Pm Bridge6 User manual

THINK LESS. CREATE MORE.

BRIDGE6

MIDI CONTROLLER

USER MANUAL (V1.3.1)

This device was created and

designed to empower your

creativity.

It is the result of many long nights and

early mornings. It is born from the

desire to bridge the gap between

musician and instrument, and we

want to say a huge thank you for your

support. Our brand is built around a

strong community and we hope you

love your new MIDI controller as much

as we do.

The PIRATE MIDI team.

BRIDGE6 Overview ...............................................................................................5

Technical Information..........................................................................................6

Hardware Layout..................................................................................................7

Quick Start.............................................................................................................9

1. Device Interface..............................................................................................13

Footswitches

OLED Display

RGB LEDs

2. Power & Navigation.......................................................................................14

Powering Your BRIDGE6

Basic Navigation

Opening the Menu

3. Overview Of Connectors ...............................................................................17

4. Flexiports.........................................................................................................19

Flexiport Modes Summary

MIDI Out

Expression Pedal In

Exp-Doubler In

Tap Tempo Output

Aux Switch In

Switch Out

Strymon Fav Switch Out

MS Relay

Pulse Clock Out

Device Link

5. MIDI In/Out/Thru............................................................................................27

MIDI Out

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

6. USB MIDI .........................................................................................................29

7. Messages and Modes....................................................................................30

MIDI Messages

Smart Messages

Primary Footswitch Modes

Expand & Improve Your MIDI Routing

LFOs

Expression Pedals

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Aux Switches

Boot Messages & Boot Delay

Device Link

8. Message Stacks..............................................................................................41

9. MIDI Clock.......................................................................................................47

10. LFO’s ..............................................................................................................50

11. Switch Out.....................................................................................................55

12. Aux Switch In................................................................................................56

13. Switch Groups ..............................................................................................58

Accessing and Editing Switch Groups

14. Interface - LED’s ...........................................................................................61

LED Color Selection

Custom LED Colors

LED Behaviour

External LED Control

15. Interface - Bank Names..............................................................................64

16. Interface - UI Mode......................................................................................65

Simple UI

Extended UI

17. Interface - Switch Labels.............................................................................67

18. Bank Navigation ..........................................................................................68

19. Copy/Paste & Templates ............................................................................69

Bank Templates

Copying Switches

20. Other Global Settings..................................................................................71

MIDI Channel

Persistent Switch States

Transmit Switch States

Program Change (PC) Bank Output

Switch Hold Time

21. Resetting or Updating.................................................................................73

Factory Reset

Global Settings Reset

Updating Firmware

Troubleshooting

22. MIDI Implementation..................................................................................75

23. Support & Warranty....................................................................................77

TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT.)

BRIDGE6 OVERVIEW

The BRIDGE6 is a 6-switch MIDI foot controller with RGB LEDs, an OLED

screen, and a super tough aluminium enclosure. It’s made in New South

Wales, Australia and was the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign in

2020. Now PIRATE MIDI builds and sells MIDI devices all over the world.

The BRIDGE6 can send stacks of MIDI messages through dierent footswitch

press types (Press, Hold, Double-Press etc.) with 100 dierent bank of

switches to scroll through. This means that the 600+ MIDI messages on

each bank can be individually assigned across the whole device for a total

over more than 60,000 unique messages and controls.

To help you connect to a wide variety of music gear, we’ve included two

Flexiports of our own design. These ¼” (6.35mm) TRS jacks can be set to

whatever mode best suits your setup. From expression pedals to beat sync

pulse to switch emulation, you can use this MIDI controller to control

devices that don’t even have MIDI!

With all settings available to easily edit using the onboard display and

menus as well as with the web editor, we hope you’ll agree that this is

perfect for performing live or playing at home.

LINKS TO DOWNLOADS:

https://learn.piratemidi.com

It’s important that rmware updates are installed

when they are available. Old rmware may not

be supported by the web editor.

Firmware updates are released frequently and

oer new features, bug xes and other

improvements.

User manuals are updated for each rmware

update according to new features and changes.

DIMENSIONS

Metric (160x94x63 mm)

Imperial (6.3”x 3.7”x 2.5”)

DISPLAY

OLED (3.2”)

WEIGHT

Metric (550g)

Imperial (19.4 oz.)

