KeyStep controlling The NDLR

[Steve]

Hi All,
At the Conductive Labs "Ship" celebration (Nov '18) Craig from Genshi Media Group did a NDLR performance for everyone that was recorded and can be found on YouTube: Conductive Labs NDLR Launch Party Demo Performance.

We had some questions about how the Arturia KeyStep was controlling The NDLR via the Mod Matrix and what was it doing.  

The KeyStep was connect to The NDLR using the MIDI 5 Pin Din connected to MIDI IN 'A'.  

Craig was doing a few things actually. He was using the KeyStep to change the Chord Type. The keyboard velocity was mapped to the Pad Range (number of notes played) and the Mod Wheel was mapped to the Pad Position. This was accomplished by aligning the MIDI channels between the KeyStep and The NDLR, and mapping the inbound MIDI messages in the Modulation Matrix.  He also used The NDLR's note Transpose feature.  Here are the details:

1)  to change the Chord Degree, this is the chord number like a I, IV, V progression  

• The KeyStep's MIDI output channel (15 in this case) is set to the same as The NDLR's "NDLR Cntl" MIDI input channel (found in System Menu 1). 
  
• The white keys, C-B, map to the 1-7 Chord Degree buttons.  
  
• The black keys map to the Chord Type buttons, triad, 7th, sus4, etc... (see manual for details on the mapping).
  

2)  to change the Pad Range, the number of notes the Pad plays

• The KeyStep's MIDI output channel (15 in this case) is set to the same as The NDLR's "NDLR Cntl" MIDI input channel (found in System Menu 1).  
  
• In the Mod Matrix (he used slot #1) the Source is set to Velocity and the Destination was set to Pad Range. The Mod Amount and Destination Value  was adjusted to match Craig's preferences. This maps the inbound MIDI Velocity from the device set to the "NDLR Cntl" MIDI input channel to the Mod Matrix Destination. 
  

3)  to change the Pad Position, which octave(s) notes the Pad plays

• The KeyStep's MIDI output channel (15 in this case) is set to the same as The NDLR's "NDLR Cntl" MIDI input channel (found in System Menu 1). 
  
• In the Mod Matrix (he used slot #2) the Source is set to Mod Wheel and the Destination was set to Pad Position. The Mod Amount and Destination Value was adjusted to match Craig's preferences. This maps the inbound MIDI Mod Wheel value from the device set to the "NDLR Cntl" MIDI input channel to the Mod Matrix Destination.  
  

4) to play Transposed notes

• The KeyStep's MIDI output channel (16 in this case) is set to the same as The NDLR's "KB Trans" MIDI input channel (found in System Menu 1).
  
• The KeyStep's notes are being transposed to the current Key and Mode of The NDLR.  So playing in the key of "C" on the KeyStep's keyboard will always be in the right key and mode!
  

NOTE: Craig was changing the MIDI channel between 15 and 16 of the KeyStep during the performance to switch between "NDLR control mode" and "transpose mode".

Thanks,
Steve

[Alphacentaury]

Thanx a lot to have thought to us with these details.

Behind the keystep, witch mode? Midi, internal, sync ,

[Steve]

Thanx a lot to have thought to us with these details.

Behind the keystep, witch mode? Midi, internal, sync ,

In this setup the clock was being generated by the NDLR.  The Beatstep’s clock was being ignored.

If you route The NDLR’s clock back to the Beatstep (either The NDLR’s analog CLK OUT, or the 5 PIn MIDI out) and set the Beatstep to use external clock, the arpeggiator or sequencer from the Beatstep can also be used and routed through transpose MIDI channel. And the notes will be played in sync. 

OR 

use the Beatstep clock and set The NDLR to use external clock. The simplest connection would be to use one 5 pin MIDI cable out of the Beatstep into The NDLR. Both the note events and clock will communicated over the 5 pin cable.  The MIDI clock events are not channel specific.

BIG Note: The downside to this last method is that the Beatstep’s clock is not transmitted unless the play button is pressed. If The NDLR does not receive Clock messages none of the internal part (pad, drone or motifs) will play. This is because The NDLR uses the external Clock messages as its internal heartbeat when set to external Clock in. 

Steve

[Alphacentaury]

Thanx a lot

[GaGa]

Excellent information. Very Helpful. Thanks Steve!