Mobius Looper Manual w Contents as Hyperlinks (March 2012)

Mobius Looper Manuals Complete, March 2012 Installation Getting Started Exploring Techniques Synchronization Reference Using Scripting Using OSC to control Mobius

Mobius 2.0 Installation Guide April 2012

Contents 1 2 3 3.1 3.2 4 5 5.1 6 7 7.1 8 9 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 9.10 10 11

Introduction Documentation Installation Windows Installation OS X Installation Running Standalone Mobius Audio Device Configuration Audio Device Recommendations The First Loop MIDI Device Configuration MIDI Device Recommendations Other Control Options Mobius Plugin Recommended Hosts Plugin Insertion Plugin Pins Dual Window Mode Plugin MIDI Devices Plugin Parameters VST Patches Bypass Audio Input Monitoring Plugin Audio Devices and Latency Compensation Tuning Latency Next Steps

1 Introduction Welcome and thank you for your interest in Mobius, the world's most powerful livelooping software! If you already know what Mobius does, you may skip ahead to the Documentation section.

If you're still wondering what the heck is this looping thing is all about, Mobius essentially lets you to make live audio recordings and play them back in an endless loop. While a loop is playing you may add to it and modify it in many ways. One of the most common uses for a looper is to record background parts for "one man band" solo performers but this is just scratching the surface of what Mobius can do. If you would like more information on the history and evolution of looping techniques the Loopers Delight web site is the best place to explore and learn. Mobius was inspired by many hardware and software loopers of the past and present, but most of its core features can be traced to the Gibson Echoplex Digital Pro (EDP) with Loop IV software. Though not technically an emulator, if you are familiar with the EDP you should feel at home. From a foundation of EDP features, Mobius adds multiple tracks, chromatic pitch and speed shifting, instant loop editing, scripting, and much more. Be warned that Mobius is a complex program with an enormous number of options. Many people say that it is "too complicated", the user interface is "ugly", and the documentation is "boring". All of these are true. If you are looking for a DL-4 emulator with photo realistic knobs you can just plug in and play then look elsewhere. If you are looking for a new musical instrument you can customize to work the way you want it to, then you've come to the right place. Just be prepared to do some reading and ask a lot of questions. If you decide to take the plunge, we strongly recommend you join the Mobius Support Forums . This is where most Mobius discussion happens. Mobius free because it is people like you that have helped make Mobius what is today. All we ask is that you report bugs and help diagnose them. You are also encouraged to send feature requests. We can't guarantee that we'll implement every request but just knowing what people want to do helps us make design decisions that may make those things possible in the future. Thank you for helping us make Mobius better, we hope you enjoy it!

2 Documentation Because Mobius is a complex application, the documentation has been broken up into several parts to make it easier to digest. The documentation is installed with the product and is also available on the web at the Mobius Document Index . If you are new to Mobius, please read at least the Getting Started With Mobius manual before you begin. Then at least skim Exploring Mobius to become familiar with some of the more advanced features. The other manuals go into more depth on techniques and options, you won't need to read these right away but you should return to them once you become more comfortable with the basics.   

Getting Started With Mobius - Introduces fundamental Mobius concepts and the user interface Exploring Mobius - Explains more advanced concepts, control options, and customization Mobius Techniques - Tutorials on some of the commonly used looping functions and techniques

  

Mobius Synchronization - Explains how to synchronize Mobius with other devices and applications Mobius Reference - A complete reference of all functions, parameters, and internal variables Mobius Scripting - Explains how to write Mobius scripts

3 Installation Read the sections Windows Installation or OS X Installation for the installation steps specific to your operating system. If you are upgrading a previous installation, usually you just install the new version over the previous version. All of your previous device setups, bindings, and other configuration will be preserved. While you can have more than one version of Mobius installed, this is not recommended. When Mobius runs, it reads configuration files from a directory that is shared by all installations on the machine. If you try to run Mobius binaries from an old version with newer configuration files, Mobius may not work properly. If you try to run new Mobius binaries with older configuration files, the files may be automatically upgraded and will no longer work with the binaries from the older version. The one exception to this rule is that you are allowed to run a 1.x version of Mobius and a 2.x version at the same time.

3.1 Windows Installation Mobius is supported on Windows XP, Vista and 7. It is not a native 64-bit application but it is known to work on 64-bit hardware. Mobius is distributed as an executable installer. When you run the installer it will prompt you for an installation directory. The default is c:\Program Files\Mobius 2. The Mobius executables, initial configuration files, and example files will be placed in this directory. NOTE: If you are upgrading from an earlier Mobius release, you will have two installation directories. C:\Program Files\Mobius normally contains the version 1 installation and C:\Program Files\Mobius 2 contains the version 2 installation. You can use both versions at the same time. This will allow you to experiment with the new features in 2.0 but still return to the previous release if you encounter problems. The installer will also copy the Mobius VST plugin to the directory c:\Program Files\VstPlugins which is the most common directory for VST plugins. If you are using a different plugin directory you must manually copy the MobiusVst2.dll file from the installation directory to your plugin directory. NOTE: If you decide to move Mobius to a different directory after installation you must reinstall, you cannot simply move or rename the directory. During installation an entry in the Windows registry is created that contains the path to the installation directory. Moving or renaming this directory will not update this registry entry, you must run the installer again to update the registry. If the Mobius UI is blank or displays a lot of question marks, it usually means that the registry does not point to the correct installation directory.

All of your custom configuration settings are stored in the installation directory in two files: mobius.xml and ui.xml. Unlike other applications, customizations are not stored in the Documents and Settings directory for your user account. This means that if you delete the installation directory you will lose your customizations. If you wish to reinstall or upgrade, do not run the uninstaller or delete the current installation directory. Just install into the same directory that was used by the previous installation. All of your customizations will be preserved.

3.2 OS X Installation Mobius is supported on OS X 10.5 or later on Intel machines. The older version 1.42 is a universal binary that will run on 10.4 PPC machines but this is no longer maintained and is not recommended for new users. Mobius is distributed as standard installation package. Once it is downloaded, opening it will launch the OS X Installer which will guide you through the installation steps. Four folders will be created:    

/Applications/Mobius 2 - The standalone application and example files /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/Mobius 2.component - The Audio Unit plugin /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Mobius 2.vst - The VST plugin /Library/Application Support/Mobius 2 - The folder containing configuration files

The configuration folder contains mobius.xml, ui.xml, and host.xml. This is also commonly used for user written scripts. NOTE: If you are upgrading from an earlier Mobius release, you will have two application folders. /Applications/Mobius normally contains the version 1 installation and /Applications/Mobius 2 contains the version 2 installation. You can use both versions at the same time. This will allow you to experiment with the new features in 2.0 but still return to the previous release if you encounter problems. To install a later release of Mobius version 2, you simply run the installer again and it will replace the files in the application folder and the two plugin folders. It will not replace the configuration folder so all of your previous configuration will be preserved. It is possible to have both Mobius version 1 and Mobius version 2 installed at the same time. It is however not recommended that you have more than one minor version installed. For example you may have both version 1.45 and 2.0 installed, but not 1.42 and 1.45 or 2.0 and 2.1. Each major release of Mobius stores configuration information in a shared location, /Library/Application Support/Mobius for version 1 and /Library/Application Support/Mobius 2 for version 2. Different minor versions may change these shared configuration files so once you upgrade to 1.45 you will not be able to go back to 1.42. If you are upgrading to a minor release number, it is a good idea to make backup copies of the Application Support files in case you need to downgrade.

4 Running Standalone Mobius

Even if you intend to use Mobius as a VST or Audio Units plugin, it is recommended that you start using it as a standalone application. Plugin host applications add a another layer of complexity to the setup process, when you are just getting started it can be difficult to tell whether a problem is caused by Mobius or the host application. There are also some user interface customizations that can only be performed in the standalone Mobius window. Once standalone Mobius has been configured and is working properly, you can advance to using the plugin. The Mobius Plugin section discusses this in more detail. To run standalone Mobius you must configure audio devices, this is described in the Audio Device Configuration section. Most people will also want to configure one or more MIDI devices such as footswitches or control surfaces. This is described in the MIDI Device Configuration section. On Windows, you run Mobius by selecting the Mobius item with the blue orb icon from the start menu, or by running mobius.exe from the command line. On OS X, you run Mobius by clicking the application icon from the Mobius 2 folder inside the Applications folder. After running Mobius you should be greeted with a window that looks similar to this:

5 Audio Device Configuration Using standalone Mobius requires the selection of an audio device. If you do not select a device you can still do things like arranging and resizing the user interface or creating function bindings, but Mobius can't be used for looping. Pressing buttons in the UI or sending MIDI commands will have no effect, Mobius will appear to be frozen. When you select an audio device it is important to choose one with low latency. Latency is a complex topic covered in more detail in the Tuning Latency section. For now you can think of it as the amount of time it takes to get an audio signal from an input channel of an audio device, through the computer, and back to an output channel of an audio device. Mobius can compensate for latency in some cases so it is still quite usable regardless of which device you choose. But with high latency devices you may hear "skips" or "lag" in the sound when you do certain things. To get low latency you will usually have to buy an aftermarket audio interface rather than using the one that came bundled with your computer. External Firewire or USB interfaces are recommended. If you have a laptop, PCMCIA cards can work well. There are many choices in aftermarket audio interfaces, some work better than others. You will need to do some research and ask questions on forums to find the one that works best for you. But generally speaking the so called "integrated" audio interfaces that came with the computer do not perform well. They can be fine when you're just getting started but if you want to use Mobius for serious live performance, almost everyone buys a professional audio interface. To configure an audio device, start standalone Mobius, open the Configuration menu and select the Audio Devices item.

If you use OS X, you will see two selection panels, one labeled Input Device and one labeled Output Device. Normally you select the same device for both input and output but this is not required. On OS X you are always using a Core Audio device driver which will usually have low latency.

OS X Audio Device Configuration Window If you use Windows, life is a bit more complicated. There are three selection panels, one labeled ASIO Devices, one labeled Input Device and one labeled Output Device. You should always select an ASIO device if one is available as these have the lowest latency. An ASIO device will provide both inputs and outputs so you only need to make one selection.

PC Audio Device Configuration Window If you do not have any ASIO devices on Windows, you may select an MME device. You must select one device from the Input Device panel and one device from the Output Device panel. If you have more than one audio device, normally you will select the same one for both input and output. MME devices tend to have very high latency, they are fine for exploring Mobius features but are not recommended for serious use. At the bottom of the dialog you will see a set of fields with labels Suggested Latency Milliseconds, Override Input Latency Frames, and Override Output Latency Frames. Leave all of these fields empty. Do not press the Calibrate Latency button. Once Mobius is configured and working properly, read the Tuning Latency section for more information about optimizing latency for your system. Once you have selected an audio device click the Ok button to close the window.

5.1 Audio Device Recommendations

6 The First Loop Connect an instrument or microphone to the input channels of the audio device. Mobius operates in stereo so it always uses audio device channels in stereo pairs called "ports". By default Mobius always uses the first input and output port. If you have an audio interface with more than one pair of stereo channels, Port 1 is usually channels 1 and 2, port 2 would be channels 3 and 4 etc. Check the level meters on the audio interface to make sure that a signal from your instrument is being received. External Firewire and USB devices usually have a software "mixer" application, make sure the fader levels on all channels have been raised. Run Mobius and play something on your instrument. In the center of the Mobius window is a thin rectangle called the audio meter you should see it flicker as you play your instrument. If you do not see any movement in the Mobius window try connecting your instrument to a different set of input channels on the audio interface.

If your interface has channels on both the front and back, it may be unclear which ones are 1 and 2. If you've tried sending a signal through all of the devices inputs and you still see nothing flickering in the Mobius window, post a message on the forum and we will try to help. If you see that lovely audio meter flicker, click the button labeled Record at the top of the Mobius window. You should see some numbers in the center of the window changing. Play something on your instrument, then click the Record button again. What you recorded should start playing back in an endless loop. If you don't hear anything, make sure you have speakers or headphones connected to the first pair of output channels on your audio device. If you have a device with multiple channels try connecting speakers to all of the other channels. If you still don't hear anything, post a message on the forum. If you hear your first loop playing, congratulations! If you hear some "clicks" or "pops" while the loop is playing there are two common explanations. The first is that the instrument level is too high and you are having digital "clipping". Try lowering the instrument level and try again. Clicks can also happen when the default latency setting for your audio device is too low. Read the Tuning Latency section to learn how to raise the latency. NOTE: One common error when setting up a software looper is having the audio output of the looper feed back into the input. For example, it is common to have several sound sources connected to a mixer, then have the mixer output connected to the input of the audio device. If the output of the audio device is also connected to the mixer, you can have feedback. When Mobius is overdubbing, anything that is currently playing may then be included in the overdub (with a slight delay). The loop will become increasingly louder and sound "metallic". If the output of the audio device is connected directly to the speakers this should not be a problem. If you are using a mixer, you will have to find a way to exclude the channel containing the audio device output from the "bus" being sent to the audio device input. If you are familiar with Mackie mixers, Mute Alt 3-4 combined with Control Room Source buttons can accomplish this nicely.

7 MIDI Device Configuration While you can control Mobius using the computer keyboard or clicking buttons in the window, most people control Mobius with a MIDI device such as a footswitch or a control surface. Footswitches are widely used because they allow the musician to keep both hands on their instrument. Control surfaces with rows of faders and knobs are very convenient for setting track levels and adjusting feedback. Mobius can also send messages to other devices using MIDI. The most common use for this is to send MIDI clock pulses to a drum machine or sequencer so that drum patterns or pre-recorded accompaniment tracks can be played in sync with the Mobius loop. You can use any device that sends MIDI commands to control Mobius. Many newer MIDI devices will connect to the computer though a USB port. For devices that only support connection with a MIDI cable, you will also need to buy a MIDI interface for your computer. See the MIDI Device Recommendations section for more information on buying MIDI interfaces and devices.

MIDI Device Configuration Window To configure MIDI devices open the Configuration menu and select the MIDI Devices item. There are two columns of device selection panels, the panels on the left select devices to be used when Mobius runs as a standalone application, the panels on the right select devices to be used when Mobius runs as a plugin. If you have MIDI devices that connect directly to the computer using a USB cable, the names you see should be similar to the name of the device like "Korg nanoKontrol". If you have MIDI devices that connect with MIDI cables to an external MIDI interface, the names you see will be usually be numbered port names like "Some Device Port 1", "Some Device Port 2", etc. When using MIDI interfaces make sure you select the same port that your MIDI device is connected to. When selecting devices it is important to select only the ones that you really need. You can select as many input devices as you want, but if Mobius will only be receiving commands from one of them it will waste time looking at messages from the others. If you run Mobius as a plugin, it is very important that you only select devices that are not also being opened by the host application. If both Mobius and the host try to use the same device this can cause problems like commands being performed twice, and in some cases even crashes. Selecting MIDI devices for the Mobius plugin is rare, you usually let the host manage the MIDI devices and have it route MIDI into and out of the plugin. This is discussed in more detail in the Mobius Plugin section. Input Devices are selected if you want to receive MIDI commands to control Mobius. When you run Mobius standalone you almost always select at least one input device. When you run Mobius as a plugin you almost never select an input device. Instead you let the plugin host manage the MIDI devices and you let the host route MIDI into and out of Mobius. Output Devices are selected if you want Mobius to send messages to another hardware device or plugin. The most common use for this is to send MIDI clock pulses to a drum machine or sequencer. Using scripts it is also possible to send any MIDI message to another device to do things like changing patches or triggering samples. If you are running Mobius as a plugin, selecting an output device is common in one special case: sending MIDI sync pulses through a "loopback" device to control the tempo of the host application. This is discussed in more detail in the Mobius Plugin section. If you are not intending to send MIDI pulses to another device or to the host application, you normally will not select an output device. Through Devices are selected if you want to send a copy of the MIDI message received from the input devices to other devices. This is relatively uncommon, but you might want to use this if the footswitch can send commands to both Mobius and something else, and you don't have a MIDI splitter. All MIDI messages received by the input devices are simply sent immediately to all the through devices.

7.1 MIDI Device Recommendations First determine whether you need a MIDI interface. You will need a MIDI interface if you want to control Mobius using a footswitch, keyboard, or other MIDI device that can only connect with MIDI cables. You will also need a MIDI interface if you want to

send MIDI commands to a drum machine or other device that can only be connected with MIDI cables. If all of the devices you want to use can connect directly to the computer with USB cables, then you do not need a MIDI interface. If you do need a MIDI interface, there many relatively inexpensive ones available. Unlike audio interfaces, MIDI interfaces are not very complicated and almost anything from a reputable brand will work fine. The simplest interfaces will little more than a cable with a pair of MIDI in/out connectors on one side, a USB connector on the other and a "lump" in the middle. Larger interfaces will support more than one input and output port. If you only need to use the MIDI interface with Mobius a simple "1 by 1" interface is enough. Popular brands include M-Audio, E-MU, and MOTU. Before you by a MIDI interface though, check to see if your audio interface also includes one. Many audio interfaces also include a 1x1 MIDI interface. Probably the most asked question regarding MIDI devices is "what's the best MIDI footswitch"? Unfortunately there isn't a very large selection of MIDI footswitches and most are rather expensive. By far the most popular MIDI footswitch used with Mobius is the Behringer FCB-1010. In many ways it is the ideal footswitch: it sends note on and off messages, it has "banks" so you can assign up to 100 Mobius commands to switches, and it has two integrated expression pedals to control track level and feedback, and at $150 USD it is among the least expensive footswitches available. The problem many people have with it is that it is large. It takes up a lot of floor space and dragging it to gigs can be inconvenient. There are smaller footswitches available but most of them cost several times more. If you are new to MIDI and are unsure of what would be best for you post a message to the forum and we'll try to help. When you look for footswitches there are two important things to consider: does it support "momentary" switches and does it support "banks". A momentary switch is one that sends a MIDI message when you press it and also when you release it. Some switches will send note messages (Note On when pressed Note Off when released) and some will send continuous control messages (CC greater than zero when pressed and CC zero when released), both of these types can be used with Mobius. While you can do basic looping without momentary switches, if you want to use some of the more advanced features like "sustain functions" or "long press behavior" you will need momentary switches. Many of the cheapest footswitches were designed for keyboard players to select patches and they only send MIDI program change messages. Switches that only send program changes are not momentary. The concept of "banks" is common but manufacturers call it by different names. A bank is basically a set of MIDI messages assigned to each switch and different banks can cause the switches to send different MIDI messages. For example bank 0 of the popular FCB-1010 might send MIDI note numbers 0 through 9, bank 1 would send note numbers 10 through 11, etc. Banks are important because there are literally hundreds of things in Mobius that could be assigned to a MIDI message. With footswitches that don't have banks, you will be limited to a small number of things you can control with your feet. Footswitches that support banks typically have a set of "up" and "down" switches to scroll through the banks. The FCB-1010 has 10 banks of 10 switches allowing you to send 100 different Mobius commands. There are other footswitches that work great with Mobius and are relatively small such as the GORDIUS Little Giant and the Rocktron All Access. Unfortunately they are several times more expensive than the FCB-1010, but if money is less important than size, definitely check those out.

A control surface is typically a device that tries to emulate a mixer track strip, usually with a fader and one or more rotary knobs for each track. While we don't think these are as essential as a footswitch, they are very nice for adjusting Mobius track output levels, input levels, pan, and feedback. There are many choices here that vary greatly in size and features. The Korg Nano series are inexpensive and small. The Novation Remote series combines a control surface with a keyboard which is handy for chromatic pitch shifting. Behringer, Mackie, M-Audio and AKAI all make interesting control surfaces. If you aren't sure what you need we recommend you first spend some time learning what you can do with Mobius tracks, then look for the controller that meets your needs. As usual, forums are a good source for reviews and advice.

8 Other Control Options It is also possible to control most Mobius functions using the computer keyboard. The keys are "momentary" switches so they can be used for sustain functions and longpress behavior. If you're exploring Mobius for the first time and aren't sure if you want to invest money in a footswitch, a cheap alternative is to buy any USB keyboard, pry most of the keys off, then step on the ones that remain. This is obviously not a very durable option for live performance, but it does work. Mobius also supports the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol, with default support for the TouchOSC application that runs in the Apple iPhone and iTouch devices. This is an advanced topic that is not yet fully documented. If you are interested in OSC post a message on the forums or send me email.

