GETTING STARTED MANUAL Rev9

Transcription

1 PRACQ GETTING STARTED MANUAL Rev9

2 Table of Contents 1. Welcome to PRACQ 1.1. The Essence of PRACQ Basic Workflow Equipment Setup 2.1. Controller Instrument PRACQ Software Tutorials 3.1. Two Finger Operation Keyboard Step Recording Playback Edit

3 1. Welcome to PRACQ 1.1. The Essence of PRACQ 1.2. Basic Workflow 1.3. Equipment 3

4 1.1. The Essence of PRACQ Thank you for having interest in PRACQ. PRACQ is a melodic step sequencer operated with a grid controller like the following. Grid Controller 32 Steps Key Keyboard Putting a note by two fingers!

5 1.2. Basic Workflow 1Keyboard Playing Realtime Recording is NOT supported. :-( Step Recording 2 HOLD DOWN 3Playback Two Finger Operation is characteristic of PRACQ. 4Edit Commands like copy and paste are available. 5

6 1.3. Equipment Controller Operations of PRACQ are made by a Controller, not a program window. Hardware is preferable, but Software can be substituted with it. Hardware Novation Launchpad or something like that or Software Controller Screen If you haven t got a Hardware Controller, start with a mouse! MIDI PRACQ Software PRACQ Software is available for Windows and Mac. It realizes sequencer function by handling MIDI messages. Program window is used just for MIDI settings. MIDI Instrument An instrument (e.g. DAW or soft synth) is required because PRACQ Software does not produce sounds by itself. 6

7 2. Setup 2.1. Controller 2.2. Instrument 2.3. PRACQ Software 7

8 2.1. Controller Supported Controllers are shown below. Choose one of them. Recommendation Hardware (Grid MIDI Controller) - Novation Launchpad MK1/S/Mini(Non-RGB), MK2(RGB) & Pro - Akai Professional APC mini - Behringer CMD TOUCH TC64 (Launchpad S Emulation Mode) Other Controllers that meet the requirements can also be used as a Controller on PRACQ. See REFERENCE MANUAL for details. Connect the Controller to your computer, and then have the computer recognize the Controller as a MIDI device. Alternatives Software (Controller Screen) PRACQ Software has a screen that imitates a Hardware Controller. You can operate it by a mouse, though it's a little hard to use. If you have a Windows tablet PC, it may be comfortable to use. Android device (PRACQ CTRL app) It s connected to a computer with Wi-Fi. Get the app on Google Play for free. Note that the app works only as a Controller, so a computer (Windows/Mac) is required separately. 8

9 2.2. Instrument Prepare an instrument that receives MIDI messages from PRACQ Software and produces sounds. Recommendation Your DAW or Soft synth If you have a DAW or a Soft synth, connect it to PRACQ Software with a Virtual MIDI Cable. PRACQ Software DAW or Soft synth Audio I/F Virtual MIDI Cable Regarding a Virtual MIDI Cable, search on the internet. Examples are shown below. Windows LoopBe1 or LoopMIDI (Available for free) Mac IAC Driver (built-in to macos) Alternative Pre-installed soft synth Even without your DAW or Soft synth, you can try PRACQ. (There is nothing you have to prepare in particular here.) PRACQ Software Pre-installed soft synth Built-in Audio I/F 9

10 2.3. PRACQ Software 1Download and Run a program First download a PRACQ Software available at Windows Extract the downloaded zip file and double-click the executable file Pracq.exe to run PRACQ. (No need to install it.) NOTE: If SmartScreen pop-up appears when you try to run this program, click "More info" and then click "Run anyway." To uninstall it, just delete the folder. (PRACQ doesn't use the registry.) Mac Double-click the downloaded file Pracq.app to run PRACQ. NOTE: If security warning pop-up appears when you try to run this program, press the Control key, then click the app icon, then choose Open from the shortcut menu. PRACQ is originally made for Windows, and it is converted into Pracq.app by Wineskin. A program window looks like the following. It is used just for settings. Proceed to the next step. Controller settings Instrument setting 10

11 2Controller settings Hardware (Grid MIDI Controller) 1. Connect your controller to the computer. 2. Select a controller type that corresponds to your controller from CONTROLLER TYPE menu. 3. Select a MIDI device of your controller from CONTROLLER IN and OUT menus. Normally, you are supposed to select the same device on both menus. Software (Controller Screen) Press CONTROLLER SCREEN button. Android device (PRACQ CTRL app) 1. Make sure that computer and Android device are connected to the same network. 2. On computer program, select "PRACQ CTRL App" at CONTROLLER TYPE. (If a security pop-up appears, allow PRACQ to access the network.) 3. On Android app, press [CONNECT]. If you are having problems, check the settings of firewall, anti-virus program, and network router. PRACQ uses port for UDP communication. When a controller connection is established, this pad will turn lit in Amber. 11

