Desktop Editor Software Manual Version 1.3.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Introduction The sonuus i2M musicport is a very fast, low-latency, monophonic MIDI converter for use with all musical instruments. It also features a high-impedance USB audio interface so you can directly connect your musical instrument to your computer with ease. The MIDI converter architecture is very flexible and powerful. To enable you to make full use of this, we have provided a Desktop Editor Software application that runs on both Microsoft Windows and Apple OSX.
Desktop Editor Software Manual makes it easy to run the Desktop Editor Software alongside other applications, such as sequencers, so it appears much like any other “floating palette” of your main application. There are several pages of information and parameters which you can configure. These are selected by clicking on the tabs at the top of the window.
Desktop Editor Software Manual MIDI Architecture Overview When you connect your musical instrument to the i2M musicport, before any MIDI messages are sent via USB-MIDI, the signal passes through several processing stages, shown in Figure 2. Understanding these stages and how they interact will allow you to get the most from your i2M musicport.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Operating Modes Figure 3: The mode tab used to edit and select Operating Modes The i2M musicport has four Operating Modes which affect how the MIDI conversion behaves. Audio input is not affected by these modes in any way, and is always active. In general use, Operating Modes are selected by pressing the mode button on the i2M musicport. A short press will toggle the mode between modes 1 and 2, or between modes 3 and 4.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Mode 1 (short press) Mode 2 (2s) (2s) (short press) Mode 3 Mode 4 Figure 4: How to select Operating Modes when using the button on the i2M musicport. configured for 5-string bass guitar, where flashing modes have chromatic mode enabled, and non-flashing modes transmit pitch-bend messages. Instrument The instrument option allows the i2M musicport to be optimised for the note range, or other characteristics, of a particular instrument.
Desktop Editor Software Manual There are four MIDI Configurations labelled: a, b, c, d. Each Operating Mode can be set to use any of these MIDI Configurations. The default factory settings of the i2M musicport (described above) are such that nonflashing modes are set to use MIDI Configuration a (pitch-bend mode) and flashing modes are set to use MIDI Configuration b (chromatic mode). Top Tip: When editing a MIDI Configuration, you usually want to hear the changes you make as you make them.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Program Change It is often desirable to change modes (presets) without having to touch the i2M musicport or using the Desktop Editor Software, for example during a live performance when you want to change settings in different parts of a song. To make this possible, modes can be selected using the MIDI program change message. By default, modes do not respond to these messages.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Figure 5 illustrates the velocity curves in the i2M musicport that can be selected. They vary from an extreme compressor-type behaviour (Compressor 6), to an extreme expander-like behaviour (Expander 6). Increasing Compression Increasing Expansion Figure 5: Curves used to adjust the MIDI response for velocity and breath controller. Breath Curve Similar to MIDI velocity, the real-time loudness of your instrument can be converted to MIDI control data.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Figure 6: MIDI Configuration / Zones. The currently active MIDI Configuration is highlighted so you know if the one you are editing is currently active or not By default, only one zone is active to provide basic MIDI output functionality. Using additional zones can be a good way to control multiple MIDI instruments which require different settings.
Desktop Editor Software Manual useful, you can configure zones to respond, or to not respond, to the hold pedal. In this way, some zones will hold when you press the Hold pedal, and some zones will remain unaffected. This can be used, for example, to sustain synth-pad sounds while playing a lead synth on top of it. If the “hold” option is on, the zone will respond to the Hold pedal. If it is off, the Hold pedal will not affect that zone.
Desktop Editor Software Manual NOTE: If different pitch-bend ranges are used on different zones, these zones should be configured to use different MIDI channels otherwise the pitch-bend will not (and cannot) be correct on all of these zones. Pitch-bend information can also be sent on another MIDI controller in addition to normal pitch-bend MIDI messages. This allows you to setup more advanced modulation on your synth to control other sonic parameters when bending notes.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Note Extend To mask gaps between notes when playing is not smooth (e.g., if you are accentuating note gaps to avoid glitches) note extend can be used. When set, a note-off will be extended for the prescribed number of milliseconds, or until the next note-on is issued. In this way, very fluid melodies can be produced, even if you are playing in a staccato fashion.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Setup—manage Figure 7: The setup tab lets you change global settings, manage your device and gives information on the version of hardware and firmware in your i2M musicport. The setup tab (shown in Figure 7) contains various global options and information about the currently connected i2M musicport. The options available in the manage section are described below.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Reset to Factory Settings The i2M musicport has many settings which you can customise. However, you may want to restore these to the default factory settings. This can be done easily by selecting the reset to factory settings option. NOTE: Once the default factory settings have been restored, you cannot recover any changes you have made.
Desktop Editor Software Manual NOTE: In this mode, the light will flash alternately green and orange, unlike any other mode, so you can clearly recognise that this mode has been activated. Top Tip: To quickly leave latency test mode, for example if this was enabled by mistake and you need to stop the test notes that are produced in this mode, simply press the button on the i2M musicport and this will immediately return you to normal operation.
Desktop Editor Software Manual tune with the i2M musicport, it is essential that the pitch-bend sensitivity on the MIDI instrument matches the pitch-bend range set on the i2M musicport. Although there is no standard value of pitch-bend sensitivity, the most common setting is 2 semitones, this means that pitch-bend messages can bend a note up or down by 2 semitones. This is also the default setting of the i2M musicport.
Desktop Editor Software Manual MIDI Hold/Sustain Pedal When using MIDI and audio together, it is often desirable to be able to hold a MIDI note while continuing to play your instrument normally. For example, you can trigger bass notes on your synthesizer then play over these with your normal instrument sound. Like “hold”, a “sustain” feature can also be desirable. The difference between hold and sustain is what happens when you play a new note.
Desktop Editor Software Manual Setup—info The info section gives you various pieces of information about your i2M musicport and the Desktop Editor Software. This is read-only and cannot be edited. Firmware version This shows the version number of the currently installed firmware. This can be updated using the sonuus Firmware Loader application, using appropriate firmware updates available from the sonuus web site. Hardware version This shows which version of i2M musicport hardware you have.
