ISLA Instruments KordBot User manual

KORDBOT USERS GUIDE
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INSTANT GRATIFICATION 4
PLAY MODES 6
KEY + MOD 7
DIATONIC MODE 8
DIATONIC STRUM 10
POLYPHONIC KEYS 10
COMMON FUNCTIONS 12
PUSH/TURN CHANGES 13
SETTINGS 15
MIDI SETUP
MOD KEYS/NOTE KEYS/MEM KEYS
FOOT CONTROLLER CONFIGURATION
EXPRESSION PEDAL/FOOT SWITCH
ARPEGGIO BUILDER 17
PATTERNS 20
SCALE BUILDER 21
DIATONIC PROGRESSION EDITING 22
DIATONIC THEORY 23
SCALES 24
CHORDS 25
DIATONIC PROGRESSIONS 25
FILE MANAGER 27
MOUNTING AND UNMOUNTING
FORMATTING
CREATE SYSTEM CARD
SAVE / LOAD SYSTEM DATA 28
MIDI
MIDI CC VALUES 29
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INSTANT GRATIFICATION
It’s always nice to be able to check something out without needing to read a manual, or struggle at all so here is a
quick start guide for jumping right into the KordBot in order to check it out right away and get a basic sense of what
it’s capable of.
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1. Connect the AC power supply, or the USB cable to either a USB/Power adapter or your computer and power up
the unit. It takes a moment to boot, so don’t panic. It’s not broken.
2. Connect a midi cable out of the KordBot into the synth you’d like to play, or if you’re using software in a DAW
then just boot your machine and load up your software.
3. By default KordBot starts off on MIDI channel 1, so make sure your destination synth is receiving on channel 1
4. Enter PLAY MODE by holding down ENCODER A (the first knob, top row, beside the screen) and you will be
presented with KEY+MOD play mode Here you can use the encoders to play chords, and explore the
arpeggiator to your heart’s content.
5. Switch modes by holding the ALT button and selecting your mode with the fn (FUNCTION) buttons. Choose
between KEY + MOD Mode (chords and arpeggios), DIATONIC MODE (scales and chords of a guitar or string
instrument), DIATONIC STRUM MODE (diatonic mode with a strum feature using the ribbon style strum strip)
and POLYPHONIC MODE (standard keyboard controller mode.)
6. Choose a scale using one of the 32 SCALE buttons
7. Play keys on the keyboard and explore.
Be sure and take a look at the functions available on the screen. Each main function corresponds with the encoders
on the KordBot and can be adjusted and set however you like best. These functions are editable and customizable to
do whatever you’d like them to do (more about that later) but while you’re getting to know the KordBot it’s a good idea
to mess around with the arp note length, hold, and the other immediate functions of whichever mode you’re in. These
settings can all be saved and recalled to make the KordBot useful in more than one situation, and in more than one
way.
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PLAY MODES
POWER UP
When powering up the KordBot the home screen is presented. Here the operation mode is selected. Choose which
section you would like to use by either scrolling Encoder A, or using the left and right arrow keys. Select the section
by pressing Encoder A.
PERFORMANCE MODE
This is where you play the KordBot as an instrument. Using the KordBot as a midi controller, creating
scales and arpeggios and strums
SEQUENCER MODE
Not implemented in the current version of the firmware (3.08.00 BETA) but will soon offer an onboard
sequencer for internal phrases and patterns within the KordBot.
FILE MANAGER
This is the section for saving and loading your files to SD card
SETTINGS
This is the section for MIDI SETTINGS, CHORD BUILDER, ARPEGGIO BUILDER, SCALE BUILDER,
PEDAL and FOOT CONTROL.
ABOUT
This is a scrolling credits section with acknowledgements and information all about the KordBot
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PLAY MODES
There are 4 play modes available with the current KordBot firmware: KEY + MOD, DIATONIC MODE, DIATONIC
STRUM and POLYPHONIC KEYS.
These modes allow you the freedom to configure and use the KordBot in many ways, from live performance to studio
recording and anything between. Each mode has configuration options to allow you to tailor your workflow to
whatever suits you best. Plus, the system can be saved, so you can store and retrieve configurations at your leisure.
Each mode has a common graphical interface. There are 8 encoder rotary position indicators in the center of the
screen. The functions available by pushing the encoder switch are shown at the top of the screen. Finally, there is a
hot-key menu and a status grid at the bottom of the screen.
