Main 3.05. Hold the first button while pressing the next button or turning the named knob. TRIG means a step key; pad means a track key; DATA means LEVEL/DATA. Full and Lite share the general controls; added-machine sections require that machine. Machine Optional extras are marked separately.
Included features
Six stock engines plus Sample Wizard, SD Vintage, Clap Vintage, SY Toy, SY Bits, Swarm LITE, MACRO, ACID, WAVE, Feral by Glycinate, Elder, TINY, Shadow, SPEAK, RETROSYN, PUNCH and MIDI Out. Elder is an original synth inspired by Junior by Fors. PUNCH is an FM percussion engine by100demons (MIT).
Arpeggiator, held-note octave 0 and harmony locks, Sequence Genie, SCRAMBLE, slides, trig preview, Step Recorder, latching and quantized mute and solo. Trigger-based Sidechain and per-pattern Scramble checklists.
Per-track resonant filter and attack. GATED, HALL, ROOM, PS1, Ring Mod and two Choruses; DUCK, DUB, POTS, Ping Pong, Phaser and two Crushers.
MIDI Out with nine CC knobs, locks and two MIDI LFOs; MIDI OUT/THRU toggle; USB stereo or six tracks; permanent quick save, saved Mod Setup and optional DX diagnostics.
Song rows combine patterns, repeats and mutes. Direct Pattern Jump and persistent trig selection support live pattern work.
Per-track ACID glide/legato, A/F/AF envelopes and arp envelope retriggering; Wizard sample locks keep the sample; unlocked parameters follow track edits. Only explicit parameter locks override CTRL-ALL, including long loops.
Track, step and performance controls
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| CTRL-ALL latch | Double-tap TRACK; TRACK once or quick double-BACK exits | Two clean taps within 350 ms latch parameter-knob edits across included tracks. Single BACK retains native parameter undo. Track/trig selection stay momentary; DATA and FX selectors remain physical. Off after boot; not saved. |
| Pattern selection latch | Double-tap PATTERN; PATTERN again or BACK exits | Keep the native pattern selector open without its normal timeout. Pattern trigs can be selected repeatedly. Single-tap and held PATTERN retain normal behavior. Latch is not saved. |
| Track Swap | Mod Setup > Track > Swap; playback stopped | Set From and To with DATA, choose Swap, then press DATA. Moves the two tracks in the current pattern, including sounds, sequences, p-locks, volume, filter/LFO settings and per-track FX. Sidechain routing and matching Song mute references follow the contents. Swap the same pair again to reverse; Save Project to retain edits. |
| Step Recorder | Playback stopped: press REC twice; PLAY advances; STOP goes back; press REC again to exit | Enter step recording and play notes to write successive steps. PLAY advances one step; STOP moves back one step; press REC again to leave Step Recorder. Octaves: FUNC + TRACK > KBT; +/-12 semitones shifts one octave. |
| Latching mute | TRACK + tap FUNC | First choose Mute: LTC in Mod Setup. Then latch mute mode with this gesture; tap FUNC again to leave. Mute: Stk keeps stock behavior (default). |
| Solo in mute mode | In latching mute mode, hold FUNC + press T1–T6 | Solo that track. Press the soloed track again to restore the previous mute state; tracks already muted remain muted. |
| Silent track selection | Choose Silent in Mod Setup ; tap T1–T6 | Select a track without triggering its sound. TRACK + pad selects and plays. Stock pad behavior (Stk) is the default; select Silent to enable silent selection. |
| Trig preview | Hold TRIG + PAGE | Audition the selected step with its note and locks while stopped or paused. |
| Slide trig | SETTINGS + TRIG | Toggle a parameter slide on the step. |
| Sequence Genie | SETTINGS + PAGE | Open the generator for the selected track. Select with DATA; choose Generate or Queue and set Loop/Page timing. |
| SCRAMBLE | Hold SETTINGS + TRACK | Randomize the checked Pitch, Decay, Color, Shape, Sweep and Contour parameters once per hold. Choose parameters in Mod Setup > Track > SCRM. Pitch/Decay default Off; Color/Shape/Sweep/Contour default On. Marked steps use the same checklist without changing the base sound. Checklists save per pattern with Save Project. A short tap without held steps opens Mod Setup. |
| SCRAMBLE step / delete | Hold a step + quick SETTINGS + TRACK; delete normally | Toggle SCRAMBLE on that step. Deleting its trig clears the mark and locks; a replacement trig starts clean. Neighboring steps and tracks keep their settings. |