9 Mobius Plugin On Windows, Mobius may be used as a VST plugin. On OS X Mobius may be used as either a VST plugin or an Audio Units plugin. Be sure to read the Installation section and make sure the plugin files have been copied to a place that will be seen by your host application. Host applications vary widely in how they deal with plugins. Even hosts that operate in similar ways may use different terminology when talking about plugins. This makes it difficult to write a comprehensive document on using the Mobius plugin. We will give you some general guidelines and go into some detail on a few popular hosts, but it is simply not possible to document how to use Mobius in every host application. If you have never used a plugin with your host before, try starting with a simple plugin like a digital delay or soft synth to become familiar which using plugins in your host. Mobius is an unusual plugin. Most plugins fit into one of two categories, they are either effects or synths. Typical effects plugins are compressors, filters, and reverbs. They receive audio, and send out processed audio, and they don't support MIDI control. A synth plugin normally receives MIDI events, sends out audio, but does not receive audio for processing. Mobius is like a combination of an effect and a synth. It needs to receive and send audio like an effect, but it also needs to receive MIDI events like a synth. Many hosts, particularly older DAWs, have trouble with this. They either can't support the dual nature of the Mobius plugin, or they require complicated configuration to make the necessary connections.

Mobius is also unusual in that it supports 16 input and output channels or "pins". The vast majority of effects plugins only support a single set of stereo input and output channels. Some hosts will simply refuse to load Mobius because it has more than 2 channels. Others will load it but will only let you access the first 2 channels. Some hosts do not let effects plugins have direct access to MIDI devices. Instead they control plugins only through "parameter automation". In this style of host, the plugin advertises a set of parameters that may be controlled by the host. The host then allows the user to set up associations between MIDI events and these parameters. In this situation, you have to configure the Mobius functions and parameters to make available to the host. Then you do all of your MIDI mappings in the host. While this works it can be difficult to set up, and the host may not support parameters that behave like "momentary buttons" which will prevent you from using some Mobius features. Then there is synchronization. Mobius is also unusual in that it tries to provide synchronization of loop recording with the host's transport controls if it has them. Unfortunately hosts differ radically in how they implement the horrible VST specification, so trying to get synchronization to work on a new host is almost always a problem. If this is starting to sound scary, unfortunately it is. There are several popular hosts that work well for Mobius and we try to support them whenever they have a new release. But we simply cannot guarantee that Mobius will work with every host out there, and we don't have the resources to even try. If you have a problem with your favorite host and are willing to spend some time with us to diagnose them, we may be able to work with you. But otherwise you will have to consider one of the recommended hosts.

9.1 Recommended Hosts In our experience, plugin hosts come in roughly four varieties. 1. Recorders - typical digital audio workstations 2. Arrangers - oriented toward arranging short audio clips in loops and sequences 3. Racks - simulates a rack of synth and effect hardware 4. Modular - a "boxes and wires" graphical user interface The Recorder style is familiar to most people. These are the traditional DAWs that have a user interface organized like a multi-track tape recorder. Examples of this style include Cockos Reaper, Cakewalk Sonar, Steinberg Cubase, and Apple Logic. They excel at recording, mixing, and non real-time editing. While they are widely known they are not always good hosts for Mobius. They often have a hard time dealing with effects that need both MIDI and audio inputs and they may not support plugins that have many channels. Generally they are designed for studio use rather than real-time performance. We try to make an effort to support Reaper and Logic, support for the others will be spotty. The Arranger style is usually designed more for live performance. Here the focus is on arranging pre-recorded samples or recording short samples of a fixed length and applying effects to them in real time. Examples of this style include Ableton Live, Sony ACID, Apple Garage Band, and FL Studio. These often have many of the same

problems as the Recorder-style hosts but they can be better. Of these, Ableton Live is an outstanding host for Mobius and is actively supported. The Rack hosts attempt to simulate a hardware rack of effects and synths and most do not provide audio recording and editing. They are oriented toward "always on" plugins that are constantly responding to MIDI and audio in real time. Examples of this style include Apple Mainstage, Audiofile Engineering RAX, and Brainspawn Forte. These can be good hosts for Mobius but they are relatively unusual among the current user base so support may be spotty. Of these, we actively support Apple Mainstage. The Modular hosts typically present a user interface that uses pictures to represent plugins and other devices, and lets you draw "wires" to connect them. Examples of this style include Plogue Bidule, AudioMulch, Usine, and Max/MSP. Modular hosts are well suited for Mobius because they make it easy to visualize all of the input and output channels and make connections to them. They excel at creating "patches" combining effects and synths controlled by MIDI. They typically are not as easy to use for traditional linear audio and MIDI recording and editing. We use and recommend Bidule and AudioMulch.

9.2 Plugin Insertion On Windows the installer will copy the Mobius VST plugin to the directory c:\Program Files\VstPlugins which is the most common directory for VST plugins. If your host can be configured to load plugins from more than one directory, make sure VstPlugins is on the list. If the host must load plugins from a different directory you must manually copy the MobiusVst2.dll file from the installation directory to your plugin directory. You only need to copy that one .dll file, leave all the other files in the installation directory. Once the plugin files have been copied to the proper directory, the Mobius plugin should appear in the host application. Where this appears will be different in every host. The VST plugin may be named either "Mobius 2", or "MobiusVst2". The AU plugin should be named "Mobius 2". Some hosts organize plugins by the manufacturer name so there may be an item named "Circular Labs" you need to expand to see the plugin. If you do not see the plugin you may need to ask the host to "rescan" the plugin directory. If your host has the concept of tracks and you have a choice between inserting Mobius in an audio track or a MIDI track, you usually want to insert it in an audio track, then arrange to have MIDI routed to that track.

9.3 Plugin Pins Some hosts may refuse to load plugins that have more than one pair of stereo input and output channels, by default Mobius has 8 pairs of stereo channels. If the host will not the insert the Mobius plugin, try reducing the number of channels. Run standalone Mobius, bring up the Global Parameters dialog, select the Limits tab and find the parameter named Plugin Ports. Change this parameter value to 1, click Ok, and close standalone Mobius. Now run the host application again, ask it to rescan plugins, and try inserting the Mobius plugin. Whether this works or not please

post a message with your results on the forums or send us email. We are interested in compiling a list of those hosts that require this workaround. If the host does support multi-channel plugins then you have the option of having each Mobius track receive from and send to different channels. Mobius organizes channels into stereo pairs called "ports". Each track may be configured to have one input port and one output port. Assigning tracks to ports provides several useful performance options, such as having some tracks take input from a soft-synth rather than live audio. You may also insert a different effects plugin after the output of each track, making each track sound different even though they are driven by the same input signal. This is described in more detail in the Track Setups section of the Getting Started manual.

9.4 Dual Window Mode Unlike most VST plugins, Mobius by default opens two windows when running under a Microsoft operating system. The first is a small window containing the Mobius icon and the text Click to open Mobius window. The second is the main Mobius window. The first small window is the normal "editor" window created by the VST host. Most plugins put all of their user interface in this window. This window does however have some limitations for Mobius users. First, the window cannot be resized so if you change the layout of the Mobius user interface it may not be possible to display everything. A more serious limitation is that computer keyboard key events are often not passed along to he plugins so you cannot use the keyboard to control Mobius. Because of these limitations, by default Mobius opens a second window over which it has complete control. This window may be resized and will receive keyboard events just like the standalone Mobius window. If you close the main window, the VST editor window will remain open, simply click anywhere inside the editor window to reopen the main window. If you close the editor window, both windows will be closed. Some people prefer to have Mobius put the user interface into to the VST editor window. This is possible if you are willing to live with the limitations. Bring up the Global Parameters dialog, find the parameter named Dual Plugin Edit Window, and uncheck the checkbox. Close the both the Mobius main window and the editor window and ask the host to reopen the editor window. You may need to restart the host application for this change to take effect. We have had reports of crashes using single window mode with some hosts. The causes for this are unclear, but if you are experiencing crashes using the plugin in single window mode, try enabling dual window mode. Dual window mode cannot be enabled in the Mac Audio Unit plugin. Dual window mode may be enabled in the Mac VST plugin but it is not the default.

9.5 Plugin MIDI Devices Mobius normally receives MIDI events directly from the VST host so it is not usually necessary to select MIDI input or output devices for the plugin. If at all possible you

should try to arrange to let the host manage the MIDI devices and route MIDI events into Mobius. There are two special circumstances where you might want the Mobius plugin to open it's own MIDI devices: 1. The host is unable to route MIDI events to an "effects" plugin 2. You want Mobius to generate a master MIDI clock to synchronize the host The first case used to be rare and only seen on very old hosts, but it is unfortunately becoming more common in modern hosts like Mainstage. The philosophy coming into vogue is that plugins shouldn't have to know anything at all about MIDI, they should get all of their control signals through plugin parameters. It is then the hosts job to associate a MIDI event with each plugin parameter. This works fine for your typical effects plugin with a dozen or so parameters, but Mobius literally has hundreds of parameters. Further some Mobius features like pitch and speed shift are meant to be controlled using MIDI notes like a synthesizer. It is possible to control almost everything using plugin parameters if necessary, this is described in the Plugin Parameters section. But depending on the host it may be more convenient just to let Mobius open a private MIDI device connected directly to your footswitch or control surface. To select a MIDI input device open the MIDI Devices dialog and find the device selector labeled Plugin Input Devices. Select the device that is connected to your MIDI controller. Note that some hosts may already be in control of the devices you select in Mobius, this can cause conflicts and in some cases crashes. If you select a MIDI device for the Mobius plugin you should configure the host so that it does not open the same device. Usually there will be a dialog where you can pick which MIDI input and output devices the host will use. Unfortunately some hosts simply open every available MIDI device. The other common reason to have the plugin open a MIDI device is to send master MIDI clocks to the host. Plugins cannot normally be the sync master for the host, but this is possible if the plugin can generate MIDI clocks sent to a "loopback" device. This is discussed in more detail in the Controlling Plugin Host Tempo section of the Mobius Synchronization manual. While it is possible to select a Plugin Through Device in the MIDI Devices window, we are not aware of an interesting use for this. If you find one let us know!

9.6 Plugin Parameters Most plugins support parameters which can be controlled by the host. Common examples are output level, delay time, or filter curve. Some hosts support parameter automation where a sequence of parameter values can be programmed to change in time with an audio or MIDI track. Mobius is unusual because it has hundreds of parameters. These include the continuous controls like Input Level and Pan, preset parameters like Loop Count and Quantize, and functions like Record and Reset. Each of these parameters can be further scoped to a particular track or track group.

Because most hosts do not deal well with plugins that have more than a few dozen parameters, you must explicitly select the parameters to expose to the host. The default set of plugin parameters is:        

Input Level Output Level Feedback Secondary Feedback Pan Selected Track Quantize Mode Switch Quantize

You may declare additional parameters in the Plugin Parameters dialog from the Configuration menu. The Plugin Parameter Bindings section of the Exploring Mobius manual has more information on configuring plugin parameters. As mentioned in the Plugin MIDI Devices section, some hosts only allow plugins to be controlled through parameters, direct access to MIDI events is not possible. For these hosts you can either configure Mobius to open a private MIDI device, or you can declare all of the functions you want to use as plugin parameters, and associate them with MIDI events in the host. Binding MIDI events with plugin parameters is complex and different in every host. If you are not familiar with this process, the best thing to do is post questions on the forum.

9.7 VST Patches Most VST plugins support the notion of a "programs" or "patches" which are selectable from a open menu in the editor window. Mobius does not support the VST patch menu. Changing Mobius operating behavior is done through popup menus in the main Mobius user interface.

9.8 Bypass It is important to note that when a plugin is bypassed that no audio is "flowing" through the plugin. Without a steady stream of audio flowing through the plugin the Mobius user interface will appear to be hung. If you need to silence the Mobius plugin yet still have it be responsive to keyboard or MIDI commands, you will need to use Mobius functions such as Reset or Mute rather than bypassing the plugin.

9.9 Audio Input Monitoring If you are processing the audio signal from your instrument through an effects plugin before sending it into Mobius, it is common to want to monitor your signal "through the computer" rather than with a "side chain bus". Monitoring your instrument while you loop is a complex topic that will not be explored fully here. The main thing to understand is that if you play something on your instrument, you see the Mobius

input level meter flickering, but you don't hear anything, you may need to enable input monitoring in Mobius. Bring up the Global Parameters dialog and find the parameter named Monitor Audio Input. Check the checkbox and click Ok. If you can now hear your instrument then you are monitoring "through the computer". This means that you will hear the effects that all the plugins in the chain, including Mobius, are having on your signal. This is a perfectly fine way to monitor but it has consequences, primarily that you may hear a latency delay between the time you do something on your instrument and you hear the processed sound. The alternative is to use some form of side chain monitoring, typically this is done with a hardware mixer outside the computer or with audio interfaces that support "zero latency monitoring". If your instrument is a MIDI controller, or if you are guitar player using an amp modeling plugin then you have little choice but to monitor through the computer since it is the plugins that are defining the sound of the instrument you want to monitor. If you are using external hardware go generate the sound you want to monitor, it is best to do side chain monitoring to avoid the latency delay. Something to be aware of is that when you have the Monitor Audio Input option checked, the sound you are hearing might have a "metallic" quality that sounds like "flanging". If you hear this it often means that there is some form of chain monitoring active that is being combined with the through-the-computer monitoring. Because the through-the-computer signal will be slightly delayed, when combined with the side chain it will sound very much like a flanging effect is being applied. In this case you either need to disable the side chain monitoring, or uncheck Monitor Audio Input. Also when you monitor through the computer, you normally want to disable Mobius latency compensation. Rather than have Mobius do the compensation, you are already compensating mentally by adjusting your playing technique by playing slightly "ahead". The reasons for this are complicated and discussed more in the Tuning Latency section.

9.10 Plugin Audio Devices and Latency Compensation Audio devices selected for Mobius in standalone mode will not be opened when running as a VST. The VST host must open the audio devices and route them to Mobius. The input and output latency override values are however still used when Mobius runs as a plugin. When you are just getting started and intend to use Mobius primarily as a plugin, it is recommended that you do not set latency overrides and instead let the host give Mobius the input and output latency. If you do want to switch between plugin and standalone Mobius you will want to configure Mobius to use the same buffer size as you use in the plugin host application so the latency overrides will match. Unfortunately because Mobius configures latency using milliseconds rather than buffer sizes it can be difficult to know how Mobius latency compares to the host. As a general rule, a buffer size of 256 is the same as 5 milliseconds. So a buffer size of 512 would correspond to 10 milliseconds, 128 would correspond to 2 milliseconds, etc.

Again, it is best initially to simply make sure that the two latency override values are empty or set to zero. Latency calibration is covered in more detail in the Tuning Latency section.

10 Tuning Latency Latency compensation is a complex topic and we recommend that you not be obsessed with it when you are just getting started. If you are using an ASIO or Core Audio device driver, latency is so small that many people don't even notice it. For those new to looping, timing problems with the loop start and end points or the alignment of overdubs are more often due to footswitch technique than latency. If you feel you need to fine tune latency compensation you can go through the calibration process described in this section. Typically people use the latency calibration dialog to find the starting values, then manually tweak latency overrides by ear until they sound right. A common misconception is that latency is a fixed quality of a particular audio interface. If you buy audio interface X you will have low latency, but audio interface Z will have high latency. The brand of audio interface certainly has an effect on latency but there are many other factors that determine the minimum latency you can achieve. These include the speed of the CPU, the amount of memory, the firewire chipset, shared memory in the graphics card, wireless network adapters, and the other software you have running. Latency isn't something you can just add up based on your hardware and software. It is something you tune to be as small as possible without causing audio distortion. Tuning latency is similar to finding the maximum comfortable operating speed of a car. It may be possible to drive your car at 120 MPH but it may be noisy and hard to control at that speed. Setting latency too low is like driving a car too fast. You are putting demands on the computer that it may not be able to meet reliably. Raising latency is like slowing down your car, it may take longer to do some things but you'll arrive safely. The consequence of having latency too low is that you will "miss an interrupt" or have "buffer underrun". The audio device is constantly asking the computer for little blocks of audio to play. If the computer cannot respond in time the audio interface will leave a gap in the digital audio stream, this will sound like a harsh "click" or "pop". Raising latency gives the computer more time to respond to requests from the audio device so these audible glitches don't happen. Because looping is to a large degree delayed playback of previously recorded material, latency is actually much less of an issue than in an application like a virtual instrument. Latency is noticeable whenever an abrupt change in playback occurs, such as ending the initial recording, and unquantized functions such as loop switch, loop trigger, or trim. If you are "quantizing" functions, you may not hear any glitches because quantizing will delay the function long enough that we can compensate for latency. When you make an abrupt change, say a loop switch, Mobius will already have buffered some frames from the current loop. We can start buffering frames from the next loop, but they will be delayed a few milliseconds while we play the frames that are already in the buffer. What output latency compensation does is begin buffering

the next loop not from the first frame, but at an offset equal to the number of frames from the old loop that are already buffered. The bad effect is that a small portion of the front of the next loop will be skipped. The good effect is that when the next loop finally becomes audible, it will be at its proper playback position, the same position it would be in if there were zero latency. This is important if you are playing rhythmically and want the rhythm to be maintained during the switch. Without this there would be a few milliseconds of "extra time" inserted whenever you switch that is likely to annoy your drummer. When you are quantizing, Mobius is usually able to anticipate where the change in output buffering needs to occur so that the switch occurs seamlessly without loss. This early buffering of the next loop can cause an audible glitch if you cancel the switch (or change the target loop) very close to the point where the switch is scheduled. If we have already started buffering the next loop, a few milliseconds of it will still be heard before hearing the correct loop. In practice this should be a relatively rare problem as most people don't change their mind about which loop to trigger a few milliseconds before the trigger is to be performed. Latency compensation must also be performed to ensure that overdubs are aligned properly with the audio that was being heard during the overdub. Without compensation the overdub may sound slightly ahead of or slightly behind where it should be. Mobius uses information returned by the device to estimate the amount of latency compensation to be performed. This can be calculated with reasonable accuracy by knowing the number and size of the buffers used by the audio device driver. But there are other factors besides buffer size that contribute to latency, so sometimes the estimate is not correct and latency must be adjustment manually. At the bottom of the Audio Devices... dialog, there are two fields labeled Override Input Latency Frames and Override Output Latency Frames. After you select a device and reopen the dialog, the default latency adjustment values are shown to the right of these fields. If you enter a number into either field, it will override the default value. The easiest way to determine what these values should be is to perform a calibration. Click the Calibrate Latency button and another dialog will popup with information about the calibration process. In order to calibrate, you must physically connect the left or right output channel of the sound card to the left input channel of the same card. For most cards this can be done with a cable that has mini-plugs on both ends. If the sound card output is being sent to a mixer, you probably have a way to connect the output to the input in the mixer. This is called a loop back connection. Once you have made a loop back connection, click the Start button on the calibration dialog. If you are monitoring the sound card's output, you will hear a series of clicks. If the loop back connection is not correct, after about 10 seconds a message dialog will popup saying that calibration timed out waiting for an input signal. If this happens check your connections and try the calibration again. If the calibration was successful, a message dialog will pop up displaying the total measured latency, and the recommended values for input and output latency frames. Click the Accept button to copy these values into the latency fields of the Audio Devices dialog, or click Cancel to keep the current values. If you want to tweak the latency values manually, start by increasing the values for both latencies by 10 until it sounds right. You normally shouldn't have to add more

than a few hundred frames. If it is still way out of alignment, stop adding to the input latency and start making more radical adjustments to the output latency, up or down in increments of 500. If that is required, submit a bug report with information about your computer and sound card. To get a better understanding of what these values mean, you can think that at any moment in time Mobius is receiving sound that was performed a few milliseconds in the past, and is playing sound that will be heard a few milliseconds in the future. Input latency is the number of frames it takes a sound to "get into" Mobius. If you set input latency too low, you will be recording sound that was performed before the time you triggered the record function. If you set input latency too high, you will lose some of the sound immediately after you triggered the record function. It is more critical that input latency be correct because miscalibration can result in unwanted sound or loss of sound at the record start point. If an overdub sounds like it has the right content but isn't aligned properly, then adjust output latency not input latency. If you set output latency too low, overdubs will sound like they are playing too late. If output latency is too high, overdubs will sound like they are playing too early. Deliberately adjusting output latency too low can actually be useful to compensate for monitoring latency. If you perform live using monitor speakers some distance away, it will take a noticeable amount of time for the sound to travel from the speakers to your ears. If you are overdubbing to this sound, it may not be aligned properly on playback. Raising output latency can help bring the overdubs back into alignment.

11 Next Steps If you have been able to install and configure Mobius and record your first loop, proceed to the Getting Started manual for more depth on the user interface and an introduction to the most common looping functions.