The 8 “push” functions and the 8 “rotary” functions can be assigned to various KordBot control functions as well as all
MIDI Continuous Controller (MIDI CC) functions.
The available MIDI CC control subset for the encoder push functions are limited to MIDI CC messages which were
designed for two-state conditions, such as toggling Portamento on or off. See the list of supported MIDI CC functions
in the MIDI section of this manual for more information.
KEY + MOD
Key + MOD mode uses the pre-programmed chord modifier keys in conjunction with the NOTE keys of the piano
style keyboard (see “Parts Of The KordBot on page X-Y). Pressing and holding a NOTE key (for example C) sets the
“root” note. Then, pressing a chord modifier key (for example m7) will cause the KordBot to emit a chord known as a
Cm7 or C minor seventh chord. Like wise pressing a D NOTE key along with the Maj9 chord modifier key will produce
a DMaj9 or D Major 9th chord. Note that the LEDs under the NOTE keys will also light up to show you the notes in
the chord you’ve just played. So for the Cm7 chord, the NOTE keys for C, Eb, G and Bb will light. For D9 you should
see the NOTE keys D, F#, A, C# and E light up. Also, the display will show the note name, octave and chord type
played. This appears in the bottom status line, to the left of the mode indicator (Key + MOD).
In addition, you can press one of the f keys 1-4 to play an inversion of the chord. So, pressing the Maj MOD key, f1
and then the C NOTE key you can play a CMaj or C Major chord in the first inversion. The C NOTE will light because
you pressed it, but then you’ll also see the E, G and C an octave above light up. A C Major in the first inversion has
the notes E, G and C. Likewise the second inversion is G, C and E, which you can get by pressing the Maj, f2 and C
keys. Third and fourth inversions are available but note that for chords with only 3 notes, the third inversion actually
repeats the root position of C, E and G, only an octave higher. If you try using inversions with more complex chord
MOD keys – such as the Maj9, you’ll see that the notes are all the same, but in order according to the inversion
selected.
Key + MOD mode was designed to offer the largest palette of 32 chord types and up to 4 inversions per type, for a
total of 128 chord type variations. If you can’t find the sound you’re looking for in that batch, don’t worry: elsewhere in
this guide you can learn how to easily create your own chords.
Each mode has the ability to store up to 12 chords in the MEM key pads (M1-M12). For the Key + MOD mode, this is
simply done. First, play any chord – you just have to play it, not keep the keys pressed. Next, press the SHIFT key
and press one of the MEM pads M1-M12. The chord that was played last is now stored into the slot you chose,
including the scale or key note you played. So, for instance, if you press the chord modifier dim7 and key note D
keys, it forms a D°7 ( D diminished 7th)
If you wish to store an inversion of the chord, press the INVERSION key AND the SHIFT key and then press the
MEM pad you want to save the inversion to. So, as in the above example, if you press the chord modifier dim7 and
key note D keys, to form a D°7 ( D diminished 7th), then wanted to save the first inversion of that chord, press f1,
SHIFT and then the MEM key you wish to save it to. Note that you can also “mix and match”. Any chords you enter
into MEM slots will be available in all the other modes.
You may also elect to save a chord template to a MEM key. Chord templates do not store the key note and act
essentially like the MOD keys. It means you must press a note key along with the MEM key to play a chord. The
advantage here is you can carry this stored key to other modes – for instance you might want to have a 7sus4 chord
in memory so that you can add that to your available choices of chords in, say, the Diatonic Mode.
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To save the chord as a template play the desired chord modifier and any note (the note will be ignored). For instance,
pressing the “Maj 9” and a “C”. Then simply press the ALT and SHIFT keys at the same time and finally press the
MEM key you wish to save it to. Note that in the current firmware, you may not store inversions of chord templates
(but you can play them back with inversions). In KEY+MOD mode, play the template back by pressing the MEM key
and any note key. If you hold the MEM key down and change notes, the chord will re-play with the new note selected.
Changing octaves in the Key + MOD mode is simple. Pressing the octave up or octave down changes the octave of
the notes played on the NOTE keys. Holding ALT and pressing the octave up or down keys shifts the octave of
whatever is stored in the MEM pads.
