Outbreak2 Manual

Overview

The manikk Outbreak2 is a midi interface for the eurorack modular system. It is highly customizable in the way that you can override the default jack functions with other functions than what is printed on the front panel. You can for example use all 22 output jacks as drum triggers if you wish. And if that is not enough, you can attach up to 4 Digital8 expanders and get another 4×8=32 drum triggers…

The Outbreak2 has a base midi channel that you can set, and each interface occupies 5 midi channels. In theory you can therefore have up to three Outbreak2 devices on the same MIDI interface from your computer. It is recommended however to only have one device per midi interface, because all midi communication sums up and slows down the midi communication.

The base channel is used for most of the communication with the device. Mono-mode makes use of the first 4 midi channels, all other modes uses only the first (base) channel. The fifth channel can be used for drum triggers and CC-messages without interfering with the voice channels.

Navigation

The device has one button and a lot of led indicators. You can configure the most essential settings with the button, the rest can be configured by midi.

The normal mode of the device is the “run”-mode. The EDIT-led is not lit in run-mode. The leds indicates the status of the jacks.

When you make a short press on the button, you will leave the run-mode and enter the edit-mode and the EDIT-led will be lit. For each short press on the button, the selected parameter advances to the next one. A led is lit by the parameter-text that is printed on the front panel. To enter a selected parameter for editing, make a long press on the button.

When you are finished with editing a parameter, then you make a long press again to execute and use your selection. If you wait some time while editing a parameter, the edit-mode will exit automatically.

  • mode: change voice mode: mono, unison, poly, cycle, random or split.
  • voices: change number of voices from 0 up to 4.
  • jack: redefine a jack, select the jacks function.
  • tune: adjust tuning (1V/oct) for each of the 4 voices.
  • p.len: adjust pulse length for a digital jack.
  • conf: configure a digital jack. Clock divisions or subtype.
  • split: set split-key for split-mode.
  • load: load an user main-patch with jack configurations for the main module.
  • save: save an user main-patch with jack configurations for the main module.
  • chan: set MIDI base channel 1-16.
  • exp – redefine an expander, select the expanders function.
  • exp + p.len: adjust pulse length for the jacks on an expander.
  • exp + conf: configure an expander.
  • exp + load: load an user expander-patch with settings for the 4 expanders.
  • exp + save: save an user expander-patch with settings for the 4 expanders.
  • conf+1+2+3+4: global settings

Voicehandler

Outbreak2 has 4 “voices” that can be arranged in a number of ways with the mode-parameter. You can also select the number of voices (0-4) that you want to use.

Each voice has the following parameters:

  • Pitch CV: routed to a pitch-jack
  • Velocity CV: routed to a velocity-jack
  • Gate: routed to a digital gate-jack
  • Portamento: affects the pitch and can be controlled by CC 5 (time) and 65 (on/off)
  • Detune: controlled by CC 94
  • Volume: controlled by CC 7
  • Hold pedal: controlled by CC 64
  • Attack and Release: velocity-jack can be used as a simple EG (CC73 & CC72)
  • Pitch bend: The voices reacts on pitch bend. Range can be set in global settings.
  • Aftertouch and Polypressure: Affects the velocity. See Voice velocity type in global settings.

In mono-mode, each voice (1-4) receives its MIDI-messages on channels 1-4. For the other modes all MIDI-messages are received from channel 1.

Attack and release

There is a simple EG built in for each voice. It has attack and release. When you play a note, the attack phase starts, and fades up to the played velocity and stays there as long as you hold that note down. When you release the note, the release-phase starts and fades the velocity down to zero again. The attack and release-times can be set by CC-messages.

In mono-mode, each voice can have their own attack and release times, by sending the CC’s on channels 1-4. In all other modes, channel 1 sets the attack or release for all voices simultaneously.

You can use this simple velocity-EG to control a VCA directly in your system, without the need to use an additional physical EG for each voice in your system.

Voice-jacks

All jacks on the Outbreak2 can be redefined by the user. The top 4 rows of jacks are a bit special. They are also used for the voices pitch, velocity and gate.

You use the voices-parameter to choose if the top 4 rows of jacks should be the redefined functions OR a voice.

  • 0 voices: all 4 top rows are used as user redefined jacks
  • 1 voice: the first row is now voice jacks, and the following jacks are user defined.
  • 2 voices: the first and second row are now voice jacks, and the following jacks are user defined.
  • 3 voices: the rows 1-3 are now voice jacks, and the last fourth row are user defined.
  • 4 voices: all 4 top rows are now voice jacks, and “hides” the user defined functions

Start-, Stop- and Reset-jacks

Start, Stop and Reset are sent from your MIDI-sequencer or DAW when you start or stop a song. These functions can only be routed to these three jacks, but you can redefine these jacks to something else if you wish.

You can set the pulse length for these jacks. Pulse length 0 for start and stop will make them gated. Gated means that they stay high or low and are not pulsed.

If you have redefined these jack, but want to get them back to their default start/stop/reset-functions, then you use the jack-parameter and select “restore” for the selected jack. Press the button 3 times and select the jack-parameter with a long press. Jack-blinks and now you use the button to step down to any of the start, stop or reset jacks, make a long press again to select that jack. Press the button so that 8(16) blinks (restore), then make a long press to execute. This “restores” the jack.