| Control All setup | TRACK + TRIG 1–6 | Use step keys 1-6, not track pads. Toggle which audio tracks follow Control All; the selected track always follows. |
| Audio beat repeat | Hold TRACK + RETRIG , then hold a TRIG 1–16 | The held step selects a repeat division for included audio tracks. Release a modifier or division pad to stop. |
| Repeat mode latch | Hold TRACK + double-tap RETRIG | Release both; hold a TRIG to repeat, release it to stop. BACK exits. PLAY/STOP and FUNC + SETTINGS/PATTERN temporary save/reload remain available. |
| Control All filter | Hold TRACK + MACHINES ; turn SWEEP / CONTOUR | Adjust cutoff/resonance across included audio tracks. Without TRACK, adjust the selected track. |
| Synth Attack | MACHINES + DECAY | Adjust the added attack control on supported machines. |
| Arpeggiator settings | FUNC + RETRIG | Open the settings for the active Arpeggiator feature. Arpeggiator octave 0 cycles only through held notes. |
| Scale Lock | FUNC + PAGE > Lock / Scl / Key | Off bypasses locking; ORGN maps successive scale degrees; BRDS snaps to the nearest in-scale note (ties lower). 19 whole-semitone scales. Mode/scale/key save globally while stopped. |
| Page Len / Warp | FUNC + PAGE > Page Len / Warp | Page Len: 1-16 active steps per page. Warp ON spreads them over the normal page duration; OFF keeps normal step speed. Scope follows PTN or TRK. Warp defaults OFF and saves with the pattern. |
| Shared filter type | Hold SETTINGS, then MACHINES + turn SWEEP | HIGH / LOW / BAND / LO/HI. Release the modifiers to commit. Default: LOW, cutoff 127, resonance 0. Saved filter choices persist with the sound. Sample Wizard uses its internal filter. |
| Track filter controls | MACHINES + SWEEP / CONTOUR | Cutoff / Resonance on the selected track. Add TRACK to apply across included Control All tracks. |
| Trig selection | TRACK + PAGE | Toggle selection mode. Tap existing trigs to select or deselect them; selected steps blink. Release TRACK to return to step editing: track selection is momentary. Empty steps are not created by selection. |
| Select all / none | Trig selection active: FUNC + PAGE | Select all eligible trigs or clear the selection. PAGE changes pages while keeping the selection. Hidden steps outside Page Len are excluded. TRACK + PAGE exits and clears selection. |
| Direct Pattern Jump | Global > JUMP > On; PATTERN, then FUNC + TRIG | With JUMP On, jump to the chosen pattern immediately while keeping playback position. Off uses normal pattern-change timing. The On/Off preference saves globally; default Off. |
Song mode
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Open Song | SETTINGS + TRACK > Song > DATA | Song is beside Global and Track at the Mod Setup root. Press PLAY from the Song editor to start at the highlighted row. |
| Choose a row | Turn DATA | The grid shows four rows at a time. Edit while stopped and Song is inactive; double STOP cancels an active song before editing. |
| Pattern / repeats | PITCH / DECAY | Choose A01-F16 and 1-64 repeats for the selected row. The complete song must fit the native chain limit of 64 expanded pattern plays. |
| Track mutes | TRIG 1-6 | Toggle the row mute for each track. Song mutes combine with your existing track mutes. |
| Insert / delete row | PAGE / FUNC + PAGE | PAGE inserts a copy after the selected row. FUNC + PAGE deletes it; at least one row remains. |
| End behavior | Click DATA | Choose STOP or LOOP. FUNC + DATA also works. STOP ends playback after the last row; LOOP repeats the arrangement. PLAY while stopped starts at the highlighted row. LOOP wraps through the whole arrangement. |
| Transport, exit and save | PLAY / STOP / STOP twice / BACK / Save Project | PLAY starts at the highlighted row while stopped; STOP pauses using native transport; double STOP cancels Song and clears FX tails. BACK leaves the editor. Save Project stores the song and per-track ACID glide/legato. An infinite pattern chain length can hold a row. |
Effects
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Reverb-slot menu | Hold TRACK + REVERB SIZE | Top to bottom: GATED, HALL, ROOM, PS1, REVERB, CHORUS 1, CHORUS 2, RING MOD. Turn left to move up, right to move down. Browse without changing sound; release TRACK to apply, BACK to cancel. |
| Delay-slot menu | Hold TRACK + DELAY TIME | Top to bottom: PHASER, DUCK, DUB, POTS, PING PONG, DELAY, CRUSH 1, CRUSH 2. From DELAY, left/up selects Ping Pong; right/down selects Crush 1 then Crush 2. Release TRACK to apply; BACK cancels. |