That is the basic concept of the Key + MOD mode. Much, much more can be done in this mode, using the built-in
KordBot functions. Things like arpeggiation, chord spreading, tempo change and velocity modifications all designed
to enhance your playing experience. Since these functions can be used in other modes, they are covered in depth in
the section “KordBot Common Built In Functions”.
DIATONIC MODE
The Diatonic mode is the most complex mode that KordBot offers. While it may seem daunting, once you get the
hang of it, you will be able to explore musical areas few other MIDI controllers have ventured into.
To jump to the Diatonic mode, from any other mode, press the ALT key. The hotkey menu on the bottom will then
show the fn key to press to jump to the Diatonic mode. The screen will refresh and you should see all the same
controls as before, with the mode in the lowest right status box noting “Diatonic” for the mode.
In this mode, the layout of the MOD keys is different from the Key + MOD mode. Here, each row of 8 MOD keys are
comprised of 7 diatonically related (normally) chords, based on a scale. Using the advanced setup features, you can
make these 7 chords related, unrelated, random or whatever you desire. But the basic reason for the mode is that the
MOD keys alone generate chords. The NOTE keys allow the user to play along with the chords, providing 6-note
polyphony.
The default key and scale rows on the KordBot are C Major, G Yo (not a typo, the Yo scale is a traditional folk scale
see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo_scale), C Natural Minor (Aeolian mode) and Ab Blues. The default
progression for each row is also the default for that scale type. The key and scale can be changed by choosing from
a list. But there are also 10 “User” progressions. In those 10, you can change the scale to any pre-programmed scale,
or you can build your own scale. Then you can also change the chord type for each of the 7 ‘slots’. Currently you can
pick from any of the chord modifier key chord types (Maj through 9sus4). In a future release you will also be able to
create your own chord templates and choose those as well.
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For now, we’ll look at the default C Major row – the top row of MOD keys. Refer to the section on “Diatonic
Progression Editing” for more advanced features. Also, since all the encoder functions are shared by each play mode,
you might want to look at the section “KordBot Common Built In Functions”.
In the top row, the chords are laid out in standard diatonic progression for a Major scale in the key of C.
With just this small ‘palette’ of chords, you have the ability to play literally millions of songs. There are an uncountable
number of hits that use just the I, IV and V chords. Throw in the vi chord and you have an uncountable number more.
Each mode has the ability to store up to 12 chords in the MEM key pads (M1-M12). For the Diatonic mode, this is
done similarly to the Key + MOD mode: First, play any chord – you just have to play it, not keep the keys pressed.
Note, you do not need to press a key note, since diatonic chords already know which note is their key note.
Next, press the SHIFT key and press one of the MEM pads M1- M12. The chord that was played last is now stored
into the slot you chose. If you wish to store an inversion of the chord, press the inversion key AND the SHIFT key and
then press the MEM pad you want to save the inversion to. So, for instance, if you press an Em (third key on the top
row in the default Diatonic mode) chord and then wanted to save the first inversion of that chord, press f1, SHIFT and
then the MEM key you wish to save it to. Note that you can also “mix and match”. Any chords you enter into MEM
slots will be available in all the other modes. You may also elect to save the chord as a template but since the
Diatonic mode also allows a polyphonic keyboard, playing the stored chord back requires pressing the MEM key after
a note is pressed. This is because the playing of keyboard notes must be prioritized over playing a MEM chord.
To save the chord as a template play the desired chord (the chord’s key note will be ignored). Then press the ALT and
SHIFT keys at the same time and press the MEM key you wish to save it to. Note that in the current firmware, you
may not store inversions of chord templates (but you can play them back with inversions).
Changing octaves in the Diatonic mode is simple. Pressing the octave up or octave down changes the octave of the
notes played on the NOTE keys. Holding SHIFT and pressing the octave up or down keys shifts the octave of the
MOD keys. Holding ALT and pressing the octave up or down keys shifts the octave of whatever is stored in the MEM
pads.
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PROGRESSION SUGGESTION
Music theory also has a concept that, in every diatonic progression there are “allowed” movements to other chords.
This set of rules has been broken more often than not, but KordBot has included this feature because it can stimulate
all sorts of creativity. In future versions of the firmware, the user will be able to create their own map of suggestions to
mate up with any user scales and user chords. This is because the traditional 17th century method was designed
around a very limited set of scales – mostly the Major scale.
