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Starr Labs Ztar User Manual

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ZPC USER'S MANUAL
Rev1.4
1/05
Starr Labs
San Diego, CA
1

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  • Page 1 ZPC USER’S MANUAL Rev1.4 1/05 Starr Labs San Diego, CA...
  • Page 2 The Ztar is fully warranted for a period of 90 days. Thereafter, the warranty extends for one year to cover the cost of parts replacement. Any service labor will then be billed at our shop rate.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    TABLE of CONTENTS Getting Started ................Hardware diagrams ................. Hardware versions ................. The Basics ..................p.11 OVERVIEW ..................p.14 Sensor Hardware ................p.18 Menu TREE ..................p.20 MENUS System ................p.21 SONG MENU ................p.23 FRETBOARD MENU ..............p.25 Fingerboard Key-velocity, Transpositions......p.26 AfrterPressure..............
  • Page 4 BREATH CONTROLLER SETUP............p.73 MORE PERFORMANCE NOTES............p.74 LEARNING the ZTAR..............p.77 NECK ASSEMBLY/ DIS-ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS.... p.80 TROUBLESHOOTING and MAINTENANCE........p.81 BLANK SENSOR ASSIGNMENT CHART ....... p.85 ZTAR INDIVIDUAL SONG SPECIFICATION ......p.86 SYSEX FORMAT GLOSSARY .................. p.95 INDEX .................. p.97...

  • Page 5: Getting Started

    MIDI Out, MIDI In, Sustain and Volume Pedals, and the Power switch. • Connect the Ztar MIDI Out cable to the Controller input of the PB-1 power adapter. • Connect a MIDI cable from the SYNTH jack of the PB-1 to the MIDI IN on your synth.
  • Page 6 Setting up the Ztar String Triggers as a guitar: With the ZPC-OS installed, the Ztar may be thought of as a fingerboard and a group of Sensors that may be programmed to act together and play as a guitar. A preset has been created that defaults to the most Guitar-like performance.

  • Page 7: Hardware Versions

    “ReTrigger”-mode, which will re-trigger fretted notes much like the Strum-mode. Trigger sensitivity: You can use the 6 trimpots at the rear of the Ztar to adjust the individual String-Trigger Gain. Also, you can assign a separate response curve to each trigger in the SENSOR/ OUTPUT menu.
  • Page 10 50kOhm expression sequencer for Sysex operations. Pedal or Pot. POWER Z6 Jackplate MIDI out to the synthesizer and Phantom DC power In to the Ztar. Connect this to the 'Controller' jack on the PB-1 power adapter. Mini_Z and Z1 Jack Plate...

  • Page 11: The Basics

    “Pad” both in this manual and in the menu-system as the structure that holds setup assignments for each of the hardware inputs within each SONG. ZONES in the Ztar are user-defined areas of the fingerboard and are similar to the Layers that are often found in MIDI keyboards.
  • Page 12 If you’ve been using our original Ztar pre-ZPC operating system you will notice these general changes: An onboard clocking system has been added which now allows us to time MIDI events and support sequences and patterns. Some new setup modes have been added into the system in an effort to add...
  • Page 13 The DUAL-mode now can apply to any sensor so that you could for instance, assign it to the Breath controller to create a woodwind effect that sends both Note-On/Off and Volume. Each onboard Ztar Song (patch) can store and send 32 Program Changes.

  • Page 14: Overview

    We’ve made every effort to design the Ztar for ease of use, considering the number and variety of setups that can be created. If you decide to jump into the Ztar menu system before you read this manual you may get stuck with something you don’t understand.

