User Guide - Black Lotus
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MAC CMD + F
PC CTRL + F
Main Controls
Instrument Specific
Main Controls
Percussion Main
Random, Undo, Redo
- Random: Randomizes all effects and controls globally.
- Undo: Allows you to revert up to 20 previous randomizations, helping you return to settings you liked. Undo only applies to randomizations.
- Redo: Re-applies the undone changes, if needed.
Link Kits
This links all the tiles or channels, making all effects global. The volume becomes global as well but remains relative, preserving your volume balance. All other controls function as absolute values.
Select by MIDI
Automatically shifts tile focus based on the notes you play.
Half, Normal, or Double Playback Speed
When playing MIDI grooves, this feature lets you adjust the playback speed to half speed, normal speed, or double speed.
Preset Menu
Click here to open the preset menu, where you can:
- Save New Preset
- Load a Preset
- Reset Single Instrument
- Reset Entire Instrument
Resetting will restore all effects and controls to their default factory settings.
Instrument Articulation Tiles
Each articulation has its own tile, where you can adjust volume, pan, and pitch. All effects are linked to the selected tile. When LINK KITS is enabled, changes to effects apply globally.
Volume: Found on the left of each tile, this setting allows relative adjustments, letting you modify the preset's overall volume without affecting the mix.
Multiple Tiles: Hold SHIFT and click to link controls across multiple tiles.
Navigation Menu Items
- Main: Takes you to the main home page.
- Grooves: Opens the Grooves browser.
Mics and Mix
All articulations are recorded with three mic positions:
- Close (C)
- Stereo (ST)
- Deca Tree (T)
The Mix setting blends the mic positions from closest to farthest. You also have the option to set your own mic positions.
Play Groove
Play or stop the selected MIDI groove. The name of the selected groove will display to the right, and you can drag and drop the MIDI groove directly from this label into your DAW.
CC1 Dynamics
Using the modulation wheel, you can adjust the intensity of the groove. This adjustment goes beyond just loudness; the modulation wheel affects the velocity curve of the played notes. As a result, the samples played back will correspond to lower or higher velocity layers.
Grooves
Groove Controls
- Clear Filters: Remove any active browser filters.
- Prev/Next: Navigate through groove selections.
- Favorites: Star your favorite grooves for easy access.
Grooves Filter
Each groove is tagged with specific attributes, allowing you to filter and easily find the sounds and grooves you want.
Load With Sound Preset
Each groove is designed with a custom preset. When this button is enabled, the groove will load with its associated sound preset. Turn this button off to load grooves without the preset.
Effects
Effects
All effects are linked to individual articulations unless LINK KITS is enabled, in which case all effect settings will apply globally to all articulations.
Reverb and Delay
You can adjust the amount of reverb or delay for each articulation. To modify the global reverb and delay settings, open the EDIT SENDS menu.
Note: Only the sends are linked to individual articulations. The main reverb and delay settings are global, so any changes made to them will affect the overall reverb and delay results.
Delay
Kontakt’s Replica delay offers a variety of delay modes, including tape, vintage, modern, and analogue algorithms. Additional features like ping-pong effects and noise add unique nuances, making this a powerful delay tool.
Reverb
Kontakt’s Raum reverb provides a range of dynamic options, including a preset menu for easy access to various reverb styles.
Instrument Specific
Reed Pipe
Performance Africulations
Articulations based on the performance of the reed pipe.
Short
Long
Short / Long (Sforzando)
Trill
Tongue
Flurries
There are 5 Articulation Bays.
Flurries
Clicking the up arrow will open the Flurries browser, allowing you to select and load the desired flurry into an articulation bay. Clicking the down arrow will close the browser window.
TM - Time Machine:
Time Machine is an algorithm that keeps the sample's playback speed consistent, regardless of pitch changes. When enabled, you can control the playback speed of the sample. When disabled, the sample’s speed will vary depending on the pitch.
Pitch:
The Pitch slider allows you to tune the "flurry" section to match a key, as the flurry samples are not pre-tuned.
Key Switch
Allows you to shift the key switches up or down across the keyboard range.
CC1 & CC21
- CC1 (Modulation Wheel): Controls the dynamics of the sound.
- CC21 (Vibrato): Adjusts the amount of vibrato applied to held notes. This function is only available for long, short/long, and flurry articulations.
Waveform
This displays the waveform of the flurries. You can adjust the start position of any flurry to find the optimal starting point for your desired sound.
Flurries Browser
The Flurry's articulation bays are colour-coded, and the selected flurries will be highlighted in the corresponding colour of the articulation bay. This makes it easy to identify which bay contains which flurry.
Sticks
Wood and Steel Buttons
Use these buttons to enable or disable wood stick sounds or metal sounds.
One Shot Performance Trigger
The notes F0 and G0 will trigger the performance of all articulations simultaneously. Our algorithm scatters or delays the playback of these notes to create a more human-like performance. The Scatter slider lets you adjust the delay between the notes, while the Velocity feature humanizes the velocities of the scattered notes.
Bass Marimba
Articulations
The bass marimba features two articulations: mallet and sticks.
Shift Octave
- 0 (Default Position): All notes play at their recorded pitch, and the keyboard notes are highlighted in turquoise.
- +2 Octaves: Notes are pitched up by two octaves, and the keyboard colour changes to blue.
- +3 Octaves: Notes are pitched up by three octaves, and the keyboard colour changes to purple.
Note: The keyboard range remains the same regardless of the octave shift.
Bow
Pitch
The bow is naturally tuned to a single note. We've included a pitch option, allowing you to adjust the loops to match your desired key.
Sync to Beat
When enabled, the loops will sync to the nearest beat. Disabling this option allows you to use the loops freely, without following the grid timing.
Key Range
- C3–G4: Contains performed loops.
- C4–C6: Contains one-hit performances.
Note and Loop Label
This displays the note you are playing and the corresponding loop.
SHAKER
Sync to Beat
When enabled, the loops will sync to the nearest beat. Disabling this option allows you to use the loops freely, without following the grid timing.
Key Range
- G3–A#3: Contains rain stick sounds.
- 43–A5: Contains performed loops.
- C6–D6: Contains one-hit performances.
Note and Loop Label
This displays the note you are playing and the corresponding loop.