Getting Started With Mobius March 2012

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Concepts 2.1 Channel 2.2 Port 2.3 Frame 2.4 Loop 2.5 Layer 2.6 Cycle 2.7 Subcycle 2.8 Track 2.9 Loop Switch 2.10 Synchronization 2.11 Function 2.12 Mode 2.13 Event 2.14 Quantization 2.15 Script 2.16 Parameter 2.17 Preset 2.18 Control 2.19 Setup 2.20 Project 2.21 Trigger 2.22 Sustainable Trigger 2.23 Target 2.24 Binding 2.25 Binding Scope 2.26 Sustain Function 2.27 Long Press 3 User Interface 3.1 Menus 3.2 Button Area 3.3 Status Area 3.3.1 Floating Track Strip

3.3.2 Instant Parameters 3.3.3 Loop Status Cluster 3.3.3.1 Counter 3.3.3.2 Audio Meter 3.3.3.3 Loop Meter 3.3.3.4 Mode 3.3.3.5 Beaters 3.3.3.6 Minor Modes 3.3.3.7 Sync Status 3.3.3.8 Message 3.3.4 Layer Bars 3.3.5 Loop Bars 3.4 Track Strips 3.4.1 Track Number 3.4.2 Loop Radar 3.4.3 Loop Status 3.4.4 Output Level Control 3.4.5 Output Level Meter 4 Controlling Mobius 4.1 Binding Popup Windows 4.1.1 Binding Set Selector 4.1.2 Bindings List 4.1.3 Selecting Targets 4.1.4 Selecting a Scope 4.1.5 Binding Arguments 4.1.6 Trigger Binding Fields 4.1.7 Command Buttons 4.2 MIDI Bindings 4.2.1 Selecting MIDI Triggers 4.2.2 Multiple MIDI Binding Sets 4.2.2.1 Multiple MIDI Bindings Example 4.2.3 Showing MIDI Bindings 4.3 Keyboard Bindings 4.3.1 Showing Keyboard Bindings 5 Using Mobius 5.1 Using Presets 5.1.1 Preset Window 5.1.2 Preset Switch Tab 5.1.3 Preset Effects Tab 5.1.4 Preset Other Tab 5.1.5 Setting Parameters 5.1.6 Managing Multiple Presets

5.1.7 Selecting Presets with Menus 5.2 Using Functions 5.2.1 Modal and Instant Functions 5.2.2 Major Modes 5.2.3 Minor Modes 5.2.4 Reset, Empty, Clear, and Silent 5.2.5 Record 5.2.6 Reset 5.2.7 Overdub 5.2.8 Undo and Redo 5.2.9 Mute and Pause 5.2.10 Multiply 5.2.11 Instant Multiply and Divide 5.2.12 Replace 5.2.13 Insert 5.2.14 Reverse 5.2.15 Speed Toggle 5.2.16 Next Loop 5.2.17 Shuffle 5.3 Using Controls 5.3.1 Input Level 5.3.2 Output Level 5.3.3 Feedback 5.3.4 Secondary Feedback 5.3.5 Pan 5.3.6 Other Controls 5.4 Common Parameters 5.4.1 Loops Per Track 5.4.2 Quantize Mode 5.4.3 Subcycles 5.4.4 Overdub Quantized 5.4.5 Switch Quantize 5.4.6 Empty Loop Action 5.4.7 Switch Location 5.4.8 Switch Duration 5.4.9 Enable Secondary Feedback 5.4.10 Record Threshold 5.5 Using Feedback 5.6 Using Tracks 5.7 Using Scripts 6 Next Steps 7 Troubleshooting

7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4

Mobius is just frozen, it doesn't do anything! Record Stops Suddenly I edited an XML file, now everything is screwed up! I registered my script files but they won't run

1 Introduction This manual will help you quickly get started doing basic looping with Mobius. We will introduce some of the major concepts and terms, describe the user interface, and give examples of some of the most common ways to use Mobius. You are expected to have read the Installation Guide and completed a successful installation test. Once you have finished this manual, Exploring Mobius will give you more information about how Mobius can be controlled and customized. The Mobius Synchronization manual has detailed information about creating loops and tracks that play together in perfect synchronization. The Mobius Techniques manual has detailed information and tutorials for some of the major looping techniques. The Mobius Reference manual will have an exhaustive description of every function, parameter, control and variable. You can skim this to get a feel for what is available, but normally you should read this last. The Mobius Scripting manual will have all the details about how to write and use Mobius scripts. Most users will want to use scripts at some point but it is recommended that you first become comfortable with basic Mobius use.

2 Concepts Mobius is a complex application and it is difficult to talk about it without using some unusual jargon. In this section we will introduce some of the fundamental concepts and terminology that you will see throughout the documentation. You should read this section before you read anything else. Don't feel like you need to fully understand everything right away, just read through it and remember the terms so that when you see them later you can return here for review.

2.1 Channel A channel is a stream of digital audio samples. Channels correspond to the physical inputs and outputs of your audio interface, or to the "pins" in the VST or AU plugin. Mobius is continually receiving audio from two or more channels and continually sending audio out to two or more channels.

2.2 Port A port is a collection of adjacent channels. Mobius always processes digital audio in stereo, so it organizes channels into stereo pairs, one for the left channel and one for the right. These pairs of channels are called ports. If for example you have an audio

interface with 8 input channels, channels 1 and 2 will be port 1, channels 3 and 4 will be port 2, and so on. Mobius does not currently support ports with more than two channels, such a the 6 channels necessary for 5.1 surround. This may be addressed in future releases.

2.3 Frame A frame is the smallest unit of digital audio that Mobius will use. Frames consist of a set of samples of digital audio, captured at a moment in time from one Port. Currently Mobius always processes audio in stereo, so a frame always contains two samples, one for the left channel and one for the right. Most of the time you can think of a frame and a sample as the same thing. It is a single slice of audio, whether it be mono, stereo, or surround. So what is commonly called "sample rate" is really "frame rate" in Mobius.

2.4 Loop A loop can be thought of as one independent digital audio recording. Loops are typically allowed to play from beginning to end then repeat indefinitely, but you can use loops in other ways. Loops may be of any length and contain audio from any port. After a loop has been recorded you may add more audio by overdubbing. A loop may be altered in many ways using Functions. Loops can be made to evolve over time using Feedback.

2.5 Layer While you can think of a loop as one digital audio recording, it may actually be built from several pieces known as layers. When you record a loop for the first time it will have one layer. Every time you modify the loop with Overdub or some other loop editing function, a new layer is created. Layers are the history of the loop and you can change which layer is currently playing. The most common use for layers is to undo a change you don't want. For example, if you're overdubbing new audio and you play a wrong note, you can delete the current layer and return to the previous layer.

2.6 Cycle A cycle is a subdivision of the loop. Loops initially will contain only one cycle, but through various operations such as Multiply additional cycles may be added. Cycles are always the same length. Cycles are sometimes the same as measures in music notation, but not always. Cycles are primarily of interest for Quantization.

2.7 Subcycle

A subcycle is a subdivision of a Cycle. The number of subcycles in a cycle is defined by a Parameter that can be changed at any time. Subcycles are sometimes the same as beats in music notation, but not always. Subcycles are primarily of interest for Quantization.

2.8 Track A track contains a set of loops with Controls that determine how the loops are recorded and played. Mobius tracks are similar to tracks in other audio applications. All tracks can be playing at the same time and can be mixed together using traditional controls like output level and pan. If you are familiar with looping hardware you can think of each track as one hardware looper that can be used independently and mixed together. Tracks can contain several loops but only one loop can be playing at a time. This is called the active loop. Changing loops in a track is called Loop Switching. The loops in a track can be of any length but most of the time various Synchronization methods are used to create loops that are exact multiples of each other so that they are rhythmically compatible.

2.9 Loop Switch A loop switch is the act of changing the loop that is currently playing within a track. This is an important event because there are many options available to control when the switch happens and what happens to the new loop after it is activated.

2.10 Synchronization Synchronization is a very complex topic but basically it refers to techniques that can be used to create loops with precise control over their size. This is important if you want to create loops that play together with a consistent rhythm. It is practically impossible to create loops in different tracks that are exactly the same size just by tapping the start and end with a footswitch. They may be close but there will always be a few milliseconds of difference and the loops will gradually go out of phase if you let them play long enough. If you wish to create loops in different tracks that will play together without drifting apart, you will always want to use some form of synchronization. Synchronization can also be used to create loops that play in time with an external device such as a sequencer or drum machine.

2.11 Function A function is a named action performed by Mobius at the request of the user. Examples include Record, Overdub, and Reset. Causing a function to be performed is called executing the function.

Mobius provides many functions, some like Record will be used frequently, others are used only is special situations. We will introduce the most commonly used functions in this manual, the rest will be discussed in the Reference Manual . The behavior of a function may be altered by setting Parameters Functions may be combined in complex ways using Scripts

2.12 Mode A mode is a temporary state that a track can be in. Modes are usually caused by Functions. Some functions take effect immediately and are then finished. Other functions have both a start and an end time. Functions that have both a start and end time are called modal functions. While the function is active the track is in a mode. The current mode is displayed in the user interface. The most common example is Record mode. When the Record function starts the track enters Record mode, when it ends the track enters another mode, usually the Play mode. While you are in a mode, functions may have different behavior. A function that does one thing when in Reset mode may have a different behavior when in Switch Quantize mode. This will be discussed in the detailed documentation for each function.

2.13 Event An event is an action Mobius performs at a certain time in the future. Events are scheduled during the execution of a function. A function may schedule more than one event. In the user interface, events are displayed on a timeline so you can see what will be happening as the loop plays. Each track has its own list of scheduled events. The most common use for events is to perform a quantized function.

2.14 Quantization Quantization causes the execution of functions to happen at a precise time. When quantization is disabled functions are executed immediately. When quantization is enabled, the execution of the function will be delayed until the next quantization boundary. Quantization is frequently used to build loops that have a regular rhythmic quality. The three quantization boundaries are Loop, Cycle, and Subcycle. You will see several phrases in the documentation used to describe the effects of quantization, such as "when quantizing", "during quantization", or "quantized function". All of these refer to the same concept.

2.15 Script

A script is a text file containing statements in a programming language. Scripts allow you control Mobius in very complex ways. In the simplest case scripts can be used as "macros" to perform a set of functions at exactly the same time. In more complex cases scripts can use conditional logic to adjust their behavior depending on what is currently happening. Scripting is a complex topic that will be covered in detail in the Mobius Scripting manual. For now you can think of scripts as a way to extend and customize the builtin Mobius functions. You don't need to understanding scripting right away, but most people will eventually use them.

2.16 Parameter A parameter is named value that can be changed to control how Mobius behaves. There are four categories of parameters: global parameters, setup parameters, track parameters and preset parameters. Global parameters define general operating characteristics such as whether input monitoring is enabled, or the amount of latency compensation. Global parameters are usually set in a popup window opened by the Global Parameters item from the Configuration menu. Preset parameters change the way functions are performed, examples include Record Threshold, Quantize Mode, and Subcycles. Most of the time when we talk about parameters we are referring to preset parameters. Preset parameters are usually set in a popup window opened by the Presets item from the Configuration menu. Setup parameters define characteristics shared by all tracks, primarily these are related to synchronization. Track parameters define a few characteristics of each track such as the track name, group number, and input focus. These are relatively unusual and are used mostly in scripts. Parameters have a type which determines how they are shown in the UI and used in scripts.    

Integer - a small positive number String - a short line of text Boolean - a true or false value, displayed as a checkbox Enumeration - one of a fixed set of values, displayed as a menu

2.17 Preset A preset is a named collection of parameter values. While you can change parameters individually using MIDI or scripts, you will usually change parameters in bulk by selecting presets. You may need only one preset, or you may define several with parameters chosen for different looping styles. Each track has an active preset that may be changed at any time, even while a loop is playing. Each track may have a different active preset.

2.18 Control A control is a named value that controls how audio is recorded and played in a track. Controls are similar to Parameters but their values are always integers and they have a larger range than most parameters. They are usually set by a MIDI device that sends continuous controller messages such as a rotating knob or a foot pedal. There are five built-in controls: Input Level, Output Level, Feedback, Secondary Feedback, and Pan. See the Using Controls section for more information.

2.19 Setup A setup is a named collection of parameters, presets, and controls for all tracks. Setups also contain parameters that define how the tracks will be synchronized. You may define several setups to configure tracks in different ways. There is always one active setup. Setups may be changed at any time, even while loops are playing. Note however that tracks may not immediately change to include everything in the new setup. If a track is already playing a loop, synchronization options defined in the setup will not take effect until the track is fully reset. There are many ways to use setups, but usually they are designed with a particular performance piece in mind. You can name each track to indicate which instruments will be used in them, define a level and pan mix for those instruments, decide which preset to use in each track, and decide how the tracks will be synchronized.

2.20 Project A project is a complete snapshot of Mobius state. It includes the current Setup plus the current control settings for each track which may be different than the setup. It also includes all of the audio content: tracks, loops, and layers. Once a project has been saved it may be loaded back into Mobius at a later time. Projects are not saved as a single file on the file system, there is a project directory file contain all the non-audio information, plus one or more audio files for each loop. The audio files are stored as standard wave files and may be loaded into other music applications.

2.21 Trigger A trigger is an external stimulus that causes Mobius to do something. There are several types of trigger:     

User Interface - clicking a button or turning a knob with the mouse Computer Keyboard - pressing and releasing a key MIDI - receiving MIDI messages from a foot controller or control surface Plugin Parameter Automation - receiving messages from the VST or AU host application OSC - receiving messages in the Open Sound Control network protocol

While Mobius supports all of these trigger types, by far the most common trigger is a MIDI foot controller, which are often called footswitches. Because of this, you will see phrases like "tap the Record switch" or "press Reset" in the documentation. Just remember that while we usually talk about MIDI footswitches, you can also do the same things with other triggers types.

2.22 Sustainable Trigger A sustainable trigger causes Mobius to take action twice, once when the trigger is pressed or turns on and another when the trigger is released or turns off. The sustainability of a trigger is important if you want to use Sustain Functions or Long Press functions. The following triggers are usually sustainable:     

UI Button Computer keyboard key MIDI Note MIDI Continuous Control OSC message

With UI buttons, Mobius is notified when the mouse button is pressed and when it is released. Similarly with computer keyboard keys, Mobius is notified when the key is pressed and released. With MIDI notes, Mobius expects to receive a NOTE ON message when the key (or footswitch) is pressed and a NOTE OFF message when the key is released. With MIDI control changes, Mobius will treat a non-zero CC value as "on" and a zero value as "off". This is useful for some footswitches that cannot send MIDI notes. MIDI Program Change messages are however not sustainable. There is no on/off state for a program change. If you are just starting Mobius you do not need to fully understand sustainable triggers, except for one common problem. If you are using a MIDI controller that sends note or continuous control messages you must make sure that the controller sends messages when you press a switch and when you release a switch. This is usually called "momentary" mode. If your controller operates in "toggle" mode or if it does not send messages at all when the switch is released Mobius will not work correctly. The most common problem caused by this is pressing a switch to do the Record function and having the record continue for about 1/2 second then stop. See the Record Stops Suddenly item in the Troubleshooting section for more information.

2.23 Target A target is anything in Mobius that can respond to a Trigger. These include Functions, Controls, Parameters, Presets, and Setups. For example triggers can be used to start and stop a function, to change the value of a control, or to select a preset.

2.24 Binding

A binding is the association of a Trigger with a Target. Once a binding is defined, every time a trigger is received it will be sent to the target. A simple example is to bind the computer keyboard key 'R' to the function Record. Once this is done, every time you press R a recording will start or stop. Most users will bind MIDI messages from a footswitch or control surface to functions and controls so they can operate Mobius without being near the computer. In the user interface, bindings are created using several popup dialog windows for each trigger type. Just remember that while the user interface may be different they're all doing the same thing, associating a trigger with a target.

2.25 Binding Scope A Binding may be given a scope to more precisely specify which tracks will respond to the trigger. In this manual we will always assume the default global scope which means that triggers are sent to the currently selected track. It is also possible to cause a trigger to be sent to a specific track even if it is not selected. This is an advanced topic that will be discussed in the Advanced Control section of the Exploring Mobius manual.

2.26 Sustain Function A sustain function is a special type of Function that can respond to a trigger twice, the first when the trigger is pressed and the second when the trigger is released. These can only be used with Sustainable Triggers. One example is Sustain Record. With the normal Record function you tap a footswitch once to start recording and again to stop. With the Sustain Record function you press and hold the footswitch to start recording, and the recording stops as soon as you release the footswitch. Many functions have both normal and sustain versions, these will be displayed as different items in the UI. If you bind a sustainable trigger to a non-sustainable function, the release event is simply ignored. If you bind a non-sustainable trigger to a sustainable function it will not work properly. The function may never turn off or it may begin its Long Press behavior. Scripts always behave as sustainable functions and they can use the sustain time in powerful ways.

2.27 Long Press A long press happens when you use a Sustainable Trigger and you hold it in the "on" position for a certain period of time. By default this time is 500 milliseconds or 1/2 of a second. When a long press happens, the function that was begun when the trigger was pressed may change what it does. This is called the "long press behavior". One example is the Record function. If you bind a trigger to the Record function and you hold that trigger down for 1/2 second, it will change into the Reset function and the loop will be erased and all layers lost.

Not all functions have long press behavior, if they do it will be highlighted in the documentation for that function, these are referred to as "long press functions". If a function supports long press, you must use a Sustainable Trigger in order to use it. If you use a long press function with a non-sustainable trigger such as a MIDI program change, the long press behavior will never activate. A common problem that new users encounter is trying to bind the Record command to a trigger that sends a MIDI NOTE ON message but does not send a corresponding NOTE OFF message. This can happen with some footswitches. What happens is that the recording starts but within 1/2 second the loop resets. Mobius keeps waiting for the NOTE OFF but it never comes so it activates the long press behavior and resets the loop. If this happens to you then it is almost always a problem with the footswitch. This problem is also common when you try to bind the Record function to a plugin host parameter if the host does not support the "momentary button" concept.

3 User Interface The Mobius window is divided into three areas. The button area at the top is where the configurable function buttons are arranged. The status area in the center contains many components that display the status of the current loop in the active track. The track strips at the bottom have controls and status indicators for each of the tracks.

Each of these areas is highly customizable. You can remove things you don't want and add optional things that aren't shown here. In the status area you can move the components around to create alternate layouts that might look better to you. This ability to customize the display is one of the reasons why Mobius has a rather primitive appearance compared to most modern applications. Photo-realistic brushed aluminum faceplates with bouncing analog needles will not be found here. In this manual we will only talk about the default user interface. See Customizing the User Interface in the Exploring Mobius manual for more information on changes you can make to the user interface.

3.1 Menus Configuration of Mobius is performed using a set of popup dialog windows you open from the menus. There are several ways to access the menus depending on which operating system you use and whether you are running Mobius standalone or as a plugin. In all situations, the Mobius menus are accessible when you right-click the mouse button somewhere inside the status area. A popup menu will appear near the current location of the mouse. When Mobius is running standalone an application menu bar is also available. Under the Windows operating system, the application menu is displayed at the top of the Mobius window. Under the OS X operating system, the application menu is displayed at the top of the screen when the Mobius window is selected.

When Mobius is running as a VST or AU plugin, the application menu bar is usually not available. The one exception is under Windows when the Dual Plugin Windows option is enabled. In this case, Mobius is in full control over the window and adds a menu bar. We will talk frequently about opening various configuration windows. These are all opened by first selecting Configuration from the main menu, then one of the submenu items that appear.

3.2 Button Area The button area may contain any number of buttons that execute functions and scripts. This can be convenient for infrequently used functions that you don't need have accessible from a footswitch. To perform the function simply click the button with the mouse. Buttons are Sustainable Triggers so you can use them with Sustain Functions. The function will begin when you press the mouse button and end when you release it. Any number of buttons may be added. They will automatically be arranged on one or more rows in the button area. As you resize the Mobius window, the buttons will be rearranged to fit within the new window width. If you make the window narrower, more rows of buttons may be added. This will shift the status area down which may cause it to overlap with the track strips. If this happens you will need to make the window taller.

Multi-line button area See Customizing Buttons in the Exploring Mobius manual for more information on changing buttons.

3.3 Status Area The status area contains many components that display the state of the selected track. You can add or remove components and move them to new locations. Some components are initially invisible and will appear only when certain things happen in the track. To see the names and outlines of all active components, press and hold the Z key on the computer keyboard.

Default status area component outlines As you add or move components in the status area you may notice that some of the components are erased with a black rectangular area. This indicates that one or more components overlap. When this happens you need to use Z to switch to outline mode, and drag the components so that they no longer overlap. To drag a component in outline mode, click on it with the left mouse button, hold the button down, and move the mouse to a new location.

Moving components is not necessary unless you customize them and sometimes after upgrading to a new release. See Customizing the Status Area in the Exploring Mobius manual for more information on changes you can make to the status area.