  • Page 15: User Interface

    LIVE-mode screen. The Ztar Operating System has a LIVE mode and an EDIT mode. Pressing the EDIT key from the LIVE-MENU enters the top-level SONG-EDIT screen to alter the various setup parameters of the fingerboard, pads, triggers, joystick and pedals.
  • Page 16 Triggering: Picking, strumming, and other options: On the Ztar, the Triggers are either Strings or flexible bars used to play notes selected from the fingerboard. They are also capable of playing their own user-programmed notes and other events. The fingerboard-zones may be independently assigned to be tapped or strummed.
  • Page 17 Several function keys have been placed on the surface of the Ztar to allow quick changes to the setup of the instrument: The Ztar has several features that may be applied to the way the fingerboard and triggers work. By using Zones on the fingerboard you can apply these features in different areas of the neck.
  • Page 18 REC: This button activates the CHORD RECORD feature. Press the button, hold down some notes on the fingerboard, strum them if necessary to hear them, and tap one of the Pads (or a Trigger, or any other Sensor) to assign the notes to that Pad for playback.

  • Page 19: Sensor Hardware

    There are commonly two jacks provided on a Ztar for pedals, Sustain and Volume which use a SPST Normally-open switch and a 50K linear pot, respectively. BREATH CONTROLLER A breath port is provided as an option to the Ztar which accepts a ¼” vinyl hose for breath input. POTS AND SLIDERS The Ztar has one volume pot as a standard feature and a ModWheel and additional pots available as options.

  • Page 20: Menu Tree

    MENU TREE TOP LEVEL LIVE-SCREEN SONG-MENU NAME-EDIT WRITE UTILITIES LIBRARIAN SONGNAME SAVE COPY DELETE SWAP COPY-PAD (s/b SENSOR) INITIALIZE MIDI TUNING BULK-DUMPS CLOCKS METRONOME ENABLE METRONOME CHANNEL NOTE# TempoPad Enable CLOCK: INTERNAL/EXTERNAL MIDI CLOCK OUTPUT ENABLE BPM SETTING TIME SIGNATURE CURVES (8) FORCE:VELOCITY POINTS SEQUENCES...
  • Page 21 HAMMER-ON/PULLOFF ENABLE HAMMER-THRESHOLD LEVEL OPEN STRING PULLOFF ENABLE HAMMER-PICK-DELAY FINGERBOARD AUTO-SUSTAIN: ON/OFF SENSORS SENSOR-MODE FINGERBOARD STRING LINK 6-TRIGGER, GUITAR SETUP MACRO TIMING MENU EVENTS MENU PLAY FUNCTION VELOCITY-WINDOW (8) EVENT-SETTINGS EVENT-TYPE MIDI CHANNEL/NOTE, OTHER DATA FIXED VELOCITY-VALUE or SENSOR-TRACKING NOTE-DURATION MACROS CHORD-GENERATOR OUTPUT SETTINGS...

  • Page 22: Menus System

    Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 This is the top-level menu, which appears when the ZTAR is in LIVE-mode. The ztar is in LIVE-MODE when you first power-up. It displays the names of the various system configurations that have been saved as “SONGS”. A drummer would refer to these as “KITS”; A SONG is a collection of hardware with all of our computer-assigned options and setups.
  • Page 23 SONG MENU, the Top-Level SONG-EDIT screen Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 SONG: #01 ZTAR WRITE UTILITIES Down FRETBOARD SENSORS RESPONSE SHOWALL EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 This is the top-level edit screen, which displays sub-menus for the various programmable features for each Song.
  • Page 24 Use the Joystick or Up/Down buttons to enter a character, then use the soft keys to the left and right of the “CURSOR” message to move the cursor over to the next character position. Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 SONG:#01 ZTAR Down CURSOR EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8...

  • Page 25: Fretboard Menu

    FRETBOARD (ZONES) MENU Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 ZONE# 1: NOTES:ON LOW: i: 0 HIGH: vi: 24 Down KEY/TRANS MIDI SCAN-MODE EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 Every Song setup must have at least one active zone. Scan-mode: This sets the way you play notes from the fingerboard. With TRIGS: ON you can play it like a guitar where you fret the fingerboard and then strum the Triggers, or with TRIGS: OFF you can tap the notes from the fingerboard like a keyboard.
  • Page 26 If you want to play notes from this zone turn the “Notes” ON. If you wish to send only patch change information from this zone, turn the “Notes” OFF. By sending only patch changes from a zone you can setup effects units or other devices that do not receive note data at the time this Song is selected.
  • Page 27 CURVE#: Set the number for a velocity-response curve assigned for this Zone. There are 16 edit-able curves in the global pool of curves for the Ztar. FRETBOARD>KEY/TRANS>AFTERPRESSURE menu This menu sets the After Pressure parameters for the fingerboard. When Afterpressure is enabled you can press the fingerboard keys with increased pressure to activate either PolyKeyAfterpressure or Channel Afterpressure.

