D16 Group Nepheton User manual

User Manual
Drum Machine

1
Overview •Interface
Overview
Interface
Nepheton’s interface is split into two parts:
 • Internal Sequencer – Responsible for editing patterns in Int.Seq. mode.
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Internal sequencer section

2
 • Synthesis Module – This part is designed for a controlling the sound synthesis.
 • Control Module – Used for Nepheton presets, patterns and settings management.
Work modes
Nepheton works in two modes:
 • Internal – The drum patterns are played using Nepheton’s internal sequencer.
 • External – Nepheton acts as a sound module playing drum sounds. Patterns are played by sending Midi notes
from host sequencer.
Note: Drum
sound mapping
is compatible
with General
Midi Standard.
However,
mapping can be
changed by user.
Synthesis section
1
Overview •Interface

3
Audio outputs
Nephetonisamulti-outputVSTiplug-in.Ithas12stereo(ormono–congurable)outs.Instrumentscanbefreely
mapped to each of those available outputs according to their individual volumes setting.
By the default, outputs are set to be stereo. That can be changed in a Optionsmenu(describedlater).
WhenNephetonisloaded,the17individualdrumsounds(+1extratriggeroutsounddescribedlater)aremapped
torstoutput.Tochangetheoutputassignment,justclickanddragontheLEDabovethedrumsoundsettings.
Soundscanbemappedtoanyavailableoutput(oneof12).Forexample,theOpenandClosedHiHatscould
beassignedtoasingleoutput2togetherortheClapcouldappearonoutput1etc.Itisfullycongurable.
WhenNephetonisplaying,itispossibletoturnonorturnoffindividualchannels(instruments)usingtheMute / Solo
LEDswitches:
These stop the triggering of the instruments but allow the sounds to play until the end of the envelope. This stops
a rapid cut in the sound making the transition sound more natural.
Note: Being
able to change
the above settings
may depend
on the host
sequencer.
Audio outputs conguration
Mute, solo switches
1
Overview •Audio outputs

4
Preset management
Alltheparametersettings(level,tuning,decayetc)foracompleteNephetondrumkitarestoredinaPreset.Nepheton
can store a total of 128 presets.
The Preset browser tool is provided to simplify the organisation and use of Presets. The Preset section on GUI is used
for navigation through the preset bank. To read more about preset management go to chapter Preset Management.
Sound parameters
1
Overview •Preset management

5
Play modes
External sequencer mode
ClickingtheInt.Seq. diode in the Sequencer Settings box will switch it off:
Nephetonwillnowactasasoundmodule.MIDINotescorrespondingtotheInstrument(drumsound)notenumbers
are sent from the host sequencer to play drum patterns. The mapping follows the General Midi standard – it is possible
to change mapping.
Note velocity is used to determine how loud notes are played.
 • 48–Correspondstothenon-accentedstep.
 • 96–Correspondstoaccentedstep.
 • 127–Correspondstostepwithtotalaccentset.
In External mode, only the controls from Synthesis module and Control module functions work.
Sequencer settings
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Play modes •External sequencer mode

6
Internal sequencer
Internal Sequencer mode allows Nepheton to act as a fully functioning drum machine within the host sequencer.
Pressing Play on the host sequencer, or Start on Nepheton, will start play back of the default internal patterns.
Nepheton can be set to synchronize perfectly to the host tempo (by setting the Int.Sync.ledtooff)ortoplaytoitsown
tempo (set by turning the Int.Sync.ledon).
Withinternalsynchronizationturnedon,eachoftheinternalpatternshasitsownTempovalue,whichcanbeadjusted
by tweaking the Tempoknob(OnlyinthePattern Writemode,describedlater):
Start, stop buttons
Note: If a pattern
is started using
the Nepheton’s
Start button
and the host
sequencer has not
been started then,
playback can only
be stopped using
the Stop button
on Nepheton.
Sequencer settings
Tempo knob
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Play modes •Internal sequencer

7
Internal pattern storage
There are two internal Play modes:
 • Native mode – Available when the Host modeLEDisturnedoff:
 • Host mode–WhenthisLEDisturnedon.
Eachofthesemodeshasitsownpatternstoragesystem.
Native mode
Nephetonisinthismodewhenitisrstloaded.
Thereare16availablepatterns.Eachpatterniscomprisedof4parts.Eachpartcanbeupto16stepsinlength(that
is,anysizefrom0to16steps).Thepartshavenames:A1,A2,B1,B2.Eachcompletepatterncorrespondstoone
of the Step buttons:
Sequencer settings
Step buttons
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Play modes •Internal pattern storage

