Mutable Instruments MIDIpal User Manual
Mutable Instruments | MIDIpal - User manual
The MIDIpal is a powerful MIDI processor - like a multi-effect operating on MIDI data! It features 19
different MIDI “apps”, ranging from MIDI debugging or routing utilities (monitoring messages, remapping a
channel to another one…) to complex compositional or inspirational tools like arpeggiators or pattern
generators.
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Mutable Instruments | MIDIpal - User manual
Connect a MIDI message source, such as a keyboard, control surface or computer interface to the MIDI in
port of the MIDIpal.
Connect a MIDI message receiver, such as a synth module, expander, or computer interface to the MIDI
out port of the MIDIpal.
The MIDIpal can be powered by either a 9V battery or a 5V-9V unregulated DC supply, with a minimum
current rating of 150mA. Make sure that the connector has a center pin (or tip) positive / outer collar (or
sleeve) negative pin polarity. Most universal power supplies allows the polarity to be selected — the
polarity being often represented by a diagram like this: – (o +.
Incoming and outgoing MIDI signals are visualized by the red and green LEDs near the MIDI sockets.
The 8 characters LCD display is used to display the name and value of the currently edited parameter.
Editing is done with the clickable rotary encoder.
Each “feature” of the MIDIpal can be seen as an independent “app”. Only one app can be running at a
time - that is to say, you cannot run an arpeggiator, a drum sequencer and a MIDI monitor on the same
unit! To select the app to use, keep the encoder pressed. The name of the current app is shown on the
screen.
Turn the encoder to select an app. Click on the encoder to launch this app.
Note that the last three entries in the list are not regular apps:
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Mutable Instruments | MIDIpal - User manual
sends a NoteOff message, for all possible MIDI notes, on all MIDI channels.
outputs a SysEx backup of all the MIDIpal settings.
resets the unit to its factory settings.
Though there are a few exceptions, most of the apps are operated the following way:
Turn the encoder to scroll through the lists of parameters.
If you want to change a parameter, click on the encoder. Brackets appear around the parameter value.
Turn the encoder to increase or decrease the value. Click again once you are done.
The brackets disappear, and your modification is kept in memory, even if the MIDIpal is powered down no need for a save button!
In order to revert the MIDIpal to its factory settings, keep the encoder pressed for 2s to display the app list.
Scroll to the end of the list to reach the item:
Click the encoder. Kaboom! All your settings are lost to the factory defaults.
Please note that some of these applications might not be available on your unit. Please refer to this page
and to the firmware update section to find out how you can replace the standard MIDIpal firmware with
alternate versions containing extra applications.
This app monitors the incoming MIDI traffic. The MIDI data itself is passed through the MIDI output - so
you can insert it through a MIDI link in your home studio to look at what’s going on…
Press the encoder to select the MIDI channel to monitor. By default, all channels are monitored.
The monitor displays the following text for note on/off messages:
The first character is the MIDI channel.
A star is displayed as the second character whenever an active sensing message is received. A dot is
displayed whenever a MIDI clock message is received.
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The next 3 characters are the MIDI note number is displayed.
The last 2 digits are the velocity value in hexadecimal, or ‘–’ for a note off message.
The following text indicate a note pressure (aftertouch) message - ‘a’ for aftertouch, 7 being the highest
nibble of the aftertouch value.
The following text indicates a channel pressure (aftertouch) message.
The following text indicates a CC #30 message.
The following text indicates a pitch bend message of value 0x3070 on channel 4.
Here is a list of text messages displayed for less common MIDI messages:
notoff: all notes off controller.
omnoff: omni mode off controller.
omnion: omni mode on controller.
monoon: mono mode on controller.
polyon: poly mode on controller.
sysx..: beginning of SysEx reception.
.sysx.: SysEx reception in progress.
..sysx: end of SysEx reception.
start: clock start.
cont.: clock continue.
stop: clock stop.
reset: system reset.
This app estimates and displays a BPM value from the MIDI clock. Every incoming MIDI data is forwarded
to the MIDI out.
Rotate the encoder to switch between the following views:
BPM estimated over the past half-second
Average BPM (estimated since the clock was started)
Total number of clock ticks received
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Mutable Instruments | MIDIpal - User manual
Click the encoder to reset the BPM estimate and the clock tick counter.
This app deletes from the MIDI stream all messages associated with one or many MIDI channels.
Enables or disable the MIDI channel X.
This app routes MIDI note messages (note on, note off and aftertouch) from a specific channel to a
different MIDI channel depending on their note value. For example, if you have a keyboard emitting on
channel 1, you can use the lower half of the keyboard to send notes to a bass synth listening on channel
1, and the upper half of the keyboard to send notes to a multitimbral expander listening on channel 3.
Input channel.
Split point.
Notes below the split point, coming from the input channel, will be routed to this channel.
Notes above the split point, coming from the input channel, will be routed to this channel.
This app routes MIDI note messages from a single channel to several channels. This allows you to play
chords on a rack of monophonic synths, for example.
Input channel.
Dispatching method:
cyclic (cyc). Each new note is cyclically played on the next channel.
polyphonic (pol). The mapping of notes to channel uses a true voice stealing algorithm. The MIDIpal tries to
reuse the same channel for occurrences of the same note ; or the least recently used channel.
random (rnd). Each new note is routed to a random channel.
stacking (stk). Each note is sent to all channels at the same time. Perfect for thickening a lead by sending it to
several synths, or to several parts of the same multitimbral device.
