USER MANUAL VER 1.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Introduction to the Pearl EM1 malletSTATION 3 1.1 What’s in the Box? 3 1.2 System Requirements 4-8 Getting Started 4 2.1 A Quick MIDI Primer 4 2.2 Support 4 2.3 Recommended Software Installation 4 2.4 Connecting Your malletSTATION 4 2.5 Important Notice 5 2.6 Basic Connection Diagram 6-7 2.7 The EM1 malletSTATION Unit 8 2.8 The EM1 malletSTATION Software Package 9 - 10 In Depth Features Overview 9 3.1 Expressivity and Flexibility 10 3.
INTRODUCTION TO THE PEARL EM1 malletSTATION Thank you for purchasing the Pearl EM1 malletSTATION mallet keyboard controller! This 3 octave adjustable range USB MIDI mallet controller is designed to easily integrate with your PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device. malletSTATION features soft silicone keys that give you the feel of a keyboard percussion instrument in a portable and versatile format.
GETTING STARTED This section covers information that will help you get started with the Pearl malletSTATION. We will introduce the malletSTATION hardware, discuss how to connect your malletSTATION to your device, and go over basic operation of the device and the editor. More in-depth information is available in the later sections of the manual. 2.
GETTING STARTED (continued) 2.6 BASIC CONNECTION DIAGRAM or or IMPLEMENTS The malletSTATION was designed to be able to be played with a multitude of implements, including most keyboard percussion mallets as well as drumsticks. Please keep in mind that it is still an electronic instrument, and should not be played with excessively heavy implements or anything that could damage the unit. Standard mallets and sticks work great on malletSTATION.
GETTING STARTED (continued) 2.7 THE EM1 malletSTATION UNIT You can interact with the malletSTATION via the bars, the gap caps, the octave buttons, the low note buttons, four assignable buttons, three assignable faders, and three assignable pedal inputs. The assignable interface elements can be programmed to send a variety of MIDI data using the malletSTATION Editor. KEY FEATURES - TOP PANEL OCTAVE BUTTONS 3 ASSIGNABLE FADERS There are two octave buttons on malletSTATION.
GETTING STARTED (continued) KEY FEATURES - JACK PANEL KMI EXPANDER PORT 3 ASSIGNABLE PEDAL INPUTS This port is reserved for use with Keith McMillen Instruments’ MIDI Expander. (See page 10) By default, the 3 assignable pedal inputs will be set to the following commands*: NOTE: this is NOT a standard USB connection, and cannot be used for connection to a computer.
GETTING STARTED (continued) 2.8 THE EM1 malletSTATION SOFTWARE PACKAGE 2.8.1 Editor Configuration Software Many of the more advanced options and settings on the malletSTATION can be accessed through the Software Editor available at www.pearlmalletstation.com. Both an online, web browser version and a separate downloadable version are available. Most casual users will not need to install this editor, but we recommend bookmarking it for future use.
IN-DEPTH FEATURES OVERVIEW 3.1 EXPRESSIVITY AND FLEXIBILITY The EM1 malletSTATION can be configured to send a wide variety of MIDI Data from its bars, buttons, faders, and external pedal inputs. 3.1.1 Bars 3.1.3 Playing Techniques The malletSTATION can be configured to play in any diatonic range (C-B) as well as in a range of octaves. With the adjustable low note assignment, you can quickly adapt the instrument to fit any musical situation.
IN-DEPTH FEATURES OVERVIEW (continued) 3.2 ADVANCED CONNECTIVITY AND COMMUNICATION The EM1 malletSTATION is a class-compliant MIDI device, which means you can connect it to just about anything that can accept MIDI information. Using the included USB cable you can connect to a computer running any modern OS (MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux) that supports the classcompliant USB MIDI standard.
malletSTATION EDITOR This section covers the malletSTATION Editor. It will cover the basic operation and features of the Editor, along with any differences between the desktop and web editors. A B C D E 4.1 THE EDITOR choosing a destination on the malletSTATION, sending the preset to a slot on the malletSTATION, saving the preset, saving the preset as a copy, reverting the preset, and deleting the preset. When saving as a copy, preset names are limited to 32 characters.
malletSTATION EDITOR (continued) B 4.1.2 The Bars and Caps Section The Bars and Caps section of the Editor is where you can edit how the playing surface is laid out; what octave it is in, the lowest note, as well as any keyboard splits (zones) you’d want to use. Low Note Sets the low note of the malletSTATION anywhere from C to B. Zones You can setup two zones (splits) on the malletSTATION. Octave Sets the octave of the malletSTATION with a range of +/- 2 octaves. Assigning a Zone: 1.
malletSTATION EDITOR (continued) C 4.1.3 The Buttons and Faders Here you can define the behavior of the buttons and the faders. Select a button or fader to edit by clicking on it. The control being edited will be highlighted in blue. Buttons The buttons can send a variety of data, and all selections can be sent simultaneously. Preset Select Mode Turn preset selection mode of the 4 internal presets on or off.
malletSTATION EDITOR (continued) D 4.1.4 The Playability and Globals Section Use this section to affect how the malletSTATION responds, as well as set the Play Mode. Sensitivity Sensitivity defines a scaling factor for the velocity values in this preset. Use this if you want to change the sensitivity of the bars. This setting is helpful if using lighter implements to scale the velocities to use the entire 0-127 range. Higher values will respond to a lighter stroke.
malletSTATION EDITOR (continued) 4.1.6 Preferences The Preferences button will expose some settings that can be useful. Customize the behavior of the Editor by enabling/ disabling UI Sync, Tooltips, and auto-hiding slider handles. UI Sync When UI sync is on, interacting with a button/fader on the malletSTATION will select that element in the Editor. Tooltips Turned on by default, the tool tips are the popovers that describe each feature on the malletSTATION Editor.
malletSTATION EDITOR (continued) 4.2 THE DESKTOP EDITOR The Mac Desktop Editor will run on Mac OSX 10.9 - 10.13. The Windows Desktop Editor will run on Windows 7, 8, and 10. All of the settings in the preferences window, except for the Editor settings, will be available in the application’s menu bar. Find the Desktop Editor at www.pearlmalletstation.com. 4.3 THE WEB EDITOR Any WebMIDI capable browser will be able to successfully run the Web Editor (this currently includes Google Chrome, Opera, and Brave).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS I’m getting a delay from when I hit malletSTATION until I hear the sound in my speakers or headphones. How do I fix this? Do I need a computer to use my malletSTATION? No! With the optional KMI MIDI Expander you can send MIDI data to any device that uses a 5 pin MIDI connection. You can connect to a USB host and a MIDI Expander at the same time (the data is mirrored between the two). Some computing devices have less than ideal sound cards built in for audio use.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (continued) My malletSTATION won’t turn on or connect to my computer. 4. Try with or without a USB hub If experiencing connectivity issues while using a USB hub, try without the hub and plug directly into the computer’s USB port. The reverse holds true as well — if experiencing connectivity issues while not using a USB hub, try with a hub (if one is available to you). 1.
GAP CAP LOW NOTE ASSIGNMENT CHART LOW NOTE C LOW NOTE D LOW NOTE E LOW NOTE F LOW NOTE G LOW NOTE A LOW NOTE B 19
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Medical Devices Repetitive Motion malletSTATION may emit electromagnetic fields. These electromagnetic fields may interfere with pacemakers or other medical devices. If you wear a pacemaker, maintain at least 6 inches (approximately 15cm) of separation between your pacemaker and malletSTATION. If you suspect malletSTATION is interfering with your pacemaker or any other medical device, stop using malletSTATION and consult your physician for information specific to your medical device.
