TekTones v2

General

• Audio Initialization: Audio starts after your first interaction with the page (e.g., clicking a button or playing a MIDI note). This is a browser security feature.
• MIDI Input: Select your MIDI controller from the "MIDI In" dropdown in the header. If your device isn't listed, ensure it's connected and try refreshing the page.
• MIDI Learn: Click the "MIDI Learn" button in the header. Then click a control on the screen (it will highlight). Finally, move a knob/fader or press a button/pad on your MIDI controller to map it. The status display will confirm the mapping. Click "Exit Learn Mode" when done. Mappings are saved locally.
• Test Play/Stop: The "Play C4 (Test)" and "Stop Note (Test)" buttons in the header can be used to check basic synth sound output.
• Panic!: Immediately stops all sounding notes from the synth and arpeggiator. This is useful if a note gets "stuck" on.
• Theme Toggle: Use the "Dark Mode" / "Light Mode" button in the header to switch UI themes. Your preference is saved.

Preset Management

• Loading Presets: Select a preset from the dropdown menu and click "Load Preset". Factory presets provide starting points. User presets are your saved settings.
• Saving Presets: Adjust the synth and drum machine to your liking. Type a name in the "Save New/Overwrite User Preset As" field and click "Save Current Settings". If a user preset with that name exists, it will be overwritten. Factory presets cannot be overwritten with this function.
• Deleting User Presets: Select one of your user presets from the dropdown menu. The name will appear in the input field (or you can type it). Click "Delete Selected User Preset". Factory presets cannot be deleted.
• Importing/Exporting Presets: You can export the currently selected preset as a .json file to back it up or share it. You can import .json preset files to add them to your User Presets list.
• Preset Scope: Presets save most synth parameters, LFO settings, effects, arpeggiator settings, drum machine tempo, overall drum volume, drum EQ/filter settings, and all drum patterns. MIDI mappings and UI theme are not part of presets.

Synthesizer (Synth)

• Oscillator 1 & Oscillator 2: Each oscillator generates a raw sound.
  • Waveform: Choose the basic sound shape (Sine, Square, Sawtooth, Triangle, Noise) for each oscillator independently.
  • Transpose: Adjusts the pitch of the oscillator in semitones.
  • Fine Tune: Fine-tunes the pitch in cents.
  • Volume: Controls the individual volume of each oscillator before they are mixed.
  • Pan: Adjusts the stereo position of the oscillator (Left: -1, Center: 0, Right: 1).
• Synth Mix & Master:
  • Osc Mix: Blends the output of Oscillator 1 and Oscillator 2. A value of 0 is only Osc 1, 1 is only Osc 2, and 0.5 is an equal mix.
  • Master Volume: Controls the overall volume of the mixed synthesizer sound before effects.
• Envelope (ADSR): Shapes the volume of the combined synth sound over time.
  • Attack: How quickly the note reaches full volume.
  • Decay: How quickly the note drops to the sustain level after the attack.
  • Sustain: The volume level the note holds at while a key is pressed (after attack/decay). MIDI velocity also affects this.
  • Release: How long the note takes to fade out after the key is released.
• Arpeggiator:
  • Toggle: Turn the Arpeggiator On/Off. When On, held MIDI notes will be arpeggiated.
  • Mode: Up, Down, Up-Down, Random order of notes.
  • Rate: Speed of the arpeggio, based on the main Tempo (e.g., 1/8 means 8th notes).
  • Octaves: How many octaves the arpeggio will span.
  • Gate: How long each arpeggiated note sounds (proportion of the arpeggio step time).
• LFO 1 & LFO 2 (Low-Frequency Oscillators): Creates cyclical modulation. Each LFO is independent.
  • Toggle: Turn the LFO On/Off.
  • Waveform: Shape of the LFO (Sine, Square, Sawtooth, Triangle).
  • Rate: Speed of the LFO in Hertz (Hz).
  • Depth: Amount/intensity of the LFO modulation.
  • Destination: What the LFO modulates (Off, Pitch (All Osc), Pitch (Osc 1), Pitch (Osc 2), Filter Cutoff, Amplitude (Tremolo), Osc Mix, Pan (Osc 1), Pan (Osc 2)).
• Filters & Effects (Synth):
  • Shaper: A distortion unit to add harmonic character. It is placed after the main synth filter.
    • Type: Selects the distortion algorithm (Saturate, Power2, Fold, Bipulse, Electro).
    • Mix: Blends between the clean (dry) and distorted (wet) signal. 0% is clean, 100% is fully distorted.
    • Symmetry: Adjusts the asymmetrical nature of the distortion. At 0, distortion is symmetrical.
    • Drive: Increases the input gain into the shaper, creating more distortion.
    • Level: The output volume of the shaper module to compensate for volume changes caused by distortion.
  • Stereo Widener: Creates a wider stereo image using a short delay.
    • Enable Widener: Toggles the effect on or off.
    • Width: Controls the delay time in milliseconds applied to one channel. Small values (5-20ms) are most effective.
    • Mix: Blends the original (dry) signal with the widened (wet) signal.
  • Chorus: Thickens the sound by creating delayed and pitch-modulated copies.
    • Enable Chorus: Toggles the effect on or off.
    • Rate: The speed (frequency) of the chorus modulation LFO.
    • Depth: The intensity of the pitch modulation, affecting how wide the chorus sounds.
    • Feedback: Feeds a portion of the effected signal back into the input for a more resonant, flanger-like sound.
    • Mix: Blends the original (dry) signal with the chorused (wet) signal.
  • Filter: Applied to the mixed synth signal.
    • Type: Selects the filter type (e.g., Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, Notch, Lowshelf, Highshelf, Peaking). 'Off' bypasses the filter.
    • Cutoff/Center Freq: Sets the cutoff frequency for Lowpass/Highpass, center frequency for Bandpass/Notch/Peaking, or the turnover frequency for Shelving filters.
    • Resonance/Q/Gain: Adjusts the resonance (Q factor) for Lowpass/Highpass/Bandpass/Notch filters. For Shelving and Peaking filters, this controls the Gain in dB.
  • Reverb Mix: Controls the amount of reverb effect (wet/dry mix).
  • Reverb Mix / Decay: Controls the amount of reverb effect (wet/dry mix) and the length of its tail (Decay).
  • Echo Time/Feedback: Adjusts the delay time and number of repetitions for the echo effect.
  • Limiter Threshold: Sets the maximum output level for the synth before it hits the master limiter. The main "Limiter" light in the header shows master limiter activity.
• Waveform Display: Shows a visual representation of the synth's output waveform (post-effects).