POWER REQUIREMENT

9v DC or USB (200mA)

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

BOX CONTENTS

1x BRIDGE6 MIDI foot controller

1x USB cable

4x Self-adhesive Rubber Feet

HARDWARE LAYOUT

6 soft-touch footswitches. No clicking. Work with multiple press

types (double-press, hold, etc).

12 RGB LEDs which you can assign to any colour you like for any

function you like. Flashing, solid, dim etc.

Heavy-duty aluminium enclosure with black anodising.

Scratch-resistant and no ex.

Bright, crisp, and easy to read OLED graphical display.

Menus, icons, scribble strips are all a breeze on this beautiful display

HARDWARE LAYOUT (CONT.)

Flexiports 1 and 2. Multi-function ¼” (6.35mm) TRS jacks which

can be used in a number of dierent modes.

2.1mm 9v DC barrel jack - as standard on most eects pedals and

power supplies.

Dedicated ¼” (6.35mm) TRS MIDI In conforming to the MIDI.org

specication. (i.e. Type A).

Dedicated DIN5 MIDI Out conforming to the MIDI.org

specication.

USB type C (2m type A-to-C cable included) for USB MIDI, using

the web editor, and powering the device.

QUICK START

1. Bank Up/Down

To go to the next bank, press switch 2 and switch 3 together.

To go to the previous bank, press switch 1 and switch 2 together.

These can be customised or turned o (See chapter 18).

2. Entering the Menu

To enter the onboard menu, hold switch 1 and switch 4 simultaneously.

All settings can be changed with onboard menus as well as the editor.

Hold switch 5 to exit the menu.

QUICK START (CONT.)

3. Don’t Miss the Rest!

Many menus and settings have a second or third page of settings. Always

make sure you haven’t missed vital settings by scrolling to the right using

switch 6 until you get back to the rst position.

4. General Navigation

- Icons under or above each switch will show you what function they will

serve.

- Generally switch 5 is a “back” or “exit” button, and switch 2 is a “enter” or

“select” button.

- Switches 1 & 3 are up/down or value-changing controls.

- Switches 4 & 6 are sideways navigation to go to the next parameter.

Move Left - FS4 Exit/Back - FS5 Move Right - FS6

Down/Decr. - FS1 Save/Edit - FS2 Up/Incr. - FS3

QUICK START (CONT.)

- Check the MIDI outputs

When you create a message, make sure you scroll across to the second/

third screen to check that the message is being sent to the correct MIDI

outputs (Flexiport 1, Flexiport 2, DIN5, or USB). All outputs are on by default,

but if you’re having trouble sending messages, you should check the

outputs. Read more in chapter 8.

- SET FLEXIPORT MODE before using FLEXIPORTS

Before you plug something into a Flexiport, make sure you set the Flexiport

mode in

“Menu>Global>Flexiports>Flexiport ‘x’>Mode”

You won’t get the function you want unless you set the Flexiport mode.

There is no mode set to the Flexiports by default - you must always set the

mode.

- SET Banking Program Change Outputs

By default, the BRIDGE will send Program Change (PC) MIDI messages out

all 4 MIDI outputs when you change the bank (corresponding to the BRIDGE

bank number). If you want to turn some/all outputs o, or change the MIDI

channel that the PC are sent on, go to:

“Menu>Global>MIDI>Banking PC Outputs”

- SWITCH GROUPS and BROADCAST/RESPONSE settings

When modifying switch group settings, the broadcast/response settings may

seem overwhelming. If you leave the defaults unedited, the switch will

behave in a simple “exclusive” mode where only one switch will be on at a

time. If you want to learn what these powerful settings are capable of, read

more in chapter 13.

Check that your BRIDGE6 rmware is up to date.

Updates are released periodically adding new features and bug xes.

Go to: www.learn.piratemidi.com/downloads/rmware-updates

Warning: technical documentation enclosed.

Coee required.

1. DEVICE INTERFACE

Footswitches

Six silent footswitches are the main interface on the BRIDGE6. Rated for over

100,000 presses each, they are able to send dierent MIDI message stacks

for dierent press types (Toggle On, Toggle O, Press, Release, Double Press,

Hold, Hold Release etc).

