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Using the MetaModule: Knobs

How to View Knob and Jack Mappings

  • 1. Click the Knob icon in the button bar

Patch View

  • 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

Patch View

  • 3. Jack mappings are shown

Patch View


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.

Knob Set

  • 2. Click Use to activate a Knob Set

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

Knob Set

Knob Set Shortcut

A fast way to change Knobs 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

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 creating a new knob mapping (see next section)

  • By selecting Auto-map knobs (new Knob Set) from the module Action menu.

Note: While Knob Sets can have a name, currently the only way to provide a name is when you create the patch with VCV Rack. Future firmware release will allow editing the name from within the MetaModule


Creating a new Knob Mapping or MIDI CC Mapping

From the Patch View page:

  • 1. Open a module and click a control

Knob Set

  • 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 to this knob, click MIDI

Knob Set

  • 3. Wiggle the knob you want to map to

    If you're mapping MIDI CC, then send MIDI CC messages

Knob Set

  • 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.

Knob Set


Editting a Knob Mapping

From the Knob Set page:

  • 1. Click on a mapping...

Knob Set

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

Knob View

  • 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.

Knob View Min

  • 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.

Knob View Name


Changing a Knob Set name

From the Knob Set page:

  • 1. Click on the knob set name...

Knob Set name

  • 2. Type a new name

Edit Knob Set name


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, mulit-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

Knob Set icon

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

    Scroll left and right to view all the mapped knobs.

Multi-map