| Standard Reverb | REVERB SEND / SIZE / FUNC + SIZE | Per-track Send / Size, including INF at maximum / Tone -64 through 0 to +63. |
| GATED reverb | REVERB SEND / SIZE; FUNC + SIZE; SETTINGS + SIZE | Gated Send / Gate Time; Pre-delay; Tone. Gate Time: about 40 ms–6.7 s after input falls quiet. Pre-delay: 0–568 ms. Try Gate Time 16–32 and Pre-delay 25–40 ms on a snare. |
| HALL reverb | REVERB SEND / SIZE / FUNC + SIZE or SETTINGS + SIZE | Hall Send per track / Decay / Tone. Wide stereo tail with longer reflections than ROOM; maximum SIZE gives a long damped tail. |
| Ring Mod | REVERB SEND / SIZE / FUNC + SIZE or SETTINGS + SIZE | Ring Send per track / Frequency / Depth. Metallic sine ring modulation replaces the reverb return. Select RING MOD below Chorus 1/2. Frequency and Depth shared by tracks in this pattern; use the native track Send for locks. |
| Phaser | DELAY SEND / TIME / FUNC + TIME; FUNC first, then TRACK + TIME | Phaser Send per track / Rate / Depth; FUNC then TRACK + TIME is Feedback (also SETTINGS + TIME). Two-stage stereo phaser replaces the delay return. Select PHASER above DUCK. Hold FUNC before TRACK to avoid the mute latch. |
| DUCK delay | DELAY SEND / TIME / FUNC + TIME or SETTINGS + TIME; FUNC then TRACK + TIME or DELAY SEND | Native Delay Send / Time / Feedback. Hold FUNC first, then TRACK: TIME adjusts Amount; DELAY SEND adjusts Release. Strong wet ducking while the send input plays, then a swelling return; feedback remains intact. Try Amount 127, Release 32-64 on sparse notes. Amount 0 is standard Delay. |
| ROOM reverb | REVERB SEND / SIZE / FUNC + SIZE or SETTINGS + SIZE | Room Send per track / Decay / Tone. Compact stereo room ambience. Select ROOM above PS1; release TRACK to apply. |
| PS1 reverb | REVERB SEND / SIZE / FUNC + SIZE or SETTINGS + SIZE | PS1 Send per track / Decay / Tone. PlayStation-inspired stereo tail with a dark, grainy character. |
| Chorus 1 / 2 | REVERB SEND / SIZE / FUNC + SIZE | Chorus Send per track / Speed / Depth. Speed and Depth 0-127. Replaces reverb in this slot. |
| Standard Delay | DELAY SEND / TIME / FUNC + TIME | Per-track Delay Send / native Time / native Feedback. |
| DUB delay | DELAY SEND / TIME / FUNC + TIME or SETTINGS + TIME | Per-track Delay Send / native Time / Feedback. Strongly filtered stereo echoes, progressively narrowing in the feedback loop. Centered input plays on both channels from the first echo, even with zero feedback. |
| POTS delay | DELAY SEND / TIME / FUNC + TIME | Telephone-style mono echoes from durchgemacht/model27 (MIT). Native send amount / Time / Feedback. Shared heavy delay in MST and TRK; Save Project preserves its selection. One STOP preserves the tail; double STOP clears it. |
| Ping Pong | DELAY SEND / TIME / FUNC + TIME or SETTINGS + TIME | Per-track send / Time / Feedback. Stereo echoes alternate left and right; listen through headphones or both outputs. |
| Crusher Rate / Bits | CRUSH 1 or 2: TIME / FUNC + TIME | Rate 0-127, about 750 Hz-48 kHz / Bits 2-16. Lower Rate or Bits is rougher. CRUSH 1 keeps the direct signal clean; CRUSH 2 blends direct clean/crushed. DELAY SEND is labeled Crush Send; no delay echoes in Crush modes. |
| Effect settings and save | Save Project | Each pattern remembers its selected FX types, added controls and extra sends. Save the project to keep them after reloading. Blank patterns use standard Delay/Reverb and default added controls. A queued pattern applies its FX when it begins playing. Added FX controls have no p-lock/LFO destinations; native track sends support locks. |
| Per-track FX routing | Tap SETTINGS + TRACK > Global > FX > MST / TRK | MST shares effect selection. TRK makes the existing effect gestures follow the selected track; native heavy reverbs and delays remain shared. Release TRACK to apply an effect; BACK cancels. Effect-menu movement takes two encoder events per selection. Save Project preserves pattern choices. |
| Stop effect tails | Press STOP twice | First STOP preserves tails. Double STOP invokes All Sound Off and clears reverb/delay tails, including PS1. This is a repaired stock gesture, not a new shortcut. |
Machines and sound controls
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Machine browsing | Press MACHINES, then turn DATA; press DATA to commit in Sil mode | Mod Setup > Global > Mac: Sil browses without changing the sound until DATA is pressed; Stk applies each selection immediately. The machine screen retains its stock layout. MIDI Out is last. |
