Artiphon CHORDA User manual

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Chorda User Manual
USER
MANUAL
V1.0.2
CHORDA

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Chorda User Manual
Welcome!
Thank you for choosing Chorda to accompany you on your musical journey! We’re excited
for you to discover the limitless possibilities that Chorda offers. Whether you’re creating
loops on your daily subway commute, unleashing gestural synth magic at your next gig,
or integrating Chorda into your DAW to craft your next studio hit, the opportunities are
boundless.
As you start playing your instrument, you may encounter some questions. Perhaps you’re
wondering how to activate or deactivate the arpeggiator, eager to understand the
meaning behind the mesmerizing flashing lights, or simply looking to adjust the volume to
your liking. Whatever your inquiries may be, you’ve come to the right place — the official
Chorda User Manual.
Here, you’ll find all the guidance you need to unlock the full potential of your new
instrument and make the most of your musical exploration. So let’s dive in and learn
everything there is to know about Chorda!

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Chorda User Manual
CHORDA
BASICS

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Chorda User Manual
Power
Charging Chorda
Chorda can be charged from any power-charging USB port with the included USB-C
cable. Chorda remains fully functional while charging, so you can keep playing even while
you’re juicing up.
Charging Indicators
When you connect your Chorda to a power source, the LED next to the USB-C port will
blink. This signifies that Chorda is actively charging.
Blinking Green
Charging
Solid Green
Fully-Charged
Light Off
Not Charging
Quickly pushing the power button illuminates the
fingerboard, revealing Chorda’s current power level.

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Chorda User Manual
Panel and Controls
Volume button Increase and decrease the volume of Chorda’s speaker or
headphone output.
Power button To turn Chorda on or off, press and hold the power button for
more than one second. During startup, Chorda will flash blue,
then red, then green. Pressing the power button for less than
one second reveals your Chorda’s current battery level.
USB-C Port Charge Chorda’s built-in battery and connect your external
hardware devices with the included USB cable.
Headphone/aux out 1/8” audio output for headphones, speakers, or amplifiers.
Speaker 3W active speaker system.
USB-C Port
Headphone/
Aux Out
Power Button
Volume

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Chorda User Manual
The (A) Button
Pressing the (A) button once will sequentially cycle through each of the four main modes.
But holding the (A) button turns it into a versatile function or menu button, akin to the
shift key on a computer. When you need to access the different features written along
the binding of Chorda (like Record, Play, BPM, Octave), you’ll use the (A) button to do so.
Switch to the next modes
Start in Lead mode and press the (A) button once. Now you’re in Drum
Jump to a new mode
Hold (A), and tap Pad 4 (Chord). No matter where you’ve started, you’ve
“jumped” to Chord mode!
+
HOLD
TAP
TAP

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Chorda User Manual
Functions
1. DRUM
2. BASS
3. CHORD
4. LEAD
5. OCT
6. ARP
7. BPM
8. KEY
9. SONG
10. CLEAR
11. REC
12.
DRUM MODE
Each pad is a different part of a drum kit.
BASS MODE
A monophonic major scale.
CHORD MODE
One-finger chords, all tuned to the same key.
LEAD MODE
A pentatonic scale.
CHANGE OCTAVE
Press (A) + Octave to enable Octave Change. Tap up on the bridge (4-6) or
down (1-3) to change your octave up.
ARPEGGIATOR ON/OFF
Press A + Arp to turn on and off the arpeggiator.
BEATS PER MINUTE (BPM)
Hold (A), then tap your desired tempo to speed up or slow down your
song.
KEY CHANGE
Press (A) + Key, then tap up on the bridge (4-6) or down on the bridge (1-3) to
change your key up or down.
SONG SELECTION
Songs are automatically saved, and the Song menu lets you cycle
between them with the < > arrows.
CLEAR LOOPS + SONGS
Hold (A) + Clear for about one second to erase the music you recorded on your current part.
A two second hold will seconds to erase a single part, and a four second-hold will erase all loops.
RECORD/STOP RECORDING
Press (A) + Record to begin recording a loop. Chorda won’t start recording until you play your first note.
Press again to stop recording, which will close the loop, but continue playing from the start.
PLAY/PAUSE
Press (A) + Play or pause your creation without having to record.
This is also how you’ll stop the looper after you’ve started recording.

