MIDI Noodle · A Kontrol S rig
Every instrument, one wheel away.
Analog Lab on the Mac, tracks on an MPC, an AstroLab on USB, a synth on DIN. Usually that's four places to set a MIDI channel. Here the S88's screen names them, and a nudge of the wheel picks the next one.
1. The rig
Two keyboards, a drum machine's pads, a box of knobs, four kinds of instrument. The S88 and the Launch Control both go into a Channel Swapper; each of its pads is a channel, and each channel is an instrument.
Ch 1 · Analog Lab
The standalone app, on a virtual port: MIDI Noodle makes one, Analog Lab picks it as its MIDI input.
Ch 3 and 10 · MPC Key 37
Its tracks listen on their own channels over USB: Hype on 3, the drum track on 10.
Ch 5 · AstroLab 37
Arturia's keyboard synth, plugged in over USB.
Ch 6 · Mono
A hardware synth on the Launch Control's DIN out.
SL73
A second keyboard on two cables: Analog Lab on 1 and the MPC's Hype on 3, layered, beside whatever the S88 is on.
DrumBrute Impact
Its pads play the MPC's drum track on 10.
2. On the S88's screen
Plug the S88 in and MIDI Noodle drives its screen, no DAW open. The Swapper, the SL and the DrumBrute are columns: the name on top, and under the colour bar the instrument they play. The SL has two, one for each of its cables.
3. Name the channels
Name a channel after what it plays and the screen says so: "Hype" instead of "Ch 3". Out of the box the Swapper shows a pad for each channel named on the instruments it reaches, so naming them is also how you pick what it steps through.
4. Nudge the wheel: another instrument
On the Swapper's column, nudge the wheel up or down. Each step moves the keys and the knobs to the next pad, and the second line names what you're playing now.
5. The Mac follows
The Swapper's lit pad and its lit cable move with every step. Notes you hold finish on the instrument you left, so nothing hangs.
6. Mute and solo to layer
Each column has its own Mute. Play the Mono from the S88 over the DrumBrute's drums, with the SL on Analog Lab. The SL has a column per cable, so its Mute can take it off the MPC's Hype and leave it on Analog Lab.
Mute
Switches the column's card off; on one of the SL's columns, just that cable. The button goes blue.
Shift + Mute
Solos it.
Knob
The card's Level, 0 to 125%.
7. Knobs on the sound
The Launch Control goes into the Swapper with the S88, so its knobs follow the keys: a knob learned in Analog Lab turns its cutoff while the Swapper is on 1. Learn the same knob on the MPC track too, and it turns that one once you swap to 3.
8. Play starts the band
MIDI Noodle follows the MPC's clock. The S88's Play and Stop run MIDI Noodle's transport, which sends Start and Stop on to the MPC, so its drum track starts with you. The DrumBrute's pads play over it.
Kontrol S support is in the MIDI Noodle beta and has been tested on the S88 MK3. The wheel and the detail view are on the Kontrol S keyboards page.
Keep exploring
Kontrol S keyboards
The Kontrol S MK3's screen shows your setup; swap synths, mute, set levels and play the effects from the keys.
An MPC rig
The MPC as the brain of a DAW-less rig: its tracks play your synths, other keyboards and pads play its tracks, one clock.
Channel Swapper & Mute
Tap a pad to move a part to another synth, or silence a channel, on the beat.
USB & DIN
USB gear and 5-pin DIN synths behind your interface, routed together by name and channel.
Tempo & sync
One device keeps time, everything else follows: the Mac, your drum machine or your DAW.
Untangle your cables
USB, DIN and network gear on one canvas, named after what it is. Plus a planner for the cables.
MIDI Noodle is available to pre-order for Mac.
Pre-order it, or leave your email and we'll tell you when it's out.