  • Page 28: Midi Output

    FRETBOARD\MIDI MENU Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 ZONE# 1 P&Vsend:Y Chan 1: L SEND Patch: 0 CC#0: 0 CC#32: 0 Volume:127 EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 Patch and Volume Send Enable: You may choose to enable Patch and Volume changes sent to the MIDI channel for the selected Zone by using the PAT +/-hotkeys. Or, disable the P/V sends when you’re controlling all of your Program Changes from an external sequencer or controller and don’t want to disturb the settings when pressing the onboard PAT+/- keys or selecting the saved SONG.
  • Page 29 Pre-setting and sending a Program Change with Bank Select Modern synthesizers are commonly filled with more than 128 patches or programs, the limit that can be addressed with a single ProgramChange command. In order to access these higher-numbered patches MIDI provides two Bank Select messages, ContinuousController #0 (Most Sigmnificant byte or MSB ) and CC#32 (Least Significant Byte or LSB).

  • Page 30: Scan-Modes

    Solo: Disables all the zones in the currently selected Song but for the current zone selected so that you may hear it by itself. Scan-Mode: The Ztar’s internal computer scans the fingerboard in two basic modes. When set to “Guitar” the fingerboard sounds only the highest note played on a string.

  • Page 31: Hammer-Ons

    FRETBOARD\SCAN-MODE\HAMMER-MENU Hammer-ons affect the way the Ztar fingerboard simulates the experience of real strings. By adjusting the following settings you can match the touch of your right and left hands with the response of your synth’s programs.
  • Page 32 the “String-vibration” decreases until the timeout of the "string-vibration". At the timeout point the Velocity = Zero, and a pulloff will not trigger a new note (silence, you'll hear nothing, nada, no pulloff). However, you can still continue to hammer-on the newly fretted note if you wish.

  • Page 33: Write-Menu

    The ZPC version of the Ztar OS allows you to overwrite all of your Song-locations including those programmed from the factory. To re-initialize the first four SONGS back to their factory-settings go to the UTILITIES\ LIBRARIAN\ INITIALIZE menu.

  • Page 34: Sensors-Menu

    Hit-Mode to “TOUCH”. (See the TIMING menu for this.) You’ll still need to set the fingerboard’s active zones’ Trigger-mode to TRIGGERS-ON to set up the Ztar as a guitar. Who would’ve thought a guitar could be so complicated! TIMING: selects the TIMING menu, which sets up several options to determine how a Sensor’s events will be played.

  • Page 35: Timing Menu Screen

    OUTPUT: sets up several parameters that route the Sensor’s MIDI output. TRIGGER-FUNCTION: When The PlayMode is set to STRUM the Trigger-Function menu appears as a choice in the top Sensor Menu-screen. TIMING menu Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 TRIG 1 HitMode:Touch TrigGate: 250 Down Loop: Off...
  • Page 36 [SENSOR menu, cont.] TRIGGER-FUNCTION menu, DUAL-Mode Off Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 TRIG 1 Strum: String# 1 DUAL: Off Down EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 When the Sensor PlayMode is STRUM the Trigger-function menu will appear. DUAL-MODE will only respond to the pick attack of StringTriggers, but will respond to varying pressure on the KeyTriggers.

  • Page 37: Events Menu Screen

    By careful setting of these limits a variety of musical effects may be achieved, such as velocity-switching, velocity-shifting, velocity-adding, etc. All of the velocity-response settings of the Ztar still effect the note that appears within a narrow response window; that is, To set a velocity-window: Press softkey#3 to toggle between the Lower and Upper Velocity fields.