| Added-machine starting points | Check the named control | Numeric controls such as TINY Tone/Excite, PUNCH Color/Contour and Elder Wave/Warp/Noise/Motion run from 0 at the minimum to 127 at the maximum; 64 is the midpoint. Starting settings need not be zero. PITCH and FINE are centered: displayed 0 means no pitch offset. SHAPE model selectors and PUNCH ratios use their own scales. A minimum value is not a universal clean-sound setting. |
| Elder controls | Select Elder in MACHINES | COLOR = Wave; SHAPE = Warp; SWEEP = Noise; CONTOUR = Motion. PITCH, DECAY, PUNCH, Gate and Fine remain available. Original synth inspired by Junior by Fors. Starting values: Wave 0, Warp 0, Noise 0, Motion 0, Decay 50. |
| TINY controls | Select TINY in MACHINES | COLOR: Tone; SHAPE: Model 0–51; SWEEP: Mod; CONTOUR: Excite. Starting values: Tone 64, Model 0, Mod 64, Excite 32, Decay 60. |
| Shadow controls | Select Shadow after TINY in MACHINES | COLOR: Grain; SHAPE: Density; SWEEP: Spread; CONTOUR: Chaos. PUNCH: distortion plus ratcheting attack. Pitch, Fine, Decay and Gate are available. Pulsar/noise synth inspired by Opal Dust by Fors. |
| WAVE starter | Select WAVE and play | AV-WAVE-Morph is already loaded: 16 morphable frames, no first import required. COLOR selects position; SHAPE adds envelope movement. Custom tables replace the starter on their track. |
| WAVE folder navigation | BACK in the WAVE browser | BACK goes up one folder; at /Wavetables it closes the selector. |
| ACID Decay and envelope | DECAY; Global > ACID > A / F / AF | DECAY sets the filter envelope decay. A selects amp, F filter (default), AF both. In A/AF, Gate Off permits amp decay while held; Gate On sustains until note-off. Arpeggiator and retrig notes restart the selected envelope. |
| ACID Accent | Velocity 97-127 | Progressive filter transient and level accent. Velocity 0-96 keeps the normal unaccented response; native velocity volume response is retained. |
| SY BITS fine detune | FUNC + COLOR | 0.01-semitone steps from -24.00 to +24.00. Plain COLOR changes whole semitones; FUNC + COLOR adjusts the fractional part. Supports sound saving and parameter locks. |
| RETROSYN | MACHINES, immediately before MIDI Out | COLOR, SHAPE (six models), SWEEP and CONTOUR. PITCH, DECAY, Gate and Punch are available. |
| PUNCH controls | Select PUNCH before MIDI Out | SHAPE selects KIK, TOM, BNG, CNG, TAI, TIM, MAR, DJB, BLK, GNG, BUB or ZAP. COLOR controls timbre; SWEEP selects the ratio; FUNC + SWEEP adjusts between ratios. CONTOUR and DECAY shape the sound. Engine by100demons, MIT. Starting values: Color 64, KIK, ratio 4:1, Contour 40, Decay 50. |
| ESTUS advanced controls | SETTINGS + COLOR / SHAPE / SWEEP / CONTOUR | Waveform / FM Ratio / Drive / Transient. Works during playback. Hold a step with the same gesture to parameter-lock the advanced setting. Some controls are unused by particular engines. SETTINGS + MACHINES + SWEEP still selects filter type. |
| ACID glide | Selected ACID track: SETTINGS + PITCH | OFF, or 1-127 for approximately 50-360 ms glide time. Overlapping LEN values link notes. Default glide is about 50 ms. Saved per track with Save Project; no per-step glide locks. |
| ACID legato | Selected ACID track: SETTINGS + DECAY | Turn left for OFF, right for ON (default). With legato ON, overlapping ordinary notes do not restart the envelope. With glide OFF they change pitch immediately. Legato OFF restarts the envelope; glide can remain active. Arpeggiator/retrig notes always restart it. |
SPEAK voice machine
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Select SPEAK | MACHINES: after Shadow, after Shadow | 128-word speech engine. Start around Vol+Dist 60, Punch off. |
| Voice / Word / Speed / Articulation | COLOR / SHAPE / SWEEP / CONTOUR | Voice/formant character / Word 0-127 / Speed (64 normal, lower slower) / Articulation. SHAPE shows the word and index. Word changes take effect at the next trig; the other three controls remain live. |
| Pitch and envelope | PITCH / notes; DECAY, Fine, Punch, Gate, Attack | Pitch changes independently of word speed. Begin with Decay 127 to hear complete words. Filters and FX sends are available. |
| Word sequences and modulation | Hold a trig + SHAPE, then lock Pitch and other knobs normally | Word and other native parameters support p-locks and LFO destinations. COLOR/SHAPE/SWEEP/CONTOUR use MIDI CC 16/17/18/19. Leave space for the word or increase Speed. |