To activate the Progression Suggestion mode, simply press the last MOD key in any row. A message box lets you
know it’s been activated. Press OK and then press the Maj MOD key to play a C Maj chord. All the LEDs in that row
light up, indicating that, from the I chord in a Major scale, you are ‘allowed’ to progress to any other chord. If you next
press the Dm chord (the MOD key labeled ‘6’) you will see that the number of choices has dwindled to a total of 4.
You can hit the Dm (ii) chord again, or choose from the F Maj (IV), G Maj (V) or B dim (vii°) chords. In any sequence,
the total progression you develop would make Mozart a happy guy, since you followed the rules.
DIATONIC STRUM
Diatonic strum mode works mostly like regular Diatonic mode – the chord modifier keys are set up to produce
harmonically related chords and the note keys offer 6 note polyphony. The major difference is how the MOD and
MEM keys are played.
These keys are held and the user’s finger activates the notes by using the touch sensitive slider strip on the right of
the KordBot. The touch strip responds to 12 zones which are capacitance sensors. Bringing your finger near a zone
will activate the note associated with that zone. Wiping the finger causes a strumming effect and can be done right or
left and start and stop anywhere along the strip. Also one can ‘pick’ the zones much like a guitar player or banjo
player plucks the strings. One of the KordBot controls available is a touch strip sensitivity control. At the default level,
generally the finger will activate 2 notes at a time. Adjusting the ‘Slider damping’ value changes the sensitivity of each
zone, allowing different expression capabilities.
The sequence of the 12 notes assigned from left to right are controlled by the Arpeggio note pattern setting. The
movement right to left moves down the arpeggio and from the left the pattern ascends. The velocity humanize and
offset values also affect each note as they would during an arpeggio.
Since the touch strip is tied to the arpeggio, you can set the play mode to allow the strip to stay on after releasing a
MOD or MEM key by turning the Chord hold to ON and the Arp repeat to LATCH. Using the Arp note length setting
will increase or decrease the ‘ring out’ of the note. This is most effective during the simulated picking mode as
a short tap emits a short pluck and a tap and hold lets the note stay on (depending of course on the destination
patch’s sustain setting). With Arp note length set to max, the short tap lets the note ring out thru the release cycle on
the destination.
Changing octaves in the Diatonic strum mode is simple. Pressing the octave up or octave down changes the octave
of the notes played on the NOTE keys. Holding SHIFT and pressing the octave up or down keys shifts the octave of
the MOD keys. Holding ALT and pressing the octave up or down keys shifts the octave of whatever is stored in the
MEM pads.
POLYPHONIC KEYS
Polyphonic key mode turns all the MOD keys into single note keys. This is useful for working with a destination unit
which allows you to set up triggers based on a MIDI note. For instance, you might trigger a bank of 16 sound samples
with the MIDI notes from 0 to 15. In that case, the top 2 MOD key rows would be set up to play notes 0-15. Also,
since each key is capable of having its own MIDI channel and destination, you could have the top row of notes 0-7
assigned to different channels on a USB port and 8-15 assigned to output over channel 10 on the MIDI DIN.
Up to 6 notes can be played at once, so you could trigger hits and still play a melody at the same time on yet another
MIDI channel. The KordBot was designed to be flexible and configurable for most things you can imagine.
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USER CHORD CREATION IN QUICK MODE
The storing of MEM key chords is a bit different in this mode. Essentially, you will be “recording” up to 16 notes that
are stored in KordBot chord format. Therefore, the process is:
1. Press SHIFT and the MEM key you want to store the chord to. Note - the MEM key will remain lit.
2. Play up to 16 single notes from the NOTE keys. The sequence that you enter them in is the sequence they will be
played back in an arpeggio, when the arpeggiator is set to note pattern 0 and the U or Up arpeggio style is used.
3. On the 16th note, the recording will stop automatically and save the chord. If you want fewer notes in the chord,
press the MEM key to stop recording and save the chord.
4. For less than 16 notes, you can use one of the inversion keys to make a saved inversion of the chord you entered.
Just make sure to hold the desired inversion key down as you press the MEM key to stop recording.
You may also save a custom chord as a template. Again, inversions cannot be used if you wish to save the chord as
a template. The big advantage in having a custom template comes when you use this chord in the KEY+MOD mode
because it expands on the 32 MOD keys already provided.