  • Page 38: Event Type Lists

    Event Type List: Note Control Change Program Change Channel Pressure PitchBend Song Select Start Sequence Continue Sequence Stop Sequence System Reset When the PlayFunction is set to Control Change these are the available Event- types: BendUp Bend Down Volume Up Volume Down Velocity Up Velocity Down...
  • Page 39 24 clocks, but if Tsig is x/8, each beat is 12 clocks – remember that BPM is beats, but events are programmed in clocks. If you’re using external MIDI clock, the Ztar’s Tsig doesn’t affect the event timing. To see the Metronome change the timing for a sequence, program a pad in Sequential mode with the “Loop”...
  • Page 40 Sensor Play-Function List: Basic Seqntl NtShft AltUp AltDn AltUpDown AltRandom Slice ContinuousControl SequencePlay Sequence RePlay Sequence StopPlay Sequence Record Sequence RecordNext Sequence Undo SongIncrement SongDecrement ChainIncrement MuteAll ReferencePad HiHatPedal1 HiHatPedal2 HatPad Detailed descriptions of the Play Functions are given at the end of this section.
  • Page 41 [EVENTS, cont.] MACRO screen Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 S01/Trigger1 NotesAll VelocityShift Velocity Add Down Velocity = Pad CHORDS EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 Each event has a pair of numbers that define a velocity-range where the event will respond. By setting the velocity-ranges for the various events assigned to a pad, several unique effects or pad-modes can be created.
  • Page 42 SENSORS/EVENTS screen Chords: This selects the CHORDS screen that allows automatic generation of chord-notes into the 8-event buffer for the selected pad. This is a handy shortcut for many chord types. To generate inversions of these chords, go into the SENSORS/ EVENTS screen, shuffle the notes into a different order, change octaves for individual notes, and add notes to un- assigned events for chordal extensions, or remove notes if there are too many.
  • Page 43 ALTERNATING MODES The pad’s programmed events are played back one by one on each successive hit. These modes will operate on either the fixed 8-event buffer or the variable-length MIDISequence buffer. The order of event–list playback is different depending on the AltMode selected.
  • Page 44 ReTrig: When a Sensor is set to ReTrig, striking it will re-trigger any notes that are fretted on the assigned String-number on the fingerboard. Use this when you want to tap notes from the fingerboard and then re-trigger them with the Key- or String-Triggers. Set the String# to ALL-STRG to have this sensor re-trigger the entire fingerboard.
  • Page 45 message-stream that tracks the pedal position. HatPad: The second half of the HiHat setup HatPad’s programmed events are selected by the position of a HHPedal. Velocity for the events will issue from the HatPad.

  • Page 46: Sequencers

    HIT-mode (Sensors>TIMING menu) set to TIMED in order for it to fire a sequence. There are actually two separate but similar sequencers in the Ztar: one that uses a fixed-length 8-note buffer that allows special control over the individual notes and playback modes, and a variable-length sequencer that can record performances on the fly with a number of special looping modes.

  • Page 47: Sensors Output Menu

    [SENSORS, cont.] SENSORS/OUTPUT menu Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 TRIG 1 Curve: 5 Pedal: TR1 MIDI: L Down Link Off EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 Several important parameters for the Sensor’s MIDI output are set up here. Sensor#: use softkey#1 and the Up/Dn keys to select the sensor. Curve: selects and sets the Curve number assigned to this sensor.

  • Page 48: Response-Menu

    Sensor. The level of the last hit will also read as a percentage of full-scale within the Ztar’s processing range. Use this Gain bar-graph to check the response or to find something that’s active when it shouldn’t be.
  • Page 49 RESPONSE menu, Screen #3 Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 TRIG 1 O E Down R > TRAIN LoPoint: 0 HiPoint: 100 MORE> EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 TRAIN>: Press the “TRAIN” softkey and strike pad softly four times to enter the average of your softest hit.

  • Page 50: Librarian

    UTILITIES MENU The UTILITIES menu houses a variety of sub-menus and programming features. Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 LIBRARIAN MIDI TUNING BULK Down CLOCKS CURVES SEQUENCES Unlocked EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 LIBRARIAN: enters the Librarian menu. MIDI: enters the setup screen for the MIDI Input ports. BULK: enters the Bulk Dump menu.