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Chorda User Manual
Function Cheat Sheet
Function Combination
Switch to Drum A + Pad 1 (DRUM)
Switch to Bass A + Pad 2 (BASS)
Switch to Chord A + Pad 3 (CHORD)
Switch to Lead A + Pad 4 (LEAD)
Change Preset While holding A, press Pad 1-4 then press Bridge up or down to change
to the next or previous preset for that Mode.
Change Song While holding A, press Pad 9 (SONG) then press Bridge up or down to
change to the next or previous Song.
Toggle Arp on/off A + Pad 6 (ARP)
Record A + Pad 11 (REC)
Close a loop after-
recording A
Stop recording A + Pad 11 (REC)
Play/pause loop A + Pad 12 (Play/Pause)
Restart playback
from beginning of
loop
Hold A + Pad 12 (Play/Pause) for 2 seconds.
Clear the loop on
the current mode Hold + Pad 10 (CLEAR) for 2 seconds.
Clear all loops Hold + Pad 10 (CLEAR) for 4 seconds.
Change BPM While holding A, press Pad 7 (BPM) then press Bridge up or down to
adjust tempo. Or tap out your tempo by holding A and tapping Pad 7
(BPM).
Octave up While holding A, press Pad 5 (OCT) then press Bridge up.
Octave down While holding A, press Pad 5 (OCT) then press Bridge down.
Change volume
of selected part While holding A, volume up or down.

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Chorda User Manual
MODES
DRUMS
In Drum mode, Pad 1 generally produces a kick sound, and Pad 2 typically produces a
snare sound. However, various presets offer unique sounds for each pad. Explore all 12
pads to discover the diverse sounds available.
The drums are responsive to velocity, meaning they react to the intensity of your taps.
This mimics the way a traditional drum’s tone and volume change with harder or soft-
er hits. Additionally, the sounds are affecetd by how long you keep your finger on each
pad. Experiment by holding your finger on a cymbal to shorten the sound or tapping and
quickly releasing on a tom for a prolonged decay.
Strumming the bridge or tapping on individual bridge triggers repeats the last sound
played on the pads. This feature makes it easy to create drum rolls and add rhythmic
embellishments to your performance.
Try switching drum sounds:
Hold the A button, tap Pad 1 - Drum, tap up or down on the bridge,
then release the A button.
+
HOLD TAP
TAP
+

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Chorda User Manual
BASS
Chorda’s Bass mode is monophonic, meaning only the most recent note plays at a
given time (this is called “last-note priority” in synth-speak). In the default Chorda
Song, Bass Mode is tuned to a C major diatonic scale.
The Bridge gives you access to six different intervals based on the root chord of the
pad being pressed. Hold down a pad and strum the Bridge to fire off an arpeggio or
press individual triggers to add complexity and nuance to your bassline.
MODES

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Chorda User Manual
CHORD
In Chord mode, each of Chorda’s pads triggers multiple notes simultaneously to form
a chord, always tuned to the key of the song.
Chords are a fun way to explore song structures, creating new ideas quickly. Like
Bass, Chord mode is very responsive to Chorda’s gestures like Tilt and Radiate. While
pressing a pad plays all notes in a chord simultaneously, you can press individual
bridge triggers to play individual notes.
MODES

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Chorda User Manual
LEAD
Lead is a polyphonic mode (meaning you can play multiple notes simultaneously). By
default, the pads are tuned to a C Pentatonic Major scale. Every note you play on
Chorda is always in the right key, so don’t be afraid to let loose and experiment ––
you’ll always sound great.
The bridge triggers in Lead mode automatically load a chord based on the pad
you’re currently pressing. This lets you introduce harmonies, arpeggios, and even full
chord strums to your Lead performance.
MODES

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Chorda User Manual
A preset is a combination of your synth, samples, tuning, gestures, and effects. There are
dozens of presets in each of the four modes: Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead.
Some presets are based on traditional insturments, like electric pianos, and vibraphones.
Others are more experimental, like abstract synth sounds and meditative pads.
Changing Presets without the App
To change Preset, hold the A button, press the Pad of the Mode you’d like to change the
Preset for, press Bridge up or down, then release the A button.
Changing Presets with the App
Using the Artiphon Connect app, you can browse all of the presets available. See the
Artiphon Connect App section for more.
Presets
1. Press the A button 2. Press Drum, Bass, Chord, or
Lead – whichever mode you’re in.
BASS
3. Slide up or down
on the bridge.