TO ENTER A CUSTOM CHORD AND SAVE IT AS A TEMPLATE:
1. Press SHIFT and the MEM key you want to store the chord to. Note that the MEM key will stay lighted.
2. Play up to 16 single notes from the NOTE keys. The sequence that you enter them in is the sequence they will be
played back in an arpeggio, when the arpeggiator is set to note pattern 0 and the U or Up arpeggio style is used.
3. Before reaching the 16th note, press and hold the ALT key. After the 16th note is entered, the template version of
the chord you designed will be saved.
4. Optionally, for fewer than 16 notes, press and hold the ALT key while stopping the recording by pressing the lit
MEM key.
NOTES FOR ENTERING USER CHORDS, QUICK MODE:
You can enter a minimum of 1 note to a maximum of 16 notes per MEM key. To replace a stored chord simply record
over it. The chords you create in this mode will remain in the MEM key even if you go to another mode. This way you
can bring custom chords quickly into Diatonic strum mode, for instance.
When you play back your chord, since it has no name, the chord type status will show as “polySave”. Also the note
status will show the first note in the sequence.
CHANGING OCTAVE IN POLYPHONIC MODE:
Press the octave up or octave down changes the octave of the notes played on the NOTE keys as well as the notes
of the MOD keys. Holding ALT and pressing the octave up or down keys shifts the octave of whatever is stored in the
MEM pads.
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COMMON FUNCTIONS
There are 2 types of built in functions available in the KordBot. The ‘turn’ functions are used for the rotary encoders
and have a value which is selected by turning the knob. Most often these are linear values in some range. The other
functions are assignable to the ‘push’ function of the encoders. These represent either an on and off condition or
allow you to step through a sequence of choices.
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The assignment of functions to the encoders is done in the Play mode screens. All modes operate the same way. By
pressing the SHIFT key, the rotary function may be changed. Pressing the ALT key allows selection of a push
function. In each case the text will turn green, which denotes the functions affected.
PUSH CHANGES
To change a push function, hold the ALT key and press the encoder whose function you want to change. This will
bring up the selection screen for that encoder. Using the same encoder you clicked, turn the knob to select the
desired function and
press the same encoder’s push to select it. For all but the MIDI CC functions, you may then press Ok to return to the
play screen with the new function installed.
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When you choose the MIDI CC function, another screen pops up to allow selection of the MIDI CC you wish to
assign. Note that this is a limited list of MIDI CC functions – ones that are only digital (on or off) in nature. Here, also,
you may assign a number for any or all of the MIDI outputs. Note that the MIDI output needs to be active in order for
the changes here to take effect.
After choosing the settings you desire, you may press the Ok button to return to the play screen, with the new
function installed.
TURN CHANGES
The process is exactly the same for the turn functions except that to start the process, use SHIFT and press the
encoder you want to change.
In this situation, the full 128 MIDI CC functions are available. Choosing one that is an on/off message, for instance
Portamento on/off, will require turning the knob quite a bit, as the off state is 0-64 and the on state triggers when the
value is > 64, in most cases.
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SETTINGS
The Settings menu allows the user to configure much of the KordBot to tailor the system as desired. MIDI Input/
Output routing and channel set ups for individual keys, banks or segments of banks is available here.
Setup for the functions of the foot switch and the expression pedal, along with their MIDI channel settings is also
available in this menu.
The advanced Arpeggio builder lets the user create up to 10 arpeggio note patterns, 10 velocity patterns and 10
rhythm patterns. The scale builder is used in conjunction with Diatonic Mode and allows the creation of user scales.
The chord builder will be available in a future release.
MIDI I/O SETUP
The MIDI IO setup is a simple screen that allows you to select MIDI DIN, USB and Wireless MIDI inputs and outputs.
Pressing the control keys shown on-screen allows the toggling of the checkbox next to the input or output types
desired.
MIDI CHANNEL SETUPS
All screens are the same for each mode, but the data is saved in different areas of the system. Therefore you can
have different channel settings in Polyphonic mode, Diatonic mode and Key + MOD mode.
