HOW THE SOFTWARE WORKS AND HOW YOU PLAY IT:

You will want to configure your Midi controller to work ideally with the software, assigning controllers to certain values, setting some buttons to toggle and some momentary, and other adjustments unique to your device.

All default parameter values cited below in hyper-linked, underlined font are for continuous controllers and program changes and can be reassigned to whatever controller numbers or program change values you prefer by changing their corresponding number values in the MNEMONICA_CONTROLS text file. This text file contains entries each on their own line in the format:

{PARAMETER NAME}: {VALUE}

Edit the number values there alone to reassign the parameters to your desired controller or program change numbers. Only edit the numbers and not the parameter names in the file. Some parameters are disabled by default and assigned a value of -1. You can set other parameter values to -1 if you want to disable any controllable features. The default values for these controls are presented below with their feature descriptions and are linked to their exact parameter names in the parameter index.

Only ever save the text file in plain text format and without any extensions. Programs like Mac's TextEdit may automatically attempt to add (and hide) a .txt extension. The software will not recognize the controller file unless the name is exact and without extension. I recommend using the free "BBEditLite" or "jEdit" on a Mac or "TextEdit" for Windows. This file needs to remain in the same folder as the Mnemonica application in order to be found. For various setups, simply make different files with the name MNEMONICA_CONTROLS and keep them in other folders. The file you put in the folder with the Mnemonica application will be the one used at runtime.

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Using a Midi keyboard controller, Mnemonica allows you to sample live audio input with your left hand and play back these captured sounds with your right hand.

There are 7 sampler modules. The white keys from C3 up to B3 (the octave below middle C) are used to record into the samplers. Pressing a key down begins sampling, releasing it ends sampling. The white keys from C4 to B4 (the octave beginning with middle C) are used to playback the samples that correspond to the same note name from the lower octave, i.e. record into sampler one with C2 and play back this sample using C3.

OVERDUBBING:

Each sampler has a single overdub capability. Record into a sampler a second time and both samples will be used for playback. record into the same sampler a third time and the first sample will be replaced, leaving the last two, and so on.

CLEARING SAMPLES:

Each of the 7 samplers can be individually cleared using Program Changes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for samplers 1-7 respectively.

PLAYBACK ATTACK AND DECAY TIMES:

The attack time for sample playback is adjusted using continuous controller 106, ranging from .01 seconds at value 0 for a sharp attack to 2.51 seconds at value 127 for a long fade-in.

The decay time for sample playback is adjusted using continuous controller 105, ranging from .01 seconds at value 0 for a sharp fade out to 3.01 seconds at value 127 for a long fade-out.

SAMPLE DENSITY:

Each of the 7 sampler modules in Mnemonica actually consists of 8 sub-samplers. Once sound is recorded into a sampler module, 8 copies at different, randomized lengths are created for looped playback (the first of these copies is the sample at its original recorded length) with equal power fades added over each sample. This allows potentially brief sonoroities to be captured and transformed during playback into seamless held tones that sustain as long as you hold down the corresponding playback key.

You can thin out the density of each sampler using continuous controllers 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 43, and 29 controlling samplers 1-7 respectively. At value 0, only the sample at its original recorded length is used for playback; at value 127 all 8 sub-samplers are used, with density varrying in between.

The density for all samplers can be globally controlled all at once using continuous controller -1 (disabled by default)

SAMPLE SPEED:

Recorded samples can be slowed down by octaves up to 2 octaves and sped up up to one octave. Continuous controllers 14, 15, 16, 17, 85, 104, and 103 control the playback speed of samplers 1-7 respectively.

With up to 8 different sample playback modules per key, the controllers above gradate the speed changes evenly among the un-muted sub-samplers. Thus, the more playback modules you leave un-muted (the higher the density), the smoother the transition from a "dark" slowed-down color (at low values) to the "bright" sped-up color (at high values).

AUTOMATED SPEED SWEEPS (using the "Color Changers"):

The speed controls above can be set to automatically sweep from the currently set value to 0 and back by enabling the Color Changer associated with each sampler. This can effectively turn each sampler into an arppegiator. Program change values 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 respectively toggle on and off the Color Changers associated with samplers 1-7.

The rate of the Color Changers is controlled by an internal clock adjusted using continuous controller 107 ranging from a step every .0078 seconds (at value 0) to one step every second (at value 127). The size of each step - in sample speed coefficient (e.g. 1. is no speed change, .5 is down an octave) - is adjusted using continuous controller 102 and ranges from .0039 (at value 0) to .5 (at value 127). All color values assigned with each step however are always quantized to the nearest octave transposition.

You may want the automated Color Changers to arpeggiate different samplers at different rates. This can be accomplished by changing the number of steps each Color Changer waits before making a speed adjustment. First select the Color Changer to edit by selecting its Range Control. This is done by sending value 127 from continuous controllers 7, 8, 9, 10, 36, 37, or 38 for Color Changers 1-7 respectively. Then change the number of steps the Color Changer waits before taking a step using continuous controller 26. A value of 0 will decrease the number of steps for each speed change for the selected Color Changer; a value greater than 0 increases the number of steps for a speed change.

The Color Changers will always be "locked" in terms of their rates but some will sweep faster than others if their step ranges are set differently. Step ranges for all Color Changers begin at 1 (their speeds are changed with each step when their Color Changer is enabled).

VOLUME CONTROLS:

Each of the seven samplers has an individually adjustable volume using continuous controllers 5, 4, 6, 35, 33, 34, 22 respectively.

The main volume control is adjusted using continuous controller -1 (disabled by default - the individual volume controls are usually enough).

WANDERING BAND-BASS FILTER:

Continuous controller 32 mixes the main output into the stereo Wandering Band-Pass Filter Circuit. This circuit contains two, randomly wandering band-pass filters. Feeding in a full rich texture creates unqiue, beautiful, energized stereo soundscapes.

PITCH BEND:

Continuous controller 23 effects pitch bend to the output of Mnemonica: value 64 is no transposition; value 0 is down a semitone; value 127 is up a semitone.

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