Nanoloop 1.2 User manual

Nanoloop 1.2
manual

Hardware Requirements
Generally, Nanoloop runs on all GB types. Though there are no color features, it
also works with GB color and GB advance. There are certain differences in sound
quality: GB color and GB light produce various kinds of noise while GB pocket is
more quiet. For it s higher base voltage, GB classic is louder than GB color/pocket
and therefore it has a much better bass sound and the lowest noise level of all
models. So the good old grey one is the recommended platform
Nanoloop sounds best when plugged into TAPE-in of a normal home-hifisystem.
Sometimes, sound level is a little low for AUX, so in many setups Nanoloop is the
lowest part. There is not much space for equalizing then and on some (club-)
systems Nanoloop sounds much rougher than on others (home-systems). So it s
good to have a preamp and / or an equalizer.

General Concept
Nanoloop is a step-sequencer. This means that a loop of 16 steps is repeated
continuously while each step s parameters can be edited separately. A matrix of 4 *
4 squares represents the steps and within every square one or two points or little
rectangles can be moved around to adjust the step s parameters.
The resulting patterns can be stored in file-slots for each instrument separately.
After the save-space is filled with patterns, one can start playing around DJ-like
with thousands of possible loop-recombinations.
Finally patterns can be arranged as a song structure with a simple 3-track-editor.
The whole concept is optimized for the needs of live electronic music production in
a classic "techno" style. Rhythm and synthesis parameters can be edited quickly
while the loop is running constantly, all manipulations are performed real-time,
there is no "rendering time".

Pitch is only one of the synth parameters and adjustable semitone-wise without any
musical scale assistance, so there may be better editors for plain harmonic melodies.
Nanoloop is not sample based, but gives full access to the built-in features of the
GB s sound chips (like the various noise-"colors") plus software-synthesis. The
sound chips are analogoue oscillators with digital control registers for volume,
pitch, etc. The softsynth is based on the writable harware wavetable and uses the
possibility of quick frequency changes for FM. So there is no digital distortion by
sample rate or bit depth except for the wavetable. The contained wave form is a
sample of 32 bytes with 4 bit depth and it s sampling frequency depends on pitch.
On very low pitch this results in crispy "digital" sound while a sine wave for
example sounds rather smooth on higher pitch.

Usage
On startup the screen shows the 4 * 4 sequencer matrix and the MAIN MENU.
The menu consists of an upper and a lower part which can be switched by pressing
SELECT. The upper part provides general and global functions while through the
lower part one can choose which sound parameter to edit in the sequencer.
UP / DOWN changes the instrument to edit, displayed as character S, R or N in the
lower left corner:
S stands for software-synthesis including wavetable and frequency modulation.
R represents two bundled, detuneable rectangular wave forms
N means "noise"-instrument and provides filter-like effects.
SELECT always returns to the main menu from any part of the program.

Lower Menu / Sequencer
In the lower menu you can select an instrument (UP / DOWN) and a parameter
(LEFT / RIGHT) for editing in the sequencer. Press A to enter the sequencer matrix
and SELECT to return to the menu.
Within the matrix you can move the cursor from step to step with the joypad.
Except on pitch envelope and panning, events can be activated with A. To edit a
step s parameter, use A + JOYPAD. B deactivates an event (except on pitch
envelope and panning). All parameters remain the same when muted and the event
can be reactivated by simply pressing A again.
The most important feature for quick work with the sequencer is CUT & PASTE.
This function is activated / deactivated with START and shown by an icon in the
upper right corner:
On copy mode (except on pitch envelope and panning), B cuts and copies an event

with all parameters while A can paste duplicates anywhere. This way you can
overwrite events and create a new structure very quickly.
Parameters cannot be changed in this mode because the last copied event will
always be pasted again as soon as you press A.
On copy mode, muting an event resets it s pitch envelope attack.This may be useful
when pitch envelopes influence the sound of previous events with a long decay.
Within the menu, the current instrument can be muted / unmuted without changing
the pattern with START. A mute instrument is marked by an X next to the
instrument-character:

Example Patterns
Each parameter is illustrated by an example stored in the first patterns of all banks.
Some more musical loops are located in the last 4 slots.
See "file" for instructions how to load patterns.