CC-jacks

If you want to redefine a jack as a CC-jack, then you select your jack with the jack-parameter and when the MIDI-led is blinking you send a MIDI CC message to the Outbreak2 and it will auto-learn the CC and the midi channel. Note that the Outbreak2 only accepts 5 midi channels from the base channel and up.

Note-jacks

You can redefine a jack as a note-jack to use as a drum trigger for example.

Enter jack-parameter and select the jack to redefine. Then when MIDI-led blinks, play a note on the keyboard. The jack is now redefined as a note-jack with the key number and midi channel you played. The midi-learn happens on the note off message.

Clock-jacks

Any digital jack can be redefined as a clock jack. Enter jack-edit and select the jack you want to redefine with a long press. Then make short presses and the following choices will cycle:

  • MIDI (chan): midi-learn (cc, note, aftertouch, bend)
  • 9(16): Restore jack to default setting
  • CLK (exp): Select Clocks-menu

The clocks-menu for digital jacks:

  • 1: clock with div 1
  • 2: clock with div 2
  • 3: euclidean jack with div 12 and 8 steps
  • 4: clock with div 6, straight
  • D: clock with div 9, dotted
  • T: clock with div 4, triplet
  • 7: clock with div 8
  • 8: pattern sequencer with div 12 and 16 steps

The clocks-menu for expanders:

  • 1: series divisors, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
  • 2: binary counter with div 12
  • 3: euclidean beats with div 12 and 8 steps
  • 4: straight
  • D: dotted
  • T: triplet
  • 7: bit shifter
  • 8: step sequencer with div 12 and 8 steps

Additional controllers

Enter midi-learn-mode in jack-edit and move the pitch bend wheel to redefine the jack as a pitch bend jack.

To redefine a jack as an aftertouch-jack, you enter midi-learn and then play a note and while holding the note down you press the key a bit harder to activate the aftertouch of your keyboard. Note! your midi keyboard must of course have aftertouch functionality for this to work.

MIDI channels

The Outbreak2 is listening to 5 midi channels from the base channel and up.

  • base channel 1: listens to channels 1-5
  • base channel 2: listens to channels 2-6
  • base channel 8: listens to channels 8-12
  • base channel 12: listens to channels 12-16
  • base channel 13: listens to channels 13-16 (one channel wasted)
  • base channel 15: listens to channels 15-16 (three channels wasted)
  • base channel 16: listens to channel 16 only (four channels wasted)

All midi-learn functions first listens to 5 valid channels according to the above. Then it stores and uses a virtual channel index internally in the patches. So if you midi-learn a CC on channel 1, when you have the base channel also on channel 1, it is stored as index 1. If you then change the base midi channel to 10, then the CC you stored now receives on channel 10.

Another example: You redefine a jack to be a note-jack with midi-learn, by playing note 36 on midi channel 3 and your base channel is 1. If you change the base channel to 4, then your note-jack starts listening to midi channel 6.

As all the midi channels internally are stored as indexes 1-5, then you can change the base channel freely and all the jacks channels “moves” with the base channel.

Expanders

Outbreak2 can have up to 4 expanders. Each expander is configurable and can be controlled by MIDI CC messages.

NOTE-EXPANDER

A note-expander is set by midilearn. Stores note number and midi channel. The note-expander can be one of three subtypes that is configurable in the exp+conf menu:

  • Note-Range: Each jack is a set or reset with the programmed note and the following 7 notes on the keyboard. PL0 = Toggle, PL15 = Keygated.
  • Note-Velocity-Selector: Only one jack is set high depending on the velocity of the note played. The lowest velocity turns all jacks low. PL0 = Stay, PL15 = Keygated.
  • Note-Velocity-Staple: Sets a number of jacks high depending on the note velocity. The lowest velocity turns all jacks low. PL0 = Stay, PL15 = Keygated.

Pulse length 0 (Note-Range only) gives toggle mode, where each note on toggles the jack high or low. Pulse length 0 in selector or staple subtypes gives stay-mode, where the latest set value stays. Pulse length 16 is normal “keygated” mode where each jack is high as long as the note is held. Pulse lengths 1 to 15 outputs a pulse for each note on.

CC-EXPANDER

A CC-expander is set by midilearn. Stores CC number and midi channel. The CC-expander can be one of three subtypes that is configurable in the exp+conf menu:

  • CC-Range: Each jack is a set or reset with the programmed CC and the following 7 CC numbers. PL0 = Toggle, PL15 = Stay.
  • CC-Value-Selector: Only one jack is set high depending on the value of the CC message. The lowest value turns all jacks low. PL0 = Stay.
  • CC-Value-Staple: Sets a number of jacks high depending on the value of the CC message. The lowest value turns all jacks low. PL0 = Stay.
PITCHBEND-EXPANDER

A pitchbend-expander is set by midilearn. Stores the midi channel. The pitchbend-expander can be one of three subtypes that is configurable in the exp+conf menu:

  • Up/Down-Selector: Only one jack is set high depending on the direction up/down and value of the bend. PL0 = Stay.
  • Up/Down staple: One or more jacks are set high depending on the direction up/down and value of the bend. PL0 = Stay.
  • Only Up selector: Only one jack is set high depending on the direction up/down and value of the bend. PL0 = Stay.

MIDI Implementation

TBD