Keith McMillen Instruments QuNeo Reference Manual

QuNeo Reference Manual

QuNeo Version 1.01
July 2012

Keith McMillen, Daniel McAnulty, Conner Lacy, Jimmy Allison, Jasmin Blasco, Andrew
Calvo, Chuck Carlson, Diane Douglas, Tom Ferguson, Paul Gaeta, Ingmar Gorman,
Christian Heilman, Matthew Hettich, Sarah Howe, Alex Molina, Jon Short, Barry Threw,
Nick Wang, and Carson Whitley

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Copyright 2007-2012 Keith McMillen Instruments a wholly owned subsidiary of Kesumo
LLC. All rights reserved. Made in USA.

No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose
without the express written permission of the copyright holders.

The content of this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change
without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Keith McMillen
Instruments. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual
is accurate. No warranties, express or implied, are made with regard to the quality,
suitability or accuracy of this document. Keith McMillen Instruments reserves the right
to change the contents of this document and/or the associated products at any time
without the provision of prior notice to specific persons or organizations. Keith McMillen
Instruments shall not be held liable for damages of any kind arising from the use, or the
inability to use this product or its documentation, even if the possibility of such damage is
known.

Product and brand names contained in this document are used for identification
purposes only. Keith McMillen Instruments, the Keith McMillen Instruments Logo, the
QuNeo and QuNeo logo are trademarks of Kesumo LLC. Apple, Finder, GarageBand,
Logic, Mac, MacBook, Macintosh, Mac OS and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Inc,
registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and other countries. Intel is a registered trademark of
Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. SONiVOX
is the brand name trademark of Sonic Network, Inc. VST and ASIO are trademarks and
software of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. Reason, ReWire, Recycle and REX2
are trademarks of Propellerhead Software AB. All other product and company names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. All other names and
designations of companies, products, trademarks, or brands used in this document are
the registered property of their respective holders.

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Table of Contents

Welcome

Questions or Feedback? Contact Us!

What's in the QuNeo Package
QuNeo Hardware
Connecting QuNeo
MIDI Expander
QuNeo Data Sources and Sensor Output

Source Definitions

Banks

The Mode Button

Selecting Presets
CoMA Mode

CoMA Mode Mapping Guide

Factory Preset Guides

MIDI Output
MIDI Input

QuNeo LED Behavior

Local LED Control

Remote LED Control
QuNeo Software

System Requirements

Updating the Firmware
Main Window Overview
Saving
Menu Bar
Sensor Edit Panes

Pad Edit Pane

Vertical and Horizontal Slider Edit Pane

Long Slider Edit Pane

Rotary Edit Pane

Transport Edit Pane

Left/Right Buttons Edit Pane

Up/Down Button Edit Pane

Rhombus Button Edit Pane

Sensitivity

Local LED Control

Troubleshooting

DAW/Host Application Trouble
Firmware Updating Trouble
Note Name to Note Number Reference

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Welcome

QuNeo is a 3D multi-touch pad controller. QuNeo is a different species of pad controller
for electronic musicians, DJs, VJs and DIY hackers. While it covers all of the functionality of
other pad controllers, QuNeo adds the power of touch recognition in multiple dimensions.

Each of the 27 pads, sliders and rotary sensors are pressure, velocity, and location
sensitive. The 17 buttons also respond to pressure and velocity. The 16 square pads
provide 128 levels of velocity response, X-Y location, and continuous pressure for each pad.
Each rotary sensor measures direction, pressure and location.

QuNeo is the size of an iPad and can fit in iPad accessories such as mic clips, stands and
more. QuNeo works with USB, MIDI or OSC and will communicate with your favorite music
software environments right out of the box.

In this manual you will find detailed information to help answer all of your questions about
QuNeo hardware and software.

Questions or Feedback? Contact Us!

If at any time you have any questions, please contact us:

Web: www.keithmcmillen.com
Forum: forum.keithmcmillen.com
Support: http://www.keithmcmillen.com/support

What's in the QuNeo Package

When you open up the box you should find:

● (1) QuNeo

● (1) USB A-to-Micro cable (1 meter)

● (1) QuNeo QuickStart Document

QuNeo Hardware

Dimensions: 9.5” x 7.3” x .3” (inches). The pads are about 1.2” x 1.2”.
Weight: 14 oz.

There are no user serviceable parts inside QuNeo. Attempts to open the enclosure will
void the warranty.

USB Port

QuNeo is connected to a computer and powered by USB. It is a class compliant USB
device and does not require a driver. This allows for maximum compatibility with an
extremely wide range of other devices.

