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8. CONTROL MODE
8.1. What is Control Mode?
When the KeyStep Pro is in Control mode, every encoder and step button on the right half
of the unit can transmit specific MIDI data to external devices that are connected to MIDI
Out 1 or Out 2 (5-pin DIN). This same data will be sent to your computer via USB.
To activate Control mode, hold down the Control button The control Track can be used to
create Patterns of special control data for controlling parameters of external devices such
as hardware synths, Eurorack modular systems, or software virtual instruments loaded in
tracks of your DAW. The track button will blink slowly to remind you that you are in Control
mode.
In Control mode, a few features are disabled or work differently:
•
Selecting a different track will exit Control mode.
•
You save a Control Track the same way you do normal tracks.
•
The Mute button has no effect.
8.1.1. What are CC# values?
When you draw notes in the MIDI editor of your DAW, you create MIDI data. With each note
you add, you create a note-on message, a gate message, a note-off message and a velocity
value, etc., all associated with a particular MIDI note number. The velocity value imitates
how hard a key is struck on a MIDI keyboard. When you connect an external synth such as
the Arturia MatrixBrute or MicroFreak to your DAW and press 'play', the DAW starts sending a
stream of digital MIDI messages to the synth. The MatrixBrute or MicroFreak interprets these
messages and plays your DAW sequence the way you intended it to sound. Note number
and velocity values (like most values in MIDI) are in the range 0-127.
There's another kind of MIDI data that allows you to control parameters on external synths,
modular systems and virtual instruments loaded in DAW tracks. These Control Change (CC)
messages are different from, and independent of, the note-related MIDI messages. They
are referred to as CC# messages: strings of numerical data that are specifically designed
to control parameters on an external MIDI-compatible hardware or software device; for
example, a hardware synth, a Eurorack modular system or a software modular system
such as VCV Rack.
MIDI CC# messages have existed for over 40 years and, despite their enormous potential,
they are not widely used.
When the KeyStep Pro is in Control mode and you turn one of the five main encoders, a
CC# message will be transmitted. The default CC# messages that will be transmitted are:
Encoder
1 - Pitch
2 - Gate
3 - Velocity
4 - Time Shift
5 - Randomness
Arturia - User Manual Keystep Pro - Control Mode
CC#
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