Akai MINIAK manuale d’uso

WWW .AKAIPRO.COM  REFERENCE MANUAL ENGLI SH ( 1 – 55 )[...]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS BOX CONTENTS ....................................................................................... 2 CHAPTER 1: CONNECTIONS ............................................................... 2 CHAPTER 2: FIRST SESSION ............................................................... 3 A TOUR OF THE MINIAK ............................[...]

2 BOX CONTENTS • MINIAK • Gooseneck microphone • Power adapter • Quickstart Guide • Reference Manual • Safety Instructions & Warranty Informa tion Booklet CHAPTER 1: CONNECTIONS CONNECTING AC POWER Before making any power connections, make sure the MINIAK's power switch is tu rned off. Then, plug the power adapter into the M IN[...]

3 CHAPTER 2: FIRST SESSION A TOUR OF THE MINIAK In this ses sion, we'l l: • Explore the MINIAK's top panel • Define some key concepts • Play some of the M INIAK's basic sounds (called Program s) • Learn different way s to navigate the MINIAK's Progr ams • Explore the built-in Sequences • Capture and play back some ph[...]

4 KEY CONCEPTS Here are the M INIAK's most important concepts: PROGRAMS Programs are the MINIAK's s ounds, built from its oscilla tors, envelopes, fil ters, m odulation matrix, and other analog-style components. SEQUENCES Sequences are repeating melodic and /or rhythmic motifs. There are two types of Sequences — arpeggios and sequences.[...]

5 Play some notes before, durin g, and after moving th e (MOD2) wheel. You'll most likely hear the classic analog synthesizer "f ilter sweep" sound . USE THE VOCODER Connect the gooseneck microphone (included) to th e (MIC INPU T) on the MIN IAK. Hold down [PROGRAMS] then press the VOCODER / SFX key on the keyboard. Use the DATA DIAL[...]

6 EXPLORE THE RHYTHMS Rhythms combine drum/per cussion programs with specifically designed rhythm patter ns. Press [RHYTHMS] . Turn the DATA DIAL to cycle through different Rhythms. TO PLAY A RHYTHM Press and hold any key from the bottom of the keyboar d up to the middle G #. (These are the keys labeled from recent through all .) TO PLAY A RHYTHM&a[...]

7 RECORD SOME PHRASES You don't have to be in Sequences M ode to create a Se quenc e. At any time, the MIN IAK can capture your playing and use it as a Sequence. The Sequences that you captu re in real ti me are called "phr ases." PHRASES WITHIN PROGRAMS MODE Press [PROGRAMS] to enter Programs Mode. Hold down the [PHRASE ARP] button [...]

8 CHAPTER 3: SEQUENCES PLAYING SEQUENCES Sequences are repeated melodic figures tha t you trigger from the keyboard . Press [SEQUENC ES] near the DATA DIAL . To cycle through different Sequences, turn the DATA DIAL . The Sequence will change, with the current Sequence name shown in the d isplay. Press a key to play a Sequence. The Sequence continue[...]

9 EDITING SEQUENCES Choose an existing Sequence to e dit by pressing the [SEQUENCES] button and turning the DATA DIAL . Hold down any key to play the Sequence. (Use the [TAP TEMPO] button to change the tempo.) Once you've found a Sequence y ou want to e dit, press the DATA DIAL to enter edit mode. Turn the DATA DIAL to cycle through the differ[...]

10 3. Start new Multi? Pressing the DATA DIAL at this option creates a new Multi nam ed wi th the Sequence's name and a "+" in front (e.g. "+Liner" and "+Bobbetty") and, if a Multi wi th this name already exists , a number at the end (e.g. "+Liner2" and "+Bobbetty2"). 4. Sequence program Choose[...]

11 9. Order (arpeggios only) When you hold down more than one not e, you can specify the order in which they will be arpeg giated: • The order in which they were initially pressed (called as played ). • Up . The arpeggiator pl ays the notes you are h olding from the bottom to the top. Once the top note is reached, the arpeggio begi ns from the [...]

12 11. Step edit ing Turn the DATA DIAL to cycle through each step. You can quickly jump to the first step of the Sequence by holding down the [SEQUENCES] bu tton and pressing A above middle C (labeled "voice") . Every aspect of the Sequence is editable: a. Adding and replaci ng notes and chords Play one or more keys at any step to add (o[...]

13 14. Sequence name Since Sequences are listed alphabetic ally, creative namin g can help you move smoothly from one Sequence to another. Turn the DATA DIAL to select a position (1 – 14) to edit. Then press the DATA DIAL to edit that position. Edit either by turning th e DATA DIAL or pressing notes on the keyboard . Press a key twice to toggle b[...]