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MIDI Expander (optional)

Connect QuNeo to our KMI MIDI Expander (sold separately) to control MIDI hardware
without a computer. Power is supplied to QuNeo from the MIDI Expander’s power port
when the MIDI Expander is plugged into a power outlet.

LEDs

LEDs provide the visual feedback needed for intuitive control over the QuNeo. Contained
within QuNeo are 251 LEDs with 16 different levels of brightness. The 16 square pads
provide an option of red and green on each corner, giving you 128 LEDs at your disposal
on just the pads alone. Local or Remote LED control is available. In Local, the action on
sensors will determine the LED behavior. In Remote, note or CC data input will determine
LED behavior. Local and Remote LED Control can be used simultaneously. See the

QuNeo LED Behavior chapter for more information.

Connecting QuNeo

Connect QuNeo to a computer

This image shows QuNeo set up to send MIDI
data to a computer.

Use a USB A-to-Micro cable to connect the
QuNeo micro port to a USB port on a computer.
QuNeo will receive power from the computer.

Connect QuNeo to MIDI hardware

The image to the right shows QuNeo connected
to a hardware synth via our MIDI Expander (sold
separately):

1. Use a USB A-to-Micro cable to connect the
QuNeo micro port to the USB “Expand” port on
the MIDI Expander.

2. Connect the power supply to the MIDI
Expander USB “Power” port.

3. Connect the MIDI Out on the Expander to the
MIDI In on a synth or other hardware device.

Connect QuNeo to an iPad

The image to the right shows QuNeo connected
to an iPad using the QuNeo Remote Power Kit
(sold separately through our online store: http:/

/store.keithmcmillen.com/). This includes a Y

USB cable and a power supply. You will also
need the iPad Camera Connection Kit (sold
by Apple: http://store.apple.com/us/product/

MC531ZM/A).

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MIDI Expander

The KMI MIDI Expander is an optional
accessory which enables use of
QuNeo with hardware MIDI devices.
Plug MIDI devices into the MIDI Out
port and QuNeo will send MIDI data
through a regular 5 pin MIDI cable.

Dimensions: 4” x 1.25” x 1.25”
Weight: 2.5 oz

QuNeo Data Sources and Sensor Output

There are many useful types of sensors that can be found on the QuNeo:

Pads (16) Horizontal Sliders (4) Vertical Sliders (4)
Long Slider (1) Rotaries (2) Transport Buttons (3)
Left/Right Buttons (4) Up/Down Buttons (2) Rhombus Button (1)
Mode Button (1)

Each sensor type has the ability to send out multiple MIDI messages at once for several
different kinds of sources.

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Here is a list of exactly what kinds of sources are available in each of the sensor types:

Source Definitions

Note - Tapping on the sensor causes 1 note to output along with a velocity value relative

to how hard it is hit. Velocity sensitivity can be turned off if unwanted.
Pressure - Pressing on the sensor will cause the pressure CC# value to output from low
to high (soft to hard).
X-Axis (horizontal/side to side) - Pads only. Moving a finger from side to side across the
surface of a pad will cause the X-Axis CC# value to output going from low to high (left to
right).
Y-Axis (vertical/top to bottom) - Pads only. Moving a finger up and down across the
surface of a pad will cause the Y-Axis CC# value to output going from low to high (bottom
to top).

Tip: It is possible to set the X and Y Axis to either latch where you left it
or return to a value. When an X/Y Return value is set the X and Y Axis CC
values will always go back to that number when the pad is released. The

Factory Preset Guides detail which presets are set to latch and which use a

return value.

Location - Pressing down and moving a finger along a slider or rotary will cause the
location CC# value to output going from low to high (left to right or bottom to top).

Tip: The Location source on the Rotaries use a variation of Pass Thru Mode.
Pass Thru Mode is normally when MIDI will not be sent until you pass through
the value the rotary was left at. Our Pass Thru Width parameter sets a range
of pass through values. Example: If Pass Thru Width is set to 10 and the
slider was left at 40, you would have to press somewhere between 30 and 50
to pick back up and output location data. If set to 127, you can hit anywhere
on the slider or rotary. The Factory Preset Guides detail what the Pass Thru
Width is for each preset.

Width - pressing with two fingers on the Long Slider sends a width CC# value that
represents the distance between the two fingers. The wider the gap, the higher the value.
When the second finger leaves the slider, the width will not change again until the second
finger returns to the slider.
Direction - Moving a finger around a rotary will cause the direction CC# value to output.

If finger movement is clockwise, the CC# will repetitively send out a 127. If finger
movement is counterclockwise, the CC# will repetitively send out a 0. The faster a finger
is moved, the faster the repeated value will output.