8
Therst12patternsarecalledRegular patterns.Theremaining4patternsareFill In patterns. When a Regular
patternisselected,theLEDaboveitwillash.WhenaFill in patternisselected,theLEDwillstaylit.
Pressing the Start button will cause the chosen Regular pattern to play.
The Measures auto ll in knob:
The default setting is Man.(Manual).Toplaythell-inpattern,theTap button is used. After pressing the Tap button,
the currently playing Regular pattern will play to the end and then chosen Fill in patternwillplay.Whenitnishes,
the Regular pattern plays again continuously.
Setting the Measures auto ll in knob to any of the other values will cause the Regular pattern and Fill in pattern
toplayinacycle.Forexample,settingthevalueto16willcausetheRegular pattern to repeat 15 times and then play
the Fill in pattern. The cycle will then repeat. The Total length of the cycle corresponds to the selected knob value.
Measures auto ll in knob
Fill in button
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Play modes •Internal pattern storage

9
As mentioned earlier, every Regular patterniscomprisedof4parts.TheBasic variation switch determines how
the parts are played within the pattern.
There are 3 possible settings:
 • Position A – Parts A1 and A2 (if exists – that is if the length of A2isgreaterthan0)areplayed.
 • Position B – Parts B1 and B2 (if exists – that is if the length of B2isgreaterthan0)areplayed.
 • Position AB – Parts A1, A2, B1 and B2 are played.
Play mode of the Fill in patterns is set by I/F Variation switch:
Fill in patterns consist of A1, A2, B1, B2 parts. The I/F Variation determine which play.
Basic variation switch
I/F variation switch
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Play modes •Internal pattern storage

10
Example 1: Basic Variation switch = A, I/F Variation switch = B, Measures auto ll in knob = 4.WithLengthA2 set to 0,
the following sequence will be played:
 • Regular–A1
 • Regular–A1
 • Regular–A1
 • Fillin–B1
If the length of A2 was greater than zero, then the pattern would be played back as follows:
 • Regular–A1+A2
 • Regular–A1+A2
 • Regular–A1+A2
 • Fillin–B1
Example 2: Both Regular pattern and Fill in patternhaveall4partslled.Basic variation switch = AB, I/F Variation
switch = A, Measures auto ll in knob = 4.Followingsequencewillbeplayed:
 • Regular–A1
 • Regular–A2
 • Regular–B1
 • Regular–B2
 • Regular–A1
 • Regular–A2
 • Fillin–A1
 • Fillin–A2
Note: The cycle
is A B A Fill A =
a total of 4parts
in cycle. If the
Measures auto ll
in knob is set to
12 in the example
above, then the
following pattern
would play: A B
A B A B A B A B
A Fill A = a total
of 12 in cycle.
Note: For the
purposes of the
cycle and ll in; A
= A1 + A2, B = B1
+ B2, Fill A = Fill
A1 + Fill A2, Fill B
= Fill B1 + Fill B2.
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Play modes •Internal pattern storage

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Currentlyplayingpatternisshownbythepatternnumberinthedisplayboxwiththepatternnamebelowit:
BlinkingLEDonStep buttonsmarkthepatternposition.ThePartLED’scombinedwiththeBasic variation switch
indicate the part.
StatesoftheseLEDsgiveusall4possiblepairs:A1, A2, B1 and B2.
When Nepheton is stopped in Native mode, the Tap button allows the selection of Regular patterns or Fill-in patterns
(shownbyablinkingLEDincorrespondingsectiononthechosenstepbutton).IftheblinkingLEDisintheRegular
pattern area, then the chosen pattern will start to play when Startispressed.IftheblinkingLEDisintheFill-in pattern
area,thenwhenplayisstartedthechosenFill-inpatternwillplayfollowedbytheregularpattern.
Pattern number and name
Basic variation switch Part indication
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Play modes •Internal pattern storage

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Host mode
In Host mode,patternsaretriggeredusingaMIDIkeyboard.ANote on causes the corresponding pattern to play.
This mode is recommended for creating drum line arrangement in host application. Releasing the key and sending
a Note off will eventually stop the pattern. It depends on whether the Note Off Mode Stateissetincongurational
panel is checked. To change Note Off ModeopencongurationalwindowbyclickingOptions button:
Go to Sequencer tab and check or uncheck the Note Off Mode State checkbox in Current Settings group.
The pattern will play back at the tempo of the host sequencer (if internal sync turned off – Int.Sync.)oratthetempo
which Nepheton’s Tempofunctionissetto(ifusinginternalsync).Thishappenswhileakeyispressedandheld.
This is a very creative mode which, by recording the notes into the host sequencer, can allow very complex percussion
structures to be created using patterns in Nepheton’s internal pattern memory.
It should be noted that in Host mode the Start, Stop and Step buttons on Nepheton don’t function. Patterns are only
playedbackwhileakeyonaconnectedmidikeyboardispressed(andheld).
Note: In this
mode the pattern
structure is quite
different. They
don’t consist
of parts anymore.
They’re just
Simple patterns
with maximum
16 steps. They’re
mapped to
Midi keyboard
as notes: C-1
to B-8. That is,
96 patterns.
Options button
2
Play modes •Internal pattern storage

