ARTIPHON Chorda Introducing User Manual

ARTIPHON Chorda Introducing

Welcome!
Thank you for choosing Chorda to accompany you on your musical journey! We’re excited for you to discover the limitless possibilities that Chorda offers. Whether you’re creating loops on your daily subway commute, unleashing gestural synth magic at your next gig, or integrating Chorda into your DAW to craft your next studio hit, the opportunities are boundless. As you start playing your instrument, you may encounter some questions. Perhaps you’re wondering how to activate or deactivate the arpeggiator, eager to understand the meaning behind the mesmerizing flashing lights, or you just want to turn up the volume. Whatever your questions, you’ve come to the right place — the official Chorda User Manual. Here, you’ll find all the guidance you need to unlock the full potential of your new instrument and make the most of your musical exploration. So let’s dive in and learn (almost) everything there is to know about Chorda!

CHORDA BASICS

Power

Charging Chorda
Chorda can be charged from any power-charging USB port with the included USB-C cable. Chorda remains fully functional while charging, so you can keep playing even while you’re juicing up.

Charging Indicators
When you connect your Chorda to a power source, the LED next to the USB-C port will blink. This signifies that Chorda is actively charging.

Panel and Controls

• Volume button Increase and decrease the volume of Chorda’s speaker or headphone output.
• Power button To turn Chorda on or off, press and hold the power button for more than one second. During startup, Chorda will flash rainbow, red, green, then blue. Pressing the power button for less than one second reveals your Chorda’s current battery level.
• USB-C Port Charge Chorda’s built-in battery and connect your external hardware devices with the included USB cable.
• Headphone/aux out 1/8” audio output for headphones, speakers, or amplifiers.
• Speaker 3W active speaker system

The (A) Button

Pressing the (A) button once will sequentially cycle through each of the four main modes. Holding the (A) button turns it into a versatile function or menu button, akin to the shift key on a computer. When you need to access the different features written along the binding of Chorda (like Record, Play, BPM, Octave), you’ll use the (A) button to do so.

Switch to the next mode
Start in Lead mode and press the (A) button once. Now you’re in Drum mode!

Jump to a new mode
Hold (A), and tap Pad 3 (Chord). No matter where you’ve started, you’ve “jumped” to Chord mode!

Functions

DRUM MODE
Each pad is a different part of a drum kit.

BASS MODE
A monophonic, diatonic scale.

CHORD MODE
One-finger chords, all tuned to the same key.

LEAD MODE
A pentatonic scale.

CHANGE OCTAVE
Press (A) + Octave to enable Octave Change. Tap up on the bridge (4-6) or
down (1-3) to change your octave.

ARPEGGIATOR ON/OFF
Press (A) + Arp to turn on and off the arpeggiator.

BEATS PER MINUTE (BPM)
Hold (A), then tap your desired tempo to speed up or slow down your song.

KEY CHANGE
Press (A) + Key, then tap up on the bridge (4-6) or down on the bridge (1-3) to change your key up or down.

SONG SELECTION
Songs are automatically saved, and the Song menu lets you cycle between them using the bridge as a menu function!

CLEAR LOOPS + SONGS
Hold (A) + Clear for about two seconds to erase the music you recorded on your current part. A four-second hold will erase all loops.

RECORD/STOP RECORDING
Press (A) + Record to begin recording a loop. Chorda won’t start recording until you play your first note. Press again to disarm the recording. This will set the length of the loop, and it will keep playing until you press pause.

PLAY/PAUSE
Press (A) + Play/Pause to play or pause your creation without having to record. This is also how you’ll stop the looper after you’ve started recording.

Function Cheat Sheet

MODES

DRUMS
In Drum mode, Pad 1 generally produces a kick sound, and Pad 2 typically produces a snare sound. However, various presets offer unique sounds for each pad. Explore all 12 pads to discover the diverse sounds available.

The drums are responsive to velocity, meaning they react to the intensity of your taps. This mimics the way a traditional drum’s tone and volume change with harder or harder hits. Additionally, the sounds are affected by how long you keep your finger on each pad. Experiment by holding your finger on a cymbal to shorten the sound or tapping and quickly releasing on a tom for a prolonged decay. Strumming the bridge or tapping on individual bridge triggers repeats the last sound played on the pads. This feature makes it easy to create drum rolls and add rhythmic embellishments to your performance.

Try switching drum presets: Hold the (A) button, tap Pad 1 (DRUM), tap up or down on the bridge, then release the A button.