14 CHAPTER 4: RHYTHMS PLAYING RHYTHMS Press the [RHYTHMS] button next to the DATA DIAL . Press and hold any key on the left side of the keyboard to play a Rhythm. Play the keys on the right side of the k ey board to play indi vidual drum sounds. The keyboard's A above middle C (labeled voice ) corresponds to the rhythm's Drum A. The next [...]

15 2. Send to Mult i? Pressing the DATA DIAL at this option sends you to Multi Mode and allows you to m ake this Rhythm a beat of the last-selected Multi . If the Multi does not hav e any beats, this Rhyt hm is automa tically assigned to the Multi's bea t A. If the Multi already has one or more beats, you will be able to add the rhythm in one [...]

16 5. Grid Choose 8 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 20 , 24 , or 32 steps per bar. Shortening the scale decreases the quantizing resolu tion. You're more l ikely to hear double notes and simpler syncopations at low values. Straight-ahead feels tend to result from using 8 , 16 , and 32 steps per bar. Swing and shuffle feels tend to result from choosing 12 or [...]

17 Another way of setting the Rhythm's Program is to b ring it over from Program s Mode. Press [PROGRAMS] to enter Programs Mode, and find the Progr am that you wan t. Then, hold down [PROGRAMS] and press [RHYTHMS] , and the Rhythm's Program will be set. This works in the oth er direction as well–hold down [RHYTHMS] and press [PROGRAMS][...]

18 Clear?: To keep the Program bu t remove all the no tes, choose Clear. Remove?: If this particular drum is unnecessary to y our Rhythm, remove it. At the Remove? prompt, press the DATA DIAL . This drum will be removed from the Rh ythm, and all of th e other drums will be re-lettered accordingly. (For instance, what had been "Drum B" wil[...]

19 Store your changes! Be sure to press the [STORE] button after you're satisfied with y our changes. Otherwise, your changes will be lost when the MINIAK is turned off. However, keep in mind that you don't lose any changes when you switch to other modes, so feel free to browse through Programs or Multis without storin g your Rhythm. Addi[...]

20 Take a moment to cycle through these options. Press [MULTI] and turn the DATA DIAL to select a Multi to edit. Then press the DATA DIAL to enter edit mode. Turn the DATA DIAL clockwise to cycle through the various parts. Parts are labeled as "Part A," "Part B, " "Part C ," etc. After the last part, you will see that [...]

21 1. Parts Each part has the following ed itable parameters: a. Program: You can make the Program dependent o n this part's Sequence, shown on the MINIAK as (Sequence's pgm) . I f you do so, the Multi will change Pr ograms automatically as the Sequence is changed. Alternate ly, you can specify that the part use a particular Pro gram. To [...]

22 g. High Key: Set the highest keyboard note to which the part will respond. Any notes higher than t he note you select here will be ignored by this part. Remember that you can set t hese keys across the entire MIDI note number range, not just the MINIAK's 37 notes. Remember that you can always use the [OCTAVE] bu ttons to adjust th e note ra[...]

23 The newly-created part will be assi gned the next letter a fter the current par t's letter. All subsequent part letters will be incremented by one. n. Layer?: Choose layer to duplicate the current part. The newly-created part will be assigned the next letter after the current part's le tter. All subsequent par t letters will be increme[...]

24 e. High Key: Set the highest keyboard note to which the beat will respond. Any notes higher t han the note you select here will be ignored by this b eat. Remember that you can set t hese keys across the entire MIDI note number range, not just the MINIAK's 37 notes. Remember that you can always use the [OCTAVE] buttons to adjust the note r a[...]

25 7. Clear Choose clear to remove all o f the parts and b eats from th e Multi but to retain the Multi's name. 8. Mult i name Since Multis are listed alph abetically , creative naming can help you move smoothly from one Multi to another . Turn the DATA DIAL to select a position (1 – 14) to edit. Then press the DATA DIAL to edit that positio[...]

26 CHAPTER 6: PROGRAMS WHAT IS A PROGRA M? A MINIAK program is a sound built from the MINIAK's internal oscilla tors, filters, and envelope generato rs. The MINIAK's programs cover the gamut of classic analog synthesis sounds. If you've heard it before, you will probably find it amongst the MINIA K's presets. HOW THE MINI AK MAK[...]

27 Signal Flow Diagram MODULATION At this point, you may think that producing a sound with the MINIAK is simply a matter o f configuring the parameters for the oscillators, filters, and mixers, and then hitting a key. An d although it's true that you can design some nice instruments this way, generating the really awesome sounds invariably inv[...]

