Retrokits RK-008 Installation guide

/1] LENGTH
Type the Part length with the numeric keys, Max 682 beats.
Not applicable in free record mode (TEMPO menu).
/2] TIMEBASE
Type timebase of the track (affects metronome click and loop detection)
INTRODUCING THE RK-008
The RK-008 is a portable Multitrack MIDI Recorder. It records your MIDI
playing as-is. No step divisions, no MIDI-Channel per track or note
constraints. It is like having a tape recorder for your digital performance.
In this quickstart manual we will explain the RK-008 by the buttons:
MODE
Sets the RK008 in Part or Songstep mode. In Part mode you can
record your musical Parts, in Songstep mode you can chain these Parts
together. You can also save mute states on a Songstep to re-use a Part in
the song structure. The REC key toggles between browsing through
Songsteps or adding/changing Parts or Track mutes in a Songstep.
Route sends incoming MIDI messages through to the output of
the RK-008. The selected track determines which processing is applied to
the incoming MIDI message (in terms of modifiers, filters, transpose, MIDI
channel and output port). Incoming MIDI messages are also indicated by a
blink on the Route LED.
Pressing ALT+ROUTE sets the RK-008 in Performance
Mode. In this mode you can quickly mute/unmute tracks by pressing the
Track buttons (while normally pressing Track keys will select for record-
ing). If the RK-008 MIDI Remote Control Channel is set you can also
invoke Track note transpose by a MIDI key. The transpose will be applied
on all tracks which have ‘99’ as their transpose value.
Depending on the RK-008 MODE state, LOOP will repeat current
Part or the current Songstep.
/2] FILTER Events
Digit keys toggle filtering for:
Notes
Controllers
Program Changes
Aftertouch
Pitchbend
No Filtering / Default
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/1] FILTER Velocity
Numeric keys scale note velocity to:
20% 50% 90%
120% 150% MAX
-10% 80% +10%
ORG
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1] COPY
The active Track will be used as copy source. Select another Track. to set
the Track destination. Select a Part on the numeric buttons to copy
selected Tracks to another Part.Deselect all Tracks to enter Part copy.
Note: To combine two Parts, use MERGE, not COPY (COPY overwrites).
2] EXPAND
Enables note extraction on a Track with single-MIDI channel data and
the extraction of separate MIDI Channels on a multi-channel Track.
Note: Expand only works with free Tracks in a Part.
MERGE
Mixdown Track MIDI Modifiers (e.g. quantize, velocity, channel, .. ) and/or
merge multiple Tracks to one. After merging, modifiers are set to default.
If entered with a Track active, this Track will be used as the mixdown
destination. Select other Tracks to include in mixdown by pressing the
corresponding Track buttons and press REC to execute.
Deselect the active Track to enter Part Merge: Enter the two-digit Part
number to merge to the current Part and press REC (DEC/INC changes
Part number).
Note: If you select the current Part as merge destination, effectively the
Part will be doubled in length.
RK-008 QUICK MANUAL [v0.6b / fw0.35]
SYSTEMPOSOLOEDITSONGSTEPART
16 SONGS
SONGSTEP MODE
Each song has it’s
own 64K memory
block containing
100 parts
8 TRACKS
A track can hold 16
channels of MIDI
data in parallel
100 PARTS
PART MODE
A Part can be 682
beats long and also
stores track states
PER-TRACK REALTIME
MODIFIERS
MIDI filter
Velocity Scale
Note Length Scale
Note Transpose
Quantize
Swing
Channel Remap
Output select
FILTER TRANS QUANT OUTPUT
*
12345678
REC
-- CC -- AT PB
Channel Indicators
Submenu available
Realtime Modifiers:--
Highlite: Mod active
Outline: Menu selected
Progress bar
* = Unsaved state
Part /Songstep number
Play/Menu Information
Loop indicator
Operation modes
Transport Controls
Recording indicator
MIDI Routing indicator
MODE
ALT ROUTE
ROUTE
LOOP
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TRACK 1-8 + LED STATES
The 8 Track keys can be used to select the Record Track destination . If
used in conjunction with ALT they will act as (un)mute keys. The LED
above the Track button tell you about the contents:
OFF
Track contains no MIDI data.
DIMMED
Track contains MIDI data but
is muted.