| Example sentence | SHAPE words and note locks on successive trigs | HELLO 31, I 0, AM 62, A 17, ROBOT 113, I 0, LOVE 35, MUSIC 106. Full indexed word library follows at the end of this guide. |
LFO and MACRO controls
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Audio LFO pages | Press LFO repeatedly | Cycle through enabled LFOs. Mod Setup > Global > LFOs chooses 1/2/3/4 (default2). LFO3/4 match LFO2 controls; hidden settings are retained. |
| LFO polarity and mode | LFO menu > Pol. / Mode | Bi = bipolar; Uni = unipolar, following signed depth. Modes FRE, TRG, HLD, ONE and HLF. All enabled LFO banks participate in sound copy, clear and sound Undo. |
| LFO saving | Stop playback; Save Project for native sound settings | Save Project preserves the added per-pattern/track LFO banks, including the full LFO2 setup. Extra bank data is stored alongside the project; ordinary Elektron sound/SysEx exports do not carry every added LFO setting. Stop playback and allow saving to finish before powering off. |
| LFO quick assignment | On an LFO page, hold LFO and turn a destination knob | Assign the corresponding ordinary knob destination. To select the added Attack, Filter or Resonance targets, also hold MACHINES . |
| Attack / Filter / Resonance LFO targets | On an LFO page, hold LFO + MACHINES while turning DECAY , SWEEP or CONTOUR | Choose Attack, Filter or Resonance with the corresponding knob while holding MACHINES. |
| MACRO fine tune | SETTINGS + turn PITCH | Adjust fine pitch. Plain PITCH retains its regular control; FUNC + PITCH is MACRO Lo-Fi. Lo-Fi lowers sample rate to the left, bit depth to the right, with OFF at center. Model names and numbers 0–46 are shown. |
Sample Wizard and saving
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Sample Preview | FUNC + MACHINES ; highlight a sample, then press its track pad or keyboard trig | Audition the highlighted sample. Scrolling through the list remains silent. |
| Sample lock | Open the sample selection menu and highlight a sample; then hold a step TRIG + MACHINES | Lock the highlighted sample to that step on a Sample Wizard track. The sample browser must be open with the desired sample selected. |
| Playback modes | SETTINGS + MACHINES | One-Shot, Loop, Slice, Granular, Stretch, Pluck and Wavetable. SETTINGS + PUNCH opens options for the current mode. Granular: COLOR Position, SHAPE Grain Size, SWEEP Density, CONTOUR Spray. Stretch uses Speed instead of Position. |
| Volume / pan display | Sample Wizard home screen: click DATA | Toggle the segment display between track volume and left/right pan. Pan follows the sounding note during playback, including its p-lock. This changes the display only. |
| Slice editor | FUNC + step key; FUNC + click DATA | FUNC + a normal trig key or Slice Editor key plays upper slices 17-32 in Slice mode. FUNC + DATA removes a slice marker in the editor. Marker knobs can snap to zero crossings. |
| Permanent quick save | Hold FUNC + SETTINGS | Open the stock permanent pattern-save action. This is an existing stock shortcut; do not confuse it with the short temporary save or a full Save Project. |
| Temporary save / reload | Short FUNC + SETTINGS / FUNC + PATTERN | Stock temporary copy save / reload, including while retrig mode is latched. |
| Resample | On Sample Wizard: SETTINGS + REC | Open the Resample menu. Select the recording options and save the resulting take from that menu. |
| P-lock priority | Parameter-lock pitch, sample start, sample end or other Wizard controls | The active note or sustained loop retains its p-lock values ahead of CTRL-ALL until replaced by another note. CTRL-ALL edits the underlying unlocked sound. |
| Export a saved recording | Select Transfer mode SMP; reopen Elektron Transfer after changing mode | Download from /Resampled/ as a 48 kHz WAV. Stereo is decoded; gain is reduced only when needed to avoid export clipping. Save recordings before exporting. |
MIDI Out machine
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Select and set up | MACHINES : MIDI Out; FUNC + TRACK | Silent MIDI track. Track Setup: Channel, Output, KbT (keyboard transpose), Pad Note. Turn DATA to select; click DATA before editing; BACK exits. Channel: 1-16 / Global. Output: Global / Off / USB / DIN / Both. |
| CC assignment and locks MIDI Out machine only | SETTINGS + gray knob; hold steps + assigned knob for locks | Assign OFF or CC0-127 to nine knobs. Turn a knob alone to send its value. Each lock keeps the CC number and value. Live recording captures knob changes. |