  • Page 51: Initialize

    SONGNAME: enters the Songname-Edit screen, which may also be reached, from the top-level SONG-EDIT-mode screen. Use the softkeys for your CursorRight/Left controls and the Up/Dn arrow keys or joystick to change text-values. Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 SONG:#01 ZTAR Down CURSOR EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 Save: Writes the Scratch Kit Buffer to a Song-Location.
  • Page 52 To SAVE a song: Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 <WRITE SCRATCH KIT> EXECUTE Down Scratch #01 ZTAR #01 ZTAR EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 Press softkey#8 and use the arrow Up/Dn keys to set the destination Song-location. Press EXECUTE when you’re ready.
  • Page 53 Press the Initialize-SONGS button. Three dots appear while the routine is working. When it finishes, go on to initialize the rest of the individual areas by pressing the keys, working around the display in clock-wise fashion. The last press will be COLDSTART which will re- start the Ztar. UTILITIES\ MIDI-IN menu Softkey#1...
  • Page 54 Channel: set the MIDI channel 1-16 Trigger: An incoming MIDI note is used as a trigger for one of the Ztar’s Sensors. When the note arrives it fires whatever events are programmed to be played as if the assigned Sensor were physically struck.

  • Page 55: Tunings

    Press this button to change the instrument’s tuning for Right-hand or Left-hand players. EDIT: Enters the KEYMAP-EDIT sub-menu screen. Each key on the Ztar fingerboard may now be individually tuned to a MIDI channel and Note-number. A Key-Note map is saved for each Song preset. These maps default to standard tunings when you select a Tuning Preset and they adjust automatically when you change an Open String Tuning.
  • Page 56 KEYMAP-EDIT screen Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 FRET i: 35/ B1 ii: 40/ E2 iii: 45/ A2 Down OPEN iv: 5-/ D3 v: 55/ G3 vi: 60/ C4 EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 The display shows one fret at a time for all six strings. The fret-number is shown in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  • Page 57 To Save the Ztar Songs to an external MIDI system: 7) Connect the MIDI Out port from the Ztar to the computer or sequencer’s MIDI IN port. 2) Set up your computer to receive a Sysex data dump. You can use most MIDI sequencer programs or MIDI monitor programs to do this.

  • Page 58: Bulk Dumps

    BULK DUMP ERROR MESSAGES --- CONDITION --- --- MESSAGE --- 1) 20 seconds elapse before any data received “timeout” 2) MIDI cable unplugged / too few data bytes “timeout” • Check your cables and connections • Make sure the MIDI device in your computer is set up correctly and the sending program is configured to use it.
  • Page 59 [UTILITIES, cont.] Clocks menu (2 screens) The Notes and other events played from the Ztar may be timed in reference to either of two separate clocks: 1) The onboard milliSecond-timer which represents Absolute time, or 2) The Metronome which is expressed in MIDI clock-ticks or Beats-per-minute.
  • Page 60 Use the zero-setting for a rest. SoftKeys #7 or #8: move the cursor right to select a beat. NOTES: • The Preset signatures will also reset all the beats’ velocity levels! • A unique Time Signature may be saved for each Song in the Ztar.
  • Page 61 Sensors or Zones on the fingerboard. Use these curves to adapt your touch to the Ztar and the synth and patch you’re using. If one Sensor in a group seems to have a different response than the rest you may give it a special curve to balance its response.

  • Page 62: Curves Tutorial

    50%. Try to match the MIDI velocity to the relative force you feel when you play. Ztar ZPC Curves Tutorial Describing how to set the response curve for a Sensor using the Curve-edit menu.

  • Page 63: Arpeggiator Menu

    1/16 notes. Press the TIME softkey (#4) repeatedly to toggle between Milliseconds and 1/16 notes. When you are using the Internal clock in the Ztar, you may set either Milliseconds or 1/16 notes, and you then adjust the clock-rate using the BPM setting in the UTILITIES/ CLOCKS menu.