Each switch is able to send many dierent messages, and can be congured

dierently on every bank:

Toggle On: 16

Toggle O: 16

Press: 8

Release: 8

Hold: 8

Hold Release: 8

Double Press: 8

Secondary Toggle On: 8

Secondary Toggle O: 8

Sequential Steps: 16

Scrolling Messages: 16

OLED Display

A large graphical display allows us to display symbols and icons to make the

user interface easier to use.

The beauty of an OLED is the crisp, high-contrast display. Easily readable

from a distance with no need for an annoying backlight.

By default, the OLED shows the bank name in the centre, and each switch

label is set to “FS ‘x”. Switch labels and bank names are editable through

the onboard menus, the web editor, and our API.

RGB LEDs

Each switch is paired with a curved light pipe that houses 2 independent

RGB LEDs. This means you can choose from millions of colours per switch

and combine dierent LED states/colours to create your own custom

interface. Custom colours can be created on the device, in the web editor, or

sent to the device with the API or MIDI commands.

2. POWER & NAVIGATION

Powering Your BRIDGE6

You can power your BRIDGE6 with either a USB cable, or a centre-negative

9v DC jack (2.1mm) commonly used for guitar pedals.

Centre-Negative DC Power USB Power

Switching Power Sources

The BRIDGE6 uses smart power switching so you can have both plugged in

at once, and if you need to remove one or the other, the unit will seamlessly

switch power sources without shutting down or restarting.

Power Requirement

If you’re using a 9v DC power supply, please make sure

it is able to supply the required 200mA.

Basic Navigation

Bank Up & Bank Down

As indicated by the arrows at the bottom of the OLED screen, pressing

switches 2 & 3 at the same time will advance to the next bank (Bank Up)

and pressing switches 1 & 2 at the same time will go to the previous bank

(Bank Down). This is indicated by the two arrows displayed on the screen

(visible on below diagram)

2. POWER & NAVIGATION (CONT.)

There are 100 banks (0-99). Banking up from bank 99 will return you to bank

0. Banking down from bank 0 will send you to bank 99.

Opening the Menu

To enter the menu, press and hold down switches 1 & 4 simultaneously (as

pictured below). You will know you’ve entered the menu when the screen

layout changes.

2. POWER & NAVIGATION (CONT.)

Press switch 1 or switch 3 to navigate the menu (note the arrows on

screen).

Press switch 4 or 6 to change bank or navigate horizontally in the menu

(note the arrows on the screen.

Press switch 2 to select or set (like an ‘enter’ or ‘return’ key on a computer).

Press switch 5 to ‘go back’ to the previous menu screen or exit the menu.

Hold switch 5 on any menu screen to completely exit the menu.

Second-Screen Settings

When editing parameters like MIDI message details, LFO settings etc. there

may be a second (or third) screen of settings. To access these pages, use the

left and right arrows on switch 4 & 6 to navigate horizontally across the

screen.

These pages are “circular” and navigating across in one direction will always

bring you back to the place you started.

Ready to Rock

That’s the end of the basic navigation instructions. After this you should be

able to gure out how to navigate all the menus and settings. You can

watch the tutorial videos on our YouTube channel for a visual explanation.

3. OVERVIEW OF CONNECTORS

From left to right:

USB (type-C)

The BRIDGE6 can be powered by USB, and is also a class-compliant USB

MIDI device. This means it will be recognised as a MIDI device without any

drivers. Use it with your DAW, plugins, or music apps.

TRS MIDI In

A ¼” (6.35mm) TRS Jack designated as a dedicated MIDI input. This Input

conforms to the MIDI Specication (Type A).

DIN5 MIDI Out

A DIN5 Jack designated as a dedicated MIDI output. This MIDI output

conforms to the MIDI Specication and can power CME WIDI products.

9v DC (centre-negative)

A 2.1mm centre-negative barrel jack (common with standard guitar pedal

power supplies). Requires 200mA.

