MIDIbox SEQ V4

User Manual --- Frontpanel

Buttons/LEDs of "Traditional" Frontpanel Layout

mbseq_v3_with_v4_labels.fpd from Schaeffer Apparatebau

GP #1-16	The 16 "general purpose" buttons, LEDs and rotary encoders are assigned to various functions depending on the menu context. EDIT page: the rotary encoders are used to change values of the parameter layers. By default, these layers control the note, velocity and gatelength. The GP buttons are used to active/deactivate steps in the trigger layers. The appr. LED will be lit when the function is activated. By default, the trigger layers are assigned to Gate, Accent and Roll. By pressing&holding a GP button in this page, incoming MIDI events will be recorded into the step (as long as parameter layers are assigned to the appr. MIDI event type, and they are free). In all other menu pages: the GP buttons and rotary encoders can be used to select and change the menu item which is displayed at the same location on the LCD (soft functions). The usage is very intuitive and doesn't need further explanation - you will like it! :)
(Track) 1-4	Use these buttons to select the track(s) which should be edited. The track buttons behave like "radio buttons" if only one is pressed so that you can quickly change between the tracks views. It's also possible to select multiple tracks by holding one, and pushing the additional track buttons - in this case every parameter change will be applied on all selected tracks. Within the PATTERN and SONG page, these buttons are used to select the track group (1-4).
(Layer) A-C	Use these buttons to select the layer which should be edited. The layer buttons behave like "radio buttons", in distance to the track buttons multiple layers cannot be selected at once. Since MIDIbox SEQ V4 supports up to 16 parameter layers, the "control logic" works the following way: Layer A button always selects the first parameter layer Layer B button always selects the second parameter layer Layer C button toggles between third and fourth layer if the track has been partitioned for 4 layers Layer C button displays the parameter layer selection page if the track has been partitioned for more than 4 layers (-> selection via GP buttons). Pressing&Holding Layer C button allows you to increment/decrement the Layer with A/B button.
EDIT	Changes to the EDIT page. This button has a second function - while it is pressed, various edit views and modes can be selected, and there are also shortcut buttons to the Record, Random and Euclid generator page.
MUTE	Changes to the MUTE page. This button has a second function - while it is pressed, individual parameter layers or drum instruments of the selected track can be muted/unmuted.
PATTERN	Changes to the PATTERN page.
SONG	Changes to the SONG page.
SOLO	If this function is active, only the selected tracks will be played. All other tracks will be muted.
FAST	Use this button to speed up the encoder and datawheel increments/decrements. Note that on a parameter layer change, the FAST function will be activated or deactivated automatically depending on the value range which is edited by the rotary encoders.. This useful feature can be deactivated in the MBSEQ_HW.V4 file. In MUTE page, the FAST button can be used to bypassed synchronized mutes & unmutes.
ALL	If this function active, value changes will be made for all selected tracks, layers and steps. It allows you to change all selected notes, CC numbers, gatelengths, etc. at the same time. The GP LEDs will show the so called "selection pattern". This pattern can be changed with the GP buttons. Only selected steps will be modified by the ALL function. Note that there are different use models: press & hold the ALL button and move the encoder of the already selected step (marked with >...<) to change all steps to the same value if ALL button not pushed (but active), move the encoder of the already selected step (marked with >...<) to change all step values relatively to the original value. NEW since v4.074: if the ALL button is active (regardless if pushed or not), and the encoder of an unselected step is moved, the editor will generate a ramp between the selected step and the moved encoder. This feature has been borrowed from Sequentix Cirklon - thanks for the inspiration! :-) The "selected step" can either be changed with the datawheel, or it will be changed if the ALL function isn't active.
F1-F4	These are spare buttons, the function can be changed in the MBSEQ_HW.V4 file. Following functions are assigned to the F buttons by default: F1: shortcut to the UTILITY page F2: selects the Step View F3: selects the Trigger Layer F4: selects the Track
MENU	press this button together with a GP button in order to jump to a menu page directly. The page assignments are documented here.
SELECT	in most menu pages this button is used to select the parameter (cursor position) or special functions (e.g. in EDIT page it will toggle recording mode). Press MENU+SELECT to enter the BOOKMARKS page.
EXIT	use this button to exit the current menu page. Press MENU+EXIT to enable/disable Follow mode.
UP/DOWN or Datawheel	used to increment/decrement the selected parameter. In EDIT page the datawheel and these buttons can be used for different purposes: it can scroll the cursor, the step view, can change the value and it can be used to select the parameter/trigger layer. The function can be selected by pressing EDIT + GP7/8.
SCRUB	if active, the sequencer position can be shifted with the datawheel (smoothly!). Currently only the forward direction is supported! Press MENU+SCRUB to enable/disable Loop mode.
METRONOME	if active, a metronome click will be sent on every beat. Press MENU+METRONOME to send an "External Restart" request (MIDI start event) on the next measure to your MIDI devices.
STOP	stops the sequencer.
PAUSE	halts the sequencer until pause is pressed again.
PLAY	resets the pattern/song position and (re)starts the sequencer. For Tap Tempo function: press&hold MENU button, tap tempo with the PLAY button. If the sequencer is currently stopped, it will start automatically with the 5th tap.
REW	decrements the song position (in song mode only) If not in song mode, this button can be used to decrement the step view
FWD	increments the song position (in song mode only) If not in song mode, this button can be used to increment the step view