MODES

BASS
Chorda’s Bass mode is monophonic, meaning only the most recent note plays at a given time (this is called “last-note priority” in synth-speak). In the default Chorda Song, Bass Mode is tuned to a C major diatonic scale. The Bridge gives you access to six different intervals based on the root chord of the pad being pressed. Hold down a pad and strum the Bridge to fire off an arpeggio or press individual triggers to add complexity and nuance to your bassline.

CHORD
In Chord mode, each of Chorda’s pads triggers multiple notes at the same time to form a chord, always tuned to the key of the song.

Chords are a fun way to explore song structures, creating new ideas quickly. Like Bass, Chord mode is very responsive to Chorda’s gestures like Tilt and Radiate. While pressing a pad plays all notes in a chord simultaneously, you can press individual bridge triggers to play individual notes.

CHORD
In Chord mode, each of Chorda’s pads triggers multiple notes simultaneously to form a chord, always tuned to the key of the song.

Chords are a fun way to explore song structures, creating new ideas quickly. Like Bass, Chord mode is very responsive to Chorda’s gestures like Tilt and Radiate. While pressing a pad plays all notes in a chord simultaneously, you can press individual bridge triggers to play individual notes.

LEAD
Lead is a polyphonic mode (meaning you can play multiple notes simultaneously). By default, the pads are tuned to a C Pentatonic Major scale. Every note you play on Chorda is always in the right key, so don’t be afraid to let loose and experiment –– you’ll always sound great. The bridge triggers in Lead mode automatically load a chord based on the pad you’re currently pressing. For example, if you hold Pad 2, which is a D, you’ll hear a D minor chord. This lets you introduce harmonies, arpeggios, and even full chord strums to your Lead performance.

Gestures

Touch Gestures

Tap
Tap your finger on a pad or the bridge. Chorda is velocity-sensitive, so the harder you ap, the louder the sound. Sometimes, velocity controls other sound parameters, too, like filter cutoff.

MIDI Message: Note On/Off

Vibrato
Press and wiggle your finger horizontally any pad. Vibrato produces a change in pitch. The range of pitch can be adjusted with the Pitch Bend Scaling setting in the Artiphon Connect App.

MIDI Message: Pitch Bend

Press
Tap and hold your finger on a pad with varying levels of intensity. Unlike Tap, which responds to how hard to tap, Press is engaged by adjusting the surface area your finger covers. The more you spread your finger, the more Press is activated. Applying sustained pressure while pressing can modulate effects on Chorda’s synth.

MIDI Message: Channel Pressure

Radiate
Press and move your finger up and down along a pad. Radiate lets you morph the sound in different ways, so always try it out when loading a new Preset. When using it with Chorda’s internal synthesizer it may be affecting volume, envelopes, or others effects.

MIDI Message: CC#74 (Brightness)

Motion Gestures

Tilt
Tilt Chorda horizontally or vertically to enhance your sound with effects. Tilt serves as Chorda’s equivalent of the mod wheel found on traditional synthesizers. Given that the Mod Wheel is a widely used MIDI effect, Tilt automatically integrates with most software synths and apps.

MIDI Message: CC #1 (Mod Wheel)

Tilt works differently whether Chorda is flat on a table, or held like a guitar. In the tabletop position, a forward “roll” where the play surface moves away from you will engage the Tilt effect. In the guitar position, an up and down motion (where the speaker is raised and lowered) engages the same effect.

Move
Move Chorda in space to modulate sounds and effects. This gesture requires mapping in the DAW of your choice, like Logic Pro or Ableton Live.

MIDI Message: CC #113

Shake
Shake Chorda back and forth. This gesture only works in Drum mode.

MIDI Message: MIDI note 69 and CC#2

Bump
Tap Chorda on its side. Bump works in Drum mode and with Stem Songs.

MIDI Message: MIDI note 39

The Artiphon Connect App

The Artiphon Connect App allows you to take your Chorda (and Orba 2) playing even further. With it, you can customize your instrument in a variety of ways, including:

• Changing chord’s key and tempo
• Browsing the full library of presets
• Updating firmware, ensuring you’ve got the latest and greatest features enabled on your instrument.
• Use on-screen UI elements, instead of the on-device functions. This is especially helpful for many people with limited dexterity.
• Add and modify effects like reverb and delay
• Save your songs, and share them with friends

The Artiphon Connect app is available at artiphon.com/downloads.

Connecting

Connecting via USB
Works with Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS devices with the proper adapter. We recommend a cabled connection for your first time using the app, as you’ll be able to download new content like Songs and samples, and firmware gets updated regularly.