3. OVERVIEW OF CONNECTORS (CONT.)

TRS Flexiports 1 & 2

¼” (6.35mm) TRS jacks with 13 modes (and counting):

• MIDI Out

• Type A

• Type B

• Tip Active

• Ring Active

• Device Link

• Exp-Doubler In

• Expression In

• Aux Switch In

• Switch Out

• MS Relay Out

• Strymon Fav Out

• Tap Tempo Out

• Pulse Clock Out

4. FLEXIPORTS

The extreme exibility of the BRIDGE6 is due partly to the two Flexiports

we’ve included. The Flexiport is a multi-function TRS port that we’ve

designed (and named) to give you a truly exible experience with our

devices.

Flexiports will be included in most PIRATE MIDI devices and will oer the

same functionality across all devices. So if you see the name Flexiport you

know what it does.

Flexiport Modes Summary

Each Flexiport on the BRIDGE6 is a 6.35mm (¼”) TRS Jack. They have 11

modes (and counting) that are assignable in the Menu under “Menu >

Global > Flexiports > Flexiport ‘x’ > Mode”

1. MIDI Out - Type A

(can power CME WIDI devices. Type A is the MIDI TRS standard.)

2. MIDI Out - Type B

(As used by Arturia, Novation and others)

3. MIDI Out - Tip Active

(Empress, Alexander Pedals, Meris, Bondi Eects and more)

4. MIDI Out - Ring Active

(Chase Bliss Audio)

5. Device Link

(connect multiple PIRATE MIDI devices together)

6. Exp-Doubler In

(Enables two expression pedal inputs per Flexiport with our Exp-Doubler

device)

7. Exp In

(Single TRS expression pedal input)

8. Aux Switch In

(1, 2, or 3 switch TRS aux switches supported - add more footswitches to

your controller)

4. FLEXIPORTS (CONT.)

9. Switch Out

(Send TRS switch emulation to non-MIDI devices)

10. MS Relay

(Send TRS commands to your Morningstar Omniport Relay Interface)

11. Strymon Fav Out

(Emulates the Strymon Fav switch)

12. Tap Tempo Out

(MIDI Clock as switch output)

13. Pulse Clock Out

(Send MIDI clock as a square wave to sync non-MIDI devices)

FLEXIPORT WARNING!

Flexiports oer many operating modes. Not all of these modes are

compatible with external devices.

In particular, the Switch Out mode allows a Flexiport to emulate a TRS

switch output. This is designed to control devices that have an auxiliary

switch input, or tap tempo footswitch jack where the device that is

connected does not have more than 3.3 volts on the jack the Flexiport will

connect to. This can be tested using a TRS patch cable and a multimeter.

Many devices use larger operating voltage and/or currents that the 3.3 volts

that a Flexiport is able to handle. Please go to piratemidi.com/

compatibility for a list of devices we have checked for compatibility. Please

A Flexiport can also be damaged when using an incorrect mode with an

external device attached. Make sure that you have enabled the correct

Flexiport mode BEFORE connecting an external device.

Ignoring these warnings may void your warranty. Please make sure to

Table of contents

Other PM Recording Equipment manuals

PM BRIDGE4 User manual

Popular Recording Equipment manuals by other brands

Roland

Roland R-8 mkII Service notes

TubeTools

TubeTools TubeMan manual

Gopel Electronic

Gopel Electronic PXI 3090 user manual

MadBoy

MadBoy TONER 2 owner's manual

pathway

pathway PWREP manual

IFM Electronic

IFM Electronic AC2729 operating instructions

Crest Audio

Crest Audio CK owner's manual

HomeMatic

HomeMatic HM-Swl-3-FM Installation and operating manual

Clearaudio

Clearaudio Jubilee MC user manual

Extron electronics

Extron electronics SSP 200 Setup guide

Bachmann

Bachmann TW-100D Technical documentation

AES

AES IntelliNet 7067 IntelliTap-II manual

Jupiter Avionics

Jupiter Avionics JA10-001 Installation and operating manual

Oakley

Oakley ADR30 user manual

Audio Test Solutions

Audio Test Solutions MSAT -PSTN user guide

Noise Engineering

Noise Engineering Desmodus Versio manual

Omnia

Omnia 11 Quick start installation guide

Häfele

Häfele Connect Mesh manual

PM BRIDGE6 User manual

Popular Recording Equipment manuals by other brands