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