Additional Buttons/LEDs of MIDIbox SEQ V4 Frontpanel Layout

Enhanced (optional) MIDIbox SEQ V4 panel

If you are planning to create your own frontpanel, following additional buttons and LEDs are recommended, which are new for MIDIbox SEQ V4, and therefore haven't been considered in the MBSEQ V2 frontpanel layout. The buttons can be connected to any free DIN (button) and DOUT (LED) pin, and they have to be enabled in the MBSEQ_HW.V4 file.

The picture shows Wilba's Frontpanel layout. A special PCB is available which replaces the DIN and DOUT modules. All buttons, encoders and LEDs are directly mounted on the PCB together with the DIN/DOUT shift registers.

The frontpanel PCB can be connected to the MBHP_CORE_STM32 resp. MBHP_CORE_LPC17 module with a simple 1:1 cable to J8/J9 of the core (see this picture).

(Pattern) Group 1-4	Four buttons which provide a direct access to the four track groups. In combination with the four track buttons, this allows you to change between the 16 tracks quickly. Four LEDs which show the selected track group should be added as well. With the MBSEQ V2/V3 frontpanel, the track group has to be selected with the F4 button.
Trigger Layer A/B/C	Three buttons which provide a direct access to the 3 trigger layers. Three LEDs which show the selected trigger layer should be added as well. With the MBSEQ V2/V3 frontpanel, the trigger layer has to be selected with the F3 button.
Step View	Changes the display view between step 1-16 and 17-32. One or two LEDs show which show the selected step view can be added as well. With the MBSEQ V2/V3 frontpanel, the step view has to be selected with the F2 button.
Utility	changes to the UTILITY page, e.g. to access the Copy/Paste/Clear function. With the MBSEQ V2/V3 frontpanel, the UTILITY page has to be selected with the F1 button.
Copy/Paste/Clear buttons	direct access to the Copy/Paste/Clear function (no need to change to the UTILITY page).
COPY+PASTE	Duplicates the steps of a track. E.g. a track of 16 steps will become a 32 steps track, the second half will be equal to the first half and can be varied after the paste operation.
MENU+COPY	Multi Copy function: exports all selected tracks into the /PRESETS folder on SD Card. The resulting files are named COPY[track].V4T (the [track] numbers are independent from the actual track position)
MENU+PASTE	Multi Paste function: import "COPY[track].V4T" files from the /PRESETS folder into all selected tracks, starting from COPY1.V4T to (up to) COPY16.V4T Use these new functions to quickly copy&paste tracks between patterns and sessions, to create temporary backups, to duplicate tracks, or whatever. Note that you can also import these COPY[track].V4T files from the MENU->Event->PRESETS menu, e.g. to exclude certain parts of the preset
SELECT+PASTE	transfers the parameter layer, which was active during COPY, to the current parameter layer. If a drum track is selected, it's doing this for the trigger layer (and not for the parameter layer).
SELECT+CLEAR	clears only the current parameter layer. If a drum track is selected, it's doing this for the trigger layer (and not for the parameter layer)
UP/DOWN buttons	used to increment/decrement the selected parameter (same function as datawheel).

Even more optional Buttons/LED Functions

The MBSEQ_HW.V4 file allows to assign even more Button/LED functions which have been requested by users for their own customisations:

Tap Tempo	if you don't like the MENU+PLAY button combination (or if you want to use a foot switch)
Bookmarks	if you don't like the MENU+SELECT button combination
Record	to enter the live/step RECORDING page directly (alternatively press EDIT+GP11/GP12 or enter the UTILITY page and press GP button for "REC" button)
Loop	to enable loop mode (alternatively can be enabled with MENU+SCRUB, or a GP button under Fx->Loop
Follow	to enable follow mode (alternatively cam be enabled with MENU+EXIT If activated, the step view in EDIT page will change automatically if the played step of the selected track is outside the page. Within the SONG page, the song pointer follows the current song position while a song is played.
Ext.Restart	if you don't like the MENU+METRONOME combination to send a MIDI Start event to all MIDI devices on the next measure.
Tempo Preset	to enter the TEMPO PRESET page (can be alternatively entered from the BPM menu)

It cannot be excluded that newer button/LED functions are not documented here. The complete list is always part of the most recent MBSEQ_HW.V4 file.

Last update: 2023-11-04