Showing posts with label USB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USB. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 October 2021

The MPE QuNexus sequencer with modular synths

 The New firmware greatly expands of the capabilities of this keyboard

I bought my black controller nearly 10 years ago and Keith is still updating them.
The new red version has the keys labeled differently,



It's now a powerful 25-key MPE keyboard controller and three track Arpeggiator/Step Sequencer.
 Each track can control different instruments, arpeggiate, and play step patterns up to 32 steps in length.
What's MPE?
MIDI Polyphonic Expression. or Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression.
 
It was largely popularised by ROLI , the LinnStrument and the Haken Continuum

It's allows more acoustic like controls from your instruments
allowing more modulation of individual notes.

This is done by sending/receiving additional control messages along with each note. An MPE controller will transmit multiple ‘dimensions’ of expression alongside each note’s pitch 
It's not actually new as it uses tech that has existed when MIDI was first created in the 1980s.
 
 The MIDI protocol uses 16 channels.
A standard MIDI keyboard usually uses just one of these. 
A MPE controller can use all 16 on a per note basis. Each note can have its own MIDI channel
and have the equivalent of a pitch,modulation wheel & aftertouch..

The QuNexus keyboard has two dimensions (Tilt and Pressure) that can be configured to send these messages, and the MPE factory preset (Preset C) defaults to Tilt as CC74, and Pressure as Chanel Aftertouch
 
 For more info 
 
 
 Back to connecting to a synth.
These are some basic notes to get you started.
The power is supplied via the right USB connector (marked MIDI expander).
 
There are 2 CV output ports on the left side of the QuNexus and 1 CV input port on the right side.
I found one of these cables works fine.
photo*

Outputs

The two outputs are
3,5mm (1/8”) stereo plugs that you need to split to dual 3.5mm (1/8”) mono plugs
Output 1 is a Gate1/CV1
Output 2 is for CV 2 & CV3
 
The default routings for factory preset A (Basic 2.0) are:
Gate - Track 1 - Note Ons and Offs. Note Ons are expressed as 5 volts.
CV1 - Track 1 - Note Pitch
CV2 - Track 2 - Note ons and Offs. Note Ons are expressed as 5 volts.
CV3 - Track 2 - Note Pitch

Inputs

The input jack on the right is a stereo jack. 

It receives data from the 2 CV inputs and converts them to MIDI messages:
CV1 - CC#112
CV2 - CC#113
 

Sequencer

To turn on a track’s step sequencer, 
1. hold shift and press “Sequence”.
 
2.  While still holding shift, press
     “Rec” and then let go of shift.
     You are now in Step Input record mode. Each note that you play on the
      keyboard will be entered sequentially into the step pattern
 
 2a .Add/delete rests, ties
      To enter a Rest, hold Shift and press/release the “9/Rest” key.
      To enter a Tie, hold shift and press/release the “10/Tie” key
   
 3. To play the sequence
     hold Shift and press/release the “Play” key
 
 4. To stop the sequencer:
    Hold shift & press stop.
 
5. To clear the notes stored in a sequence
    hold Shift and press “Stop/Clear” for 3+ seconds.


 Overdub sequence
While a track is playing, you can overdub or  record notes into its sequence pattern.
Hold Shift and press “Rec” while the sequencer is playing.
 
You can erase notes during overdub recording by holding shift and pressing or holding “9/Rest”.
 This is a really cool way to change your sequence of the fly
 
 

Wednesday, 24 January 2018

USB connections

 THere are lots of different types of USB connectors and jacks.
In the synth world they are used for a wide variety of applications ... from simple power to data transfer

The jacks can be confusing
 
These were the first types
 


B is commonly called a printer USB cable.
A is still the most widely used type of jack. 
 
USB-B micro is commonly found on lots of synths made in the past 5 years 
though it seems to be fading out of popularity in favor of type C
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 This Expert Sleepers FH-1 is a midi host
It uses a Type-A USB connector for MIDI
















This is a 2HP midi module

It uses a USB-B micro socket
The Roland JUo6A boutique synth also uses a USB port: MicroB type for Audio, MIDI.
Older android mobile phones like my Samsung galaxy note 5 used this connector.

 
 THis has the advantage that you can plug your cable any orientation.
Most android mobile phones like my Samsung Galaxy 9 use this type of connector.








Many of these connectors supply power to your module.
It's handy to know what is what

The first two connectors (A + B) had just
four connections.
 
1 = +5V
2 = Data -
3 = Data +
4 = GND

The Mini & Micro cables added a 5th connector called
"ID". This helped distinguish cable ends.

 
 
 
 
So for the Mini/Micro USB A & B
 
1 = +5V
2 = Data -
3 = Data +
4 = ID
5 = GND 


This is the Teenage Enginering OP-z
It uses the Type-C connector

The OP-1 used type B-micro