3.3.1 Floating Track Strip In the default layout, the Track Strip component is shown on the left edge of the status area. This component contains knobs to control levels in the currently selected track. It is called a floating strip because it can be moved around the status area, whereas the track strips along the bottom of the window are fixed and cannot be moved.

Default floating track strip As you select different tracks the knobs will be redrawn to display the current levels in that track. To change the value of a knob, press and hold the left mouse button over the knob. To raise the value drag the mouse up or to the right. To lower the value drag the mouse down or to the left. Release the mouse button when the desired value is reached. See the Using Controls section for more information about what each of the controls do.

3.3.2 Instant Parameters In the default layout, the Instant Parameters component is shown to the right of the Floating Track Strip. This component displays the values of selected parameters and allows you to change them.

Default instant parameters When using the default set of keyboard bindings, you can change the highlighted parameter using the 8 (up) and 2 (down) keys on the numeric keypad. Use the 6 (right) and 4 (left) keys to change the selected value. Changes you make here are not stored permanently in the preset, they temporarily override the value from the preset. The original preset value will be restored as soon as you select a different preset, or you perform a Full Reset. You can change which parameters are displayed in this component, this is described in detail in the Visible Parameters section of the Exploring Mobius manual.

3.3.3 Loop Status Cluster In the default layout, the loop status cluster is shown in the center of the screen. This is not a single component but a set of components that are often arranged to be near each other.

Default loop status components

3.3.3.1 Counter The counter displays several pieces of loop information including the active loop number, the current playback position within the loop, and the current cycle within the loop.

Example Counter On the left is a small number that displays the active loop number. Recall that a track may contain any number of loops, but only one can be active at a time. In the center the larger digits show the current location in the loop in seconds. The digits to the left of the decimal point represent seconds, and the digits to the right represent tenths of a second. On the right are two smaller numbers separated by a slash. The number to the right of the slash is the number of cycles in the current loop, the number to the left of the slash is the number of the cycle that is currently being played or recorded. Cycles are created when you extend the loop using functions such as Multiply and Insert. Until you use those functions the loop will always have one cycle and the counter will always display 1/1. 3.3.3.2 Audio Meter The audio meter displays the level of the audio signal being received by the current track. It is a thin horizontal rectangle displayed between the Counter and the Loop Meter.

Audio meter showing the presence of a signal The audio meter will fill with color from the left to right as the signal becomes louder. The meter will usually flicker as the level changes. Note that the level displayed here is what mixing consoles call "post fader". It is the level of the track input after it has passed through the Input Level control and represents the level of the signal that will be recorded. 3.3.3.3 Loop Meter The loop meter is a very useful component that shows your current location in the loop using a graphical "thermometer". When you are at the loop start point, the loop meter will be empty. As the loop plays it will gradually fill with color until you reach the end point where the loop meter will be completely full. Then the meter is cleared and begins filling again.

Loop meter with a scheduled event

To give you an even better idea of where you are in the loop, a series of tick marks is drawn under the loop meter. The longer marks represent cycles and the smaller marks represent subcycles. When you use quantization, functions may be delayed until some time in the future. When this happens an event is displayed under the tick marks with a small triangle showing when the event will happen. There may be several events scheduled to happen at the same time. In this example at the beginning of the 3rd cycle the loop will enter reverse mode and half-speed mode at exactly the same time. If the event triangle points up it means the event will happen as soon as the loop meter reaches that point. If the triangle points to the right (or the left if going in reverse) it means the event will happen during a later repetition of the loop. 3.3.3.4 Mode Recall that at any given time a loop is in a Mode, such as Reset, Record, or Play. The name of the current mode is displayed to the right of the Audio Meter.

The names of the possible modes are described in the section Major Modes. 3.3.3.5 Beaters The beaters are a set of three "lights" that flash briefly when the loop playback position reaches certain important points.

The first light flashes whenever a subcycle boundary is reached. The second light flashes whenever a cycle boundary is reached, and the third light flashes whenever the loop start/end point is reached. Watching the beaters can help give you a sense of the loop rhythm if you are overdubbing over a non-rhythmic loop. 3.3.3.6 Minor Modes The Minor Modes component displays a number of interesting loop states. These differ from the major Modes because a loop can be in any number of minor modes at the same time. The minor modes are displayed in a line above the Counter.

The possible minor modes are:     

Capture Master MIDI Master Mute Overdub

          

PitchBend PitchOctave PitchStep Reverse SpeedBend SpeedOctave SpeedStep SpeedToggle TimeStretch TrackMaster Window

See the Minor Modes section for more information on what each of these modes means. 3.3.3.7 Sync Status The Sync Status component is a small line of text displayed above the Minor Modes. When synchronization is enabled for the track, this component may display information about the nature of the synchronization.

For example, if the track is configured to generate a master MIDI clock this will display the tempo of the MIDI clocks. If the track is configured to follow an external sync source such as a MIDI clock or plugin host, the component will display the tempo of the external clock as well as the current beat and bar numbers. For MIDI, beat and bar numbers are guesses since MIDI clocks do not say what the time signature is. The way the counters work is every time we receive a MIDI start event we reset the beat and bar counters to 1. Then we start counting clocks, every 24 clocks is considered to be one beat. The number of beats in a bar is determined by the preset parameter named Record Beats/Bar. When this number of beats is received, we reset the beat counter back to 1 and increment the bar counter. 3.3.3.8 Message The Message component is used to display messages from scripts and a few messages generated internally by Mobius. It is a large rectangular area normally positioned under the loop meter and above the track strips. Because this component is normally invisible you will need to press the Control-Z key (assuming you have the default key bindings) to see where it is.

Whenever a preset is changed, Mobius will display the name of the new preset in the message area.

Scripts may use the Message statement to display a short message to let the user know what the script is doing. Messages from scripts will be displayed for a few seconds then be erased. The amount of time a message is displayed can be controlled by the global parameter named Message Duration. Using messages is an advanced topic that is primarily of interest to scripters. If you never intend to use scripts you can remove this component to save space, though this is not recommended since even non-scripters will often use scripts written by someone else.

3.3.4 Layer Bars The Layer Bars component is displayed just under the Button Area. It consists of a set of vertical rectangles or "bars" that resemble dominoes. The bars represent the Layers in the active loop. The layer bars are initially invisible. When the loop is recorded one layer is created and one bar is shown. As you modify the loop and create more layers, more bars are added. The bar for the current layer is shown in an brighter color than the other layers.

Layer bars before undo Until you use the Undo function, the current layer will always be the last one displayed on the right. When you use undo, you move backwards to the previous layers. Each time you press undo you move back one layer. The highlighted layer will appear somewhere in the middle of the list.

Layer bars after undo The component can be constrained to have a fixed number of bars. The default maximum number of layer bars is 10. A loop may have more layers than this, but only 10 bars will be displayed. Once the number of layers is greater than 10, a small number is displayed in the upper left corner. This number indicates the number of layers that are not being displayed on the left.

Layer bars with maximum bars and overflow counter A special layer bar is displayed if you use the Checkpoint function. A checkpoint can be used to collapsing a number of layers together if you don't care about the layers in between two checkpoints. When you use Undo and Redo you will move between checkpoints and jump over all the layers in between. A checkpoint layer is shown in a highlighted color different than the color used for the current layer.

Layer bars with a checkpoint

3.3.5 Loop Bars The Loop Bars component displays the number of loops in the current track and highlights the one that is active. It displays loops using colored rectangles similar to the Layer Bars except that the rectangles are horizontal and stacked vertically.

The loop bars component is not enabled by default because there are several other ways to show the current loop. The Counter displays the current loop as a number. There is also a graphical representation of the loops that can be displayed in the Track Strips that many people find more useful.

3.4 Track Strips The Track Strips area displays summary status for all of the tracks. Each track has one track strip arranged in a row along the bottom of the window. The components in each track strip can be changed, but each strip will have the same components. These track strips are sometimes called fixed or docked strips to distinguish them from the Floating Track Strip. The floating track strip can be moved in the status area, but the fixed track strips at the bottom cannot be moved.

Default track strip The example above shows the default track strip components. Notice that the selected track will have a white rectangle drawn around its track strip.

3.4.1 Track Number The Track Number component will display either the track number or the track name that was defined in the Setup. When the track has focus lock the number or name will be displayed in a different color. Clicking on the number or name will toggle focus lock.

3.4.2 Loop Radar The Loop Radar displays progress through the loop as a pie-chart which is often lovingly referred to as the "loop pacman". When the loop is at its start point the radar will be empty, as the loop plays it will draw a clockwise filled arc. When the loop is at the end point it will display as a complete filled circle, then clear and start over.

3.4.3 Loop Status The Loop Status component shows the status of each loop in the track. Each row represents one loop. If the loop has content a green rectangle is drawn. The active loop will be drawn with a white border. If you are performing a Loop Switch, the next loop will be drawn with a red border.

3.4.4 Output Level Control This knob controls the output level of the track, it is a duplicate of what is displayed in the Floating Track Strip component in the status area. Being able to instantly access the output level control for all tracks makes it easier to mix them.

3.4.5 Output Level Meter The Output Level Meter is similar to the Audio Meter except that it shows the level of the audio signal being played in the loop. It is another "thermometer" that will bounce around according to the average loop level being played.

4 Controlling Mobius While you can control Mobius with the mouse by clicking on buttons and dragging knobs, most users will want to control Mobius using a MIDI footswitch or some other form of MIDI control surface. The keys on the computer keyboard also provide a convenient way to control Mobius. Recall from the Concepts section that a Trigger is an external stimulus that causes Mobius to do something. The most common examples of triggers are receiving MIDI events and detecting a computer keyboard key press. A Binding is the association of a trigger with a Target, the most common type of target is a function, script, or track control. By configuring bindings you can control almost every aspect of Mobius using MIDI or the keyboard.

4.1 Binding Popup Windows Bindings are defined through a set of popup dialog windows. The windows for binding MIDI events, computer keyboard keys, and plugin parameters all share some components. The following image shows the binding window for MIDI events.

Example Binding Window The binding windows for MIDI events, keyboard events, and plugin parameters all use this style of user interface with a few differences that are described in later sections.

4.1.1 Binding Set Selector At the top are the Binding Set Selector components. These are displayed only in the MIDI binding window. The components here allow you to create several sets of bindings which may be activated at different times. The MIDI Bindings section describes these components in more detail.

4.1.2 Bindings List

On the left is the Bindings panel. This lists all of the bindings that are defined. The first column will have the name of the target, the second text representation of the trigger. The third arguments column contains the optional binding arguments.

4.1.3 Selecting Targets On the upper right is the Targets panel where you select a target for binding. This is a tabbed panel with each tab containing the names of one type of target. The Functions tab will have a list of all built-in functions arranged in alphabetical order. Function names that begin with Sustain are Sustain Functions and are normally bound to a trigger that has both a "down" and an "up" state such as MIDI notes.

Function Targets The Scripts tab will have a list of all loaded scripts. If you have not added any script files or directories from the Scripts configuration window then this tab will be empty. The Controls tab will have a list of all the built-in track controls. See Using Controls for more information on what these do. Control targets are almost always bound to MIDI continuous controllers.

Control Targets The Parameters tab will have a list of all the built-in loop and track parameters. Global parameters are not on this list.

Parameter Targets Parameter bindings are relatively uncommon, but one use for them is to bind a MIDI continuous controller to a parameter with a fixed set of values such as Quantize Mode. The MIDI controller range will be divided by the number of values in the parameter. With the MIDI controller at zero the first parameter value is selected, with the MIDI controller at 127 the last parameter value is selected. Other parameter values are selected as the MIDI controller sweeps between 0 and 127. The Configurations tab will have a list of all the user-defined presets, setups, and extended MIDI bindings.

Configuration Targets The name of the configuration will be prefixed with Preset:, Setup:, or Bindings: to indicate what it is. The example above shows a few of each type. If you are running Mobius for the first time, you should see only one preset and one setup in the list named "Default".

Configurations are commonly bound to MIDI program changes though MIDI notes and computer keys may also be used. When this trigger is received the preset, setup, or binding set is made active.

4.1.4 Selecting a Scope The Scope selector restricts the target to a particular track or track group. When the scope is Global the binding is performed in currently selected track, this is the most common binding scope. The scopes Track 1 through Track 8 force the binding to be performed in a specific track no matter which is currently selected. The scopes Group A through Group D force the binding to be performed on all tracks in one of the track groups.

Scope Selector The most common use for scoping is to assign different MIDI continuous controllers to specific track Controls such as Output Level. This is typically done with control surfaces that have groups of faders and knobs similar to a mixing console. Each group of faders and knobs can be scoped to a specific Mobius Track. When you are just getting started we recommend you only use Global scope. The Advanced Control section of the Exploring Mobius manual has more detail on the use of binding scopes.

4.1.5 Binding Arguments The Arguments text field is used to enter one or more words and numbers that can change the way the binding operates. This is an advanced topic covered in the Binding Arguments section of the Exploring Mobius manual.

The Mysterious Arguments

4.1.6 Trigger Binding Fields Between the Scope selector and Arguments are fields that define the binding trigger. These will change depending on the trigger type and are discussed in more detail in the sections below. This example shows the trigger fields for MIDI bindings.

MIDI Trigger Fields

4.1.7 Command Buttons Under the Bindings panel are the Command Buttons which are used to create new bindings, update existing bindings, and delete bindings.

Command Buttons To create a new binding select a target, scope, and trigger and click New, a new binding will be added to the list. To delete a binding select it in the binding list and click Delete. To modify a binding select it in the binding list and notice that the target, scope, and trigger components change to have the values for the selected binding. Now change the target, scope, or trigger and click the Update button. The previous binding is changed to have the new values.

4.2 MIDI Bindings To create MIDI bindings, open the Configuration menu and select the MIDI Control item. The major sections of this window were described in Binding Popup Windows, here we will describe the features specific to MIDI bindings.

MIDI Binding Window

4.2.1 Selecting MIDI Triggers The Trigger for MIDI bindings is specified with a set of three fields. The first is a menu that selects the type of MIDI event, the second the MIDI event channel, and the third the MIDI event value.

MIDI Trigger Fields The MIDI event type is specified with a menu containing these items.   

Note - Note On or Note Off event Control - Continuous controller event Program - Program change event

The Channel field is used to select one of the MIDI channels from 1 to 16. The binding will only be executed if the MIDI event comes in on this channel. There is no omni mode, you must select a channel. The Value field is use to specify the note number, continuous controller number, or program change number. It is a text field, you must type in the number. To make it easier to create MIDI bindings, Mobius supports what is commonly called a "MIDI learn". The read-only text area below the Value field will show the MIDI events currently being received. To use this feature you must have previously selected one or more MIDI Devices. Just press keys or turn knobs on your MIDI controller and you should see them in the MIDI capture field. If you check the MIDI Capture box, the three trigger fields are changed to reflect the last MIDI event that was received. This makes entering the type, channel, and value for a MIDI binding much easier. The typical steps for creating MIDI bindings are:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Check the MIDI Capture box Select a target (function, control, parameter, or configuration) Select a scope Press a key, turn a knob, or move a fader on your MIDI device, the trigger fields should change to reflect the MIDI event 5. Click the New command button to add the binding

4.2.2 Multiple MIDI Binding Sets MIDI bindings are unusual in that you can create more than one set of bindings. The first set of bindings is always named Common Bindings and are always active. Additional sets of bindings may be optionally enabled and merged with the common bindings. These are called extended bindings and sometimes overlay bindings. You might want to create several extended bindings if you have several MIDI controllers that you use at different times. Or to make different bindings for different locations such as a home studio and a performance space. This is an advanced feature, the majority of Mobius users only have a single set of MIDI bindings.

Binding Set Selector At the top of the MIDI binding window is the binding set selector The field at the top labeled Active Bindings is a menu containing all of the defined binding sets. The currently selected binding set is active the one that is active. Note that this menu is a little confusing because the first binding set named Common Bindings is always active so you use this menu to select which binding set you want active in addition to the common bindings. If Common Bindings is selected here it means only the common bindings are active with no extensions. If anything else is selected it means that that binding set is active and it will be combined with the common bindings. Below the active binding menu is a text field labeled Name which has the name of the binding set. The first binding set has no name, it is always displayed as "Common Bindings" and this cannot be changed. Extended binding sets may be given any name. When you first create them they will be given automatically generated names like "Bindings 1" and "Bindings 2". Edit the name field to set the preferred name, then click the Rename button. To create a new extended binding set click the small New button to the right of the active bindings menu. A new empty binding set is created and added to the menu. To delete a binding set, first select it from the active bindings menu then click the small Delete button. When you click Ok in the MIDI bindings window the extended binding set that is currently shown in the active bindings menu is made active. If you have been editing several binding sets be sure to leave the one you want to use now selected when you close the window. After you create extended binding sets, the binding sets themselves may be bound to a MIDI event, when that MIDI event is received it causes that set to be activated. Binding sets will be shown under the Configurations tab in the target selector.

4.2.2.1 Multiple MIDI Bindings Example While several uses for multiple MIDI binding sets have been discovered by users, the original goal of this was to provide more flexibility for the Ground Control Pro foot controller. This controller has some nice features but one unfortunate design choice is that it can only be configured with 12 "instant access" buttons. An instant access button is what you must use if you want momentary switches that send something both when they're pressed and when they're released. The problem is that there are no "banks" of instant access switches like there are on other footswitches, you only get 12 of them and what they send cannot be changed without reprogramming. To help work around this limitation you can create several extended binding sets that bind the same MIDI events from the instant access switches to different Mobius functions. In effect the binding sets become "banks" that reassign what the switches do. To switch between banks you then bind one row of switches (usually the top or bottom) to the binding sets themselves. For example switch 1 selects binding set A, switch 2 selects binding set B, etc. When set up in this way the top four switches are effectively bank select switches that change the behavior of the bottom 8 switches. This raises the number of Mobius functions at your disposal from 12 to 32.

4.2.3 Showing MIDI Bindings A window containing a summary of all the MIDI bindings may be displayed by pulling down the Help menu and selecting the MIDI Bindings item. This is a "modeless dialog" that you can leave open while you interact with the main Mobius window.

MIDI Bindings Summary Window

4.3 Keyboard Bindings To create keyboard bindings, open the Configuration menu and select the Keyboard Control item. The major sections of this window were described in Binding Popup Windows, here we will describe the features specific to keyboard bindings.

Keyboard Binding Window The Trigger for keyboard bindings is specified with a single field labeled Key. This is a text field into which you type the name of the key you want to bind. The key names must follow certain rules, for example letters must be in upper case and control key combinations are written as "Ctrl+" followed by the key letter. It is possible to learn these rules but by far the easiest way to make key bindings is to check the Capture checkbox.

Keyboard Trigger Fields When key capture is checked, the name of any key you press, including combinations of shift and modifier keys, is automatically entered into the text field.

The Caps Lock key is not recognized as a shift modifier and cannot be bound. The Print Screen and Num Lock keys cannot be bound. The right Windows key may be bound, but cannot be used as a key modifier. The left Windows key may also be bound but it is not recommended since Windows will popup the start menu whenever this key is pressed. The keys in the number pad will have different names depending on the state of the Num Lock key. If Num Lock is down, the keys will appear as "Num 0", "Num 1", etc. If Num Lock is up, the keys will be duplicates of the arrow and page keys. Keeping Num Lock down will provide you with more unique keys to bind. The keys in the number pad are different than the number keys in the row above the letter keys. For example, "1" and "Num 1" may be bound to different functions. The typical steps for creating key bindings are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Check the Key Capture box Select a target (function, control, parameter, or configuration) Select a scope Press a key with or without modifier keys on the computer keyboard Click the New command button to add the binding

Note that while it is possible to bind keys to track controls (Output Level, Pan, etc.) this is not normally done because keys cannot behave like continuous controllers. Keys are however Sustainable Triggers so they may be used with the sustain functions. If the key is bound to a sustain function, the function is active for as long as the key is pressed.

4.3.1 Showing Keyboard Bindings A window containing a summary of all the keyboard bindings may be displayed by pulling down the Help menu and selecting the Key Bindings item. This is a "modeless dialog" that you can leave open while you interact with the main Mobius window.

Keyboard Bindings Summary Window

5 Using Mobius In this section we will discuss some of the more common ways to use Mobius and describe some of the menu items and configuration windows. When you have finished this section you should have a good overview of what Mobius can do. The Mobius Techniques manual will go into more depth on functions and techniques. The Mobius Reference manual will have an exhaustive description of every function, parameter, control and variable.