Drum Machine

• Edit Sound: Select which drum sound (Kick, Snare, Hi-Hat, Tom, etc.) you want to program in the sequencer grid.
• Tempo: Controls the speed of both the drum sequencer and the synth arpeggiator (BPM).
• Volume: Adjusts the overall volume of the drum machine.
• Play/Stop (Sequencer): Starts or stops the drum pattern playback.
• Pattern Selector (P1-P4): Choose between multiple drum patterns. Your sequences are unique to each selected pattern.
• Copy Pattern: Copies the entire 16-step sequence for all sounds of the currently selected pattern (e.g., P1) to a temporary buffer.
• Paste Pattern: Overwrites the currently selected pattern (e.g., P2) with the sequence stored in the buffer. This is useful for duplicating and then modifying a pattern. The 'Paste' button is only enabled after a 'Copy' has been performed.
• Clear Sound: Clears all steps for the currently selected drum sound *in the currently selected pattern*.
• Clear Pattern: Clears all steps for *all drum sounds* in the *currently selected pattern*.
• Sequencer Grid: Click the buttons (steps) to toggle them on (active) or off for the selected drum sound within the active pattern. The grid represents 16 steps. The currently playing step is highlighted.
• Drum EQ:
  • Low, Mid, High: Adjust frequency bands specifically for the drum machine output.
• Drum Filter:
  • Type: Select the filter type (Off, Low Pass 24dB, LP12 + Notch, High Pass 12dB) for the drum machine output.
  • Frequency: Sets the cutoff frequency for the selected filter.
  • Peak/Q: Adjusts the resonance or Q factor of the filter.

Sidechain Compressor (Synth > Drums)

• Toggle: Enables/disables the sidechain effect. When "On", the synth's output level will reduce the drum machine's volume.
• Threshold: The level (in dB) the synth signal must exceed to trigger compression on the drums.
• Ratio: The amount of gain reduction applied to the drums once the threshold is passed.
• Release: How quickly the compressor stops reducing the drum volume after the synth signal falls below the threshold.

Master Recording & Output

• Record: Starts recording all audio output from the synth and drum machine (post-master limiter).
• Stop Record: Stops the current recording.
• Playback: Plays back the last recording using the built-in audio player.
• Save (.webm): Downloads the last recording as a .webm audio file.
• Timer: Shows the duration of the current recording.
• Master Output Level (VU Meter): Displays the peak level of the final master output in dBFS. Helps to monitor overall loudness and prevent digital clipping (though the limiter should also help).

Keyboard Shortcuts (Synth - when Arp is Off)

The following computer keyboard keys can trigger synth notes (middle C octave and nearby notes):

A W S E D F T G Y H U J K

(W, E, T, Y, U are the "black keys")