1. Connect Chorda using the included USB-C to USB-A cable to your computer.
2. Your Chorda should be instantly connected to the computer.

Connecting via Bluetooth
Works with Mac, iOS, Android

1. Select the settings cog in the upper right-hand corner of the app.
2. Select Bluetooth, rather than USB.
3. Choose Chorda from the device window that follows. If you don’t see Chorda in the list of available devices make sure that Chorda is turned on and within range of your computer.

Connecting via Bluetooth without the Artiphon Connect App
You can also connect via Bluetooth without the Artiphon Connect App. This works on Mac computers, only.

1. Open Audio MIDI Setup on your Mac. This is found in the Utilities folder. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Command + Space. Type “Audio MIDI Setup” to find the program.
2. Open the Window drop-down in Audio MIDI Setup and select Show MIDI Studio, or use the keyboard shortcut Command+2.
3. Select the Configure Bluetooth icon from the header window.
4. Select Chorda from the list of available devices. If you don’t see Chorda on the list, make sure you have it turned on and in range.

Updating Firmware

We are always adding features and improving the Chorda experience. Keeping your firmware up-to-date is the best way to ensure you’re getting the best this unique instrument has to offer. Updating firmware can only be done on the desktop through a USB-C connection.

1. Go to the settings panel of the app.
2. If there is a firmware update available, you’ll see underneath the Connect options. Click to begin updating firmware.

Note: If you are on a macOS, you must accept privacy permissions. Chorda will auto-matically request these permissions when opening the app. If you initially deny these permissions and wish to enable them, you can do so by going into your Mac’s Security and privacy settings.

Songs

What is a song?
A Song is a collection of four presets, a selected key and tempo, and any loops that have been recorded. The Artiphon Connect app ships with dozens of Song “templates.” These templates are collections of presets that we designed to work well together. For instance, the Zen Song template features a Drum, a Bass, a Chord, and a Lead preset that are all based on abstract, meditative, nature sounds.

Song Legend

Saving a Song
So you’ve made a song with Chorda, and you really like it. What now? With the Artiphon Connect app, you can save songs into your own personal song library to access them later.

1. Navigate to the Play tab, tap the arrow on top of your screen to open the Song menu.
2. Click Save.
3. In the module that opens, you’ll be able to give your song its own name.
4. Select the blue save button and your song will be saved to the Songs tab.

Using Chorda as a MIDI controller

In addition to being a standalone instrument, Chorda also works as a MIDI controller. You can use Chorda to trigger and affect sounds in any MIDI- enabled software or hardware. There are two ways to connect Chorda as MIDI controller:

• Use MIDI over Bluetooth on macOS, iOS, and Android.
• Connect via USB-C on macOS, Windows, and Android.

The steps for connecting to a device as a MIDI controller are the same as connecting to the Artiphon Connect app. which can be found on page 18 of this manual. If you like, you can disable Chorda’s internal synth to make sure you’re not hearing two different sound sources. To do that, you must open the Settings page by navigating to the Play tab and clicking the top right Settings gear icon. Now toggle “Instrument sounds with USB” On/Off (This function only works when Chorda is connected via USB). Or, you can just turn the volume down on the device itself.

MIDI Implementation Chart

Gestures

| ****

MIDI

| ****

Notes

---|---|---

Tap

| ****

Note On

| ****

Note On/Note Off Velocity

Press

| ****

Channel Pressure

| ****

Bass, Chord, Lead only

Vibrato

| ****

Channel Pressure

| ****

The receiver/Sound generator should be set to a pitch bend range of 48. The pitch bend range is limited to a few cents for better playability on each of Orba’s individual pads (except for the Vibrato Bass preset, which has a pitch bend range of 2 semitones).

Radiate

| ****

Channel Pressure

| ****

Bass, Chord, Lead only

Bump

| ****

MIDI Note 39

|

Shake

| ****

MIDI Note 69 and CC2

| ****

Drum only, while holding Pad 8 (Shaker)

Move

| ****

CC 113

| ****

Bass, Chord, Lead only

Spin

| ****

CC 112

| ****

Bass, Chord, Lead only

Tilt

| ****

CC 1 (Modwheel)

| ****

Bass, Chord, Lead only

Get in touch, stay in touch!
For a wealth of resources, including videos, in-depth tutorials, inspiration from other creators and more, visit start.artiphon.com Got questions? We love answering them. Reach out any time at support@artiphon.com.

References

• Artiphon learn- get started, choose your instrument

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