28 PLAYING PROGRAMS Press the [PROGRAMS] button to enter Programs Mode. Release the [PROGRAMS] button and spin th e DATA DIAL to cycle through the Programs first by cat egory and then – after you have re ached the last Program within the last category – again in alphabetical order. You can also quickly switch to any category by holding down [PR[...]

29 4. split hi gh. The Multi's existing par t is split in two at a particular key. As with the split low o ption, the M INIAK prompts for a note on the keyboard at wh ich to execute the split. The Program is then sent to the upper part of the spli t. Every note above the one you select will use th is new program, up to that part's high ke[...]

30 scaled: With this settin g, the Por t aTime parameter determi nes the amount of time it takes to glide a distance of one o ctave. gliss fixed: Identical to fixed , but with the glid e stepping chromatically (C , C#, D, D#, etc.) ra ther than smoothly. gliss scaled: Identical to scaled, but with the glide stepping chroma tically (C, C#, D, D#, et[...]

31 With exponential F M, the FM Amount controls the range of pi tch modulation, with a level of 100% driving the pitch up and down a full six octaves. 6. Oscillator parameters These parameters are repeated for each of the MINIAK's three oscillators. Waveform sine: Smooth and pure sound. tri/saw: A triangle wave, a sawtooth wave, or anything in[...]

32 lowpass mg_4pole: Modeled on the filter found in the most famous monophonic analog synth ever made. The filter, with a steep cutoff and deep resonanc e, earned much credit for its fat soun d. This filter will self-oscillate a t high resonanc e settings. lowpass rp_4pole: Modeled on the filter in a very pop ular semi-modular synth. This filter wi[...]

33 9. Post-filter mix parameters Set the mix levels and left-right pan positions for filter 1 , f ilter 2, and the pre-fil ter mix. Also set the following parameters: Preflt Src (Pre-Filt er Source): The outputs o f the oscillators, as we ll as a few other signal sour ces, are fed into a virtual m ixing board called the Pre Filter Mix. The job o f [...]

34 D. LFO Depth This adjusts the magnitude of the LFO modulation. When set to 0%, the LFO has no effect on the notch frequencies. Range: 0 – 100% E. LFO Shape This selects between the two LFO shapes. Range: sine wave, triangle wave F. LFO Tempo Sync This selects whether the LFO rate is synchronized to the MINIAK' s tempo. When "follow t[...]

35 D. LFO Depth This adjusts the magnitude of the LFO modulation. When set to 0%, the LFO has no effect on the notch frequencies. Range: 0 – 100% E. LFO Shape This selects between the two LFO shapes. Range: sine wave, triangle wave F. Tempo Sync This selects whether the LFO rate is synchronized to the MINIAK' s tempo. When "follow tempo[...]

36 D. LFO Depth This adjusts the magnitude of the LFO modulation. When set to 0%, the LFO has no effect on the notch frequencies. Range: 0 – 100% E. LFO Shape This selects between the two LFO shapes. Range: sine wave, triangle wave F. Tempo Sync This selects whether the LFO rate is synchronized to the MINIAK' s tempo. When "follow tempo[...]

37 FX2 EFFECTS You may choose any one of the Effects 2 module's si x different delay and reverberation effects. Mono Delay: Delay takes the original signal, waits a spec ified period of time, and then plays it back, over and over. Mono delay sums the MINIAK's input to mono before ap plying the delay effect. The result is a less complex bu[...]

38 Split Left/R ight Delay: This stereo delay allows you to set the left and rig ht delay times independently. Unlike the other del ays, it does not allow for temp o synchronization. A. Left Delay Time This is the amount of time that the left-c hannel delay waits before regeneratin g the sound. Range: 1 ms – 340 ms B. Regeneration Per centage Thi[...]

39 11. Envelopes For each of the three envelopes, se t the attack time and slope ( Atk ), the decay time and slope ( Dcy ), the s ustain time and level ( Sust ), and the release time and slope ( Rel ). The sustain time parameter determines the l ength of the sustain stage of the envelope. If you are familia r with analog synths, this parameter may [...]

40 If this parameter is set to on, then th ere is no sustain stage — the envelope transitions from attack to decay to release. Furthermore, i t does n't matter how long y ou hold down the key; the envelope always follows this fixed-len gth program. If you are using the Loop feature o f the envelope, this parameter w ill have further e ffects[...]

41 Reset mono The LFO is shared between the voic es of a Program. It may be at any point in its cycle when the f irst key is pressed. New voices will "ride" that LFO, joining other voices at the exact same point in the LFO's cycle. The LFOs in each Program are independent of each other, so they can be running at different spee ds. po[...]

42 14. Track (Tra cking Generato r) The tracking generator lets you create your own curv es for the modulation sources. This allows fo r non-linear effec ts. For instance, as a source increases in amplitude, the destinatio n can be affected first negatively, then positivel y, an d then nega tively again. The inputs for the tracking gen erator–lik[...]

