twisted electrons BLAST BEATS User Manual
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twisted electrons BLAST BEATS User Manual

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USER MANUAL
Updated March 20th 2023
Please visit our website to stay up-to-date with the latest firmware updates. As
the feature set is expected to evolve, we highly recommend checking the
website for updates to this manual.
We highly value any feedback or ideas you may have, so please do not hesitate
to contact us at info@twisted-electrons.com.
Thank you for choosing Blast Beats!

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  • Page 1 We highly value any feedback or ideas you may have, so please do not hesitate to contact us at info@twisted-electrons.com. Thank you for choosing Blast Beats!

  • Page 2: Features Overview

    flexibility when it comes to multi- tracking and instrument routing. Blast Beats features 10 voices, which include 6 drum voices: kick, SD, tom, closed hat, open hat, and cymbal; as well as 4 synth voices. Each synth voice can be dual or quad-operator, depending on the chosen algorithm.
  • Page 3 As a result we have disabled waveforms 4,5,6 Synth Algorithms The synth voices of Blast Beats comprise up to four oscillators, which are referred to as operators. The algorithm icons display numbered boxes that represent the operators, and the arrows represent the modulation signal path. When an operator receives the signal from a previous operator, its frequency is modulated by it, also known as frequency modulation (FM).
  • Page 4 Algo1 Operator 4 serves as the carrier. When operators 1 to 3 are muted, operator 4 produces a pure waveform. However, operator 4 is modulated by all previous operators in the chain, making this algorithm capable of producing the most complex sounds.

  • Page 5: Step Edit Mode

    Selecting an instrument Blast Beats includes 10 voices, comprising of 6 drum voices and 4 synth voices. To edit a specific voice, press any of the "top10" voice buttons. If the sequencer is stopped, selecting a voice will trigger it, allowing you to preview its sound.
  • Page 6 When activated, the bottom LEDs of the Blast Beats will represent the keys of a piano, with the lit LEDs indicating the white keys. This feature is a useful tool for honing your skills before recording, and can be easily disabled by double- tapping the top buttons once again to resume normal operation.
  • Page 7 To activate or deactivate the step-by-step synth mode, hold the REC button and press the run button. In this mode, when Blast Beats is stopped and REC is armed, you can input a melody step-by-step by tapping the bottom 16 buttons.
  • Page 8 Changing Pattern To change patterns, press any of the bottom 16 buttons. If the sequencer is stopped, the new pattern will start playing immediately. However, if the sequencer is running, Blast Beats will cue the next pattern and make the change...
  • Page 9 Once you have reached the end of your desired chain, press REC again to finalize the sequence. The current pattern will stop blinking and Blast Beats will automatically return to the first pattern in the chain and loop the entire sequence endlessly.

  • Page 10: Song Mode

    Freeze the chain To temporarily disable the chain (and repeat any pattern) without clearing it you can freeze it. hold REC and press freeze to freeze and unfreeze the chain. Press kit/patt and function at the same time to enter song mode. Both kit/patt and function LEDS will light at the same time.