The list below will detail which sources can be used for each sensor type and how they are
implemented.

● Pads - The Pads will work differently depending on whether they are in Drum Mode
or Grid Mode. The Factory Preset Guides detail which presets use Drum or Grid
Mode and if both are utilized within one preset.

Drum Mode - Pad sources in Drum Mode include Note, Pressure, X-Axis, and
Y-Axis.
Grid Mode - While in Grid Mode, note and pressure are
available in the corner of each pad (if enabled within the
given preset). X and Y are not available in grid mode. To
the right is an example of how a Pad might be set up in Grid
Mode. In this example each corner has a note and pressure
CC#.
Hint: Throughout the QuNeo documentation note names are used to show
where notes are on and what they are set to. QuNeo treats C3 = Note #60.
In the image to the right the note numbers correspond to the pressure CC#s.

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● Horizontal and Vertical Sliders - If enabled in a preset, Horizontal and Vertical
Sliders use Note, Pressure, and Location. They can also be set up to have banks.
See the Banks chapter for more information.

● Long Slider - If enabled within a preset, the Long Slider uses Note, Pressure,
Location, and Width. The Long Slider can also be set up to have banks. See the

Banks chapter for more information.

● Rotaries - If enabled within a preset, the Rotaries use Note, Pressure, Location, and
Direction. Location and Direction may not be enabled simultaneously. The Rotaries
can also be set up to have banks. See the Banks chapter for more information.

● Transport Buttons - There are 3 buttons intended for transport control: the
diamond button for record, the square button for stop, and the sideways triangle for
play. If enabled within a preset, Transport Buttons use Note and Pressure.

● Left/Right and Up/Down Buttons - While bank switching is disabled, Left/Right
and Up/Down Buttons use Note and Pressure. The Left/Right and Up/Down arrow
buttons can be used either as bank switches, or as programmable MIDI buttons.
See the Banks chapter for more information.

● Rhombus Button - While bank switching is disabled, the Rhombus button uses
Note and Pressure. The Rhombus button can be used either as a bank switch, or a
programmable MIDI button. See the Banks chapter for more information.

Consult the Factory Preset Guides to determine which of the sources for each sensor are
enabled in a given preset.

Banks

Banks can be used for the sliders and rotaries if enabled. If banks are enabled for the
sliders or rotaries, a different note, pressure CC#, and location CC# can be assigned for
each bank so that each slider or rotary can control 4 different things. These banks will
be selectable using either the Left/Right Buttons, the Up/Down Buttons, or the Rhombus
Button.

The presets determine whether the sliders and rotaries have banks enabled and which
buttons are assigned as bank switches. Consult the Factory Preset Guides for this
information.

The Horizontal Slider banks are controlled individually by their neighboring Left/Right
arrow buttons. The images below show how the Horizontal Slider banks are indicated with
the Left/Right Button LEDs:

Bank 1 - no LEDs Bank 2 - left LED only Bank 3 - right LED only Bank 4 - both LEDs

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In our presets, the Vertical Slider banks are all controlled using the nearest Up/Down
Button pair. The Long Slider banks are controlled using the Up/Down Button pair on
the right side of the Long Slider. The images below show how the Vertical and Long Slider
banks are indicated with the Up/Down Button LEDs:

Bank 1 - no LEDs

Bank 2 - top LED only

Bank 3 - bottom LED only

Bank 4 - both LEDs

In our presets, the Rotary banks are both controlled using the Rhombus Button. The
images below show how the Rotary banks are indicated with the Rhombus Button LEDs:

Bank 1 - no LEDs Bank 2 - only the

green LED is on

Bank 3 - both red and green

are on to make orange

Bank 4 - only the

red LED is on

Using the QuNeo Editor, the bank controls for the Vertical Sliders, the Long Slider, and
the Rotaries can be chosen. Both Up/Down Button Pairs and the Rhombus Button can be
assigned to one of these sensors if editing presets in the Editor. See the QuNeo Editor
chapter for more information about editing presets.

The Mode Button

The Mode button is a small circular button that can be found in the upper left corner of the
QuNeo. When illuminated, the button is blue. The Mode button serves as the gateway to
selecting presets and entering CoMA mode (our Controller Mapping Assistant).

Selecting Presets

After plugging in the QuNeo, it will automatically load the last preset you used. The first
time, it will load Preset 1.

To enter preset mode, quickly tap the Mode button so that it begins to flash blue.

After entering Preset mode, the pad for the current preset
will be illuminated in red. Select a preset by pressing one
of the pads. The selected pad will briefly blink green and
QuNeo will exit Preset mode and go to the selected preset.

