5 Using Mobius
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 one-time 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 built-in versions of built-instant multiple, more multiples are available usbuilt-ing 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
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