BLINK ON/DIMMED
Track (muted but containing MIDI data) is selected for recording
TRACK SOLO
Long-press a Track key to solo the Track. Add extra Tracks to solo just
by pressing them. There are two ways to exit Solo:
If more Tracks are solo‘d, press ALT to exit solo mode. The resulting
Solo states will be set to Track mute/unmute states.
Reduce all solo Tracks back to one and short press this last one to
exit and revert to your old mute/unmute state.
ON
Track contains MIDI data.
BLINK ON/OFF
Track (empty) selected for
recording.
1-8
Pressing ALT-Play enters StepTime Recording.
Pressing ALT-Stop sends a MIDI Note Panic
Invokes alternate menus
ALT PLAY
ALT STOP
ALT [num]
In general: The REC button will act as an operation ENTER key and the
STOP button will act as an ABORT (ALT does this for menu’s too),
returning the RK-008 to main operation mode.
In calculator-CE-button-fashion: Would you like to return to main
operation mode: A maximum of three presses on the STOP button will
get you home. Below the ALT+digit combinations:
Tracks can be modified individually in real-time. Apply:
Quantize (note on/length) & Swing Transpose
Or set an output Filter on:
Notes Controllers Program Changes Aftertouch Pitchbend
Merge/mixdown Tracks will render/fix modifiers to Part memory.
You can also select each Track to Mute, force MIDI data to a single MIDI
channel or route it to a specific Output port (OUT1, OUT2 or RK006).
Most keys are taken up by the digits, these are for selecting Parts but
also have an alternate function which you can invoke with the orange
ALT key. If you have a function activated the screen will show ‘EDIT’
active. Generally REC acts as operation execute and STOP as abort.
Pressing ALT+[grey numeric] gives you various RK-008 options.
ALT
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MANUAL 0.6b: SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!

/1] TEMPO - BPM Value
Enter numeric value to set the tempo (if tempo is set to internal at menu
4]. Use ALT+DEC/INC to finetune decimal value if needed.
Note: You can press ALT+8 multiple times to use it as a tap-tempo
/2] TEMPO - CLICK (metronome)
Use the numeric pad to change metronome options. The keypad columns
change audible timebase on the click signal:
REC+PLAY: Send click to speaker at all times.
REC: Send click to speaker while recording only
PLAY: Send click to speaker while recording only
OFF: No metronome output
/3] TEMPO - CLOCK SOURCE [INT]
Use the numeric pad to change MIDI clock source:
IN1: Sync to MIDI on IN1
IN2: Sync to MIDI on IN2
RK006: Sync to RK006 via USB
OFF: Free record (no BPM)
INT: RK-008 as clock master (Default)
/4] TEMPO - TX CLOCK [ON]
Send MIDI clock to outputs. =Disabled / = Enabled (default)
/5] TEMPO - STARTSTOP [RXTX]
Changes handling of MIDI Transport (start/stop/continue):
RX: Receive only TX: Send only
NONE: No sending/receiving RXTX: Send and receive (def.)
/6] TEMPO - SYNC OUT [VOLCA]
Use the numeric pad to change the Sync Out Jack clicktrack timebase.
Press multiple times to select timebase alternatives:
BAR VOLCA PPQN
DINxx
[DEF] (VOLCA)
/3] SYSTEM - INFO
Displays Firmware Revision and Build ID
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MAP WHEEL [OFF]
Allows you to remap the Modulation wheel into a custom MIDI
controller. The maximum controller number is #119.
Enter the Controller number with the numeric keys for remapping.
Input value #0 to disable the remap.
Input value #1 to change the Modulation wheel into Aftertouch
message (Channel Pressure).
MIDICLICK [OFF]
Echo the Metronome (ALT+8/2) to MIDI channel 10 (drum channel)
REMOTE CHANNEL [OFF]
The Remote Control Channel allows you to control the RK-008
from a MIDI Device. It allows MIDI Note Transpose in the
Performance Menu as well as Play/Stop, Mutes, Recording and
Part Changes via MIDI.
Select the channel with the numeric keys or enter channel 00
to disable RK-008 MIDI Remote Control.
Remember that if the Remote Channel is set, normal MIDI behavior
is disabled for that MIDI channel.