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Chorda User Manual
Gestures
Touch Gestures
Tap
Tap your finger on a Pad or on the Bridge. Chorda is velocity-sensitive, so the harder
you Tap, the louder the sound. Sometimes, velocity controls other sound parameters,
too, like filter cutoff.
MIDI Message: Note On/Off
Vibrato
Press and wiggle your finger horizontally any pad. Vibrato produces a change in
pitch. The range of pitch can be adjusted with the Pitch Bend Scaling setting in the
Artiphon Connect App.
MIDI Message: Pitch Bend
Press
Tap and hold your finger on a pad with varying levels of intensity. Unlike Tap, which
responds to how hard to tap, Press is engaged by adjusting the surface area your
finger covers. The more you spread your finger, the more Press is activated. Applying
sustained pressure while pressing can modulate effects on Chorda’s synth.
MIDI Message: Channel Pressure

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Chorda User Manual
Radiate
Press and move your finger across a Pad (width-wise across Chorda’s body). Radiate
lets you morph the sound in different ways, so always try it out when loading a new
Preset. When using it with Chorda’s internal synthesizer it may be affecting volume,
envelopes, or others effects.
MIDI Message: CC#74 (Brightness)
Motion Gestures
Tilt
Tilt Chorda horizontally or vertically to enhance your sound with effects. Tilt serves
as Chorda’s equivalent of the mod wheel found on traditional synthesizers. Given
that the Mod Wheel is a widely used MIDI effect, Tilt automatically integrates with
most software synths and apps.
MIDI Message: CC #1 (Mod Wheel)
Tilt works differently whether Chorda is flat on a table, or held like a guitar. In the
tabletop position, a forward “roll” where the play surface moves away from you will
engage the Tilt effect. In guitar, an up and down motion, where the speaker is raised
and lowered, engages the same effect.
Tilt in guitar position Tilt in tabletop position

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Chorda User Manual
Move
Move Chorda in space to modulate sounds and effects. This gesture requires map-
ping in the DAW of your choice, like Logic Pro or Ableton Live.
MIDI Message: CC #113
Shake
Shake Chorda back and forth. This gesture only works in Drum mode.
MIDI Message: MIDI note 69 and CC#2
Bump
Tap Chorda on its side. This gesture only works in Drum mode.
MIDI Message: MIDI note 39

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Chorda User Manual
THE
ARTIPHON
CONNECT
APP

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Chorda User Manual
The Artiphon Connect App allows you to take your Chorda (and Orba 2) playing even
further. With it, you can customize your instrument in a variety of ways, including:
• Changing Chorda’s key and tempo
• Browse the full library of presets
• Update firmware, ensuring you’ve got the latest and greatest features enabled on
your instrument.
• Use on-screen UI elements, instead of the on-device functions. This is especially
helpful for many people with limited dexterity.
• Add and modify effects like reverb and delay
• Save your songs, and share them with friends
The Artiphon Connect app is available at artiphon.com/downloads.
The Artiphon Connect App

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Chorda User Manual
Connecting
Connecting via USB
We recommend a cabled connection for your first time using the app, as firmware
gets updated regularly.
1. To connect via USB: connect Chorda using the included USB-C to USB-A cable to
your computer.
2. Computers with USB-C inputs will require a USB-C to USB-C cable or an adapter.
3. Your Chorda should be instantly connected!
Connecting via Bluetooth
1. Select the Settings cog in the upper right hand corner of the app.
2. Select Bluetooth, rather than USB.
3. Choose Chorda from the device window that follows. If you don’t see Chorda in
the list of available devices make sure that Chorda is turned on and within range of
your computer.

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Chorda User Manual
Connecting without the Artiphon Appt
You can also connect via Bluetooth without the Artiphon Conect App.
1. Open Audio MIDI Setup on your Mac. This is found in the Utilities folder. You can also
use the keyboard shortcut Command + Space. Type “Audio MIDI Setup” to find the
program.
2. Open the Window drop-down in Audio MIDI Setup and select Show MIDI Studio, or
use the keyboard shortcut Command+2.
3. Select the Configure Bluetooth icon from the header window.
4. Select Chorda from the list of available devices. If you don’t see Chorda on the list,
make sure you have it turned on and in range.