CHANGING MOD KEYS
In order to assign values for MOD keys, navigate to the MOD tab with SHIFT+f1, if not already there. Select the key
you wish to change by pressing it on the KordBot. The circle representing that key on-screen will turn white, indicating
it has been selected. Choose the type of port as shown on-screen, with f1, f2 or f3. For each checked box, you can
change the MIDI channel number for that port with the octave up and down keys. For instance, if f1 and f2 are
checked both the MIDI port and the USB MIDI channel numbers will increase or decrease when you use the octave
keys. Once you have the desired ports and channel for that key, you can select another key and change its values.
Note that you also have the option of using ALT+f4 to assign the changed values to all MOD keys, or use SHIFT+f4 to
assign that value to all the keys in the same horizontal row as the selected key.
Once done with the MOD keys, you can either save the changes with the Ok button, discard the changes by pressing
the Cancel button or continue on to other key banks.
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CHANGING NOTE KEYS
Pressing SHIFT+f2 switches to the note key setup tab. The process is the same here as outlined in the MOD key,
above except the SHIFT+f4 selection. In this case, the octave in which the currently selected key is in will have all its
values changed, just like the rows in the MOD keys.
Once done with the MOD keys, you can either save the changes with the Ok button, discard the changes by pressing
the Cancel button or continue on to other key banks.
CHANGING MEM KEYS
Pressing SHIFT+f3 switches to the memory pad key setup tab. The process is the same here as outlined in the MOD
key, above.
Once done with the MOD keys, you can either save the changes with the Ok button, discard the changes by pressing
the Cancel button or continue on to other key banks.
FOOT CONTROLLER CONFIGURATION
The two pedal inputs at the rear of the KordBot are configured with this screen. The input labeled “F.SWITCH” is for a
mechanical switch type pedal. The “PEDAL” input is for a passive resistor based ‘volume’ or ‘expression’ pedal. Care
must be taken to connect these devices correctly. The system will be confused and may be damaged if an expression
pedal is plugged into the F.SWITCH or vice versa. Also, the best results are achieved if the pedals are plugged into
the KordBot prior to applying power.
Pressing the f1 key allows the user to toggle between the expression pedal settings and the foot switch settings tabs.
EXPRESSION PEDAL
The expression pedal is an analog value which is best used to control items that have a range of values from off to
full on. Currently, only MIDI CC (continuous controller) messages are supported. Future versions of the firmware may
have additional options, such as controlling the KordBot built in functions like chord spread, velocity offset or arpeggio
note length.
Each MIDI CC can be routed to different channels of the MIDI DIN, USB and Wireless connections. Note that these
are only sent if the respective port is enabled in the MIDI I/O screen. So if you have USB out turned off, the setting of
the USB channel here is ignored. Please note that MIDI CC messages from 120 to 127 are Channel Mode Messages
and the channel number for those messages are ignored, since the controller value is sent to all channels.
Note that the default setting is for the pedal to use the Volume MIDI CC message, MIDI CC # 7. Some devices (such
as the Korg Minilogue) use this CC message in a non-standard way, such that you may need to check your device’s
settings if the volume is not affected.
Using SHIFT+f1, the user may elect to reverse the foot pedal’s values. Normally, a pedal in its fully up position emits
the lowest value and positioned fully down is the maximum value. By checking the invert pedal box, KordBot will flip
the value so that the lowest value occurs when the pedal is fully down
and the maximum value is sent with the pedal fully in its up position.
FOOT SWITCH
The foot switch generates a digital value of either on or off. Generally, it is on when pressed and off when not
pressed. This, as in the expression pedal, can be ‘flipped’ by checking the ‘invert foot switch’ box with SHIFT+f1. This
means the pedal would generate an off signal when pressed and an on signal when not pressed.
A smaller subset of the MIDI CC messages are available because the list is limited to those MIDI CC messages that
represent digital on/off values, such as the sustain pedal (MIDI CC# 64, which is the default value). As with the
expression pedal, check your device to make sure that you select the correct controller number.
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ARPEGGIO BUILDER
There are 2 types of built in functions available in the KordBot. The ‘turn’ functions are used for the rotary encoders
The arpeggio builder is probably the most complex screen the KordBot has. Technically, it is actually a “broken chord”
designer, since an arpeggio is a specific type of broken chord. For simplicity and due to it mostly being referred to as
an arpeggio, that’s what we’ll stick with. It is intended for advanced manipulation of the note, velocity
and rhythm patterns available in the arpeggiator. While it may seem daunting at first, once you get the hang of it, your
arpeggios will be like nothing else on the planet.