The RK-008 Remote MIDI Mapping is as follows:
KEY 10-17 (A#-2_F-1) Select Track 1-8
KEY 18-25 (F#-1_C#0) Mute Track 1-8
CC #105 Toggle Stop
CC #115 Toggle Play
CC #117 Toggle REC
Program Change 0-99 Change Part
KEY C3 (60) = Key Transpose BaseNote
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/1] SYSTEM - SONG
Press REC to enter this submenu in order to Save/Load Songs or
set/clear a Template.
A Song is a collection of 100 parts and a Song Sequence.
A Template is a default Part routing setup.
Initially every Track in a Part outputs to All MIDI outputs and all MIDI
Channels. If you have a specific setup you’re working with, for example
you always use Track 1 on MIDI channel 1 and part 5-10 to MIDI channel
10, quantized on output port 2 - Then you can make the RK-008 start
with this setup on an empty Part.
This can make it less tedious to make more Parts with the same routing
setup. You can clear the Template if you want the default setup again.
NOTE: Save and Load operations will affect playback: Avoid the urge
to save your current performance while in a live situation :-)
/2] SYSTEM - MIDI SETUP
TRANSPOSE
Enter numeric value to transpose the Track an xx amount of notes.
Pressing DEC before entering the number enters negative transpose.
Pressing ALT+DEC/INC the transpose value will be changed by 1.
If you enter 99 as transpose value, the Track will be set to Performance
Transpose (ALT+ROUTE mode). Meaning the track will be transposed
according to MIDI key input on the RK-008 MIDI Remote Control Channel.
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/3] QUANTIZE Note Length
Numeric keys scale note length. Press twice to toggle lengthed timebase.
/64 /32 /16
/8 /4 /2
xx-% 75% xx+%
OFF
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Presets to 75%
xx-% means % decrease
xx+% means % increase
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/1] OUTPUT MIDI Channel
Each track can contain data on
all sixteen MIDI channels. Type
channel 1-16 on the digits to
force a single MIDI channel.
(00 reverts to omni/original)
/1] QUANTIZE Timebase
Numeric keys set the quantize
timebase. Press again to select
alternatives like duplets / tuplets:
/64 /32 /16
/8 /4 /2
OFF
/2] QUANTIZE Swing
Adds swing to the selected
quantization:
52% 54% 56%
58% 60% 63%
65% 67% 75%
OFF
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/2] OUTPUT Output Port
Select track hardware output:
OUT1 OUT2 RK006
ALL
6 6
6
7 7
IMPORTANT: DINxx presets changes MIDI Out port 2 to a digital RUN/STOP
signal! If active, this will be indicated on the OUTPUT menu (7/2).
ERASE
When a Track is active you can erase one or more Tracks, just press the
according Track buttons to erase and press REC. Deselecting all Tracks
will allow you to delete a complete Part and set the length back to zero.
TIP: If Track Erase mode is active you can also choose to delete a
specific note or CC message from the Track, just press the note or
wiggle the controller. The message will appear on the display and can
be deleted by pressing REC. This can come in handy if you want to only
clear e.g. hihat notes in a drum track.
0
Manual v0.6b, fw0.35 / Apr 2022
RK-008 EAN:7434051990974
retrokits.com the Netherlands
A.J. Huitsing
G.Dijkstra
8
12 0
MANUAL 0.6b: SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!

RETROKITS [RK008] Date: Mar 31 2022
MIDI Implementation Chart version 0.35
Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks
Basic Default 1-16 1-16
Channel Changed 1-16 1-16
Mode Default O O
Messages
Note True Voice O O
Number 0-127 0-127
**REMOTE MODE
Select track 10-17 *1
Mute track 18-25 *1
Transpose basekey 60
Midiclick notes 76,77
Velocity Note on O O
Note Off X X
After Key+Chan O O
Touch
Pitch Bend O O
Control 0-127 O O
Change
**REMOTE MODE
Stop 105 *1
Play 115 *1
Record 117 *1
Program 0-127 O O
Change
**REMOTE MODE
Part change 0-99
System Exclusive O O
Common O O
System O O
Real Time
Aux O O
Msg
Notes: *1 REMOTE MODE Messages respond on toggle button state
0 : Yes X : No
MANUAL 0.6b: SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!