2 Step Reference Manual 12 Step V1.
Copyright 2007-2013 Keith McMillen Instruments a wholly owned subsidiary of Kesumo LLC. All rights reserved. Made in USA. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express written permission of the copyright holders. The content of this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Keith McMillen Instruments.
Table of Contents Welcome Questions or Feedback? Contact Us! System Requirements What's in the 12 Step Package 12 Step Hardware Connecting 12 Step MIDI Expander Getting Started Your First Notes Changing Presets - The Select Key Changing Octaves 12 Step Key Behavior 12 Step MIDI Output Factory Presets 12 Step Editor Downloading the Editor Updating the 12 Step Editor Updating the Firmware Ports Main Window Overview Note Editor Saving MIDI Parameter Assignments Select Key Modlines Sources 3
Welcome 12 Step is a chromatic keyboard foot controller. It sends MIDI notes via USB or the KMI MIDI Expander to control soft synths, MIDI Keyboards and MIDI sound modules. It has polyphonic capabilities and can play up to 5 notes per key. Each key is velocity and pressure sensitive and can use the tilt of your foot to control pitch bend, polyphonic aftertouch, or any MIDI CC value. These features come together for unsurpassed expression and control in a highly portable chromatic keyboard foot controller.
What's in the 12 Step Package When ● ● ● ● ● you open up the box you should find: (1) 12 Step (1) 12 Step Protective Sleeve (1) USB A-to-B cable (15’) (1) 1/8" to 1/4" expression pedal adapter MIDI ○ ○ ○ Expander (optional) (1) USB A-to-B mini USB cable (15’) (1) USB power plug (1) USB A-to-B cable (6’) 12 Step Hardware 12 Step is one of the world's lightest, smallest, and most expressive foot controllers. It weighs 1 pound and is 17.5” x 4” x .75”. The keys are about 1.25” X .5”.
Connecting 12 Step Connect 12 Step to a computer This image shows 12 Step set up to send MIDI data to a computer. 1. Use a USB A-to-B cable to connect the main 12 Step USB port to a USB port on your computer. 12 Step will receive power from the computer. 2. You can also connect an Expression pedal to the Express port using the 1/4” to 1/8” adapter. Just make sure you have an expression pedal with a 3 wire connection (a stereo jack).
Connect 12 Step to an iPad The image above shows 12 Step connected to an iPad 1. Use a USB A-to-B cable to connect the main 12 Step USB port to the iPad via the iPad Camera Connection Kit. 2. Connect the power supply to the 12 Step expand port. 3. Connect the MIDI Out on the Expander to the MIDI In on the synth. 4. You can also connect an Expression pedal to the Express port using the 1/4” to 1/8” adapter. Just make sure you have an expression pedal with a 3 wire connection (a stereo jack).
MIDI Expander The KMI MIDI Expander enables you to use 12 Step with your hardware MIDI devices. Plug your MIDI devices into the KMI MIDI Expander and you're ready to send and receive MIDI data (with or without a computer). Setup A: Connect the “Expand” port on 12 Step to the “to Expand” port on the MIDI Expander using the USB A-to-B mini cable. Connect the MIDI Expander to the USB power supply using the USB Ato-B cable.
Getting Started Thanks again for purchasing a 12 Step, let’s get started. Now that you’ve got your 12 Step connected properly you can start sending MIDI Notes and investigating the factory installed presets. (If you haven’t connected your 12 Step and need guidance read the above chapter called Connecting 12 Step). Your First Notes When you first plug in the 12 Step it will open up on the first preset. Preset 0: CHrO - “Chromatic Scale” - This is our simplest preset.
12 Step Key Behavior 12 Step uses Note Modes to choose how your foot presses effect the note on and note off messages: Normal - Stepping on a key sends a note on, releasing the key sends a note off. All presets use this note mode unless otherwise noted in their descriptions. Legato - Pressing on a key sends a "note on". When a different key is pressed, the previous key’s note is turned off along with the new “note on”. If you wish to turn a note off before hitting another key, tap on the select key.
Factory Presets The following is a description of all of the factory presets that come on your 12 Step: 0. CHrO - “Chromatic Scale” - This is our simplest preset. The keys play a chromatic scale starting with C2 (note number 48) and going up to C3 (note 60). 1. bEnD - “Tilt Pitch Bend” - This preset plays a chromatic scale starting with note C1 (note number 36) and going up to C2 (note 48). This preset uses the Hold note mode rather than the Normal note mode. 2.