  • Page 65: Sequence-Edit

    [UTILITIES, cont.] SEQUENCE EDIT screen Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 Sequence: #1 INSERT DELETE Down 1: Note Channel 1: 45 / A2 GATE: 100# EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 Sequence: press the softkey and use the Up/Dn keys or the joystick to select the Sequence number to edit.
  • Page 66 Links: shows the first of four possible Links for the selected Pad. Chains: quick selection of eight Chains for editing purposes. Patches: jumps to the Patch-send editor for the selected Song. Showall SONGS View all the Songs in your Ztar. Each menu-screen will display 8 Songs . Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3...

  • Page 67: Showall-Menu

    Showall Pads Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 10:35 10:37 1: 90 10:CtlChg Down TR51:PgmChg 1:ChPres 1: 93 3:93 EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 View all of the Pad-assignments in the currently selected Kit. Each screen shows the first event-assignment for each Pad in a bank of eight Pads. If the first event for a Pad is a Note message, the channel and note-number will appear.
  • Page 68 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 A CHAIN is an ordered grouping of up to 8 Ztar-Songs that you step through by incrementing the Chain-pointer number with a “Chain-Up’ command. You can use this for quick changes in a set-list format. The Showall-Chains screen shows the 8 Chains available in the Ztar.
  • Page 69 Chain-Edit Screen Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 Chain 1: K1 2: K5 3: K2 4: K1 Down 5: K2 6: K21 7: K9 8: K4 EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 This screen displays the Kits assigned to the 8 slots in the current chain. Select a Slot- number and adjust the Kit-assignment with UP/Dn keys.
  • Page 70 Showall Patches Softkey#1 Softkey#2 Softkey#3 Softkey#4 Sng:02 PatchSel:1 Vol: 0 SEND Down Ch: 3--Left Program Change: 121 CC#0: 0 CC#32: 1 EDIT Softkey#5 Softkey#6 Softkey#7 Softkey#8 Each Song can store up to 32 Patch-Select commands that are issued whenever the Kit is selected.
  • Page 71 Go to the Patch-select field and pick a number 1-32. The first available number without any patch-data will be the best one to use. Now enter into this Patch-Select data-group the Channel, ProgramChange number and the bank-select numbers from your synth-manual. You can send this directly using the SEND command or SAVE your settings to this KIT so that you can issue them on a KitChange.

  • Page 72: Tips And Tricks

    The Octave and Patch keys seem to respond inconsistently The Ztar fingerboard is zone-based. A zone has an assigned MIDI channel. Because the fingerboard is able to play from multiple channels you need to first select a channel by pressing a key within a zone and then pressing the Octave or Patch buttons.
  • Page 73 To disable the mute-bar, remove the back cover of the Ztar and unplug the plastic film connector, J19 at the pointy end of the CPU circuit board. Or, you might want to simply cover the mute bar with a piece of tape.
  • Page 74 of your palm. The strings will mute when you touch them with your fingers while in this position. Normal picking is not affected. Some people find this very comfortable with their style. Mounting new strings: Thread the new string through the small head-block near the neck. There is a small recess where the ball-end will rest.

  • Page 75: String Trigger Setups

    I’ve also discovered that many people don’t spend much time or are reluctant to spend time setting up their instruments. Sadly, the Ztar is a ‘tech’ device with a computer inside and a bunch of electronics and sensors and software. It’s not a guitar with vibrating strings so instead we have to use our hardware and software to emulate everything in your guitar technique to generate a performance.
  • Page 76 String Tension, Trimpot gain, response curves, hammer-ons, hammer-threshold. Get a tiny screwdriver (jeweler’s screwdrivers are best) Tension: Make sure the strings are not too slack. The adjustments are done with the string tension set at what you’d expect from a real guitar. You don't have to break them, just get them snug.

  • Page 77: Pedals

    Regarding Muting notes In Guitar/Trigger mode be aware that you can't muffle a string by lightly placing a finger over it before you strum as you might when muting one string within a chord on the guitar. On the Z-tar, in this, mode, if a strummed string is fretted it will play the fretted note, otherwise the open string will sound.
  • Page 78 to fill the fingerboard. This is a quick way to try out new combinations of sounds.