ARPEGGIATOR’S INNER SELF
Understanding exactly how the arpeggiator works is critical to being able to create your own patterns. This section is
for reference, so come back to it at your leisure.
PATTERNS
The first component of the arpeggiator is the pattern. This is the sequence of notes, velocities and rhythms you will
hear when the arpeggiator is running. The notes, velocity and rhythm values are applied based on where the arp is at
any given time in its sequence.
Each arpeggiator pattern sequence position can contain an assignable value for a chord note, another for velocity
and a third to create a rhythm. The note, velocity and rhythm values all exist in their own patterns, so you can mix and
match. You select the pattern each element uses in the play modes, so, for instance, you can use note pattern 0,
velocity pattern 8 and rhythm pattern 2.
The note indicator is a value which picks one of the notes from the current chord’s structure. Velocity and rhythm
values are used directly at whatever value you set them to in each position. They are a simple list of values. The
actual note to be played in each position is calculated from the chord data and requires a little bit more to understand.
A C Maj chord would be C-E-G. Therefore the note position 0 of the arpeggiator note pattern 0 would be “C”. Position
1 would contain the “E” and position 2 the “G”. Internally, the KordBot adds the octave to the top of the chord, so
position 3 has the C an octave higher than the position 0 note. This is calculated ‘behind the scenes’ to create a
normal arpeggio sequence.
Likewise, if the chord is a C dim chord, the notes are C-Eb-Gb. Position 0 has the “C”, position 1 has an “Eb” and
position 2 has a “Gb”.
This means that the sequence will change in length, depending on how many notes are in the chord. A C 7 chord
would have its 7th in the position 3 slot, rather than the octave C. The “Arp EVEN” setting, discussed in the Arpeggio
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section of the Common Built In Functions, allows you to change this behavior by making all chords play the same
number of positions (adjustable with the Chord spread function).
These diagrams represent a single cycle of the arpeggiator. In the simple case of the “U” style and pattern 0, once the
cycle is complete, the arpeggiator goes back to the beginning. i.e. the pattern for the C 7 chord is 0,1,2,3,4,0,1,2,3,4.
The style type dictates how the pattern is used. So if the “D”, or “down” style is chosen, the sequence is
4,3,2,1,0,4,3,2,1,0. For the “UD” or “up/down” style it would first run up then down as in 0,1,2,3,4,3,2,1,0,1,2,3,4.
Note that in this case, the top and bottom notes are only played once, for a smooth transition. Using the “*” versions
of the style, the top and/or bottom notes are played twice, as in “U*D*” where the pattern is
0,0,1,2,3,4,4,3,2,1,0,0,1,2,3,4 and so on.
USING THE ARPEGGIO BUILDER
When the Arpeggio Builder is first opened, it is set up to show note pattern 0, with an arp style of “U” selected and the
data for a C Maj chord loaded (shown in the status display area as it would in the play screen – as “C3 M”). To
change to a different note pattern, use SHIFT+f1 to cycle through the 10 available patterns (0-9). To switch to the
velocity patterns, select f2. At that point you can cycle through the 10 velocity patterns using SHIFT+f2. Likewise, f3
brings up the rhythm patterns and SHIFT-f3 selects the pattern. In this way you can coordinate the patterns if you so
desire.
For instance you might want to work on the number 5 patterns for all 3 elements so they always work together.
Alternatively, you may just want to cycle through and see which pattern combinations look interesting, for future
exploration.
At the top, the status display area shows the position in which the edit cursor currently sits. It also shows the currently
selected play speed, arpeggio style and current chord name.
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The red shaded rectangle shows the length of the currently chosen chord. The dark yellow rectangle indicates the
effect of extending the chord by way of the chord spread function. The total length that this chord will play at is the
length of the red box plus the length of the yellow box. This feature is included simply for testing the arpeggio on this
screen, rather than having to jump back and forth to the play screen.
The controls for testing playback are shown on the lower part of the screen. Pressing a MOD key and a NOTE key
operates like the Key + MOD mode. To stop the note playing, hit the fn key that corresponds to mode you are editing
– f1 for chord note sequence, f2 for velocity or f3 for rhythm. Encoder A’s rotary knob is used to move the edit cursor
back and forth. Pushing Encoder A toggles the edit mode for the current position. Chord spread is effected by turning
encoder B and pressing it toggles the use of the arp EVEN control. Finally, encoder C’s knob is used to adjust a
relative speed of playback (at 9 levels from -20 to +20). Pushing encoder C allows you to pick the style of the arp “U”,
“D”, “UD” and so on.