Key 7 = Snare Drum 1, and Key 8 = Bass Drum 2. This preset also has Multi Key mode enabled so that you can trigger 2 notes at once. 10. POLY - “Polyphonic” - This preset has Multi Key mode enabled so that you can trigger 2 notes at once. The keys play a chromatic scale starting with C2 (note number 48) and going up to C3 (note 60). 11. AFtr - “Poly AfterTouch” - The keys play a chromatic scale starting with C2 (note number 48) and go up to C3 (note 60).
repeated notes; this is so you don’t accidentally hit a note that isn’t in this Minor Pentatonic scale. The rest of the presets operate in the standard fashion. The names of the presets are indicative of what notes you will encounter. Enjoy! 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39.
4. Open up the 12 Step Editor. Use this manual as a reference for the 12 Step Editor. Updating the 12 Step Editor After downloading an upgrade from the 12 Step downloads site, install it using the .dmg file (mac) or unzip it and drag and drop the entire "12 Step" folder into your "Program Files" folder (windows). You can keep the old version if you'd like, it will cause no problems or conflicts with the newer version.
Main Window Overview When you open the 12 Step Editor you will be presented with a window that looks like this: The top part of the window is for selecting the notes that each key pad will play. You can choose up to five notes for each key by using the Note Editor. You can also save your settings into a preset. The bottom part of the window is for setting up your MIDI Parameters.
automatically change to “12Step” after the application fully loads to show that a connection between the Editor and the device has been made. On the bottom right side of the window you can set the Global Sensitivity of the key pads and the sensitivity of the select key. Note Editor The Note Editor is arranged like the keys on the 12 step and stores and displays the notes for each key. To select notes for a key just click on the key you wish to assign notes to so that it is highlighted.
You can also choose the characters for the 4 letter alphanumeric display on the 12 step by clicking on the red letters and choosing from a menu of letters and numbers. Make your display name to help you remember what preset you are using. Note: the 12 Step alphanumeric display is 7 segment and there are a few letters that cannot be represented. K, M, V, W, and X cannot be displayed on the 12 Step. Saving The preset saving functions are also available in the top area of the main 12 Step window.
To add presets to your setlist click on the open button. The Setlist window will open up. You'll see an array of text fields and number boxes. You can turn on a slot by selecting a preset or turn it off. Choose which scene to use by selecting it from the drop-down menu when you click inside the text field, scrolling through the numbers, or pressing the inc/dec buttons on the right hand side. Use the clear all button at the bottom to clear the setlist and start fresh.
The order of presets listed in the setlist will be the order of presets when using the select key to select them. The setlist allows up to 128 presets. The presets that are not in the setlist will not be downloaded to the 12 Step. MIDI Parameter Assignments Here you can choose how your MIDI data outputs. You have the option of having 2 voices that will play the notes you selected in the Note Editor.
Now look over to the right of where you select programs and bend ranges. You will see a menu for selecting Note Modes. By selecting various Note Modes you can choose how your foot presses effect the note on and note off messages. Normal - Upon pressing on a key a "note on" message is triggered. When the key is released a "note off" is sent. Legato - Pressing on a key sends a "note on". When a different key is pressed, the previous key’s note is turned off and the new key’s note turns on.
You will be able to see which decade you are in while incrementing and decrementing by looking at the alpha numeric display on the upper right side of the 12 Step. After selecting the preset you will automatically be taken out of Select Mode. Select mode can also be used to shift octaves. After entering Select mode use the -Oct or the +Oct keys (another name for the -10 and +10 keys) to shift up or down an octave. After shifting octaves you will be taken out of select mode automatically.
play in perfect tune. When you want to bend a not you wiggle the key front to back and Tilt becomes engaged for that key. + Tilt - this outputs continuous values and increases and decreases depending on the tilt of your foot on the key. In other words if your foot is exerting more pressure on the top sensor of the key, the value will increase. If you tilt your foot pressure down so more pressure is on the bottom of the key, the value will decrease.
min / max - These allow you to constrain the data values between a minimum and a maximum number. If the min is set to 10 and the max is set to 15, then the output cannot be less than 10 or more than 15. The example in the image above shows the Velocity MIDI parameter. The source for voice A is set to +Velocity so the harder you initially press on the key, the greater the velocity will be. Voice B is set to -Velocity so the harder you initially press on the key, the lower the velocity will be.