| Two MIDI LFOs | LFO : LFO 1, LFO 2, track screen; BACK exits | DATA selects; click to edit. Order: Wav, Mul, Dst, Dep, Speed, Fade, Phase, Mode. LFO Speed adjusts the open LFO. Hold LFO + an assigned CC knob: assign destination, then turn further for depth. |
| Notes and save | Normal note/grid controls; FUNC + PAGE ; FUNC + SETTINGS | Incoming MIDI notes use the track receive channel or auto channel; live and step recording keep notes, velocity and length. FUNC + PAGE edits pattern length. Project/quick save keeps MIDI settings and locks. |
| MIDI OUT + THRU | CONFIG → MIDI → PORTS → OUT/THRU: THR; then FUNC + click DATA | Toggle the Cycles’ own outgoing MIDI while retaining incoming MIDI Thru. |
| External keyboard recording | CONFIG > MIDI: enable note reception; use track receive channel or auto channel | Track Setup Channel selects OUTPUT, not reception. Incoming notes use the chosen Output. Live record captures notes, velocity and length. Step Recorder: stop, double-press REC, then play and release notes to advance. |
| CC recording details | SETTINGS + one of nine CC knobs; hold TRIG + assigned knob | Assignments: OFF or CC0-127; values0-127. Empty steps become lock-only. Each lock retains CC number and value. Chance/Swing keep stock controls; LFO Speed controls the open MIDI LFO. |
| MIDI LFO destination editing | LFO > DATA to choose; click to edit; BACK to leave | Destination is OFF or CC0-127. Editing destination suspends that LFO output until you leave the field. Other assigned knobs still send CC. |
| Keyboard arpeggiator | FUNC + RETRIG > Arp; enable A. On or hold RETRIG | Play incoming MIDI notes through the chosen arpeggiator mode. |
| Returning to audio | Choose an audio machine in MACHINES | Held/sequenced MIDI notes are released on their original channel and port. Normal audio-machine controls resume. |
Mod Setup
Tap SETTINGS + TRACK and release to open Mod Setup. Hold the combo to run SCRAMBLE once instead; continuing to hold does not repeat it. With a TRIG held, a quick tap toggles its Scramble mark. Choose Global, Track or Song first. DATA selects a row; click to edit, turn, click again to return. Stk = Stock; SIL = Silent; LTC = Latch.
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Global / Track / Song | DATA enters; BACK returns | Global: Pad, Mac, USB, Num, Mute, Dly, DX, QntM, Grv, LFOs, FX, ACID (when installed), JUMP. Track: SCRM, S.Chn, Human. Song opens the arrangement grid. GOV chooses voice-cut ordering. |
| Access and sound editing | Tap SETTINGS + TRACK | Available from the main screen or machine selection. DATA navigates Mod Setup; sound knobs show the edited parameter for two seconds, then return to the same menu position. BACK closes the popup first, then Mod Setup; machine selection stays open underneath. |
| Mac | Sil / Stk | Machine browsing: Sil requires DATA to commit; Stk applies while browsing. Saved globally when playback and recording stop. |
| Pad | Stk / SIL Default: Stk | Stk keeps the original track-pad behavior: a pad selects and plays its track. Silent selects the track without sounding it; hold TRACK and press a track pad to select and play. |
| USB | 2ch / 6ch Default: 2ch | 2ch sends the stereo mix to the computer. 6ch sends six separate mono tracks, before pan and without the mix delay/crusher/reverb/chorus returns. Stereo audio from the computer to Cycles works in both modes. Stop playback before changing this toggle. Changing modes reconnects the USB audio device; select its new channel layout in your DAW if needed. |
| Num | Off / On Default: Off | Off keeps the original volume and pan display. On shows numeric volume and pan values when you adjust those controls. |
| Mute | Stk / LTC Default: Stk | Stk keeps the original momentary mute controls. With LTC selected, hold TRACK and tap FUNC to stay in mute mode, then tap track pads to mute or unmute. Tap FUNC again to leave. In latched mute mode, hold FUNC and press a track pad to solo it; press the soloed pad again, or leave mute mode, to restore the previous mutes. |
| Quantized mute/solo | Tap SETTINGS + TRACK; QntM | Turn it On or Off and select the time division your mutes and solos are quantized to. Off by default. |
