Red Panda PARTICLE 2 Owner's Manual
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Red Panda PARTICLE 2 Owner's Manual

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PARTICLE
Owner's Manual
Detroit, MI • www.redpandalab.com
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Summary of Contents for Red Panda PARTICLE 2

  • Page 1 PARTICLE Owner’s Manual Detroit, MI • www.redpandalab.com...
  • Page 2 PARTICLE Owner’s Manual Version 2.0 (firmware 2.0.1+) April 2019 Red Panda LLC 4444 2nd Ave Detroit, MI 48201 ©2019 Red Panda LLC www.redpandalab.com...
  • Page 3 Please register your product at redpandalab.com/register Product manuals and firmware updates are available at redpandalab.com/support For technical support, email support@redpandalab.com...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Contents Introduction Getting Started Controls Bypass Freeze Feedback Lowpass Filter (Tone) Modes Combining Modes Control input (expression pedal) Presets Tap Tempo Web Editor (beta) Advanced Configuration Reset to Factory Defaults Using MIDI Support, Repairs, and Warranty Firmware Updates Specifications Credits...

  • Page 5: Introduction

    Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Particle 2. I designed the original Particle in 2010 and released the first batch in 2011. I drilled, painted, labeled, soldered, and assembled those first pedals in my garage and a spare bedroom. Thanks to the support of experimentally-minded musicians throughout the world, Red Panda has been able to grow to a small team and continue to work on hard, interesting projects.

  • Page 6: Getting Started

    Getting Started The Particle™ is a granular delay pedal. It chops your signal into small slices (grains), which are shifted, randomized, and mangled using the techniques of granular synthesis. Results include radical pitch and delay modulation, shimmering repeats, time stretching, stutter, and glitch sounds. The Particle has five delay-based modes and three pitch-based modes.

  • Page 7: Controls

    Controls Overview Tap tempo/freeze Chop/freeze threshold Preset switch Expression pedal Preset indicator Input Feedback Delay time/pitch shif t Wet/dry blend Mode USB MIDI Parameter 9V DC 250 mA Bypass indicator Output Bypass/tap division...
  • Page 8 Alternate Controls [DIV] Press and hold the ON/[DIV] footswitch to adjust tap divisions and alternate parameters. Alternate func- tions are labled [DIV] in the following sections. To access [DIV] settings: 1. Start with the Particle enabled (blue light on) 2. Hold the ON/[DIV] footswitch until the LED changes to yellow (the pedal will briefly go into bypass) 3.

  • Page 9: Bypass

    [DIV] sets grain density (interonset time) or LFO to a note division, depending on mode. Bypass The right footswitch turns the effect on and off. Tap to toggle between bypass and effect. From bypass, pressing and holding the footswitch will engage the effect momentarily and return to bypass when you release.

  • Page 10: Feedback Lowpass Filter (Tone)

    REPEATING LAST-PLAYED AUDIO The Particle is always listening to your signal, even in analog bypass mode. This allows you to repeat a phrase that you just played. With the Particle in bypass, set CHOP to 100% the DELAY knob to the desired repeat time, or use tap tempo When you click the ON footswitch, the Particle will enter freeze mode the the last segment of audio played.

  • Page 11: Modes

    Modes Mode Delay/Pitch Param Description DELAY DENS Delay time Grain density Delay with grain density (interonset time) DELAY Delay range Stretch/compress ratio Time stretch/compress (LFO speed) DELAY Delay time Direction probability Reverse delay DELAY PITCH Delay time Pitch shift amount Delay with random pitch jump DELAY Max.
  • Page 12 DELAY + RND The DELAY knob sets the maximum delay time. The PARAM knob sets the randomization range. The CHOP knob controls how often the delay time is changed (size of the audio slices). Short delays create a chorusing sound. Use longer delays for random beat slicing effects. With tap tempo, try setting DELAY to a whole note and CHOP to 1/8th or 1/16th note.
  • Page 13 PITCH + DENS The PITCH knob sets +/- 1 octave pitch shift. The PARAM knob controls the density of grains, breaking the incoming audio down into blips at lower settings. The CHOP and PARAM knobs interact in this mode, and at higher settings there will be multiple overlapping grains.

  • Page 14: Combining Modes

    Combining Modes In its default configuration, the MODE knob will assign the DELAY/PITCH and PARAM knobs to specific functions and reset the previous mode's parameters. For example, switching from DELAY+DENS to DE- LAY+LFO will set the grain density so that they perfectly overlap. You can combine modes in several different ways: •...

  • Page 15: Control Input (Expression Pedal)

    Control input (expression pedal) The CTRL (control) input supports different methods of remotely controlling the effect: • Expression pedal • Remote switch • Control voltage (CV) with 0-3.3V range To configure a device, hold down the right footswitch while plugging it in. The Tensor will detect which device is connected using the steps below.
  • Page 16 Control Voltage Control voltage input is configured the same way as an expression pedal. CV Range: 0-3.3V (with over/under-voltage protection) Tip: 0-3.3V input Ring: 3.3V output (with current limiting) Sleeve: ground The expression input has current limiting in case you use a TS cable, but it is preferable to use a 1/4” TRS cable with the ring unconnected.