5.1 Using Presets Before we dive into Mobius functions, it is important to understand presets. Recall that Parameters are named values that can change how Mobius behaves. Many

functions are sensitive to one or more parameters so in order to understand what a function does, you need to understand the parameters that may effect it and what the parameter values mean. In this section we will not document what every parameter means, but we will show you how to change them. The Using Functions section will talk about how a few parameters are used with certain functions and the Common Parameters section will describe more parameters that are used with many functions. Parameters are usually set by using Presets, a named collection of parameter values. You may define several presets with different parameter values. Each track always has one active preset. Presets may be changed at any time and each track can have a different preset. To manage presets, open the Configuration menu and select the Presets item.

5.1.1 Preset Window The preset window is divided into two sections. At the top are components for selecting, renaming, creating, and deleting presets. The large area at the bottom contains of a tab panel with the parameter values for the selected preset. The first tab labeled General has most of the parameters you will see referenced in the function documentation.

Preset Window

5.1.2 Preset Switch Tab The Switch tab contains parameters that define what happens when you switch between loops.

Loop Switch Parameters

5.1.3 Preset Effects Tab The Effects tab contains parameters related to pitch and speed shifting.

Effects Parameters

5.1.4 Preset Other Tab The Other tab contains miscellaneous parameters that didn't fit in the other tabs.

Other Parameters

5.1.5 Setting Parameters Parameter values are either numeric, text, boolean, or "enumerations". Numeric parameters are displayed with a small text field where you can type in a number. There is usually a minimum and maximum value defined for numeric parameters. Text parameters have a longer text field where you can type in free-form text. Boolean parameters are displayed with a checkbox to turn them on or off. Enumeration parameters are displayed with a menu where you select one of the allowed values. When you see a parameter referenced in the documentation for a function and would like to try it out, bring up the preset window, locate the parameter in one of the tabs, change the parameter, and click Ok. Be careful though. Until you are comfortable with the basic operation of Mobius it is recommended that you not make changes to parameters unless you are certain about what they will do. If Mobius starts acting weird or if something that worked yesterday suddenly stops working, it is very often because you were experimenting with parameters and forgot to put them back to their default values. Mobius installs with one default preset named oddly enough "Default". You can change this preset but if you're just getting started it is recommended that you make a copy of it and change the copy. That way you can always get back to the default parameter set if something goes wrong.

5.1.6 Managing Multiple Presets At the top of the preset window is a set of components that let you create, delete, select, and rename presets.

Preset Management Components To create a new preset simply click the New button. A new preset is created and selected. The new preset will have a copy of the parameters from the preset that was selected when you clicked New. If you want to make a new preset that is similar to an existing preset, be sure to select the right existing preset before you click New. When a new preset is created it will be given a generated unique name starting with "Preset" followed by a number. To change this name, click on the Name text field and type in the desired name.

Renaming a new preset Next click the Rename button to save the name you entered into the preset. You must remember to click Rename.

Renamed preset

Once you have created several presets you can switch between them by using the Selected Preset menu at the top. The preset that is selected in this menu will become the active track preset when you click Ok on the preset window. If you are making changes to several presets, be sure to remember to select the one you want to be active before closing the window.

Selecting a preset To delete a preset simply select it and click the Delete button. The preset is deleted and removed from the selection menu. Be careful with the delete button, there is no "are you sure" prompt. If you delete a preset by accident click Cancel at the bottom of the preset window and open the window again. After making changes to one more presets that you are happy with, you must click the Ok button. If you click Cancel or the window close button all changes you have made will be lost.

5.1.7 Selecting Presets with Menus Another way to select presets is by using the Presets menu in the menu bar.

Selecting a preset This menu will contain the names of all defined presets with a check next to the one that is active in the current track. To change presets simply select another one from the menu. If you just need to change presets without editing any parameter values using this menu is easier than opening the preset dialog.

5.2 Using Functions Recall that a Function is a named action performed by Mobius at the request of the user. In order to make Mobius do anything you have to use functions. Several phrases are used to describe the act of using a function, we usually say "executing a function" though "running a function", "performing a function", and "triggering a function" are sometimes seen in forum conversation. To execute a function you must associate it with a Trigger through a processed called Binding. In the initial installation there are a few functions bound to buttons in the UI and to keys on the computer keyboard. While you can use Mobius with just the computer almost everyone will at some point invest in a MIDI hardware controller, usually a footswitch. The Controlling Mobius section describes the most common ways to make function bindings. In this section we focus on what the functions do and not on how they are executed. We will use the terms "press" and "release" when talking about using a trigger to execute a function. Sometimes the trigger will be referred to as "the button". The trigger may actually be a UI button, computer key, MIDI footswitch, or something else. But in all cases function triggers are normally buttons of some kind that can be pressed and released.

So instead of saying something technically accurate like "perform the down transition of a sustainable trigger bound to the Record function" we will just say "press Record".

5.2.1 Modal and Instant Functions When some functions are executed they will continue to have an effect on the loop until they are canceled. These are called modal functions while the function is active the loop is said to be in a mode. While the loop is in a mode some functions may change their behavior. There are two types of modal functions: major modal functions and minor modal functions. The difference between these is that a loop can only be in one major mode at a time, but it may be in several minor modes at a time. If you are in a major mode and you use a function that has a different major mode, the first major mode is canceled. If a function is not modal, it is said to be an instant function which means it has a onetime effect on the loop and then it is finished. Reset and Instant Multiply are examples of instant functions. Record and Overdub are examples of modal functions.

5.2.2 Major Modes A loop is always in one major mode which is displayed in the Mode component in the user interface. Most of the major modes are temporary and caused by the execution of a function. A few represent the basic states a loop can be in when no function is active. The possible major modes are:                 

Reset - The loop is empty Run - A short-lived mode used during latency compensation, not usually seen Play - The loop is playing without being affected by a function Record - The Record function is active Threshold - The loop is waiting to begin recording until an audio signal of sufficient loudness is received Overdub - The Overdub function is active Multiply - The Multiply function is active Insert - The Insert function is active Stutter - The Stutter function is active Rehearse - The Rehearse function is active, and is in the review phase Rehearse Record - The Rehearse function is active, and is in the record phase Replace - The Replace function is active Substitute - The Substitute function is active Mute - The Mute function is active Pause - The Pause function is active Confirm - The loop is waiting for confirmation after a loop switch Switch - The loop is waiting for a quantize point before performing a loop switch



Synchronize - The loop is waiting for a synchronization point before beginning recording

5.2.3 Minor Modes A loop may be in any number of minor modes at the same time. Most of the minor modes are activated by the execution of a function, but some are related to synchronization and reflect various sync states a loop may be in once it has been recorded.                

Capture Master MIDIMaster Mute Overdub PitchBend PitchOctave PitchStep Reverse SpeedBend SpeedOctave SpeedStep SpeedToggle TimeStretch TrackMaster Window

The Reverse, Speed, and Pitch modes are called "effect" modes because they behave like applying audio effects to the track in real-time. The Master, TrackMaster, and MIDIMaster are synchronization modes you will see after recording the track that has been designated the sync master track. TrackMaster means that it is behaving as the track sync master, MIDIMaster means that the track is behaving as the MIDI sync master, and just Master means it is both track and MIDI sync master. Overdub is strange because it is both a minor mode and a major mode. Unlike other major modes if you start in Overdub mode then change to a different mode like Multiply when you leave Multiply mode you will return to Overdub mode. In effect the system always remembers if you started in Overdub mode and returns you there. This "pending" overdub mode is indicated by showing Overdub in the minor mode list. The Reverse, Speed, Pitch, and Overdub modes may be active while the loop is in Reset mode. Even though the loop is empty, the minor modes are "armed" and will become active once you start recording a new loop.

5.2.4 Reset, Empty, Clear, and Silent

There are two important states that a loop can be in but the terms used to describe those states are sometimes used inconsistently in the forums and even in the documentation. Usually it is clear from the context what the meaning is, but in this section we will give precise definitions for these terms. When you first start Mobius, all loops are in a state called Reset. The loops contain nothing, they cannot be played or manipulated in any way until you record something into them. While the official term for this is Reset we sometimes use the term Empty to mean the same thing. An empty loop contains nothing. When you use certain features like Empty Loop Action, loops can be created that have a size but they do not contain any audible content. Loops in this state are said to be Clear or Silent. The problem word is Empty. It is common to think of a silent loop as "empty" but technically this is not correct. The loop is not empty, it can play and be operated upon just like any other loop. It just doesn't have anything audible in it. This is especially important in the discussion of "loop switching" with Next Loop and Empty Loop Action because "empty" loops will behave differently than "silent" loops.

5.2.5 Record It all starts with Record. When a loop is empty is said to be in a reset state. Unless you choose to work only with pre-recorded loops you must always begin by recording audio into an empty loop. There are several ways to record loops but the one that most people start with is to use the Record function. You press Record once to begin recording and again to end the recording. Immediately after ending the recording the loop begins playing and continues forever until you modify it in some way. Another function that can be used to record a loop is Sustain Record. With this function recording starts when you press Sustain Record and ends when you release it. This is especially useful if you want to create very short loops. Some people like to have recording start automatically when they begin playing, then press Record to stop. You can do this by setting the Record Threshold preset parameter. When this parameter is zero, recording always starts immediately. When this parameter is set between 1 and 8, it the input level of the track must exceed the threshold before recording will start. Until then the track enters Threshold mode. Small values for the threshold will make it very sensitive, higher values will require a very loud signal. You will need to experiment with thresholds to find the one that works best for your input signal.

5.2.6 Reset So now you've recorded a loop, how do you get rid of it? The Reset function will throw away the loop and return it to reset mode. You can bind a footswitch to the Reset function but if you are using a controller that supports Sustainable Triggers it is easier to use a Long Press of the Record function. Just press and hold Record for about 1/2 second and the loop will be reset. There are three versions of the Reset function.

  

Reset - reset the current loop Track Reset - reset all loops in the current track Global Reset - reset all loops in all tracks

5.2.7 Overdub Once you have recorded a loop one of the most common looping techniques is to add more audio to the loop as it is playing, then when the loop plays back from the beginning you hear the original loop plus the new material. This process is called "overdubbing" and is done with the Overdub function. As the loop is playing, press Overdub to begin overdubbing and press Overdub again to stop. You should hear what you overdubbed the next time the loop plays from the beginning. You can also overdub using the Sustain Overdub function. Like other sustain functions, the overdub starts when you press the button and ends when you release it. If you do a lot of overdubs, the combined audio can reach the point of digital clipping and sound like harsh distortion. You may need to reduce the input level of the track so you can overdub several times without overloading. Overdub is often used in combination with the Feedback control. If you reduce feedback and keep overdub on, you can create an endlessly evolving loop as old layers fade out and new overdubs take over.

5.2.8 Undo and Redo Once you start overdubbing, you will notice bars being added to the Layer Bars in the user interface. Each bar represents one pass over the loop during which an overdub was applied. If you decide you don't like something you've overdubbed you can use the Undo function to return to the previous layer. You can keep using Undo to move back layers until you reach the first recorded layer. If you have the Maximum Redo parameter set, then as you undo, the current layer will be moved to the redo list, displayed to the right of the highlighted layer bar. When you have one or more redo layers you can use the Redo function to move forward to the next redo layer. A Reset of the loop will delete all layers.

5.2.9 Mute and Pause Sometimes you want to silence a loop but not completely throw it away like the Reset function does. There are several ways to do this, the most common is to use the Mute function. When you press Mute the loop will be silenced but it will continue to play. You will see the loop meter advancing but no sound will be output from the track. To end mute mode, press Mute a second time or use another function that is configured to end a mute (see below).

There are several options for what happens when you end a mute. These are controlled by the Mute Mode preset parameter. The possible values for this parameter are:   

Continue - resume playing at the current playback location without moving Start - restart the loop from the beginning Pause - resume from the paused location

The last mute mode Pause actually changes the Mute function so that it behaves the same as the Pause function. Pause behaves like pause button on an old tape machine, when you press Pause the first time it freezes the loop, no sound is output and the loop does not advance. When you press Pause a second time it unfreezes the loop and continuous playback from the last location. The most common way to end mute mode is to press Mute a second time. But other functions can be configured to automatically cancel mute mode without having to press Mute. This is controlled by the preset parameter Mute Cancel which has these values:      

Never - mute is never canceled automatically, you must use the Mute function Edits - mute is canceled by an editing function as Overdub Triggers - mute is canceled by an editing function or a loop triggering function such as NextLoop Effects - mute is canceled by editing functions, triggering functions, or by effects functions such as Reverse Custom - mute is canceled by a set of functions you choose Always - mute is canceled by any function

When you use the Custom mute cancel mode, you specify the functions you want to cancel with a global parameter. From the Configuration menu select Global Parameters, select the Functions tab then find the selector labeled Mute Cancel Functions. Move the functions you want to cancel mute to the panel on the right. Note that another option for silencing a loop is to simply turn the Output Level down. If you bind a MIDI expression pedal to the Output Level control you can quickly sweep the track output level up or down using the pedal.

5.2.10 Multiply Often after recording a loop you would like to overdub something that is longer than the original loop. If you just use the Overdub function the overdub will "fold" over on itself rather than making the loop longer. The Multiply function is similar to Overdub except that it will extend the loop for as long as you are in multiply mode. When you press Multiply for the first time you will enter the Multiply major mode. During this mode whenever you let the loop play for the length of one cycle, a new cycle is appended or inserted. Recording is active during the multiply so you may overdub new material over the cycles being multiplied. It is important to understand that Multiply can behave differently if you use it again after the loop has been multiplied once. This behavior is determined by the Multiply Mode preset parameter which has these values. 

Normal - Multiply behaves similar to the Echoplex EDP



Simple - Multiply simply extends the loop when necessary it never reduces the loop length

The default multiply mode is Normal which makes it behave similar to the multiply function on the Echoplex EDP. We will not go into full detail on how multiply behaves but the most important thing to know is that if the loop has already been multiplied once, using it again will perform a "Remultiply" which can end up reducing the loop length as well as extending it. You can think of it like marking a region of text in a text editor and cutting it. When you use multiply in an already multiplied loop, the section of the loop between the beginning and the end of the multiply is cut out and the content on either side is discarded. A new layer is created containing only the section of the loop that was covered by the multiply. Multiply behavior is complicated and difficult to understand for new users. If you do not already understand roughly how the EDP does multiply, it is recommended that you set Multiply Mode to Simple.

5.2.11 Instant Multiply and Divide While the Multiply function is a "modal" function that you must start and stop, Instant Multiply will instantly multiply the current loop by some number. There are three builtin versions of instant multiple, more multiples are available using scripts.   

Instant Multiply 2 Instant Multiply 3 Instant Multiply 4

The Divide function is similar to Instant Multiply but it works the other way, the loop is instantly divided by some divisor. There are three built-in versions of this function, more divisors are available using scripts.   

Divide 2 Divide 3 Divide 4

5.2.12 Replace The Replace function is similar to what recording systems call "punch in". While the replace function is active, the previous contents of the loop are erased and replaced with the audio signal currently being received by the track. Replace is a modal function, the replace begins when you press the button for the first time and ends when you press the button a second time. It is fun to use Replace with the Quantize Mode parameter set to Sub Cycle. This allows you to create punches that follow a strict rhythm.

5.2.13 Insert The Insert function will insert new material into the loop. Unlike Replace it does not overwrite the existing loop, instead it makes the loop longer by inserting space at the beginning, middle, or end of the loop. Insert is a modal function, the insert begins when you press the button the first time and ends when you press it a second time.

Insert will normally "round off" so that a full cycle is inserted. When you press Insert a second time, an event to end the insert is scheduled for some time in the future, and Insert mode will continue until that time is reached. This is useful if you want to create rhythmic loops and think of cycles like one or more measures in the time signature. If you want to create non-rhythmic or "glitchy" loops you can create an "unrounded insert" by ending insert mode by pressing the Record button rather than the Insert button.

5.2.14 Reverse The Reverse function will toggle the playback direction. This is a minor modal function, reverse starts when you press the button the first time and ends when you press the button a second time. But unlike major modal functions you can be in reverse mode at the same time you are in other modes like Multiply or Overdub. Changing direction as you overdub can result in some very interesting effects. While you are in reverse mode, the word Reverse will appear in the Minor Modes Component in the user interface. You will also see the Loop Meter and Loop Radar draw in reverse.

5.2.15 Speed Toggle The Speed Toggle function will by default toggle half-speed mode. This is a minor modal function, half-speed starts when you press the button the first time and ends when you press the button a second time. Like Reverse, minor modal functions can be active at same time you are in other modes like Multiply or Overdub. You can even have Speed Toggle and Reverse active at the same time. While you are in half-speed speed mode, the word SpeedToggle -12 will appear in the Minor Modes Component in the user interface. This indicates that the speed is being temporarily lowered by 12 semitones and will be raised when the function is executed again. You will also see the Loop Meter and Loop Radar draw more slowly and in a different color. A common use for the Speed Toggle function is to record something while in halfspeed mode, then when you return to normal speed what you recorded plays twice as fast and one octave higher. Speed Toggle (like Reverse) can be used while the loop is in Reset mode. Although the loop is empty you will see "SpeedToggle -12" appear in the in the Minor Modes Component. This means that the mode is "armed" and will be active when you eventually record the loop. Note that when used with binding arguments, Speed Toggle can toggle between any semitone shift up or down, not just one octave down.

5.2.16 Next Loop The Next Loop function will move to the next loop in the track. This is a rather complex process called loop switching. Many things can happen when you switch loops, these are discussed in more detail in the Mobius Techniques manual. For now you can experiment with using Next Loop to record different loops, then cycle over them. As you will see, with the default preset parameters, switching to an

empty loop halts playback and the next loop sits in Reset mode until you press Record to begin recording. Trying to create another loop that is the same size as the first "by ear" is next to impossible. There are many options for creating new loops that don't disrupt the flow of the performance. One is to set the Empty Loop Action parameter to Record. If this is set, whenever you switch to an empty loop, recording begins automatically. You do however still need to press Record to stop the recording. To create loops that are exactly the same size, or an exact multiple, set Empty Loop Action to Copy Timing. Now when you switch to an empty loop, a new clear loop will be automatically created that is exactly the same size as the original loop. You can then begin overdubbing into this new loop. Next Loop is just one of many functions that perform loop switches.             

Next Loop Previous Loop Sustain Next Loop Sustain Previous Loop Loop 1 Loop 2 Loop 3 Loop 4 Loop 5 Loop 6 Loop 7 Loop 8 Restart

Previous Loop works the same as Next Loop but it selects the loop in the other direction. The numbered Loop functions cause a switch to a specific loop. The Sustain Next Loop and Sustain Previous Loop functions must be bound to a Sustainable Trigger. If they are not, they behave the same as Next Loop and Previous Loop. What the sustain functions do is switch to the new loop for as long as the function button is held down, then return to the original loop. The Restart function restarts the current loop from the beginning. It doesn't sound like it would be a loop switch function but it is essentially a switch away from and then immediately back to the current loop. All of the features that are available when switching to a different loop are also available with Restart. The numbered Loop functions are similar. If you are not in the numbered loop, then it switches to that loop. If you are already in the numbered loop then it does the same thing as Restart.

5.2.17 Shuffle Shuffle is a fun function you can use to slice a loop into pieces then reorder them. This is an "instant function" that will have immediate effect on the loop rather than placing you into a mode. When the Shuffle button is pressed all of the subcycles of

the loop are immediately arranged. You can change the granularity of this slicing by changing the Subcycles parameter. How the slices are rearranged is controlled by the Shuffle Mode parameter. It has these values:    

Reverse Shift Swap Random

With Reverse the slices are arranged in reverse order. For example starting with slices 1234 the new order will be 4321. With Shift the slices are shifted to the right by one. For example 1234 becomes 2341. With Swap pairs of slices are reversed. For example 1234 becomes 2143. With Random the slices are reordered randomly.

5.3 Using Controls A control is a named value that effects how audio is recorded and played in a track. Controls are similar to Parameters but their values are always integers and have a larger range than most parameters. They are usually set by a MIDI device that sends continuous controller messages such as a rotating knob or a foot pedal. Like MIDI, the value of a control will range from zero to 127.

Default track controls in the status area

5.3.1 Input Level Input Level controls the amount of attenuation (volume reduction) applied to the audio stream coming in from the audio interface or the plugin host. A value of 127 means that the audio is unmodified. Lowering the value attenuates the audio using an approximate logarithmic curve. Usually input level is left all the way up, but you may want to reduce it if you have different instruments routed to each track and you want to balance their input levels.

5.3.2 Output Level Output Level controls the amount of attenuation applied to the track output as it is sent to the audio device or plugin host. Like Input Level a value of 127 means the audio is passed unmodified. Output levels are frequently changed to balance the track mix. Functions that add new material to a loop such as Overdub can cause a loop to become progressively louder. After several overdubs it may be necessary to reduce the output level to match the other tracks. Output levels are also commonly changed as an effect, such as temporarily muting tracks or performing a gradual fade in or fade out.