  • Page 79: More Performance Notes

    Regarding the joystick In accordance with the MIDI spec, the ZTAR joystick outputs the full bend range from 0 to 7F. The actual pitchbend range in musical pitch is set inside the receiving Synth to correspond to the joystick full-scale output.
  • Page 80 Tune up the Ztar and your synth to a piano or other fixed pitch instrument Program the Volume pot or Mod Wheel (if you have one) to Pitchbend and adjust the pitch until you’re in tune! That’s it!

  • Page 81: Learning The Ztar

    Realize that you could spend a lifetime on any one sound, trying to become a master at the piano as played on the ztar. Or the violin as played on the ztar, or sax, or trumpet, ..guitar ..(Learning to play guitar on the Ztar seems strange to me) People spend a lifetime with their given acoustic instrument so it's reasonable to expect that an exact emulation would require just as much effort, maybe more.
  • Page 82 The Ztar is a bit like power steering though, and the task becomes one of learning to control note-timing.
  • Page 83 This comes from growing up patting your head and rubbing your tummy too much. I think the thing that gives the ztar some character is the Poly mode and using that you can develop a lot of voicings that wouldn't hear anywhere else. Using chords with two notes per string, say two or three strings, you can work up chord scales that are thick and easy to pull off.
  • Page 84 Also, it's more likely that you'll get firm even attacks without relying on your little baby lightweight pinky finger, which is more of an issue on a Stick than the Ztar. The four-finger approach may lead you to understand that most scales, chords, and key...
  • Page 85 And when they do respond it seems the sound is too loud or the velocity is too high. If you adjust the R20 Trimpot mounted on the CPU card inside of the Ztar you can lower the minimum Sensing level of the instrument to optimize the bottom end of your dynamic range.
  • Page 86 Your add-on TriggerPads are programmed as Pads 1-6 in the Sensor menu. When you power up the Ztar they will be playing the ChordTrigger function which is the default assignment for all of the Pads. These add-on KeyTriggers will be programmed as Pads#1-6.
  • Page 87 preset, and then assign each of the TriggerPads to Re-Trigger the corresponding channels, 1 through 6. It's best to save this configuration into a User Preset for easy recall later. Sometimes while I’m playing the sound will disappear or one sound in a multi- layered patch will disappear.
  • Page 88 2) Use a MIDI monitor program in your PC, like MidiOx (freeware) or Cakewalk to see what you're actually sending. Also, the defaults in the Ztar are the fingerboard usually to Channel#1 and the Triggers (when they're not triggering the fingerboard) and Pads to Channel #10. Probably you've turned off the volume on Ch#1.
  • Page 89 SENSOR ASSIGNMENT CHART SENSOR EFX1 Channels EFX2 Channels Trigger1 Trigger 2 Trigger 3 Trigger 4 Trigger 5 Trigger6 Pad1 Pad2 Pad3 Pad4 Pad5 Pad6 Pad7 Pad8 Pad9 Pad10 Pad11 Pad12 TriggerPad1 TriggerPad2 TriggerPad3 TriggerPad4 TriggerPad5 TriggerPad6 JoystickUp JoystickDn JoystickRt JoystickLt VolumePed SustainPed VolumeKnob...
  • Page 90 Starr Labs Flexible Bulk Dump Format [SONGS are referred to as KITS in this document] Starr Labs MIDI Manufacturer’s Number: ID # : 00H 01H 42H SysEx Packet Encoding The general SysEx packet format is as follows: $F0 $00 $07 $07...
  • Page 91 A dump of one kit always includes The chosen kit Packets may now be sent to the Ztar in any sequence for a bulk receive. KIT [ SONG] DATA LAYOUT : Each "kit" is sent in a packet of type $01, thus:...
  • Page 92 Loop/Slice Count 1 byte Most modes: number of loops; 0=loop forever; 1=no looping. In Slice mode, this is the slice length in beats. Delay Time 2 bytes pad delay time If MSB=0, 15 LSBs are time in msec, 0-9999. If MSB=1, 15 LSBs are time in MIDI clocks, 0-999. Sequence # 2 bytes variable-length sequence number for this pad;...
  • Page 93 Channel 1 byte value = 00bacccc where cccc = MIDI channel number, 0-15 a = MIDI port A output enable b = MIDI port B output enable Program 1 byte Program Change data byte 1 byte CC#0 (bank MSB) data byte CC32 1 byte CC#32 (bank LSB) data byte...
  • Page 94 Ref.pad String.trig String.dual HHpedal1 HHpedal2 Hhat.pad Notes.metr [ Set-loop-start [ Stop(All)Sequences Velocity Curve layout Each velocity curve is sent in a packet of type $02, thus: $F0 $00 $07 $07 number length ...data... cksum $F7 is the RAM curve number , 5-16. number is the curve data, sent in 8/7 bit packed format.
  • Page 95 Variable-Length Sequence data layout Each variable-length sequence is sent in a packet of type $05, thus: $F0 $00 $07 $07 number length ...data... cksum $F7 is the sequence number, 0-255. number is the variable length sequence, sent in 8/7 bit packed format. data Note that the length of the sequence is implicitly specified by the length of the packed data.
  • Page 96 System Configuration Block Product ID 1 byte ID code 0 = undefined 1 = EventStation others TBD Major Version 1 byte 0-99 Minor Version 1 byte 0-99 Release Number 1 byte 0-99 Release Date 3 bytes year-2000, month, day Kit/Song length 2 bytes as a 14-bit number # of Kits/Songs 2 bytes...
  • Page 97 Song data layout Ztar and "song" (kit) data is sent in a packet of type $21, thus: $F0 $00 $07 $07 $00 $nn $ll $ll ...data... cksum $F7 is the song number, 1-32 (microZone) number is the song data, sent in 7-bit format.
  • Page 98 8-bit data ZPC kit data ZPC velocity curve ZPC pad-global data ZPC global system data ZPC variable-length sequence 7-bit data System Configuration block (all systems) Ztar song data keymap data ZPC zone data ZPC keymap data ZPC MIDI input data...