43 Mod sources Here are the in puts to the mod ulation matrix: SOURCE DESCRIPTION (none) No effect Aftertch Polyphonic (per-note) A ftertouch, MIDI only Env 1 Amp Envelope Level Env 2 Filter Envelope Lev el Env 3 Pitch/Modulation Envelope Level ExpPedal Position value of Ex p pedal, or incoming MID I CC as assigned Keytrack MIDI Key # used as modul[...]

44 Mod destinations Here are the possible desti nations for the modulation matrix: DESTINATION DESCRIPTI ON Pitch Modulates pitch of all three oscilla tors through en tire 10 oc tave range PtchNar Modulates pitch of all three oscillators, constrained to 1 octave FM Amnt See equivalent Program Parameter Osc1Pit Modulates oscillato r 1 pitc h through[...]

45 Env1Amp Scales the amplitude of the env elope's output - thus affecting the amount that the envelope modulates anything else. Env1Rat Modulates all of the envelope time stages - A ttack, Decay, Sustain and Release - simultaneously. Env1Atk Env1Dcy Env1STm Env1SLv Env1Rel See equivalent Program Parameters Env2Amp Scales the amplitude of the [...]

46 16. Category Place the Program in one of the M I NIAK's pre-defined categories. 17. Program name Since Programs are listed alphabe tically , creative naming can help you move smoothly from one Program to another. Turn the DATA DIAL to select a position (1 – 14) to edit. Then press the DATA DIAL to edit that position. Edit either by turnin[...]

47 CHAPTER 7: CONFIGURATION [CON FIG] Press [CONFIG] to set the MIN IAK's global configuration options. [CONFIG] only glows red . CONFIGURATION PA RAMETERS 1. Contrast: Adjust the LCD screen's contrast. If you happen to turn on your MIN IAK and the screen is blank, it's possible that your contrast setting was somehow turned down. Sin[...]

48 c. Using the MINIAK wi th a MIDI patch bay: If you employ a MIDI patch bay to route controllers and sound sources, you will probably want to set local control to off. The MINIAK also has a special "off + send ptns" mode which actually sends out complete Sequence data (all notes, velocities, control change information) rather than one s[...]

49 CHAPTER 8: MIDI WHAT IS MIDI? MIDI is the commu nication standard fo r electroni c musical instruments. You can use M IDI to: • Record what you play on your MIN IAK syn thesizer into a sequencer or compu ter. • Play back sequences from a sequ encer or compute r on your MIN IAK. • Store and recall Pr ograms and Multis on a computer. • Use[...]

50 Saving Programs, Multis, Rh ythms, and Sequences via MIDI Sys tem Exclusive The MINIAK lets you transmi t Programs, Multis, Rhythm s, and Sequ ences to an exte rnal device (such as a computer, sequencer, storage device, or another MINIAK synthesizer) via MID I. MIDI devices u se a protocol called "System Exclusive" messaging (S ysex fo[...]

51 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS There are category labels ("bass", "lead", "p ad") abov e the keys. How do I use them? Hold down [PROGRAMS] and press a key. Turn the DATA DIAL to hear other programs in the category. There are Program parameter labels ("voice" , "o sc", "filter") above the ke[...]

52 How do I add a Rhythm to my Multi? The same way you add a Program or Sequence. But si nce you will often on ly have a single Beat in a Multi, the quickest way to add it or change it is to press [RHYTHMS] , find the Rhythm you want, an d then simply hold [R HYTHMS] and press [MULTI] to send i t over. How do I assign different Pr ograms to differe[...]

53 The [STORE] button is dimly lit. What does this mean? This means that you have unstored work in some oth e r mode. For example, if you are in Multi Mode and [STORE] is dim, then the current Multi has been st ored, bu t perhaps there is a Program or Sequence with unstored changes. If your Multi us es this Program or Sequence, then you will even h[...]

54 Recovering from a Crash If your MINIAK behaves erratically or "freezes" on you, turn it off, wait for a moment, and th en turn it on again. Make sure you turn of f any amplificatio n first. If your instrument still isn't work ing afte r that, then disconnect the (MIDI IN ) cable and repeat the power on/off trick. This ought to wor[...]

55 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Synthesis: Virtual analog (subtractive), noise generator, FM Polyphony: Up to 8 voices Timbrality: Up to 8 parts Oscillators: 3 per voice with continuously variable waveshapes, sync, linear and expone ntial FM, Ring Mod, routable modul ation matrix per voice Filter s: 2 multi-mode reson ating filters per voice with 16 fi[...]

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