  • Page 11: Function Mode

    SD card. You can save the current song to any location (1 to 16) within any folder (1 to 10). Blast Beats will select the current folder and location by default, press any top10 button to select a destination folder 1 to 0 (10), then press any bottom 16 to confirm location.
  • Page 12 Wiggle This function adds randomness to any fader. To assign the wiggler to a fader, hold wiggle and move a fader. Set the depth of the wiggler: press any of the top10 buttons once to apply the wiggle depth to the current pattern.
  • Page 13 Stutter This is a performance function, enabling you to re-trigger the same instrument rapidly (like a Blast Beat). Hold the top10 buttons to repeat the current step at various rates. The rates are divisions of the current tempo. Hold function during a stutter and press a bottom button to change the stutter step! Tip: try holding wiggle during a stutter :)
  • Page 14 Hold bend to bend the global tuning of the FM chip downwards. Use the top10 buttons to set the bend strength. Freeze When freeze is held, the communication between Blast Beats and the FM chips is suspended leading to sustained notes and glitches (can be combined with bend and stutter) Vibrato / Tremolo waveform By default vibrato and tremolo oscillate up and down (sine waveform).
  • Page 15 Phones Use the top10 buttons to set the phones level (recalled at startup). You can automate this parameter per step, just change it with REC lit. Use the top10 buttons to set the mix level (recalled at startup). You can automate this parameter per step, just change it with REC lit. Route With this function you can assign the instruments to any of the 4 outputs.
  • Page 16 Blast Beats will automatically start up in internal clock mode. Analog & MIDI Clock Out Blast Beats will send a 5V pulse every 2 steps (2PPQ) at all times. It also transmits MIDI clock through the MIDI OUT jack. Analog Slave Mode Plug a 1/8”...
  • Page 17 Setting The Tempo (Master Mode) Tap tempo Press a tempo button at least 3 times to tap the tempo. If Blast Beats isn’t running it will start on the third tap. Manual a.k.a BPM tempo Press and hold the tempo button then press the top10 buttons to input the tempo in beats per minute.
  • Page 18 Step lock automation (A.K.A parameter locks) You can record a fader position in non-real-time to any step. hold a bottom button to define the step and move the fader. Note REC must be off Deleting all fader automation To delete all the fader automation of the current pattern press function to enter function mode.
  • Page 19 Stutter step edit Stutter trick step edit allows you to activate and deactivate the stutter on any step, but it also allows you to choose the stutter rate per step. Press a bottom 16 button to select a step. If no stutter automation is present on the step the LED will light and stutter will be added.
  • Page 20 MIDI channel routing Hold route at startup to enter MIDI channel routing. Blast Beats listens and transmits to 5 MIDI channels of your choice: Drums (default CH10) SYNTH 1 (default CH1) SYNTH 2 (default CH2) SYNTH 3 (default CH3) SYNTH 4 (default CH4)
  • Page 21 LEDS will blink twice every second until the card is inserted. From a single SD card Blast Beats can load up to 160 songs (10 folders X 16 songs). There are 2 main folders on your card labelled KITS and SONGS.

  • Page 22: Firmware Updates

    PLEASE DO NOT USE A USB HUB! Some hubs may prevent communication between the PC and BlastBeats -Hold the run button and power on Blast Beats. (nothing will light up, blast beats is in update mode) -Connect the USB cable between Blast Beats and the computer.

  • Page 23: Midi Implementation

    Visit twistedelectrons.com/tool for more information. Drum voices MIDI NOTES Drums will transmit MIDI notes out of the MIDI port when triggered by the internal sequencer allowing you to use Blast Beats as a MIDI drum sequencer! Here are the factory default note assignments: INSTRUMENT...
  • Page 24 PARAMETER MIDI CC# RANGE Bass drum modulator multiplier 0-127 Bass drum modulator multiplier fall 0-127 Bass drum modulator attack 0-127 Bass drum modulator decay 0-127 Snare volume 0-127 Snare waveform 0-127 Snare multiplier 0-127 Snare tune 0-127 Snare tune fall 0-127 Snare attack 0-127...
  • Page 25 Synth voices MIDI CC Below is the MIDI control change implementation for the synth parts Volume OP1 0-127 Waveform OP1 0-127 Feedback OP1 0-127 Algoryhtm all operators 0-127 Multiple OP1 0-127 Attack OP1 0-127 Decay OP1 0-127 Volume OP2 0-127 Waveform OP2 0-127 Multiplier OP2...

  • Page 26: Troubleshooting

    Solution: Please check that your motherboard USB chipset is fully compatible with windows10, indeed windows10 might appear to run fine on some older motherboards but some devices, but there may be issues with some USB devices including Blast Beats. If available please try another computer.

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