  • Page 99: Glossary

    Curves: Adding or reducing the MIDI Velocity at every level of your force-range changes the way the Ztar responds to your touch. You enter the desired MIDI value for each of 8 force levels as if they were points on a graph, then a curve is then drafted to connect the dots.
  • Page 100 Song: refers to a full configuration of the instrument including all of the response settings, assignments to the fingerboard and assignments to the sensors, external patch settings, sequence assignments, and metronome settings A “Song” is the Ztar term for an onboard Patch.

  • Page 101: Index

    event-type, ContinuousControl changes, whatever. INDEX Aftertouch, Afterpressure: 13,20,21, 26, 27, 30, 34, 40, 87, 88, 93 Alternating Modes: 41 AutoSustain: 12,21,30, 72, 93 Battery replacement: 68 Bank-Select: 29, 69-70, 93 BPM: 20, 37, 57, 58, 88 Breath Controller: 13, 19, 32, 73 Bulk Dump: 22, 51, 54, 86, 95 Chains: 41, 62-64 Chords: 5, 33 (Events), 39 (All-Notes), 40, 76-79...
  • Page 102 Output Port 1 and 2 (Left and Right): 28, 45 MIDI Input: 51 MIDI Clocks: 33, 37, 41, 61 Mute: 6, 12, 19, 26, 30, 38, 42, 69, 72 NeckStrip, NeckSensor: 19, 84 Note-On/ Note-off: 13, 18, 45, 52, 76, 88, 91, 95 NoteShift: 40 Octave: 6, 17, 26, 40, 68, 79, 80, 93 Open-Strings: 6, 21, 53, 70, 73, 75, 94...
  • Page 103 fixed response: 26 (See Key/ Transposition Menu) Volume: 5, 13, 19, 20, 25, 28, 32, 36, 59, 66, 68, 76, 81, 83, 85, 88, 89, 93, 95 Write: 6, 17, 23, 26, 31, 50, 67 Hotkey: 17 Menu: 31 Zones: 5, 6, 11-12, 14, 16-18, 20, 23, 25-30 (ZONE Menu)
  • Page 104 Appendix A. Current buglist: PANIC! Locks up some units , Echoplex DP...

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