The image to the left shows how the pads are numbered
and which pad to select for which preset number.

Tapping the Mode button again will put QuNeo back into
Preset mode at any time.

For detailed information about the factory presets, see the Factory Preset Guides chapter of
this manual.

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CoMA Mode

Many DAWs and performance software tools like Ableton Live and Apple’s Logic have MIDI
Mapping modes that will recognize MIDI data from a controller and map it to whatever you
choose. Since the QuNeo can have multiple data sources for one control, it is useful to
use the Controller Mapping Assistant (CoMA). CoMA mode allows quick mapping of each
available data source one at a time, allowing for rapid and efficient software/controller
pairings.

Here is an example of how to use CoMA mode to map the Y-Axis data from a pad on
QuNeo in Ableton Live:

1. Enable MIDI Mapping mode in Ableton Live by clicking the MIDI button at the top
right-hand corner. Select the control you’d like to have QuNeo control in Live.

2. Put QuNeo into CoMA mode by holding down blue Mode button in the upper left-hand
corner for 1 second. All the LEDs will flash and the blue mode LED will turn on (and
stay on), showing that you have successfully entered CoMA mode.

3. Pick the pad you’d like to map to Live and press the bottom right (south-east) corner
of the pad. The SE corner is designated to send out the CC# for the Y-Axis.

4. Repeat step 3 for any other pads you wish to map.

5. Exit CoMA mode by pressing the Mode button again.

6. Take Live out of MIDI Map mode and try out your new mapping by pressing and
sliding your finger from top to bottom (the Y-Axis) of the pad you mapped.

CoMA Mode Mapping Guide

To enter CoMA Mode using the Mode Button, hold down on the Mode Button for 1 second
until all the LEDs flash. When in CoMA mode it is necessary to be familiar with how each
data source from QuNeo is mapped. Here is how to do this for each sensor type:

Pads -

●

When in Drum Mode each corner outputs a different

○

data source. Pressing the NW (North-West) corner
outputs the Note, the NE corner outputs the Pressure
CC#, the SW corner outputs the X-Axis CC#, and the
SE corner outputs the Y-Axis CC#.

For your convenience the red LEDs for each

■

corner will illuminate after the note or CC# is

sent out.
When Pads are in Grid Mode a Note and Pressure CC# are in each corner.
Quickly tap the corner to output the Note. Press and hold for 1 second to
output the Pressure CC#.

A red LED will illuminate for each Note sent out and a green LED will

■

illuminate for each Pressure CC#.

Sliders - to output the Note quickly tap the slider, press and hold for 1 second to

●

output the Pressure CC#, and press and drag a finger to output the Location CC#.
To output the Width CC# for the Long Slider press and hold with 2 fingers.

The red LEDs will illuminate when the Note is sent out, the green LEDs will
illuminate for the Pressure CC#, and the yellow LEDs will illuminate for the
Location CC#. The blue LED on the Long Slider will illuminate when the Width
CC# is sent out.

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Rotaries -

●

Note - Press and hold the rotary in the top
left sector.

The LEDs in the top left will illuminate

■

as soon as the note is sent out. (As

shown in image to the right).

Pressure CC# - Press and hold the rotary in
the top right sector.

The LEDs in the top right will

■

illuminate. (As shown in image to
the right).

Location CC# or Direction CC# - Press and
hold the bottom sector of the rotary.

The LEDs along the bottom will

■

illuminate. (As shown in image to
the right).

Buttons - To output the Note quickly tap the button. Press and hold for 1 second

●

to output the Pressure CC#. If buttons are assigned to bank switching they will not
output their own data in CoMA mode, but instead control the banks for the Sliders
or Rotaries they are assigned to. Use the bank buttons to shift through banks, then
map the MIDI data for each of the Slider or Rotary banks.

Tip: Before using CoMA mode to map presets, consult the Factory Preset Guides to check
whether the Pads are in Grid Mode or Drum Mode for the preset you are mapping. Pad
mapping works differently for Drum and Grid mode. Also check which data sources are
enabled. There may be presets with Notes or Pressure turned off. When data sources are
turned off, they will not output in CoMA mode.

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Factory Preset Guides

Notes about the Preset Guide images:

● If a data source is not accounted for in the preset guide image, this means it is
disabled. For Example: If one of the Pads only shows note names and not pressure
CC#s, assume that the pressure data is turned off and will not output as MIDI data,
even in CoMA mode.