12 3Instrument setting Select a suitable MIDI device from INSTRUMENT OUT menu. Your DAW or Soft synth A MIDI device to select is a Virtual MIDI Cable that is used to connect PRACQ software and your DAW/Soft synth. On your DAW/Soft synth side, set this MIDI device as an input. Pre-installed soft synth A MIDI device to select is the following. Windows Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth Mac CoreAudio MIDI Synth 0 Some audio latency (delay) exists in this case. :-( When an instrument connection is established, pressing these pads will produce sounds. 12

13 3. Tutorials 3.1. Two Finger Operation 3.2. Keyboard 3.3. Step Recording 3.4. Playback 3.5. Edit 13

14 3.1. Two Finger Operation On the following tutorials, Two finger operation often appears. Learn how to operate, especially when you use Controller Screen. Illustrations on this Manual for Hardware Controller Instructions for Controller Screen operated with a mouse 1The first finger must be held down. Right and left mouse buttons emulate two fingers to operate pads. Both buttons are the same function Then press/click by the second finger. While holding a button, you can move the mouse cursor to click another pad by the other button. (This operation doesn t work as a Drag operation.) HOLD DOWN 2....Then release both fingers. HOLD DOWN 2. 14

15 3.2. Keyboard 1Play the Keyboard Press any Keyboard Pads and then you will hear instrument sounds. By default, C Major Scale appears on the Keyboard Pads. Keyboard Pads The highest Note (B5, MIDI Note 95)... B The lowest Note (C2, MIDI Note 48) C D... You can change the Keyboard range per row. (B6, MIDI Note 107) Up (C3, MIDI Note 60) Down Change Scales The Property Mode allows you to change various settings. 21. Press the Property Mode Pad to enter the Property Mode. Pads in lower three rows will change to Property Item Pads. (Press it again to exit this Mode.) Property Item Pads Property Mode Pad Make sure this Pad is lit in Amber. If not, press it to make it lit in Amber. 15

16 2. Press the Scale Pad. Property Item Display SC (SCale) MJ (MaJor) Scale Pad 3. Press the Up Pad or the Down Pad to select a Scale from preset Scales. Regarding Scale settings, PRACQ has too much flexibility! MN (MiNor) Up Pad Down Pad 4. Press the Property Mode Pad to exit the Property Mode. 16

17 3.3. Step Recording 1Put a Note into a Step 1. Hold down a Step Pad where you want to put a Note. 2. Press a Keyboard Pad that has a Note that you want to put. HOLD DOWN 1st 2nd Step Pads It's OK even if a Keyboard Pad is pressed first nd 3. Release both Pads. 4. After that, this Step Pad will keep lit in Amber to indicate that a Note is in this Step. 2. Here is a Note! 5. Press a lit Step Pad to listen a Note in this Step. 17

18 21. Hold down a lit Step Pad. 2. Press an unlit Keyboard Pad, and this Pad will turn lit instead of a former lit Keyboard Pad. Change Notes in a Step So far, a Step can contain ONE Note only. :-( HOLD DOWN Remove a Note from a Step 31. Hold down a lit Step Pad. 2. Press a lit Keyboard Pad, and this Pad will turn unlit. 3. Release the Step Pad, and then it will turn unlit too. HOLD DOWN

19 3.4. Playback 1Start playback order. Press the Playback Pad, and then notes in Steps will be played back in Press it again to stop playback. By default, - BPM (Tempo) is Step size is 1/4 (quarter) Playback Position (Red Pad) Playback Pad Corresponding Note You can change these values while in the Property Mode. 2Move a Playback Position 1. Hold down the Shift Pad. 2. Press a Step Pad that you want to move a Playback Position to. Whether during playback or not, it will work well. Shift Pad HOLD 2. DOWN 1. 19

20 3Make a loop region By default, playback is repeated within 32 Steps. If you want to shorten the range Hold down a Step Pad that you want to begin a loop at. 2. Press a Step Pad that you want to end a loop at. 3. Release both Pads. (This is how to select Steps.) HOLD DOWN This manner is used at the Command Mode too. To reset the selection, press any Step Pad again. 4. Press the Loop Pad, and then a Loop Region will apply to a playback. (To reset the loop region, press the Loop Pad again.) Loop Pad Loop Region SELECTED Steps (Green Pads) 4. 20

21 3.5. Edit The Command Mode allows you to edit sequence data. 1Copy 1. Press the Command Mode Pad to enter the Command Mode. Pads in lower three rows will change Command to Command Item Pads. Mode Pad (Press it again to exit this Mode.) Command Item Pads 2. Select Steps that you want to copy in the manner mentioned a little while ago. SELECTED Steps (Green Pads) HOLD DOWN 3. Press the Copy Pad. (At this time, Copy hasn t be executed yet.) If it s the wrong select, you could cancel it. CP (CoPy) Command Item Display Copy Pad 21

22 4. Press the Execute Pad. Notes in the SELECTED Steps have been copied. Execute Pad 2Paste 1. Select Steps that you want to paste the copied Notes. 2. Press the Paste Pad, then press the Execute Pad. SELECTED Steps (Green Pads) Paste Pad Execute Pad The copied Notes have been pasted to the SELECTED Steps. Thank you for reading the manual through to the end. That s all for now but PRACQ has many more features. Proceed to REFERENCE MANUAL to get detailed information. See you! 22