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velocity (vel). The louder (higher velocity) the note, the higher the MIDI channel it is sent to.
First output channel.
Number of output channels. For example, if out = 4 and num = 3, the notes will be dispatched to channels
4, 5 and 6.
This app merges data from several channels into a single one.
First input channel.
Number of channels to merge. For example, if inp = 5 and num = 3, channels 5, 6 and 7 will be merged.
Output channel.
This app forwards every incoming MIDI message, but it only pick every Nth clock message. This has the
effect of slowing down the MIDI clock by a ratio of N.
Ratio by which the MIDI clock is divided.
This feature, inspired by the Mungo Sync allows a slave device to be synchronized and started/stopped in
sync with a master device playing a loop.
Consider the following situation: you have a drum machine playing a steady 2-bar loop, in 4⁄4, and
generating a clock signal for a slave MIDI sequencer. You need to reload a pattern on the sequencer. You
stop the sequencer, load the pattern, and then you need to hit the play button on the sequencer at the
exact right moment so that it starts spot on the first beat of the 2-bar drum loop. Tricky isn’t it? This is
where the MIDIpal can be used. Insert it between the drum machine and the sequencer. Configure the
duration/time signature of the loop (Here: 8 quarter notes). The MIDIpal will keep counting beats. When
you press the MIDIpal encoder, it’ll wait for the beginning of the loop and then send a start message to the
MIDI slave. When you press again the MIDIpal encoder, it’ll wait for the end of the loop and then send a
stop message to the MIDI slave.
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Numerator and denominator of the time signature of the loop.
Beat counter. This shows:
the MIDIpal counting beats.
whether the slave is playing or stopped (a dot is shown when the slave is stopped ; a “>” sign is shown when
the slave is running).
whether the MIDIpal is ready to send a start/stop message to the slave.
When you press the encoder, the beat count is shown in brackets, to indicate that the MIDIpal is waiting
for the beginning of the next bar to send the Start message (or the end of the bar to send the Stop
message).
For example:
Indicates that the slave is currently stopped, and that the MIDIpal is waiting for the beginning of the next
bar to send a Start message.
Indicates that the slave is currently running, and that the MIDIpal is waiting for the end of the bar to send a
Stop message.
This app acts as a clock source - regularly sending MIDI clock ( ) messages. Every incoming MIDI
data, at the exception of MIDI clock messages, are forwarded to the MIDI out. The settings are the
following:
Starts or stops the clock.
Tempo of the internal clock, in beats per minutes.
Type of shuffle/jitter to apply to the clock:
swg: swing
shf: shuffle
psh: push effect, anticipating the beats
lag: lag effect, delaying the beats
hum: humanization
mnk: monkeyzation
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Amount of shuffle/jitter to apply to the clock.
While on this screen, you can “click” on the encoder to tap a tempo.
This variant of the app acts as a clock source with a finer resolution of 0.1 BPM. Both variants
perform equally well in terms of jitter/accuracy - this version just has a finer range of adjustment. The
settings are the following:
Starts or stops the clock.
Tempo of the internal clock, in beats per minutes.
This app turns the MIDIpal into a MIDI controller - sending CC or NRPN messages. All incoming
messages are sent to the output – that is to say, the generated CC/NRPN messages are merged into the
MIDI stream. The settings are the following:
CC or NRPN value to send.
Channel on which the CC message has to be sent.
Type of message to send: CC or NRPN.
Number of the CC or NRPN message to send. For example, set this to 7 to send a volume message.
Value range. This restricts the range of the setting on the first page.
This app is only useful if you dare opening your MIDIpal. On the circuit board, you will find 8 pads labelled
Analog 1..8 to which you can connect any circuit (including a simple potentiometer voltage divider)
outputting a voltage in the 0-3.3V range. These are connected to the analog to digital converter of the
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MIDIpal brain. Voltage changes on these inputs will be translated into CC messages: a voltage of 0V
yields a CC value of 0 ; a voltage of 3.3V yields a CC value of 127.
Note that by default, these pads are floating, so they will receive random values! And beware: values
above 3.3V are likely to destroy your MIDIpal.
The following settings are available:
Channel on which the CC messages will be sent.
CC# associated with the Nth input.
This app generates 4-part rhythmic patterns on a selected channel (preferably 10!). You can use a 49 keys
keyboard (or larger) to start, stop and mutate the patterns. The first octave on a 61 keys keyboard (C2 to
B2) controls the first part. The second octave (C3 to B3) controls the second part. And so on.
Two types of rhythmic patterns are available:
Preset patterns: Each key within an octave will trigger and loop a different 1-bar pattern. C mutes the part.
Euclidean patterns: Pressing a key in an octave indicates how many notes should be played within the span
of a bar (C is 0, C# is 1, D is 2, D# is 4, then 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16). Pressing two keys indicate how many
notes should be played within the span of a sequence + the duration of a sequence. For example, if you press
D and E, a 5 steps long pattern, containing 2 evenly spaced notes will be played.
You can safely ignore these instructions and just play keys and clap your hands.
The following settings are available:
Switch between the preset patterns and the euclidean patterns modes.
Select an internal or external clock source. When using an external clock source, start, clock and stop
MIDI messages must be sent.
Tempo of the internal clock, in beats per minutes.
Type of shuffle/jitter to apply to the clock.
Amount of shuffle/jitter to apply to the clock.
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