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TetraMAPS



Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

  • There are only 8 buttons on the MAPS box. Does this mean that MAPS only plays an 8-step sequence?
    No. Each button triggers a sequence, and each sequence may be as long as you wish. Sequences may be linked together to any length.


  • Can I only play 8 sequences?
    No. Each button can trigger up to 8 sequences in parallel. While these are playing, you may change to another bank and play 8 more, etc.


  • What do the 8 knobs on the MAPS box do?
    The 8 knobs adjust the sequence step parameters. You use them in real-time, to change your step parameters as they play.


  • Does MAPS cut off a note when the note's duration is longer than its step?
    No. Step durations are completely independent of their length. This means that step notes can over-lap each other.


  • How big is the memory of MAPS?
    MAPS has a virtual memory size of more than 380,000 notes. The memory holds 24,576 step notes with 7 step parameters per note. The sequencer is capable of performing up to 16 virtual permutations of a sequence at a single time.


  • How many controller outputs per sequence are there?
    There are two controller outputs per sequence. One is dedicated to velocity. More than one sequence may be stacked in parallel thus providing additional controller outputs.


  • What are the trigger modes? How do I use them?
    Trigger modes define how a sequence is played and subsequently controlled.
    A trigger event is either a sequencer panel button press or a MIDI channel note input, and plays a sequence according to the sequence's trigger mode.


  • How do I do a recursive modulation using the MAPS?
    See Tricks and Tips.


  • How many modulations can MAPS perform?
    As many as you want! An infinite number of sequence modulations is possible beacuse MAPs allows you to fire off as many modulator sequences as you want, per channel.


  • Can I do tied notes with MAPS?
    Yes. A tied note is a note which has a duration longer than its step.


  • How do I create a polyrhythm?
    See Tricks and Tips


  • Can MAPS be used as a stand-alone midi to CV converter?
    Yes.


  • Can MAPS output alternate tunings?
    Yes. CV output is tuneable by setting each step to a cents offset from its equal-temperament.


  • What does the CV input modulate?
    It modulates transposition, step time, time scale, duration, slew rate, volume and more.


  • Are there any known bugs?
    No


  • Why do I get "ghost" sequences?
    "Ghost" sequences may occur when:
    Un-intended notes trigger sequences from the sequencer MIDI IN port.
    "MIDI echo" has not been turned off when the sequencer is hooked up to your computer.
    Some sequencer modes of operation generate them. These may be cleared by using the STOP-BANK button combination.


Sequencer Tricks & Tips

  • EASILY CREATE LONG ASYMMETRIC PATTERNS.
    Turn the barsync off of a sequence.
    Change the [SD] time values on one or more of its steps.
    Now trigger this sequence in parallel with another sequence whose barsync is on, or which has different step times.


  • MAKE A POLYRHYTHM, using 5 against 3 as an example.
    Calculate the total number of steps required to perform the resultant polyrhythm by multiplying the beats (5 x 3 = 15 steps).
    Link two sequences together to create 16 steps.
    Set all of the step durations to 16ths [SD=16].
    Turn the second (last) sequence's step 7 duration off [SD=0], to make 15 steps.
    Turn this sequence's barsync off.
    Set the note durations [ND] of each of the 15 steps as follows:
    16,0,0,16,0,16,16,0,0,16,16,0,16,0,0


  • CREATE LONG REPEATING PATTERNS.
    Define a sequence as a "modulator" by setting its SEQmod Dest to a track number.
    Turn its barsync off and turn off one of its steps [SD=0].
    This sequence will cross-modulate a regular sequence (on the track equal to Dest and its SEQmod Receive enabled) to create a long note pattern.
    Huge sequence patterns may be generated by sequence modulations, to say nothing of additional patterns created by virtual sequence triggers and trigger modulations!

  • CREATE ASYMMETRIC PENDULUMS.
    Since regular sequences inherit the direction of the previous link, you can create very long pendulums by linking many regular sequences into the pendulum "loop".
    Only the start and end sequences need to be set to Pendulum Mode.
    Pendulum asymmetry will be determined by the number of loops, inherited direction of sequence links and the order of sequence trigger(s): (ie. try triggering from a middle sequence).


  • SEQUENCE "Time-Collapse"
    Turn the barsync off of a sequence.
    One-by-one, turn off each of the sequence's steps [SD=0].
    The sequence will spin faster and faster until it finally "collapses" by turning off!


  • CLEAR A SEQUENCE QUICKLY.
    Temporarily put the sequence into StepRecord trigger mode.
    Press its trigger key eight times to normalize each step's values of the sequence.
    Return the sequence to the trigger mode of choice.
    When this sequence is used as a modulator, these initial values will have no modulation effect until they are changed.


  • Use the STEP and ALT buttons for in-depth real-time changes:
    Hold STEP and press an encoder knob button to select a new sequence.
    Hold ALT and use knob 1 to select the programming menu for that sequence.
    Pressing ALT again exits the programming mode without unnecessarily stopping sequences.


  • There are six display modes selected using the ALT-View encoder:
    Enharmonic Flat OR Sharp bar graph with numeric durations
    All numeric
    Octave values with numerics
    Enharmonic Flat OR Sharp - all bar graphs



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