nvelope
A + UP / DOWN : attack
A + LEFT / RIGHT : decay
The S-instrument s envelope is generated in a different way than with R and N. It
has only 3 steps of volume and especially on short envelopes a little noise between
the volume steps soils the tone.
R- and N- envelopes have 16 steps of volume which result in much smoother sound.
When the decay value of R or N exceeds a certain length, the envelope becomes
ascending. The longer the decay, the slower volume increases. Unfortunately the
attack value marks the start volume and always increases to the (rather loud)
maximum. To avoid annoying sounds, place an event in the next step.
The S instrument often sounds less strong than R because by default it s a sine wave
and R is the sum of two sounds.
When an N-event s volume (env. attack) is zero, a single pulse is played instead of
noise.

Example: S 1, R 1, N 1, 2 (pulse)

Pitch
A + UP / DOWN : octaves
A + LEFT / RIGHT : semitones
The octave point on the left is resolved in 1/2 octave steps.
S and R only.
Example: S 2, R 2

FM, Interval / Pulse Width, "Filter"
S: frequency modulation:
A + UP / DOWN = depth higher / lower
A + LEFT / RIGHT = modulation frequency higher / lower
Because frequency distribution is not linear but exponential (semitones) any change
in depth or frequency may cause a totally different sound. Changes of the basic
pitch also modify the sound characteristics. For typical FM-sounds both points
should not go to far out of the lower left corner (high frequency, low depth).
Although usage is a little tricky for this parameter, it offers the widest range of
possible sound variations.
Example: S 3
R: relative pitch of 2 oscillators / pulse width

A + UP / DOWN = pitch of the second oscillator, relative to the first. The first three
steps only cause a light detune which results in flange-like wave form overlapping
effects. From the fourth step on, detune goes on with semitone steps up to one
octave.
A + LEFT / RIGHT = pulse width
Not every move takes effect here, there are only 3 possible settings, mapped over
the the whole slider range.
Example: R 3

N: filter-like parameters
Via A + UP / DOWN and A + LEFT / RIGHT one can adjust two parameters of the
noise generator, called "dividing ratio of frequencies" and "shift clock frequency".
Both have similar, filter-like effects. Some combinations may cause only a little
bubbling sound or even plain silence, others have more tonal effects.
Example: N 2

Pitch nvelope
A + UP / DOWN : attack, increasing or decreasing
A + LEFT / RIGHT : decay
If there is an event in the step, the envelope is added to the pitch so that the original
pitch won t change. B resets attack but doesn t mute the step. If CUT / PASTE is
activated, the decay value will be copied.
If pitch envelopes are set in an empty R-pattern, noisy random sounds may appear.
To avoid such undesired noise, use CUT within pitch-, envelope- or FM-section to
mute R-events.
Example: S 4, R 4

Wavetable / Delay
S -wavetable:
A + UP / DOWN = selects a wave form. Wave form 0 is a sine wave, all others can
be edited in the wave form editor.
A + LEFT resets wave form to sine wave 0.
A + RIGHT switches to wave form F.
All values which are not set to 0 or F can be controlled directly from the menu as
global via B + UP / DOWN.
Example: S 5
R,N: echo

A + UP/ DOWN adjusts delay of the second oscillator.
A + LEFT sets it to zero
A + RIGHT sets it to maximum length
Example: R 5, N 3 (pulse)

Panning
A + LEFT / RIGHT = LEFT / RIGHT channel, B = center
R:
A + UP / DOWN plays first oscillator left / right and second right / left.
Example: S 6, R 6, N 4

Upper Menu
File
There are 4 banks with 15 pattern-slots per instrument.
Triangles show the positions of the last loaded or saved patterns. A + UP loads a
pattern from cursor position, A + DOWN saves the current pattern. To start a pattern
exactly on the first step, you can alternatively load it with B+UP. To move a pattern
from one place to another, load it from the old and save it to the new slot.
Pattern zero always remains empty.

advanced multi-pattern handling:
The first up to four patterns can be loaded together with START and will
then form one big pattern which s parts are played / displayed alternating. Back in
the main menu, the number of the current part is shown in the upper left corner. To
edit a certain part, wait till it is played and then enter the pattern editor. The number
of the pattern to edit now appears below the playing pattern s number.
A + DOWN on any of the loaded patterns saves the whole structure. To
deactivate this "macro" mode, move the cursor to pattern zero and press
START again.