MIDI thru setting while in CONFIG mode press and hold the INPUT CHAN step 10 button Rotate control knob 2 to change the MIDI thru The current MIDI thru setting will be shown on the LED display OFF default MIDI input is not echoed to any outputs P1 MIDI input is echoed to MIDI OUTPUT 1 only P2 MIDI input is echoed to MIDI OUTPUT 2 only P1P2 MIDI input is echoe...

Page 129: ...nd hold SYNC SOURCE step 11 button then rotate control knob one to select the desired source The current sync source will be shown on the LED display while holding the SYNC SOURCE button USER GUIDE 120 TIP When syncing to an external clock you can still start the internal clock This allows the sequencer to continue running even if the external clock is lost When the master clock sends a new start ...

Page 130: ...sequencer is stopped MIDI Start and Stop messages will be sent when the sequencer is started or stopped MIDI sync will also be transmitted when Engine is synchronized to an external clock meaning that Engine can be used as a DIN Sync to MIDI clock converter To change the sync output setting while in CONFIG mode press and hold the MIDI SYNC OUT step 12 button then rotate control knob one to select ...

Page 131: ...OT and CONFIG data intact The pattern type for each pattern will be maintained To format all patterns while in GLOBAL CONFIG MODE press and hold FORMAT PATTERNS pattern step 13 then click the SECTION button to confirm the operation WARNING This operation cannot be undone USER GUIDE 122 NOTE To erase all memory including TRACKS SNAPSHOTS SONGS and CONFIG use the FACTORY RESET function ...

Page 132: ... means USB MIDI is not active USB MIDI only uses MIDI output port 1 to assign a track to output USB MIDI make sure that it is using output port 1 in the MIDI CHANNEL settings When USB MIDI is enabled the hardware DIN MIDI input jack is not used The DIN MIDI output jacks will continue to output MIDI even when USB MIDI is enabled USER GUIDE 123 NOTE Engine is a USB device which means that it must be...

Page 133: ...the dim LEDs are according to your own preference To adjust the LED brightness in CONFIG mode press and hold pattern step button 15 All of the various LEDs will light to show the current brightness Half of the pattern steps will light at full brightness while the other half light dimly To adjust the relative brightness of all LEDS rotate control knob 1 The current LED brightness level will be show...

Page 134: ...nd hold pattern step button 16 The current version number will be displayed on the LED display Periodically new versions of the Engine firmware will be released to add new features and fix bugs If the version displayed is less than the current version it is recommended to update to the latest version USER GUIDE 125 ...

Page 135: ...r example on the Elektron TM 1 MIDI interface press the TURBO button After successful negotiation Engine will use TurboMIDI speed for all communications on MIDI input and MIDI output 1 You can see the current status of TurboMIDI in CONFIG mode by checking the TIME LED To force TurboMIDI to disable you can click the TIME button while in CONFIG mode TurboMIDI will also be disabled when rebooting Eng...

Page 136: ...lity to automatic mode by pressing the AUTO mode button in the update utility After installing the update utility and loading the OS hex file you will need to connect Engine to your PC using the included USB cable With the Engine connected to your PC you will now boot in update mode To do this press and hold both the SECTION button and the RECORD button while turning on the machine You should see ...

Page 137: ...ing system or in the unlikely event that memory becomes corrupted It is also useful when starting from scratch to initialize the machine to a known state To reset the machine press and hold both FUNCTION and MUTE while powering on the machine The LED display should briefly show init as memory is initialized The machine will continue to boot normally after initialization USER GUIDE 128 ...

Page 138: ... output is buffered for circuit protection The range for the CV outputs is 3V DC to 7V DC notes C0 C10 The GATE outputs are 0 to 10V DC INSTALLING THE CV EXPANSION BOARD To install the CV expansion first power off and unplug Engine Next you will need to remove the two hex screws holding the blanking panel in place over the expansion port After removing the blanking panel you will see a 10 pin conn...

Page 139: ...ntion to the connector orientation there is an orientation key on both the ribbon connector and the header After plugging in the ribbon cable carefully slide the CV expansion board into the Engine chassis The mounting holes of the expansion panel should meet up with the threaded holes Replace and tighten the hex screws to hold the expansion board in place USER GUIDE 130 ...

Page 140: ... output triggers and accent triggers from the corresponding CV Gate pair SYNTH TYPE PATTERNS In 8 track CV mode synth type patterns will output a monophonic control voltage and gate signal The CV output ranges from 3V DC to 7V DC according to the programmed notes of the pattern The Gate output is a 10V signal that is held high for the duration of the programmed note length In 4 Synth CV mode two C...

Page 141: ...MIDI clock to DIN Sync in this mode It can be configured to accept incoming MIDI from USB or DIN MIDI In CV converter mode there are a few options that can be selected to control the conversion ENABLING CV CONVERTER MODE To run Engine as a dedicated CV converter box you must boot Engine while holding down the UTILITY button The LED display will show COnv to indicate converter mode is active USER G...

Page 142: ...g any buttons The sequencer mode will start normally SELECTING USB OR DIN MIDI INPUT You can receive incoming MIDI from USB MIDI or DIN MIDI You cannot receive from both inputs at the same time To turn USB MIDI on click the USB MIDI step 14 button The LED will light to indicate that USB MIDI input is active USER GUIDE 133 ...

Page 143: ...location method to play up to eight notes This can be useful for playing chords on analog synthesizers that have multiple oscillators To turn polyphonic mode on or off click the CHORD accent button Polyphonic mode is indicated by a lit CHORD LED When in polyphonic mode the MIDI channel assigned to conversion channel 1 is used for all eight CV Gate outputs Slide is not used in polyphonic conversion...

Page 144: ...RACK button that corresponds to the CV Gate pair For example to change the MIDI channel for CV Gate output 3 press and hold the TRACK 3 button To change the MIDI channel while holding the track button rotate control knob 1 The current MIDI channel will be displayed on the LED display USER GUIDE 135 TIP You can set multiple conversion channels to the same MIDI channel to control multiple monophonic...

Page 145: ...ce a smooth slide on the CV output and the GATE will not be retriggered When slide is not enabled CV pitch will change instantly but the GATE will still not be retriggered To enable slide for a track press and hold the track button that corresponds to the CV Gate pair Then click the SLIDE button to enable hardware slide Click again to disable slide USER GUIDE 136 ...

Page 146: ...nge of different analog devices Each of the eight tracks can have a different setting for CV MODE The available modes are To set the CV MODE for a track press and hold the track button you wish to configure Rotate control knob 2 to select the desired mode The current CV Gate output mode will be shown on the LED display USER GUIDE 137 NOTE The CV MODE can only be set when the CV Gate expansion boar...

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