5.3.3 Feedback Feedback controls how the loop decays over time. With feedback set at 127 the loop does not decay, it will play that way forever or until you change it with looping functions. With feedback reduced the loop will gradually become softer every time it plays until it eventually decays to silence. A common looping technique is to use Overdub with feedback reduced. You can keep adding new layers to the loop but old layers will decay. In this way you can create evolving loops that change gradually over time.

5.3.4 Secondary Feedback Secondary Feedback is like Feedback except that it is active at different times. It must be enabled by selecting the Enable Secondary Feedback preset parameter. For more on using feedback see the section Using Feedback.

5.3.5 Pan Pan adjusts the relative output levels of the left and right channels of the track.

5.3.6 Other Controls There are a number of additional controls related to speed and pitch shifting. These are discussed in detail in the Speed Shift , Pitch Shift , Time Stretch , sections of the Mobius Techniques manual.

5.4 Common Parameters In the Using Presets we described how you can change parameters and in the Using Functions we introduced a few parameters and showed how they are used with certain functions. In this section we will introduce a few more of the most commonly used parameters. The Mobius Techniques manual has more information on each of these parameters and how they can be used.

5.4.1 Loops Per Track The Loops per Track parameter determines how many loops will be in the track. The default is 4, the minimum number is 1 and the maximum is 8. Note that since this is a preset parameter, and since each track can have a different preset, it is possible for each track to have a different number of loops. This can be useful when done carefully, but when you're just starting out it is recommended that you make all tracks have the same number of loops to ensure that functions like Next Loop and Loop Trigger work consistently. Bug Alert: There are some glitches in the user interface when you change the Loops per Track parameter and the Loop Status component is selected in the track strip. Since this component displays a row for each loop if you increase the number of loops this component will need to grow taller which makes the entire track strip taller.

Currently the track strip will not automatically resize to show the additional loops, you must close and restart Mobius to rebuilt the track strips with the new size.

5.4.2 Quantize Mode Recall that Quantization is a general term used to describe how Mobius can adjust the timing of a function so that it begins or ends at a precise point in the loop. The Quantize Mode parameter is the primary way to enable quantization for most functions. Not all functions obey quantization and some like Overdub have other parameters that determine whether they are quantized. But most do, so if you feel like functions are not happening when you want them too then quantization is probably enabled. The parameter may have these values.  Off  Subcycle  Cycle  Loop When Quantize is Off quantization is disabled. Functions start immediately and usually end immediately. Some functions like Multiply and Insert have their own rounding behavior and will sometimes defer their ending even when quantization is off. When Quantize is Subcycle, Cycle, or Loop quantization is said to be enabled. The three values define what are called the "quantize points" or "quantization boundaries". When quantization is enabled and a function that obeys quantization is executed, the execution is delayed until the next quantize point. When Quantize is Loop the quantization point is the beginning of the loop (or the end depending on how you look at it). Functions are delayed until the loop plays to the end and wraps back around to the start point. When Quantize is Cycle the quantization points are at the beginning of each cycle. Until you use functions such as Multiply that add cycles, a loop will have only one cycle and this quantize mode behaves the same as Loop. If you have cycles, you will see them in the Loop Meter as longer tick marks. When Quantize is Subcycle the quantization points are at the beginning of each subcycle. A subcycle is an even division of the cycle and is determined by the Subcycles parameter. Depending on how you build the loop, subcycles are often the same as "beats" and cycles the same as "bars" in a time signature. But this does not have to be the case, cycles and subcycles can represent any span of time. Though it is not a hard rule, in general most people use cycles to split the loop up into a relatively small number of major sections. These might be bars, phrases, or even one full chord progression. Dividing these into subcycles is then a matter of preference, the subcycles may represent beats, bars, or even finer grains like 8th or 16th notes. The point of using quantization is to make changes to the loop at rhythmically exact times. This is often used when you are synchronizing with an external device such as a drum machine or sequencer. For example you may want to enter Reverse mode at

the exact moment the loop reaches the start point. Or you may want to use Replace to punch in notes on a precise quarter note grid.

5.4.3 Subcycles The Subcycles parameter sets the number of subdivisions in each cycle. This is used most often with the Quantize Mode parameter to define quantization points. You can see subcycles in the Loop Meter as the shorter tick marks. While the number of cycles in a loop stays the same until you extend or shorten it, you can change the number of subcycle divisions at any time just by changing the Subcycles parameter. You will see the subcycle tick marks in the Loop Meter change but otherwise the loop is unaffected.

5.4.4 Overdub Quantized As mentioned in the Quantize Mode section, not all functions obey quantization. One of these is the Overdub function. The reason is that usually you want more flexible control over when overdubs begin and end, and since overdubs merge with the existing loop the exact start and end points are not as important rhythmically. There may be cases though where you want overdubs to be quantized. If for example you are overdubbing into an empty loop you might want to make an exact grid of quarter notes similar to what you can accomplish with the Replace function. It is possible to make Overdub sensitive to quantization by checking the Overdub Quantized preset parameter. This parameter applies only to Overdub and dependent on Quantize Mode parameter. If Overdub Quantized is checked but Quantize Mode is Off, the Overdub function will not be quantized.

5.4.5 Switch Quantize Loop switching is a very powerful operation with many options. Because so much can be done during a loop switch it is given it's very own quantization mode set using the Switch Quantize parameter. The various loop switching functions described in Next Loop do not obey the Quantize Mode parameter, they will only obey the Switch Quantize parameter. Switch Quantize is similar to Quantize Mode but has a few extra values:        

Off Confirm Subcycle Confirm Subcycle Cycle Confirm Cycle Loop Confirm Loop

When the value is Off the switch happens immediately.

When the value is Subcycle, Cycle or Cycle the switch happens at the next quantization point. When you use one of the loop switch functions the loop will enter Switch mode while it waits for the next quantization point. The three "Confirm" modes require an extra confirmation action before the switch will happen. When you use one of the loop switch functions the loop will enter Confirm mode. To exit confirmation mode execute the Confirm function. What happens now is determined by the combination of the confirmation option and the quantization point. If the value is Confirm the switch happens immediately, if it is any of the other three the loop enters Switch mode and waits for the next quantization point before doing the switch. While the loop is in Switch or Confirm modes you can execute other functions to control what happens to the next loop when the switch is eventually performed. This is sometimes referred to as the "switch quantization period" and more casually on the forums as the "lame duck period". This is a complex topic that is described fully in the reference guide. But here are a few examples of functions you can use during the switch quantization period.     

Record - forces the next loop to be rerecorded Overdub - copies the original loop to the next loop if it is empty Insert - copies the timing from original loop to the next loop if it is empty Reverse - toggles the playback direction of the next loop Speed Toggle - toggles the speed of the next loop

You can press any number of functions during the switch quantization period. In the Loop Meter You will see them "stack" under the switch quantization point. This is referred to as "function stacking". Some stacked functions are simply queued for execution after the loop switch, similar to normal quantization. Other functions have special behavior when they are stacked, Overdub for example does not simply turn on overdub mode in the next loop, it performs a sound copy from one loop to the next.

5.4.6 Empty Loop Action The Empty Loop Action parameter is used when switching to a loop that is "empty" or in Reset mode. If Empty Loop Action is Off nothing happens and the track usually enters Reset mode waiting for you to record something in the empty loop. If Empty Loop Action is set to Record, the Record function begins immediately. If Empty Loop Action is set to Copy Timing, a new silent loop is created that has the same length and number of cycles as the original loop. This is a very useful option for creating several loops that are exact multiples of each other. This is important if you want to maintain a steady rhythm as you switch between loops. Once the silent loop has been created you can then use Overdub or Multiply to add audio content. If Empty Loop Action is set to Copy, the current loop is copied entirely to the next loop. Again this is useful to create loops that will play in rhythm. Copying the sound in addition to the timing can be useful if the original loop has a simple backing rhythm that you want to carry over and then overdub something on top of.

5.4.7 Switch Location

The Switch Location parameter determines where the playback position will be after you switch to another loop. The values are:    

Follow - keep the same location you had in the previous loop Restore - restore the location the new loop had the last time it was playing Start - start the new loop from the beginning Random - move to a randomly chosen subcycle

When using Follow, if the new loop is smaller than the current loop the playback position may need to be "wrapped" so that it fits within the new loop. For example if the current loop is 6 seconds long and you are currently at the start of second 5, then you switch to a loop that is 3 seconds long, the new loop location will be at the start of second 2. When using Restore, if the new loop has never been played the location will be at the start. If you are using one of the methods to perform a sound copy or a timing copy (see Empty Loop Action) then the location will not be restored.

5.4.8 Switch Duration The Switch Duration parameter determines how long you will stay in the new loop after a switch. The values are:     

Permanent - you stay in the new loop until you manually change it Once - the new loop plays till the end then automatically enters Mute mode Once Return - the new loop plays till the end then returns to the previous loop Sustain - the new loop plays as long as the function button is held down, then it automatically enters Mute mode Sustain Return - the new loop plays as long as the function button is held down, then it returns to the previous loop

Once when combined with a Switch Location of Start makes the loop triggering functions behave similar to a sampler. The loop starts from the beginning, plays once, then stops (enters mute mode). The Sustain option requires that the function be bound to a Sustainable Trigger. If it is not, then this option behaves the same as Once. The Sustain Return option also requires a sustainable trigger. If it is not, then this option behaves the same as Permanent. Recall from the Next Loop section that there are two functions that always have sustained switching behavior, Sustain Next Loop and Sustain Previous Loop. These two functions do not use the Switch Duration parameter. They will always return you to the original loop when the sustain ends (subject to the Switch Quantize parameter).

5.4.9 Enable Secondary Feedback The Enable Secondary Feedback parameter is a boolean that is either on or off. When on, the Secondary Feedback control is enabled while in a certain recording modes. These include Overdub, Multiply, Stutter, and Substitute.

See the Using Feedback section for more about how feedback can be applied.

5.4.10 Record Threshold The Record Threshold parameter determines how loud an audio signal must be before a new loop can be recorded. It is relevant only for the Record function. With a default value of 0, recording begins immediately after you press the Record button. When set to a value from 1 to 8, recording will be delayed until the input signal reaches a certain level. This parameter is useful if you would rather start recording automatically as soon as you begin playing an instrument rather than having to coordinate your playing with a press of the Record button. It should be noted though that it can take some experimentation to get the threshold level set correctly for your playing style. Many people find it easier to create loops with the correct timing by manually pressing the Record function. But if you play an instrument with a sharp attack and there is little background noise, threshold recording may work for you.

5.5 Using Feedback Feedback controls how the loop decays over time. With feedback set at 127 the loop does not decay, it will play that way forever or until you change it with looping functions. With feedback reduced the loop will gradually become softer every time it plays until it eventually decays to silence. A common looping technique is to use Overdub with feedback reduced. You can keep adding new layers to the loop but old layers will decay. In this way you can create evolving loops that change gradually over time. This style of feedback is popular for "ambient" looping. At the extreme setting of zero, loops will play once then the loop will be empty. Low feedback settings can be used to achieve effects similar to using a digital delay, loops will play a few times then be silent. Feedback can be kept at a fixed level or it may be dynamically controlled with a MIDI expression pedal. By dynamically sweeping feedback up and down you can sculpt the previous layers so they fade in and out under your control. You may wish to have different feedback levels when the loop is playing and when it is being modified through functions such as Overdub. For example, you may want old layers to decay when the loop is playing, but while you are overdubbing you want the old layers to not decay. Alternately you may want the old layers to not decay when a loop is playing, but have them decay while you are overdubbing. This can be achieved through the use of Secondary Feedback. To enable secondary feedback you must check the Enable Secondary Feedback parameter in a preset. When enabled, the Secondary Feedback control will be used to set the feedback when in certain editing modes. By default the modes obeying secondary feedback are Overdub, Multiply, Stutter, and Substitute. You can control which modes will obey secondary feedback by setting a global parameter. From the Configuration menu select Global Parameters, select the Modes tab and locate the selector labeled Modes Ignoring Secondary Feedback. By default the listed modes will use secondary feedback. You can disable secondary feedback for certain modes by moving them to the panel on the right.

5.6 Using Tracks Each Mobius track is an independent stereo looper. They can all record and play audio and are mixed together with output level and pan controls. Tracks play simultaneously but you can use functions like Mute or Pause to silence them. Many synchronization options are available to record tracks that stay in perfect sync with other tracks. NOTE: If you have several loud tracks playing at the same time, it is easy to cause digital clipping when the track outputs are summed and sent to the audio interface. This sounds very nasty. Mobius is not smart about compression. If you experience this, turn down the output level in one or more tracks. Tracks are visually represented with a row of track strips at the bottom of the main window. There is always one selected track that is indicated by a white border around its track strip. You can change the selected track by clicking within its track strip, by using the left or right arrow keys, or by using one of the track selection functions. The selected track has input focus which means that it will respond to buttons in the Button Area, MIDI commands, or keyboard keys. To make a track do things you will usually configure them to respond to MIDI events through a process called binding. See the Controlling Mobius section for more information on how to create bindings. There are many ways to use tracks, a few of the more common techniques are: 

  

 

Record different instruments or sounds in each track, for example rhythm, bass, chords, and solo. Use muting or the output level to bring parts in and out of the mix. Record the same instrument in several tracks. The effect is similar to overdubbing but you have control over the levels of each layer. Using advanced MIDI binding, give different musicians control over different tracks. Use tracks to simultaneously record the same loop, but with different effects such as speed shift and reverse applied to each track. After recording, the loop will play back differently in each track. Load tracks with pre-recorded loops and use them like a sample player, triggering the track to play once then stop while you loop in other tracks. "Bounce" a mix of several tracks down to one track and reclaim the source tracks for new uses.

In this section we'll describe the most common use for tracks: recording and mixing a set of background rhythm tracks for soloing. The Mobius Techniques manual will discuss some of the more advanced uses of tracks. Note that the steps described here assume that you have not made changes to the track setups. Setups are an advanced topic that are not described in this manual so this isn't a problem if you're installing Mobius for the first time. But if you're an experienced just make sure that all tracks are set to use the same preset, they all receive on the same port, Default Sync Source is set to Track and Default Track Sync Unit is set to Loop.

Start by making sure you can record a loop into the first track then reset it. Verify that you can click the mouse in the track strip to select tracks, or select them using the left and right arrow keys. Select track 1 and record a simple rhythm part for a few seconds. The first track you record becomes the track sync master track for all other tracks. Listen the first track and watch the loop radar. When the master is at the very beginning of the loop the loop radar will be blank and the loop is said to be at its start point. Now select track 2 and get ready to play a bass line. Wait until the master track is near the middle of its loop and press Record. It doesn't matter exactly when you press Record as long as you press it before the master track start point. Track 2 will now enter Synchronize mode. It is ready to record but the recording will be delayed until the master track reaches the next track synchronization point. Since the default track sync unit is Loop, the synchronization point is the start point of the loop. As soon as the master track reaches the start point, track 2 will change to Record mode and you can begin playing the bass line. Sometime during the recording of track 2, press Record again. You will see the event marker Record Stop appear at the end of the Loop Meter in the center of the window. This is a pending event marker which means that the recording is waiting for something before it can stop. In this case it is waiting for the master track to reach its start point. Continue playing the bass line. As soon the master track reaches its start point Record mode will end and Play mode will begin. Track 2 will begin playing the bass line loop in sync with the rhythm loop in track 1. If you're not satisfied with the result use Reset and start again. Continue this process to record other tracks. Experiment with the output level and pan controls. When you are ready to start over use the Full Reset function to reset all tracks at the same time. Note that if you are doing a track sync recording and you let the master track play beyond its start point before you press Record a second time, the recording will be delayed until the master track reaches its start point again and the new loop will be twice as long as the master loop. This often desirable if the master track is short and you want to record another track that is an exact multiple, such as 4 times as long.

5.7 Using Scripts Scripting is a very powerful feature that lets you customize the way Mobius behaves. We will not describe how to write scripts in this manual, but we will show you how to use the scripts you might find posted in the forum or in the old Yahoo group files. For a complete discussion of writing scripts see the Mobius Scripting manual. Scripts are simply text files that can be written or viewed in any text editor. It is critical though that they be stored on your file system as plain text files, not converted into word processor files. There are also several "encodings" that can be used with text files, it is important to select ones that Mobius can use. If you are using Notepad on Windows, you must save the file using the ANSI encoding, you must not use Unicode. If you are using Wordpad, in the Save as type: menu you must select either Text Document or Text Document - MS-DOS Format.

If you are using TextEdit on a Mac, you need to save the file in a plain text encoding, either Western (Mac OS Roman) or Western (Windows Latin 1). When you use the Save As menu item, if you see a File Format: menu with items like Rich Text Format or Web Page (.html) then you are editing the file using rich text rather than plain text. Open the TextEdit Preferences window and under the New Document tab select the Plain Text radio button under the Format section. Once you do this create a new document and the Save As window should show a Plain Text Encoding: menu, select Western (Mac OS Roman). There are many text editors available that present encoding options in different ways or using different words. The presentation may also be different on different versions of the operating system. The main thing to keep in mind is that you must always pick the simplest text format available, usually this is referred to as "plain text" with encodings such as "ansi", "latin 1", "roman", or "MS-DOS". Stay away from anything that says "rich" or "unicode" or that looks like a word processor format. Though it isn't always required, it is recommended that you name script files using the extension ".mos". Once you have created the script file, you need to tell Mobius about it through a process called script registration. There are two ways to register scripts: by file and by directory. When you register a script file, that file is loaded into Mobius when it starts. If you register a script directory, all scripts in that directory are loaded. Registering script directories is convenient if you have a lot of scripts and you don't want to register all of them one at a time. You do need to be careful though to only put things in this directory you really need. To register a script open the Configuration menu and select Scripts, the Script Registration window will open.

On Windows you will see Add Script and Add Directory buttons that will bring up standard selection dialogs for files or directories. On Mac you will see a similar window but it will only have a single Add button because the standard Mac file selector lets you select both files and directories. To register a new script or script directory, click one of the add buttons, navigate to the file or directory you want to register and click Open on Windows or Choose on Mac. The name of the file or directory should now appear in the list in the center of the script registration window. If you want to remove an item from the list, click on it so that it becomes highlighted then click the Delete button. Finally click the Ok button at the bottom of the widow to save the changes. The new set of scripts will be loaded into Mobius and are available for binding. See the Controlling Mobius for a full description of how to associate triggers like MIDI foot switches to scripts. Once you have registered some scripts or script directories you will start seeing their names in the Scripts tab of the binding windows. Note that scripts will usually appear in the binding windows with a name other than the raw file name. Most scripts include a line starting with !name at the top that specifies a user friendly name you want to see in the binding windows. For example:

!name Global Fade Out A typical script file may have a name like "fadeoutall.mos" but the name you see in the binding windows might be "Global Fade Out" or something else more meaningful than the file name. You will need to look in each script to see if it contains a !name line and remember to look for that name in the binding windows. If the script doesn't have a !name line you will just see the name of the script file without the ".mos" extension.

6 Next Steps This manual has given you an overview of Mobius user interface and some of the more common ways to use Mobius. Experiment with what you have learned then proceed to the Exploring Mobius manual for information about more advanced features.

7 Troubleshooting In this section we will discuss a few commonly encountered problems and suggest ways to solve them.

7.1 Mobius is just frozen, it doesn't do anything! If you click on buttons and Mobius doesn't respond it is usually because you have not selected any audio devices. Mobius does most of its work within the "audio stream" that is constantly being received from the audio device. If you have not selected a device there will be no stream so Mobius can't do anything.

7.2 Record Stops Suddenly If you press a button that has been bound to the Record function and the record runs for about 1/2 a second then stops and resets the loop, you are not using a properly programmed Sustainable Trigger. The Record function has Long Press behavior, if you press and hold the button bound to the Record function longer than 1/2 second, it will execute the Reset function. To prevent this from happening you must use a trigger that sends a message both when the button is pressed and when it is released. Usually this means that your footswitch must be programmed to send MIDI notes or MIDI continuous controller messages on both the up and down transitions. If your MIDI footswitch sends a MIDI Note On message when it is pressed but does not send a MIDI Note Off message when it is released, Mobius will think the button is being held down and will reset the loop.

7.3 I edited an XML file, now everything is screwed up! The most common reason for problems after editing the mobius.xml or ui.xml files is that you used a text editor that did not save the file as plain text.