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In this mode, currently playing pattern is indicated by display unit:
in format:
P.[TONENAME][–or#][OCTAVENUMBER]
NephetonhaspermanentlyactiveMidioutput,whichallowstocontrolexternalinstrument(virtualorhardware)
by Nepheton’s internal sequencer. It works either in Native or Host mode. Plug-in sends a midi note codes accordingly
tothecurrentdrummapcongurationtoitsMidioutput.VelocityvaluesofMidinotessentbyNephetonare
calculated on a basis of Step attributes(accentedornon-accented)andvalueofGlobal accent.
When you set the Nepheton into Externalmode,itjustpassesMidinotesthroughitselfunchanged.Sobasically
the same notes you redirect into a plug-in you will get on the Midi output.
Pattern number and name
2
Play modes •Internal pattern storage

14
Sound editing
Synthesis module is for sound editing in Nepheton:
There are various parameter settings for the 17 drum sounds:
 • BassDrum
 • SnareDrum
 • LowConga
 • MidConga
 • HighConga
 • LowTom
Synthesis section
3
Sound editing

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 • MidTom
 • HighTom
 • Claves
 • RimShot
 • Maracas
 • HandClap
 • CowBell
 • LaserGun
 • Cymbal
 • OpenHihat
 • ClosedHihat
Foreachinstrumentthereisonecommonparameter:
 • Level – Volume level of each instrument.
Andvariousinstrumentspecicparameters:
 • BassDrum:
– Tone – Volume of the initial click.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
– Sweep – Release time of frequency envelope.
 • SnareDrum:
– Tone–Crossfadebetweenaudibleoneandtwooscillators.
– Decay – Noise amplitude release time.
– Snappy–Crossfadebetweennoisyandmuddysound.
3
Sound editing

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 • LowConga,MidConga,HighConga:
– Tunning – Base frequency.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
 • LowTom,MidTom,HighTom:
– Tunning – Base frequency.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
– Snappy–Crossfadebetweendirtyandcleansound.
 • Claves:
– Tunning – Base frequency.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
 • RimShot:
– Tunning – Base frequency.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
 • Maracas:
– Tone – Noise color.
 • HandClap:
– Tone–Filter’scutofffrequency.
– Reverb – Reverb’s decay time.
 • CowBell:
– Tunning – Base frequency.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
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Sound editing

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 • LaserGun:
– Depth–Frequencyenvelopemodulation.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
– Sweep – Release time of frequency envelope.
 • Cymbal:
– Tone – Attack.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
 • OpenHihat,ClosedHihat:
– Tone – Noise colour.
– Decay – Amplitude release time.
– HH Frq – Base frequency for a square oscillators, which are used to generate the noise sound.
Trigger out
There’s possible to make audible a trigger sound, which occurs in analogue machines. By default this signal is off. To turn
itonyouneedtodecidewhichtrack(instrument)willbetriggeringthissound.Checkoutfurtherchaptersforthedetails.
Master volume
To change the Master volumejusttweaktheMaster volume knob:
Master volume knob
3
Sound editing •Trigger out •Master volume

18
Drumline editing
Pattern editing
To edit the currently selected pattern, press the Patt.Write button (it’s not necessary in Host mode, since Pattern
writeistheonlypossiblemodethere).
To edit another pattern other than the current one playing, use the Prev and Next buttons. The playing pattern won’t
change but the edited pattern will be the newly selected one.
To choose which pattern part to edit (A1, A2, B1, B2),usetheEdit part buttons:
Pattern write button
Edit part buttons
Note: Make
sure the length
of a pattern
is greater than
0 or it cannot be
edited (see later).
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Drumline editing •Pattern editing

19
Everypatternconsists18tracks,oneforeachinstrument+accent.
The parts are edited using the Step buttons:
These keys work in toggle mode and for most instruments have 3 states:
 • Accented–LEDon,thekeylightswithabrightredcolor.
 • On–LEDon,thekeylightswithdarkerredcolor.
 • Off–LEDisoff
Themaindifferencebetweenanon-accentedandaccentedsoundisthevolume.However,accentalsocausessubtle
changes to the sound character in other ways.
The Global accent (AC)trackhaveonlytwopossiblestepvalues:On or Off.
Toselectaninstrument(track)toedit,usetheInstr.Sel. bar below the Step Buttons:
Instrument selector
Step buttons
Instrument selector
4
Drumline editing •Pattern editing