  • Page 17: Presets

    Presets The Particle stores 127 presets. Presets 1-4 are accessible from the front panel, and all are accessible via MIDI program change messages. MIDI program 128 resets the parameters to the current knob set- tings. (Note that some controllers label MIDI programs 0-127 and some use 1-128.) If preset 1-4 is selected, the Particle will remember the current preset when power is turned off and restore it.
  • Page 18 Tap tempo LED assignments Preset Assignment Grain size Density LFO rate Delay Tap tempo control assignments Control Tap Division Assignment CHOP Chop (grain size) DELAY/PITCH Delay time MODE Delay time PARAM DENS: density LFO: LFO rate Delay note divisions (MODE knob) Mode Position Note Division DENS...
  • Page 19 Delay, chop, and density note divisions (CHOP, DELAY, PARAM knobs) Off (tap tempo disabled) Whole note Eighth note triplet Half note 16th note Dotted quarter note 16th note triplet Quarter note 32nd note Quarter note triplet 32nd note triplet Dotted eighth note 64th note Eighth note 64th note triplet...

  • Page 20: Web Editor (Beta)

    Web Editor (beta) The web-based Particle editor can be used to configure your pedal, access hidden parameters, and fine-tune presets. It is intended for "offline" configuration and editing. For live performance editing, we recommend using dedicated MIDI hardware or software and MIDI control change messages. Connect your pedal to a computer using a USB cable and go to the web editor URL using Chrome: https://www.redpandalab.com/content/apps/particle-editor/index.html The editor uses Web MIDI, which is not supported by all browsers.
  • Page 21 Config The Config tab allows you to configure the pedal for your setup. Configuration settings are described in "Advanced Configuration" on page 22. If the pedal detects an error condition, a diagnostic code will be displayed on this tab. This tab also displays the installed firmware version and the input power supply (PSU) voltage. A low PSU voltage or a standard deviation (std dev) of 0.03 V or more may indicate that the power supply is not able to provide enough current to properly power the pedal.

  • Page 22: Advanced Configuration

    Advanced Configuration The Particle uses MIDI System Exclusive messages to access configuration settings. See "MIDI System Exclusive Messages" on page 28 for a complete list of properties. We provide a web-based editor (requires Chrome) and a Touch OSC template (for iOS and Android) to make it easier to access these settings.

  • Page 23: Using Midi

    Using MIDI The Particle is a class-compliant USB device, which allows you to: • Control all parameters of the Tensor • Access additional hidden parameters The Particle can work with any USB MIDI host, including: • Macintosh and Windows computers. The Tensor shows up as a MIDI device and is available to all pro- grams.
  • Page 24 MIDI Continuous Controller Messages CC Num Destination Notes Expression pedal CTRL input Blend Chop Grain size Freeze threshold 1-126 Threshold Feedback Delay Delay random Pitch Pitch detune Pitch random Density Direction Reverse 1-126 Probability Forward LFO rate Feedback Lowpass Filter Freeze 0-63 64-127...
  • Page 25 CC Num Destination Notes Mode Pitch/density Pitch/LFO Pitch/detune Delay/random Delay/pitch Delay/reverse Delay/LFO Delay/density Chop/freeze 0-63 Chop 64-127 Freeze threshold Delay/pitch Depends on current mode Param Depends on current mode Delay note division See “Note Divisions” table Density note division See “Note Divisions” table Chop note division See “Note Divisions”...
  • Page 26 Pitch Semitone (CC 18) Mapping MIDI CC Value Transposition MIDI CC Value Transposition -1 octave Unison Unison 124-127 octave...
  • Page 27 Note Division Continuous Controller Values Allowable values for each parameter are limited by the minimum and maximum parameter values. Note that values are grouped by dotted/basic/triplet notes for each division and are not in strictly decreasing order. CC Value Note Division Off (tap tempo disabled) 8 measure 7 measures...
  • Page 28 SysEx to your controller. The basic format is the same for all messages: Byte (hex) Description System Exclusive (SysEx) Red Panda ID byte 1 Red Panda ID byte 2 Red Panda ID byte 3 Particle family ID Particle product ID...
  • Page 29 ID 1 ID 2 Data Bytes Data 2 32-bit integers, each encoded in 7-bit bytes Returns a diagnostic error code that can assist Red Panda in troubleshooting problems. Input voltage ID 1 ID 2 Data Bytes Data 100 * PSU voltage in Volts Returns the approximate input voltage.
  • Page 30 Save preset ID 1 ID 2 Data Bytes Data Preset location (MIDI program number) Save a preset to internal memory. Kill dry ID 1 ID 2 Data Bytes Data 00: normal 01: kill dry Kill dry on/off. Get / Set Parameter Value (high resolution) ID 1 ID 2 Data Bytes...

  • Page 31: Support, Repairs, And Warranty

    Support, Repairs, and Warranty Technical Support Please register your product at redpandalab.com/register within 30 days of purchase. For technical support, send your question via email to support@redpandalab.com or use the contact form on our web site. Be sure to include your serial number. We are a small company with limited re- sources for technical support, so it might take us a few days to reply.

  • Page 32: Firmware Updates

    Firmware Updates The Particle’s firmware can be updated via drag and drop using any Mac or PC. No driver or special soft- ware is required. To tell which version of firmware your pedal is running: 1. Hold down both footswitches and connect power. 2.

  • Page 33: Specifications

    Specifications Maximum input level: +0.5 dBu (high gain) +5.2 dBu (default) +7.2 dBu (max) Frequency response: 20-20 kHz, +0/-0.5 dB Input impedance: 1 MΩ Output impedance: < 1 kΩ Bypass: analog buffered Power supply: 9V DC, center negative Power connector: 2.1mm I.D.

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