Text editors can sometimes store files in different formats such a text, rich text, HTML, and as word processor files. You must always save Mobius files as plain text. There are also several "encodings" that can be used with text files, it is important to select ones that Mobius can use. If you are using Notepad on Windows, you must save the file using the ANSI encoding, you must not use Unicode. If you are using Wordpad, in the Save as type: menu you must select either Text Document or Text Document - MS-DOS Format. If you are using TextEdit on a Mac, you need to save the file in a plain text encoding, either Western (Mac OS Roman) or Western (Windows Latin 1). When you use the Save As menu item, if you see a File Format: menu with items like Rich Text Format or Web Page (.html) then you are editing the file using rich text rather than plain text. Open the TextEdit Preferences window and under the New Document tab select the Plain Text radio button under the Format section. Once you do this create a new document and the Save As window should show a Plain Text Encoding: menu, select Western (Mac OS Roman). There are many text editors available that present encoding options in different ways or using different words. The presentation may also be different on different versions of the operating system. The main thing to keep in mind is that you must always pick the simplest text format available, usually this is referred to as "plain text" with encodings such as "ansi", "latin 1", "roman", or "MS-DOS". Stay away from anything that says "rich" or "unicode" or that looks like a word processor format.

7.4 I registered my script files but they won't run If you have registered script files and you see the names in the binding windows, but when you try to trigger them nothing happens, the script file either contains errors or it was saved in an format that Mobius does not recognize. See this section for information on how to properly edit script files. If you're sure that the files are in the right format there may be bugs in the script. See Debugging Scripts in the Mobius Scripting manual for more information.

Exploring Mobius March 2012

Contents 1 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 3 3.1 3.2 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 5 6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.3.1 6.3.2 6.4 6.4.1 6.4.2 6.4.3 6.4.4 6.4.5 6.5 6.5.1 6.5.2 6.5.3 6.6

Introduction Track Setups Track Parameters Command Buttons Synchronization Parameters Other Parameters Managing Multiple Setups Selecting Setups with Menus Projects Save Project Open Project Saving and Loading Loops Loop File Formats Open Loop Save Loop Quick Save Samples Advanced Control Binding Review Binding Scopes Focus Lock Setting Focus Lock Limiting Focus Lock Track Groups Displaying Track Groups Setting Track Groups Limiting Track Groups Group Output Level Track Groups and Focus Lock Binding Arguments Control Binding Arguments Parameter Binding Arguments Function Binding Arguments Plugin Parameter Bindings

6.7 OSC Bindings 7 MIDI Status Export 8 Customizing the User Interface 8.1 Item Selectors 8.2 Customizing Buttons 8.3 Customizing the Status Area 8.3.1 Components 8.3.2 Visible Parameters 8.4 Customizing the Track Strips 8.4.1 Focus Lock 8.4.2 Track Number 8.4.3 Group Name 8.4.4 Track Controls 8.4.5 Loop Meter 8.4.6 Loop Radar 8.4.7 Output Level Meter 8.4.8 Loop Status 8.5 Changing Colors 8.6 Changing Fonts 9 Esoterica 9.1 Trace 9.1.1 Trace Levels 9.1.2 Mac Trace Logging 9.1.3 Windows Trace Logging 9.1.4 Using Trace 9.2 XML Files 9.2.1 mobius.xml 9.2.2 ui.xml 9.2.3 Project .mob Files 9.3 Layer Flattening

1 Introduction This manual contains information about Mobius features that were not covered in the Getting Started With Mobius manual. Among the topics will be customizing the user interface, advanced control options, projects, and track setups. It is required that you have at least skimmed Getting Started With Mobius . The sections in this manual do not have to be read in any particular order, you can skim it and read only the sections that interest you. The Track Setups section is however highly recommended. If you are interested in synchronizing Mobius with other hardware devices or applications, see the Mobius Synchronization manual.

For more detailed information on how to use some common Mobius functions see the Mobius Techniques manual.

2 Track Setups A Track Setup is a named collection of parameters, presets, and controls for all tracks. It defines the initial state of all tracks before recording, and also defines the state each track will return to when it is reset. A setup stores the following things for each track:                 

Name Sync Source Track Sync Unit Preset Group Focus Lock Input Level Output Level Feedback Secondary Feedback Pan Mono Mode Audio Input Port Audio Output Port Plugin Input Port Plugin Output Port User Defined Variables

In addition a setup contains the following parameters that apply to all tracks:   

Active Track Resettable Parameters Overlay Binding Configuration

Finally, a setup contains synchronization parameters that apply to all tracks:          

Default Sync Source Default Track Sync Unit MIDI/Host Sync Unit Beats Per Bar Realign Time Out Sync Realign Action Out Sync Mute Action Out Sync Resize Adjust Out Sync Speed Adjust Out Sync Min Tempo

 

Out Sync Max Tempo Out Sync Manual Start

There is no requirement to define your own setups, Mobius comes with one default setup that you may be able to use without any changes. Setups are however very useful if you always want to change certain characteristics of a track before recording. For example, if you usually record with loud instruments you may want to reduce the input level from the default of 127 to avoid overloading the track. Rather than remembering to do this every time you start Mobius, you can set it in the setup and it will be automatically set to the desired level every time. Another common use for track setups is to specify which physical inputs and outputs of a multi-channel audio interface to use for each track. By default Mobius always uses the first two channels as a stereo pair called a "port". But if your audio interface supports more than 2 input and output channels you may not want to use the first pair. For example with some audio interfaces the first pair of output channels may go to the headphone jack while the second pair of channels is connected to the monitor speakers. Mobius can't know which port is the correct one to use, you must select it in the track setup. Setups are also useful if you need different track configurations for different compositions. If you play different instruments you may want different setups designed for each instrument. Or you may want to design a setup for a particular performance style like solo ambient looping and another for rhythmic "DJ" looping. Finally, setups contain many parameters related to synchronization. If you wish to use synchronization other than Track Sync you will need to edit at least one setup. To create and manage setups, open the Configuration menu and select the Track Setups item.

At the top of the setup window there is a collection of fields called the Setup Selector. These are use to select the setup you wish to edit, create new setups, and delete old setups. Under the selector is a row of tabs to select different setup parameters. The first tab named Tracks has parameters that can be set differently for each track. The Synchronization tab contains parameters related to synchronizing tracks. The Other tab has a few additional parameters that apply to all tracks. The Command Buttons at the bottom initialize the track parameters to their default values or to capture the track parameters from the current Mobius track. Remember that after making changes in this window you must click the Ok button to save the changes.

2.1 Track Parameters The track parameters tab shows the initial state of each track. The values you enter here can be changed once you begin recording and working with tracks, but they will be restored to the values defined in the setup when you use the Global Reset function.

There are 8 sets of identical track parameters accessed with a radio button. To select the parameters for a track click on the small circle to the left of the track number.

The Name field allows you to give each track an optional short name. When this is set the name will be displayed in the track strip instead of the track number. This can be used to help identify the purpose of the track, for example "drone", "rhythm", or "solo". The Sync Source field defines the synchronization mode for this track. Each track may have a different synchronization mode, or they may all share the same mode. See the Synchronization Parameters of the Mobius Synchronization manual for more information about how to use this parameter. The Track Sync Unit field defines the location in the loop where track sync will be performed. Each track may a different track sync unit, or they may all share the same unit. See the Synchronization Parameters of the Mobius Synchronization manual for more information about how to use this parameter. The Preset field lets you set the starting preset for the track. You may for example want a preset that has quantization turned off for drone tracks, but turns quantization on for rhythm tracks. The Group field allows you to set the initial track group for the track. The default is (none) which means the track is not a member of a group. Groups are identified by a letter, the number of available groups is set by the Max Track Groups parameter in the Global Parameters configuration window. The Focus Lock checkbox determines if the track will start out having Focus Lock. This is an unusual thing to enable, but it may be useful if you want to begin by recording several tracks at the same time. In the center of the track parameters tab, there is a group of sliders to set the initial values of all the track controls. These sliders correspond to the round knobs you see in the user interface.

The Mono Mode checkbox changes the track from stereo to mono. The track will still receive from a stereo input port and will send to a stereo output port. The difference is that the two input left and right input channels will be summed and recorded into both the left and right track channels. This may be useful if you are using an instrument that does produce a stereo signal. Connect the instrument to either the left or right input channel of the audio device. The instrument will be recorded into both the left and right channels of the track and then sent to both the left and right output channels of the audio device. The Pan control can be used to balance the levels of the left and right output channels. At the bottom of the track parameters are a set of selectors for input and output ports. Each track must have both an input and an output port, the default for all is port number 1.

The Audio Input Port and Audio Output Port fields select the ports of the audio interface hardware to be used when Mobius is running standalone. The number of ports is determined by your audio interface. Ports correspond to a stereo pair of channels on the audio interface. If for example your audio interface has 8 input jacks, there will be 4 input ports. Jacks 1 and 2 will be port 1, jacks 3 and 4 will be port 2 and so on. You will need to experiment with the port settings to determine which ports match the jacks on your audio interface. The Plugin Input Port and Plugin Output Port fields select ports to be used when Mobius is running as a VST or Audio Units plugin. Each port corresponds to a stereo pair of "pins" on the plugin. By default the Mobius plugin has 16 input and output pins, or 8 input and output ports. Most plugin hosts will default to using the first input and output port. If the host supports plugins with more than one input and output port you will need to understand how to route signals into and out of the plugin pins in the host. Some hosts will display pins visually and allow you to draw lines to connect them. Other hosts may display pins as numbers in a menu.

2.2 Command Buttons Below the track parameters is a row of command buttons.

The Initialize button will set all of the parameters in the currently selected track tab to their initial values. Controls all go to 127, pan goes to 64, the ports go to 1, the name, preset, group, and focus lock fields are cleared. The Initialize All button will set all parameters in all tracks to their initial values. The Capture button will copy the current values of all parameters from a Mobius track into the setup. The selected track tab in the setup defines which track is being captured. For example if track tab 2 is selected, the parameters from Mobius track 2 are copied to setup tab 2. Capture is useful if you want to experiment with track settings in real time until you find the ones you like, then you can capture them all at once into the setup. The Capture All button will copy the current track parameters for all Mobius tracks into the setup. Obviously you need to be careful using the Initialize All and Capture All buttons, you need to be sure you want to replace everything in the setup. If you click one of these by accident, click the Cancel button to close the setup without saving the changes.

2.3 Synchronization Parameters The Synchronization tab contains many parameters related to track synchronization.

Synchronization is a complex topic that is described fully in the Mobius Synchronization manual. See the Synchronization Parameters for more information about how to use these parameters.

2.4 Other Parameters The Other tab contains a few miscellaneous parameters that apply to all tracks.

The Active Track field selects the track you want to be active when the setup is selected or after a global reset. Usually this is 1. The Restore After Reset field is a multi-selection panel containing the names of some of the track parameters that are stored in the setup. Click on the names to highlight or unhighlight them. When one of these parameters is highlighted, its value will be restored to the value from the setup after the Reset or Track Reset functions are used. All parameters in the setup are always restored whenever you use the Global Reset function to reset all tracks. But by default if you do a simple Reset to reset just one loop in a track, the parameters are not restored. This is because you may want to change input level, output level, or preset parameters while you are recording a loop. Then if you make a mistake and want to rerecord the loop you can use Reset to start over and none of your parameter changes will be lost. Some users however might always want the parameters from the setup restored whenever a Reset is performed. To accomplish that select some or all of the items in the Restore After Reset panel. The Binding Overlay parameter determines which overlay binding set will be selected when this setup is selected. The default value is [Retain] which means to continue using whatever binding set is currently in effect. See the Multiple MIDI Binding Sets chapter of the Getting Started manual for more information on creating overlay binding sets. The Binding Overlay selection menu will always contain the items [Retain] and [Cancel] and in addition the names of any defined MIDI binding sets other than the Common Bindings.

When [Cancel] is selected it means that the current overlay bindings will be canceled when this setup is selected. In the previous example the binding set Touch OSC Overlay was selected which means this binding set will be activated whenever this setup is selected. The ability to control the overlay bindings is useful if you design a track setup with a particular piece of control hardware in mind.

2.5 Managing Multiple Setups If you tend to loop with the same instruments in the same style you may only need one default setup. But people frequently want more than one setup for different compositions or different performance environments. You may need several setups with the levels tweaked for different instruments. Or you may want different setups for home practice and live performance. You can create as many setups as you need and switch between them at any time.

At the top of the setup window is a set of fields and buttons that let you create, delete, select, and rename setups.

Mobius installs with one setup named "Default". To create a new setup click the New button. A new setup is created and selected. The new setup will have a copy of all the parameters from the setup that was selected when you clicked New. So if you want to create a setup that is similar to an existing setup, be sure to select the setup you want to copy before you click New. When a new setup is created it will be given a generated unique name starting with "Setup" followed by a number. To change this name, click on the Name text field and type in the desired name, then click on the button labeled Rename. Simply typing in a name isn't enough you must also click the Rename button.

Renaming a new setup Once you have created several setups you can switch between them by using the Selected Setup menu at the top. Click on the down arrow to open a menu containing all the setup names. The setup that is selected in this menu will become the active setup when you click Ok to close this window. If you are making changes to several setups, be sure to remember to select the one you want to be active before closing the window.

Selecting a setup To delete a setup, simply select it and click the Delete button. The setup is deleted and removed from the selection menu. Be careful with the delete button, there is no "are you sure" prompt. If you delete a setup by accident, click Cancel at the bottom of the window to throw away the changes and open the window again. After making changes that you are happy with, you must click the Ok button. If you click Cancel or the window close button all changes you have made will be lost. When a setup is selected, all tracks that are currently empty will be modified to have the parameters defined in the setup. Tracks that are not empty will not be modified.

2.6 Selecting Setups with Menus Another way to select setups is by using the Track Setups menu in the menu bar.

Selecting a setup This menu will contain the names of all defined setups with a check next to the one that is active. To change setups simply select another one from the menu. If you just need to change setups without editing any parameter values using this menu is easier than opening the setup dialog.

3 Projects A project is a collection of files that contain the complete state of Mobius at a moment in time, including the audio content of all loops in all tracks. You can use projects to capture a complex collection of loops that have just been improvised, or to define a set of background loops for a new performance.

3.1 Save Project To save a project, open the File menu and select the Save Project item. A standard file save dialog appears requesting you to select a Mobius project file. Navigate to the directory you want to use and enter a file name. Note that it may take several seconds to save the project. During that time do not use any Mobius functions, or change track controls or else these may be accidentally saved in the project. A project actually consists of several files, a single project file with the .mob extension that you specify in the save file dialog window, and one or more .wav files containing audio content. If you have a complex collection of loops and tracks, there may be many files in a project. If so you may find it convenient to keep each project in a separate directory. For example, assume we've saved a project named "myproject" that has two tracks, each with two loops. The project files that would be saved are:

myproject.mob myproject-1-1-1.wav myproject-1-2-1.wav myproject-2-1-1.wav myproject-2-2-1.wav The files containing audio are suffixed with three numbers. The first is the number of the track, the second is the number of the loop within the track, and the third is the number of the layer within the loop. Depending on how the loop was constructed, the layer number will usually be different than 1. The project's .mob file contains the information necessary to reconstruct the Mobius state from all of the audio files. See the XML Files section for more information on the contents of this file. In addition to the files containing the audio content, the project's .mob file will contain the current state of all tracks including the track setup, the current presets being used, the current controller values (input, output, feedback, pan), the selected track number, and the loop number that is selected in each track. By default only the most recent layer in each loop is saved. If the global parameter Save Project Layers is set, then a loop's entire layer history is also saved in the project. More than one .wav file will be saved for each loop. For example:

myproject-1-1-3.wav myproject-1-1-2.wav myproject-1-1-1.wav The third number in the file name is the layer number. These will be random numbers, though the most recent layer will usually have a higher number. Saving layers may be interesting if you use undo as a performance technique, and you want to start with a complex loop, then undo back to something simpler. To enable saving the layer history, open the Configuration menu and select the Global Parameters item. Locate the parameter named Save Project Layers and check the box.

NOTE: When you save a project with the same name as an existing project, all of the wave files in the existing project will be deleted first. This is necessary to avoid "garbage files" if you remove tracks or loops from the project. This will only occur however if the file is contained in the same directory as the project's .mob file. If you have manually edited the .mob file and added files a sample library, the sample library files will not be deleted as long as they are in a different directory than the .mob file.

3.2 Open Project To load a project, open the File menu and select the Open Project item. A standard open file dialog appears requesting you to select an existing Mobius project file. Navigate to the directory containing the .mob file, select it and click Open or Ok. When you load a project, a Global Reset is performed, meaning that all of the current tracks and loops will be lost. After loading the audio content from the project all tracks will be placed in Pause mode, tracks will not begin playing automatically. You must now use the Pause or Play functions in each track to start them.

4 Saving and Loading Loops Mobius provides several options for saving and loading audio content to and from files. In this section we will discuss ways to save and load individual loops. You can also save and load projects which contain the audio content from all layers in all loops in all tracks. See the Projects section for more information on projects. Load loading and saving is accomplished from the File menu:

4.1 Loop File Formats Mobius can only save and load audio content as wav files. The files may use either 16-bit integer samples or 32-bit floating point samples. Floating point is preferred because it has the best sound quality. When Mobius writes audio files it will by default use 32-bit floating point samples. If you have and audio application that cannot read floating point audio files, you can change the way audio files are saved with a global parameter. Open the Configuration menu and select Global Parameters. In the popup window locate the 16 Bit Wave Files parameter.

16 Bit Wave File Option Check the box next to the parameter name and click Ok to close the window. Now all Mobius audio files will be saved using 16-bit integer samples. Note that this parameter does not effect how files are read. Mobius will continue to read both integer and floating point wave files. NOTE: Mobius usually runs with a sample rate of 44100 or 48000. If you load files created outside of Mobius the files may use other sample rates but these will not be automatically converted to the Mobius sample rate. It is recommended that you only load files whose sample rate matches the Mobius rate. The example files that come with the Mobius installation were all created with a rate of 44100.

4.2 Open Loop The Open Loop menu item is used to load a loop from a file into Mobius. Before loading a loop file you must first select the track and the loop in the Mobius main window that you want to replace with the contents of a file. Click on the track in the track strip, then use Next Loop or Previous Loop or the up and down arrow keys to select a loop. If you have the Empty Loop Action parameter set to Record in the preset, recording may begin automatically but it will be canceled during the load. Once the track and loop are selected, open the File menu and select the Open Loop item. A standard open file dialog will be displayed, navigate to the directory containing the file you want to load and select it. Mobius can only load wave files having the .wav extension. The file may be encoded using 16-bit integer or 32-bit floating point samples The destination loop will be reset before the loop is loaded. After the loop is loaded, the track will be in Pause mode. The loop will begin playing from the beginning as soon as you use the Mute, Pause, or Play functions to cancel pause mode. In the default keyboard bindings the spacebar can be used to unpause the loop. If you don't have any wave files handy, Mobius includes a few that you can experiment with. From the Open Loop dialog, navigate to the loops subdirectory of the Mobius installation directory. On windows this will normally be c:\Program Files\Mobius\loops, on Mac this will normally be /Applications/Mobius/loops. Select the file gcgroove.wav. Hit the spacebar and let the funk begin.

4.3 Save Loop To save an individual loop, select the track and the loop you want to save, open down the File menu, and select the Save Loop item. A standard file save dialog will appear, navigate to the directory where you want to save the loop, and select or enter a file name.

4.4 Quick Save The quick save feature allows you to save the current loop to a file without having to interact with a file save window. This is convenient if you create a loop you would like to remember, but don't want to put down your instrument and interact with the computer. A quick save may be performed by opening down the File menu and selecting the Quick Save item. While you don't have to interact with a dialog window, you still have to select the menu item. A more interesting way to perform a quick save is by binding a button, key, or especially a MIDI event to the Save Loop function. You could for example bind Save Loop function to a button on a MIDI foot controller, then whenever you create something interesting just pounce on the button and the loop will be saved. On Windows, the loop files are stored in the Mobius installation directory which is normally c:\Program Files\Mobius. On the Mac the loop files are stored in /Library/Application Support/Mobius. The files will have the name mobiusloop plus a number to make the name unique, for example mobiusloop1.wav, mobiusloop2.wav etc. Every time you perform the Save Loop function, a new unique file name is generated by adding one to the highest numbered mobiusloop file in the directory. If you perform a quick save into a directory that already contains quick save files, Mobius will scan the directory to find the highest file number it must use in order to generate a unique file name. This ensures that a quick save will not overwrite an existing file made during an earlier Mobius session. You may change the directory and base file name for quick save files by setting a global parameter. Open the Configuration menu and select the Global Parameters item. Locate the parameter named Quick Save File.

If you want to change the base file name but keep the default directory, just enter a new name in this field.

If you want to change the directory in which the files are stored you will need to enter the absolute path name of the directory and the base file name. On Windows this must begin with a drive letter, on Mac it must begin with a / character.