MIDI Output

Preset 1: (Drum C1-D#2 / Serato)
Preset 2: (Drum E2-G3)
Preset 3: (Drum G#3-B4)
Preset 4: (Drum C5-D#6)

Presets 1-4 are the same except the pad notes increment up as the preset # increases. So
the pad notes on preset 1 are shown below from C1-D#2, preset 2 are from E2-G3, preset 3
are from G#3-B4, and preset 4 are from C5-D#6.

These presets are in Drum Mode and don’t use banks. Rotaries are set to use Direction
instead of Location. Pass Thru Widths for the rotaries are set to 127. The Pad X/Y Return
values are set to 63. Velocity response is enabled for all notes on the Pads; velocity is fixed
at 127 for notes on other sensors.

Our Serato Template uses Presets 1-3 and is included in the QuNeo Software Installer.

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Scratch Live (Serato) Mappings for Preset 1, 2, & 3:
Global:

1. LOAD Deck 1 - loads the selected track from the main track library or crate to Deck 1

2. LOAD Deck 2 - loads the selected track from the main track library or crate to Deck 2

3. Track Library Browse - Browse Up and Down a crate or the main Track Library.

A. Left Deck - Represents Deck 1
B. Right Deck - Represents Deck 2

QuNeo Preset 1:
A1/B1 - Trigger Cue Point 1
A2/B2 - Trigger Cue Point 2
A3/B3 - Trigger Cue Point 3
A4/B4 - Trigger Cue Point 4
A5/B5 - Play
A6/B6 - Loop In
A7/B7 - Loop Out
A8/B8 - Loop On/Off
A9/B9 - DJ/FX Select
A10/B10 - DJ/FX Amount

QuNeo Preset 2:
A11/B11 - Set Cue Point 1
A12/B12 - Set Cue Point 2
A13/B13 - Set Cue Point 3
A14/B14 - Set Cue Point 4

QuNeo Preset 3:
A15/B15 - DJ/FX On/Off

For more information read the Quickstart document in the QuNeo directory’s “Software
Templates/Serato 1.0”.

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Preset 5, 6, 7, & 8 (Grid Mode):
Presets 5-8 are the same except the Pad channels increment as the preset # increases.

These presets are in Grid Mode and don’t use banks. Rotaries are set to use Direction
instead of Location. Pass Thru Widths for the rotaries are set to 127. Velocity response is
fixed at 127 for all notes.

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Presets 9 (Ableton Live Clip Launching):
The QuNeo Ableton Live Remote Control Surface contains a variety of Modes. Modes
remap the 8x8 Grid and non Global Buttons into various functions for Ableton Live. Modes
include Clip Launch, Step Sequencer, and Note Mode. When the Ableton Live Remote
Control Surface is loaded it initializes Mode 1 (M1 - Clip Launch Mode). The image and
corresponding text below summarizes Clip Launch Mode.

GLOBAL CONTROLS:

1. Transport Controls

2. Tempo

3. Metronome

4. MIDI Overdub

5. Track Navigation

6. Scene Navigation

7. Selected Track Send A

8. Selected Track Send B

9. Selected Track Pan

10. Selected Track Volume

11. Selected Clip Loop

12. Selected Clip Loop End

13. Volume Faders

14. Crossfader

M1. CLIP LAUNCH MODE Controls:

Clip Launch Mode represents an overview of the current Ableton Live Session. Clip Launch
Mode enables the QuNeo to launch clips within Ableton’s clip slots and control volume
parameters assigned to the first 4 volume Sliders within Ableton’s highlighted red box.
Other controls include: overdub - on/off, metronome - on/off, tempo - up/down, and
transport functionality including: play, stop, and record.

A1. CLIP LAUNCH - These Pads launch clips within Ableton’s clip slots.
A2. SCENE LAUNCH - Rows in the Session View are called scenes. All clips in a scene

can be launched simultaneously by clicking the corresponding SCENE LAUNCH button in
the column. These buttons trigger a row of clips within the session. A row is known as
a “SCENE”. When triggered, all of the clips in the selected scene will play.
A3. CLIP STOP - Push to stop the currently playing or recording clip corresponding to the
correct track.

A4. STOP ALL CLIPS - Push to stop all playing and recording clips in the session.
A5. TRACK ACTIVATOR - Activate this button to hear the track, or deactivate it to mute

the track.
A6. SOLO / CUE - Activate this button to solo the track, or deactivate it to unsolo the
track.
A7. RECORD ARM - Active this button to Arm the track, or deactivate it to unarm the
track.
A8. BANK SELECT - These allow the user to move the highlighted 7 x 4 red box around the
session LEFT/RIGHT/UP/DOWN
A9. SELECTED CLIP LAUNCH - Push to launch the currently selected clip.

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