| Delay | Stk / Div Default: Stk | Stk preserves the original Delay Time display and timing. Div displays musical divisions, including dotted and triplet values, and corrects the matching timing positions to exact divisions of the tempo. Other Delay Time positions retain their original timing; this does not quantize every knob position. Applies while using Delay mode. |
| DX | Off / On Default: Off | CPU monitor: Global DX On enables SETTINGS + BACK. PAGE cycles CPU Load, Recent Cuts (all tracks) and Track Totals. DATA clears; double-BACK exits. Transport, knobs and trigs remain available; single BACK preserves undo. DX Off disables access. |
| SCRM | DATA opens; turn and press DATA; BACK returns | Six checkboxes per track: Pitch, Decay, Color, Shape, Sweep, Contour. Pitch/Decay default Off; Color/Shape/Sweep/Contour default On. Each pattern keeps its own six checklists; Save Project preserves them after reloading. Wizard allows Pitch/Decay; its sample/mode controls stay excluded. |
| Sidechain routing | Select source; tap SETTINGS + TRACK; S.Chn > DATA | Check the five other tracks, Rev. (reverb-slot return), and/or Del. (delay-slot return). DATA toggles each target. Dpt/Atk/Hld/Rel and Mute apply to all selected targets. Choices save per source and pattern with Save Project. Multiple sources use the deepest duck on each target. DUCK is a separate delay type. |
| Dpt / Atk / Hld / Rel | Scroll below checkboxes; click DATA, turn, click to finish | Dpt = Depth, Atk = Attack, Hld = Hold, Rel = Release. Depth: 0–100%, 16 levels. Atk: 0–160 ms. Hold: 0–120 ms. Rel: 10 ms–3 s. BACK finishes editing, then returns to Mod Setup. Start with a four-on-the-floor source, Depth 60%, Attack 0 ms, Hold 0 ms, Release 150 ms. Untick all targets to disable that source. |
| Mute (Sidechain) | Select source; S.Chn > Mute; click DATA | On: muting or solo-excluding the source blocks its sequencer triggers. Manual pad/TRIG hits still drive the full ducking envelope. Off: muted sequencer triggers also keep ducking (default). Saves per source and pattern with Save Project. |
| Per-pattern saving | Save Project after edits | Sidechain routing and controls, six Scramble checklists, FX types and added FX settings belong to each pattern. Save the project to keep changes after reloading. Blank patterns have Sidechain off and the default Scramble checklist. Queued changes apply when the next pattern starts. |
| Groove | Global > Grv > On / Type | Off uses stock Swing and remembers Type. On enables Boom Bap, Disco, Reggae, Bongo, Caixixi, Highlife or Kuduro; Swing controls strength. No stock Swing entry in Type. |
| CHORD Strum | Global > Grv > Str | -80..80 ms between CHORD voices; sign reverses direction,0 plays together. Independent of Groove On/Off. Four voices at80ms span240ms. |
| Humanize Apply / Undo | Track > Human > Trk / Tim / Vel / Apply / Undo | Set timing/velocity amounts0..100 for a track or All. Stop playback, then Apply writes changes to the pattern; Undo restores the prior values. No randomization during playback. |
| Audio LFO count | Global > LFOs | 1/2/3/4 LFOs per audio track; default2. Saves globally while stopped. Disabled LFOs stop running and retain their settings. |
| FX mode | Global > FX > MST / TRK | MST uses shared effect selection; TRK follows the selected track for light FX choices. Heavy native reverbs and delays stay shared. Use the same TRACK + SIZE/TIME gestures in either mode. |
| ACID envelope (Full / Machine Optional) | Global > ACID > A / F / AF | One globally saved choice for all ACID tracks. A = amp only; F = filter only (default); AF = both. Gate OFF allows amp decay while held in A/AF; Gate ON sustains until note-off. Save completes while stopped and idle. Lite has no ACID machine. |
| JUMP | Global > JUMP > Off / On | Direct Pattern Jump preference; saved globally while stopped. |
| GOV | Global > GOV > Lod / Trk; default Lod | Lod retains the quietest eligible voice policy. Trk cuts the lowest-numbered eligible track first when the overload governor needs a cut. Saves globally while stopped; eligibility, thresholds and fades are unchanged. |
| Track > Swap | From / To / Swap | Exchange two tracks in the current pattern while stopped. |
BACK closes Mod Setup and saves its global preferences. If playback is running, the save waits until it stops. Stop playback and allow saving to finish before powering off. Sidechain routing/settings, Scramble checklists and FX types/added settings are per pattern: Save Project preserves these after reloading. Closing a submenu alone does not save the project.