If you are not familiar with absolute path names it is recommended that you let the files be saved in the default directory. NOTE: Do not include the .wav extension to the file name, this will be added automatically.

5 Samples The samples feature was designed primarily for testing Mobius, though anyone can use it. Samples are short audio recordings that can be loaded into Mobius and triggered with buttons, keys, or MIDI events. When triggered, a sample plays from beginning to end without interruption and then stops. If you trigger it again before the last sample playback finishes, another overlapping playback of the sample will start. Samples are not part of a loop or track, it is like having a very primitive built-in sample player. So far this is pretty boring, but what makes samples interesting for testing is that while the sample is playing, the output is routed into the audio input of the tracks. So if the tracks are recording, they will record the samples you are playing, as well as whatever is coming in from the audio interface. This is convenient for testing because audio can be injected into the tracks just by pressing keys on the keyboard, without having to stop and play an instrument. A sample is just an audio .wav file. To configure samples, open the Configuration menu and select the Samples item.

At the top of the samples window are buttons to add, delete, and reorder samples. The large panel in the center has the file names of the samples that are currently registered. To add a new sample, click the Add button. A standard open file dialog is displayed where you can select the .wav file to load. Added samples are placed at the end of the list. To delete a sample, click on the file name in the list so that it is highlighted then click the Delete button. To change the order of samples, click on a file so that it is highlighted then click the Move Up or Move Down buttons. The order the sample files appear in the list is important because this determines which Mobius functions will trigger the samples. There are eight Mobius functions that will trigger samples. They all begin with the word "Sample" and are then followed by a number from 1 to 8, for example Sample1and ample2. The Sample1 function triggers the first sample in the list, the Sample2 function triggers the second sample in the list and so on. Because there are only eight sample trigger functions you should only register 8 sample files. You can add more but they will not be accessible. To get a feel for how this works, Mobius comes with a small set of sample files you can try. On windows these are in the samples sub directory of the Mobius installation directory which is usually c:\Program Files\Mobius\samples. On the Mac these will be in /Applications/Mobius/samples. Samples can be of any length though they are more useful if they are short. Because samples will "stack" if you trigger them several times rapidly you have to be careful about overloading the output bus and causing digital clipping. There is no way to adjust the level of the sample.

6 Advanced Control The Controlling Mobius section of Getting Started With Mobius described the process for creating bindings that let you control Mobius using devices such as a MIDI footswitch. In this section we will describe some advanced options that give you more precise control over individual tracks.

6.1 Binding Review First a quick review of the concepts involved bindings. A trigger is an external stimulus that Mobius can receive and take action on. The most common example is a message sent from a MIDI footswitch. A target is something in Mobius that can respond to a trigger, examples include looping functions, track controls, and scripts. A binding is an association between a trigger and a target, for example binding MIDI Note 36 to the Record function means that the Record function will be executed whenever MIDI Note 36 is received. Bindings are created using several popup dialog windows for each type of trigger. These binding windows are accessed from the Configuration menu items MIDI Control, Keyboard Control and Plugin Parameters. In addition you can create bindings for OSC messages but this is still an experimental feature that does not yet have a user interface. One property of a binding that was not discussed in the Getting Started guide was the scope. Most users will use the default Global scope for their bindings which will target the currently selected track. But it is also possible to use scopes so that tracks are targeted even if they are not selected.

6.2 Binding Scopes A binding may be given a scope to more precisely specify which targets are to be controlled by the trigger. There are many targets in Mobius because each track has its own independent set of targets. For example there isn't just one Output Level control target, there are eight, one for each track. Functions may also have a binding scope. A trigger may for example do a Record in whatever the currently selected track is, or it may Record in track 4 all the time. A binding scope menu is found in all of the popup windows that create bindings.

Scope Selector When the scope is Global the binding is performed in currently selected track and all tracks that have focus lock. This is the most common binding scope. The scopes Track 1 through Track 8 force the binding to be performed in a specific track no matter which is currently selected. This scope is particularly useful if you have a MIDI control surface with sliders and knobs that resemble a mixing console. A typical configuration is to bind a row of sliders to the output level controls in each track, and a row of knobs to the pan controls. Then you can mix and pan the tracks any time without worrying about which one is selected.

The scopes Group A through Group D force the binding to be performed on all tracks that are in one of the track groups. For this binding scope to be useful you must also assign tracks to groups, see the Track Groups section for more on how to use track groups.

6.3 Focus Lock When you create a binding using the default Global binding scope, triggers are sent to the currently selected track. This is the most common way to create bindings, rather than having 8 bindings for the Record function for each track, you just have one binding for the current track. Then you select the track you want to record by clicking on it in the Mobius window. This is similar to what computer operating systems call "input focus". Occasionally though you might want to control more than one track at the same time without stopping to set up new bindings. For example you might want to mute or fade all tracks at the same time, send several tracks into reverse at the same time, or to begin a new loop recording simultaneously in several tracks. There are several ways to do this including scripts and Track Groups but the simplest way is to use focus lock. Focus lock is a boolean track parameter that can turned on and off. When focus lock is on for a track, that track will receive all triggers that are bound to something in the global binding scope. For example assume focus lock is enabled in tracks 2 and 3 and track 1 is selected. If you trigger the Reverse function, tracks 1, 2, and 3 will all toggle their playback direction. Track 1 because it is selected, and tracks 2 and 3 because they have focus lock enabled. Similarly if you had a MIDI continuous control pedal with a global binding to the Output Level control, then moving this pedal will cause the output level in tracks 1, 2, and 3 to change at the same time. Focus lock is rarely something that you leave on all the time, instead it is enabled temporarily only when you need control over multiple tracks. Because focus lock requires the performer to manually turn it on and off, it can be difficult to use during performance. Scripts are usually the preferred method for controlling multiple tracks, but focus lock is still available for simple things that don't require the complexity of a script.

6.3.1 Setting Focus Lock If you are using the default user interface configuration, you can tell if a track has focus lock when the Track Number displays in a different color (usually red). In the next screenshot, you can see that track 2 is selected and track 1 has focus lock.

Focus lock with the track number You can turn focus lock on and off by clicking on the track number. There is another component you can add to the track strip to control focus lock called appropriately Focus Lock. It is displayed as a small round button that is filled red when a track has focus lock. In the next screenshot, you can see again that track 2 is selected and track 1 has focus lock.

Focus lock button You might choose to use the focus lock button if you want to save space in the track strip, though most people use the track number because it is easier to see and also helps you identify tracks. Like the track number, you can turn focus lock on and off by clicking inside the focus lock button. During live performance it can be awkward for the performer to stop playing, grab the mouse, and click on focus lock buttons. Most people that use focus lock therefore use MIDI or the computer keyboard to set focus lock. The function named Focus Lock can be bound to any trigger. When executed it will toggle focus lock in the target track. One approach is to bind the computer keys 1 through 8 to the Focus Lock function with the binding scope set to tracks 1 through 8. Then pressing the 1 key will toggle focus lock in track 1, pressing 2 will toggle focus lock in track 2, etc. Something similar could be done with a row of MIDI buttons on a footswitch or control surface.

6.3.2 Limiting Focus Lock Most functions can use focus locks, but a few special functions like Next Track or Track Copy do not. Generally any function that operates on a loop inside a track can use focus lock, but functions that operate on the tracks themselves do not. You may not want focus lock applied to all functions. For example you may want NextLoop, Restart, and Mute to obey focus lock but not Record and Overdub so you can control the recording of tracks individually but still mute them at the same time. You can control exactly which functions will obey focus lock by setting a global parameter. From the Configuration menu select the Global Parameters item. When the window opens select the Functions tab.

Focus Lock Configuration Window This tab has two item selectors, the first one labeled Focus Lock Functions controls which functions will obey focus lock. By default most functions obey focus lock but the loop selection functions do not. If you do not want a particular function such as Record to obey focus lock, select it and remove it from the right panel. It does not matter what order the functions are in. When you have finished adding or removing functions remember to click "Ok" to close the window and save the changes.

6.4 Track Groups A Track Group is used to organize several related tracks. By default there are four track groups defined in Mobius, and a track may be made a member of any one of those groups. Groups are identified by letters A,B,C,D but they may also be given user defined names in the Track Setup. Assigning a track to a group does not by itself do anything very interesting. If you have the Group Name component enabled in the track strip you can see the group

name which might help you remember how the tracks are supposed to be used. For example group A for percussion, group B for bass, and group C for solo. Track groups become more useful when they are used as a binding scope. Recall that when you create a binding for a trigger such as a MIDI note, you can select a binding scope. The default binding scope is global which mean the trigger is sent to the currently selected track. If the binding scope is set to a group name, the trigger will be sent to all tracks in that group whether or not they are selected. One example use for track group bindings is to bind a MIDI expression pedal to the output level control to the group whose tracks contain the percussion loops. Then with one expression pedal you can adjust the mix of all of the tracks at the same time. Using track groups in this way is similar to using Focus Lock but it is more flexible.

6.4.1 Displaying Track Groups If you want to use track groups you will need to be able to see them in the user interface. In the default configuration, track group names are not visible. You will need to customize the track strip and add the item named Group Name.

Track Strip Item Selector You won't see much change initially because none of the tracks have been assigned to a group. The track strip will grow a little taller to make room for the group name but that space will be blank until the track is assigned to a group. Here is what the track strip will look like if you assign the first two tracks to group A and the second two to group B.

Visible track group name Note that each group name is displayed in a different color to help identify them. You can change the colors by editing the color palette.

6.4.2 Setting Track Groups The primary way to assign tracks to a group is with a track setup. See the Track Setups section for complete information on how to define setups. In the setup parameters for each track is a group selector.

Group selector in the setup window In the previous example the first track has been added to the first group which by default is named "A". Whenever you change setups the displayed track groups will change to match what is defined in the setup. If you execute the Global Reset function, the current track groups will also be reset to match what is in the setup.

You may also change track groups in real-time by executing the Track Group function. Each time you execute the Track Group function the track is assigned to the next higher group. If the track is not currently assigned to a group it is assigned to group A. If the track is currently assigned to the highest group, the group membership is removed. The pattern is:

none, A, B, C, D, none, A, B, C, D, none... If you have the Track Group function bound to a Sustainable Trigger and you do a long press of the trigger, the group assignment is removed. You can also set track groups using scripts, this is described in detail in the Mobius Scripting manual.

6.4.3 Limiting Track Groups If you find that 4 track group is more than you need, you can reduce the number using a global parameter. From the Configuration menu select Global Parameters, when the window opens select the Limits tab.

Changing the number of track groups Locate the parameter named Track Groups and enter the desired number. In this example the number has been changed from 4 to 2. Changing the number of track groups is primarily of interest if you want to use the Track Group function to cycle over the groups. If you only need two groups then this changes the Track Group pattern to:

none, A, B, none, A, B, none...

6.4.4 Group Output Level The Output Level control will behave in a special way if it is bound using a track group scope. The output level of the tracks in the group will be changed relative to their current output level, rather than all set to the same value. This allows you to set up a mix of several tracks with different output levels, then adjust the overall output level of the group "bus" without changing the mix of track levels. For example, assume track 1 and 2 are in the same group and track 1 has an output level of 127 (the maximum) and track 2 has an output level of 100. Decreasing the output level by 10 using a group binding will lower the level of the first track to 117 and the second track to 90.

This special behavior is available only for the Output Level control and is canceled if you use any other level control such as a UI knob or a trigger that does not use the group binding scope.

6.4.5 Track Groups and Focus Lock Before release 1.43, track groups behaved like a more powerful version of Focus Lock. This is no longer the default behavior because it was confusing and made it harder to use bindings with group scope. If you would like to restore this old behavior open the Global Parameters window and check the checkbox labeled Groups have focus lock.

Activating group focus lock When this option is enabled any triggers that have bindings using global scope are sent to the currently selected track and all tracks that are in the same group as the selected track. For example assume that tracks 1, 2, and 3 are in the same group and track 3 is selected. The Reverse function has a global binding to a MIDI note. When this MIDI note is received, tracks 1 2 and 2 all change direction, 3 because it is selected and 1 and 2 because they are in the same group as 3. Like simple focus lock, track group focus lock is only available for function bindings that use the Global binding scope. If you create a binding scoped to a specific track or track group, group focus will have no effect on that binding. Also like simple focus lock, you may not want all functions to be sent to all tracks in the group. You can use the same global parameter described in Limiting Focus Lock to decide which functions should obey group focus lock. The reason this is no longer the default behavior is because we have found that the ability to assign things like the Output Level control to a group is useful for mixing. But once you did that, all tracks in the group would respond to functions like Record at the same time which is not usually what you want. You can edit the Focus Lock Functions global parameter to remove all the functions you don't want to obey focus lock, but it's easy to forget. Most people never want a combination of both group bindings and group focus lock. So rather than making the combination the default we made the default to disable group focus lock and only support group bindings. If this is confusing don't worry, it has always been hard to explain and few if any people have ever made good use of it. Just leave the Groups have focus lock checkbox off.

6.5 Binding Arguments The Arguments text field in the bindings windows allows you to enter text that may control how the binding behaves. What you can enter here will depend on both the trigger and the target. Arguments may be used for all Control bindings and a few Parameter and Function bindings. You normally use binding arguments only for "one shot" triggers such as a MIDI note, MIDI program change, or computer keyboard key. Bindings arguments when the trigger is a MIDI continuous controller are ignored.

6.5.1 Control Binding Arguments Controls are usually bound to a MIDI device that can send continuous controller messages, such as a foot pedal, slider, or rotating knob on a control surface. This is necessary because controls have a range of values and MIDI CC messages allow you to sweep over all of the possible values. If you bind a control to a trigger that doesn't support a range of values such as a MIDI note, the binding will have no effect. When we receive the note we don't know what value to give the control. This can be fixed by entering binding arguments. Binding arguments for controls start with an operator and follow with an operand which is a number. The available operators are:      

min max center up down set

min will set the target to its minimum value, max sets the maximum value, and center sets the center value. These three operators don't have an operand. These operators are normally used only when the target is a control. up will increase the current value of the target by some amount, down will decrease the current value by some amount, and set will set the target to a fixed value. All of these require an number operand. These can be used when the target is a control or a parameter. Here are some examples:      

min - set a control to zero max - set a control to 127 center - set a control to 64 up 10 - increase a control by 10 down 5 - decrease a control by 5 set 90 - set a control to 90

If you bind a pair of MIDI notes to a control and give one the arguments "up 1" and the other then arguments "down 1" you can sweep the control through the full range of values by repeatedly pressing the MIDI notes. If you try to set a control to a value more than 127, it will be constrained to 127. Similarly if you try to set a control to a negative value if will be constrained to zero.

6.5.2 Parameter Binding Arguments Binding arguments can be used with any parameter whose type is an enumeration meaning it has a fixed set of possible values, or is an integer meaning that it is a

small number. Examples of parameters that you might want to use are Subcycles, Quantize Mode, and Switch Quantize. For integer parameters, the binding argument may be a number within the allowed range of the parameter. For example, binding a trigger to the Subcycles parameter with an argument of 8 will force the number of subcycles to 8 whenever this trigger is received. Before we had binding arguments, operations like this were frequently done with scripts. By using binding arguments you can avoid scripting in these simple cases. For enumeration parameters, the binding argument must be the name of the parameter value. This type of binding is a bit more complicated because you must use the internal script name of the parameter value. For example the Quantize Mode parameter has the following internal values: off, subcycle, cycle, loop. So to force the quantize mode to loop, create a binding and enter loop as the argument. You will need to consult the reference manual to understand the possible parameter values for each enumeration parameter.

6.5.3 Function Binding Arguments A few functions also allow binding arguemnts. These include:    

Speed Step Speed Toggle Sustain Speed Toggle Pitch Step

In most cases, the argument is a small positive or negative number, for the speed and pitch functions this number indiciates a change in semitones up or down. For example setting an argument of 7 for the Pitch Step function will cause the function to raise the pitch by a 5th. Consult the reference manual for each function for more information on how it supports binding arguments.

6.6 Plugin Parameter Bindings If you are using the Mobius VST or AU plugin, another way to control it is through plugin parameters. The term "plugin parameter" must not be confused with Mobius calls a Parameter. Plugin parameters are used for communication between a VST or Audio Units plugin and the host application. Plugins typically declare a small number of parameters that the host can then display using a simple user interface with sliders and menus. Further the host may support "parameter automation" that allows you to draw value curves in a timeline and have the parameters change in real time. Finally hosts can often store the last known values for all of a plugin's parameters in a "session file" that may be restored later. Plugin parameters are an advanced topic because what you can do with them depends greatly on the host application you are using. Here we will simply discuss how you cause targets in Mobius to be exposed as plugin parameters. For information on how to use these parameters with the various hosts you will have to check forum.

Mobius has literally hundreds of targets that could be exposed as plugin parameters. Because there are so many they are not all exposed by default, you must explicitly ask for the targets you want exposed. To define plugin parameters open the Configuration menu and select the Plugin Parameters item.

Plugin Parameter Window with Default Parameters This looks like the other binding windows for MIDI and keyboard control. The unusual thing about parameter binding is that there are no fields for defining a trigger. This is because the association between a trigger and the plugin parameter is done in the host application rather than in Mobius. Mobius simply advertises a set of parameters that the host can use, the association of those parameters with things like MIDI events is done in the host. The typical steps for defining plugin parameters are: 1. Select a target (function, control, parameter, or configuration) 2. Select a scope 3. Click the New command button to add the parameter Plugin parameters can sometimes be used as sustainable triggers but it depends on the host application. The host needs to support the concept of a "momentary button" and set the parameter to non-zero when the button is pressed and zero when released. Not all hosts support this concept, some treat all parameters as continuous floating point values and display them as sliders rather than buttons.

6.7 OSC Bindings It is possible to control every Mobius target using OSC messages. This is an advanced feature that is still under development. For more information see the Mobius and OSC manual.

7 MIDI Status Export MIDI Status Export is an option that will cause Mobius to send MIDI events whenever certain parameters or controls change. It is intended for use with bi-directional control surfaces that can both send MIDI to Mobius to change something and also receive MIDI to track changes made within Mobius. For example a control surface may have a rotary knob used to set the Mobius Output Level control. When you turn the knob the hardware sends MIDI messages to Mobius to change the output level. But if you then change the output level in the Mobius UI or from a script, the position of the hardware knob may no longer match the output level that is actually being used in Mobius. Some newer control surfaces support bi-directional communication which means that the application may send MIDI back to the hardware to make it change the position of knobs, sliders, or buttons. When MIDI feedback is enabled in Mobius, it will send MIDI events whenever a parameter or control changes and those parameters or controls have a MIDI trigger binding. For example if the Output Level control has a binding to MIDI continuous controller 42, then whenever the output level is changed in the Mobius UI, continuous

controller 42 events will be sent to the selected MIDI output devices. If a parameter or control does not have a MIDI binding then no MIDI messages will be sent. There are two global parameters that control MIDI status export. The MIDI Status Export parameter will cause MIDI status events to be sent to the MIDI output devices selected in the MIDI Devices window. This is normally used only when running Mobius in standalone mode, but it can be used in the Mobius plugin if you are opening private MIDI devices. The Host MIDI Status Export parameter will cause MIDI status events to be sent to the VST or Audio Units plugin host. This can only be used when Mobius is running as a plugin. If you use this option you must then route MIDI coming from the Mobius plugin to the hardware control surface in the host. Every host does this differently and some don't even recognize MIDI generated by a plugin. If your host does support routing MIDI from a plugin, that is the recommended approach. If it doesn't then you can configure Mobius to open a private MIDI output device when in plugin mode and set the MIDI Status Export parameter instead. But be careful because having Mobius open MIDI devices can cause conflicts with some hosts.

8 Customizing the User Interface The user interface can be changed in many ways: buttons can be added to the button area, components can be added and rearranged in the status area, and components can be added and rearranged in the track strips. Most customizations are performed using a set of popup dialog windows accessed from the Configuration menu. Note that it is often necessary to resize the Mobius window after adding or removing things from the UI. If you are running Mobius as an Audio Unit plugin, or as a VST plugin in "single window mode" you will not be able to resize the window. You will need to first run Mobius standalone to resize the window, then the new window size will be used by the plugin window the next time it is opened.

8.1 Item Selectors Many of the configuration windows use a set of buttons and panels collectively called an item selector. These will have different labels and contain different items but they all work the same way. Here is an example item selector from the Display Components window.

Example Item Selector The panel on the right contains the items that are currently selected. The panel on the left contains the items that are available for selection. In the center is a column of buttons that move items between the two panels. To select an item, click on the name in the left panel to highlight it, then click on the button labeled ">". To deselect an item, click on the name in the right panel, then click on the button labeled ">" will move all items to the right panel and the button labeled "