The yellow line on the graph represents the chord sequence note pattern. The green line represents the velocity
offset for the arp velocity pattern at each position. The purple lines represent the arp rhythm pattern positions. These
can be selected for editing by the radio buttons on the lower right side of the screen.
EDITING NOTE PATTERNS (YELLOW)
In pattern 0, we see the notes are all steadily rising from low to high. This represents a true “arpeggio” in musical
terms. As the “edit cursor” is moved (using Encoder A), you will see a change in the note pitch value and the number
underneath it. The note pitch value shows the letter name of the note to be played at this position as well as its
octave number (based on the currently loaded chord). The number below that is the sequence number of the note to
be played from the chord data. The sequence number is what is stored in the note pattern.
For instance, in note pattern 0, if the loaded chord is an A3 M (A Major in the 3rd octave) the position 2 letter name
will be E3 and the chord position will be 2.
In note pattern 1, however, the position 2 letter is C#/Db3 and the chord position shows as 1. So in pattern 0 the
arpeggio with a “U” style plays the notes A3(0), C#3(1), E3(2) and A4(3) (which is a ‘standard’ arpeggio pattern in
music). In note pattern 1, the note sequence is A3(0), E3(2), C#3(1) and A4(3) (technically a ‘broken chord’ in musical
terms). The chord is the same, but the order in which the arpeggiator plays the notes of the chord is different.
To change the sequence, move the edit cursor to the desired position and click the Encoder A button. The screen will
go into edit mode. Turning Encoder A now raises or lowers the yellow line in that position. The note value with its
octave number will change to show what the output would be. Remember, this is for the currently selected chord. The
number below that is the sequence note position number for all chords.
This is an important point and is critical to understanding the arpeggios.
In the section above entitled “Arpeggiator’s Inner Self”, I show how the position number for a C Maj chord relates to a
C 7 chord. One can see that position 3 in the C Maj chord is a “C”, but in the C 7 chord that position holds a Bb.
Likewise, if you move the edit cursor into position 3 and play a C Maj chord, the edit cursor shows that position holds
a note/octave of “C4”. Playing a C 7 chord and examining position 3, it shows as an “A#/Bb3”. As it should be.
Position 3 is saying, in effect, “play the 3rd note in the chord’s list of notes”.
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Once you are done editing, press Encoder A again to exit editing of the position. From there, you may continue
editing the note pattern or switch to velocity (f2) or rhythm (f3).
EDITING VELOCITY PATTERNS (GREEN)
Editing velocity patterns works the same way as editing notes. Move the edit cursor to the desired position and click
the Encoder A button. The difference is that raising the value increases the overall velocity for that note position and
lowering it subtracts from the overall velocity. Since the velocity is also affected by other things like the Velocity offset
and Velocity humanize functions, you may need to adjust other settings in order to hear the changes made here.
The value shown by the edit cursor is 0 for no change and a negative (lower velocity) when you go below 0. It’s, of
course, positive if you go above 0. The minimum value is -112 and the maximum is +112 in steps of 16.
Once you are satisfied with the value, click Encoder A again to leave the editing of that position. From there, you may
continue edit-
ing the note pattern or switch to notes (f1) or rhythm (f3).
EDITING RHYTHM PATTERNS (PURPLE)
Editing rhythms is a bit different. The purple lines are representing the distance between arpeggio notes. Normally
this is a quarter note. When editing the rhythm, there are several things to keep in mind.
1) Any note can be ‘pushed’ forward or backward in time, in 16th note steps. But as
in mathematics, what you take away on one side must be added to the other side to maintain the spacing. So if you
‘push’ note position 3 to the left by one eighth note, the KordBot does the math automatically and adds an eighth note
on the other side. This ensures that the next note knows where the quarter note beat is. If this didn’t happen, then all
notes following position 3 would hit an eighth note sooner, for example.
2) It is possible to “crush” the pattern, moving more than 1 note over the top of another. This is an experimental
feature and must be used carefully. Note below how spaces are “stolen” from the end of the pattern. Therefore, it is
possible to “run off the end” if the chord size + the chord spread is longer than the crushed pattern.
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