Sample Wizard display
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Waveform and volume | Sample Wizard home screen | Sample name at top; wide waveform; selected track, duration and rectangular volume segments below. This displays the track volume setting, not an audio meter. File browser, Pitch/Fine browsing and note entry retain their controls. Start/Position marker where applicable. |
Machine Optional extras only
| Feature | Controls | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Edition availability | Main Full / Lite versus Machine Optional | Full and Lite use their listed audio engines. LEGACY, ChordKeys and Vinyl controls apply when enabled in Machine Optional. |
| LEGACY bank library | LEGACY: FUNC + MACHINES | Turn DATA to choose a stored DX7 bank; click to load, BACK to cancel. One active32-voice bank is shared by all Legacy tracks. Import banks using the optional flasher bank importer. |
| ChordKeys | CHORD: FUNC + RETRIG > Keys ON | Outside grid record, TRIG1-16 play scale-based chord voicings. TRACK + track pad changes track. Grid record: hold TRIG + T1-T6 to lock harmony; repeat the same pad to restore base harmony. Keys On, harmony and related settings save per pattern/project; save the project before switching off. |
| Vinyl | SIZE / FUNC + SIZE / hold FUNC first, then TRACK + SIZE | Crackle / Warble Amount / Warble Speed. REVERB SEND sets Vinyl amount. Vinyl is absent from main Full/Lite. |
| TRX-B2 / TRX-SD / TRX-CH | Select in Machine Optional; supply your Machinedrum UW OS 1.63 file | Three optional engines: bass drum, snare and closed hi-hat. They require the MD file when building. Retained Optional choices include LEGACY, ChordKeys and Vinyl. |
SPEAK word library
| Index | Word | Index | Word | Index | Word | Index | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I | 32 | GOODBYE | 64 | IS | 96 | ONE |
| 1 | YOU | 33 | GOOD | 65 | WAS | 97 | TWO |
| 2 | WE | 34 | BAD | 66 | WERE | 98 | THREE |
| 3 | THEY | 35 | LOVE | 67 | WILL | 99 | FOUR |
| 4 | HE | 36 | LIKE | 68 | CAN | 100 | FIVE |
| 5 | SHE | 37 | WANT | 69 | COULD | 101 | SIX |
| 6 | IT | 38 | NEED | 70 | HAVE | 102 | SEVEN |
| 7 | ME | 39 | KNOW | 71 | HAS | 103 | EIGHT |
| 8 | US | 40 | THINK | 72 | HAD | 104 | NINE |
| 9 | THEM | 41 | FEEL | 73 | BEEN | 105 | ZERO |
| 10 | MY | 42 | SEE | 74 | IN | 106 | MUSIC |
| 11 | YOUR | 43 | HEAR | 75 | ON | 107 | SOUND |
| 12 | OUR | 44 | SAY | 76 | AT | 108 | BEAT |
| 13 | THIS | 45 | SPEAK | 77 | TO | 109 | RHYTHM |
| 14 | THAT | 46 | TELL | 78 | FOR | 110 | BASS |
| 15 | THESE | 47 | ASK | 79 | FROM | 111 | DRUM |
| 16 | THOSE | 48 | DO | 80 | WITH | 112 | MACHINE |
| 17 | A | 49 | MAKE | 81 | WITHOUT | 113 | ROBOT |
| 18 | AN | 50 | PLAY | 82 | OF | 114 | HUMAN |
| 19 | THE | 51 | STOP | 83 | UP | 115 | TIME |
| 20 | AND | 52 | START | 84 | DOWN | 116 | NIGHT |
| 21 | OR | 53 | GO | 85 | HERE | 117 | DAY |
| 22 | BUT | 54 | COME | 86 | THERE | 118 | WORLD |
| 23 | IF | 55 | STAY | 87 | NOW | 119 | FRIEND |
| 24 | SO | 56 | MOVE | 88 | THEN | 120 | HAPPY |
| 25 | BECAUSE | 57 | TURN | 89 | AGAIN | 121 | SAD |
| 26 | YES | 58 | TAKE | 90 | ALWAYS | 122 | NEW |
| 27 | NO | 59 | GIVE | 91 | NEVER | 123 | CAREFUL |
| 28 | NOT | 60 | GET | 92 | ALL | 124 | CREATURE |
| 29 | PLEASE | 61 | BE | 93 | SOME | 125 | LOUD |
| 30 | THANK | 62 | AM | 94 | MORE | 126 | DREAM |
| 31 | HELLO | 63 | ARE | 95 | LESS | 127 | FUTURE |
Startup defaults: stock pads and mute behavior; USB 2ch; Num Off; DX Off; quantized mute/solo Off. Blank patterns use standard Reverb and Delay with default added FX settings. Six-channel USB excludes the stereo effect returns.