Using the MetaModule: Knobs

How to View Knob and Jack Mappings

1. Click the Knob icon in the button bar

2. Knob mappings are shown

This is a "Knob Set" (see below).

Turn some physical knobs and watch the knobs on the screen turn (the patch must be playing).

Click Jacks to view jack mappings.

3. Jack mappings are shown

Knob Sets

A Knob Set is a group of knob mappings. Each Knob Set maps the 12 physical knobs to virtual module controls. For example, a patch might have a Knob Set for each module. Or there might be a Knob Set for controlling various timbre parameters, another Knob Set for controlling rhythmic elements, and another for overall mix.
A patch can have up to eight Knob Sets, but only one Knob Set can be active at a time.
A single physical knob can be mapped to up to 8 virtual knobs in a Knob Set. See Multi-maps

How to Use a Different Knob Set

From the Knob Set page:

1. Click >> to view the next Knob Set

If there is only one Knob Set in the patch, the >> button will not appear.

2. Click Use to activate a Knob Set

Now the physical knobs will control the parameters mapped in the new Knob Set.

Knob Set Shortcut

A fast way to change Knob Sets is to hold down the Back button and turn the encoder.

A pop-up will tell you the name of the Knob Set that was just made active.

The Back button's color will always indicate the Knob Set number:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

See more shortcuts on the Shortcuts page.

Creating a new Knob Set

You can create a new knob set in several ways:

With VCV Rack, when you make the patch. See Creating Knob Sets in VCV Rack
By clicking (new knobset) when you're creating a new knob mapping (see next section)
By selecting Auto-map knobs (new Knob Set) from the module Action menu.

Changing a Knob Set name

From the Knob Set page:

1. Click on the knob set name

2. Type a new name

Click the check mark to save your changes, or press the Back button to cancel.

Creating a new Knob Mapping or MIDI Mapping

From the Patch View page:

1. Open a module and click a control

On some modules the controls are organized into groups: see Groups of controls and jacks.

2. Click on a Knob Set that doesn't already have a mapping

If you want to create a new Knob Set, click (new knobset)

If you want to map a MIDI CC or Note to this knob, click MIDI

3. Wiggle the knob you want to map to

If you're mapping MIDI, then send a MIDI Note or CC message. You may select a MIDI Channel if you wish.

If you're mapping to a button on the MetaButtons expander, then press the button.

Knob: MIDI:

4. Click OK. It's mapped!

If you want to adjust the minimum and maximum values of the mapping, or give the mapping a name, see Edit a Knob Mapping.

Quick Map Shortcut

You can quickly map params by pressing and holding the rotary encoder while wiggling a knob (or pressing a button on the MetaButtons expander). This is a fast way to map a lot of parameters.

1. Scroll to the parameter you want to map

2. Press and hold the rotary while wiggling a knob

Release the rotary when you see the knob name appear.

The knob will be instantly mapped.

You can remove the mapping by holding down the rotary and tapping the Back button.

Note that the mapping will be created in the currently active Knob Set, and will replace any existing non-MIDI mapping. Use the Knob Set Shortcut in conjunction with this shortcut if you want to create mappings in multiple knob sets.

If you want to quickly map MIDI events to parameters, see Shortcuts

Remove a mapping shortcut

You can quickly remove all mappings to a parameter in the current Knob Set.

1. Scroll to the parameter with the mapping you want to remove

Press and hold the rotary, and then tap the Back button. Release the rotary.

See more shortcuts on the Shortcuts page.

Editing a Knob Mapping

From the Knob Set page:

1. Click on a mapping...

2. ... to go to the Knob View page

3. Click on MIN or MAX to change the range

When the physical knob is all the way down, the virtual knob will be set to the MIN value. Likewise, when the physical knob is all the way up, the virtual knob will be at the MAX value.

If you set MAX to be less than the MIN, the virtual knob will turn the opposite direction as the physical knob.

4. Click on the knob name to type an alias

An alias is a name you pick for a knob mapping. If this is a multi-map, then the alias will apply to all mappings within the multi-map.

Mapping to more than one knob (Multi-maps)

A single physical knob can be mapped to up to eight virtual knobs. This is known as a "multi-map". As you turn the physical knob, all the mapped virtual knobs will turn. Each virtual knob can have different minimum and maximum values. In this way, multi-maps allow the MetaModule to act like a macro controller.

For example, if a reverb module has separate wet and dry level knobs, you could map a physical knob to both of these. Then you could set the MIN and MAX values such that as you turn the physical knob up, the dry level will go down, and the wet level will go up, creating a crossfade between the dry and wet signals.

Another example is using multi-maps in a polyphonic patch. One physical knob can control the pitch knobs of all the voices; another physical knob can control the waveshape knobs; another can control the envelope shapes, etc...

Multi-maps exist within a Knob Set. So each Knob Set can have its own set of maps and multi-maps. Since there are a maximum of eight Knob Sets, and each Knob Set has twelve knob multi-maps, and each multi-map can have up to eight virtual knobs, a maximum of 768 virtual knobs can be mapped in a single MetaModule patch.

How to create a multi-map

Multi-maps are created automatically if you create new knob map with a physical knob that's already mapped (in the current knob set). See Creating a New Knob Mapping.

How to view a multi-map

Viewing any module that has a mapping that's a part of a multi-map will display that mapping normally.

If you want to see all the virtual knobs that map to a specific physical knob:

1. Click the knob icon to go to the Knob Set page

2. Multi-maps are shown with a scroll bar under the knob

Scroll left and right to view all the mapped knobs.

Groups of controls and jacks

When you open a module, all of its knobs, switches, buttons, and jacks are listed next to the panel. A module can also organize its list into groups: for example, one group for each channel of a multi-channel module.

1. Groups are shown in blue

When a group is highlighted in the list, all of its controls and jacks are highlighted on the panel.

2. Click a group to open it

Only the controls and jacks in the group are listed, and the name of the group is shown at the top in place of the module's name.

Click < Back at the top of the list, or press the Back button, to go back to the full list.

Inside a group, everything works the same way as it does in the full list: click a control to map it, click a jack to patch it, or use any of the shortcuts.

Names are shortened inside a group, since the group's name is already shown at the top. For example, inside the Channel B group, the control named Rise B Switch is listed as Rise Switch.

Groups are chosen by whoever made the module, so not every module has them. Among the built-in 4ms modules, these have groups: Dual EnvVCA, DLD, PEG, QCD, QPLFO, Shaped Dual EnvVCA, SISM, and VCAMatrix. Plugin developers can add groups to their own modules: see the documentation in the plugin SDK.