Home - probonopd/MiniDexed GitHub Wiki

Welcome to the MiniDexed wiki!

Select a page from the right-hand side of this page.

MiniDexed

MiniDexed - Quick Start Guide

A brief introduction to using MiniDexed

NOTE: This Quick Start Guide assumes a Raspberry Pi 2, Zero 2 or later, with Rotary Encoder and Display. Other hardware configurations are possible.

What is MiniDexed?

MiniDexed is a synthesizer that emulates eight DX7s, an 8-channel mixer, reverb, and a compressor as acting a limiter — all running on a Raspberry Pi (version 2 or higher).

The DX7 simulation is based on the excellent open-source software Dexed.

TG – Tone Generator

In MiniDexed, each Dexed instance is referred to as a Tone Generator (TG) — labeled TG1 to TG8. For each TG, you can adjust the sound (DX7 patch), volume, panning, reverb send, detune, cutoff, resonance, pitch bend, portamento, poly/mono mode, modulation, and the MIDI channel.

Voice

A Voice refers to a single DX7 patch. Voices are stored in SysEx banks, which can be copied to the SD card. Each bank contains 32 voices.

Example: The four DX7II Factory banks

D:\sysex\voice\000001_DX7IIVox32.syx
D:\sysex\voice\000002_DX7IIVox32b.syx 
D:\sysex\voice\000003_DX7IIVox64.syx 
D:\sysex\voice\000004_DX7IIVox64b.syx

Refer to the MiniDexed Wiki for required file name formats.

Performance

A Performance stores the complete configuration of all 8 Tone Generators, plus the reverb settings. Performances are organized into banks, each capable of holding up to 128 Performances. They are saved on the SD card.

Example: The performances banks included with MiniDexed

D:\performance\001_Seed
D:\performance\002_Greenhouse
D:\performance\003_Oasis
D:\performance\128_Laboratory

Performances from the Laboratory bank

D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000001_INIT-Multitim..ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000002_MultiTimbral.ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000003_pure DX7.ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000004_Single.ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000005_DoubleLayer.ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000006_Quadro.ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000007_OctaThin.ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000008_OctaFat.ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000009_1TG Perf..ini
D:\performance\128_Laboratory\000010_Drum Map.ini

Getting Started

Power up your device and set your MIDI keyboard to MIDI Channel 1.

Using the Encoder

With the encoder, you control everything:

  • Rotate: Move through the Top-Level menu or adjust a parameter.
  • Short press: Enter a submenu.
  • Long press: Go up one livel in the menu
  • Press and Turn: Switch TGs in the submenus like Voice, Bank, Volume, Pan, ReverbSend, Detune, Cutoff, Resonance, Midi Channel.
  • Double-click: Don’t panic - that's the Home function! Return to the top-level menu at “TG1”. Anyone who has equipped their device with buttons or operates it with the help of a MIDI controller will of course have to rethink this accordingly.

Menu table

TG1 TG2 TG3 TG4 TG5 TG6 TG7 TG8
Voice Voice Voice Voice Voice Voice Voice Voice
Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank Bank
Volume Volume Volume Volume Volume Volume Volume Volume
Pan Pan Pan Pan Pan Pan Pan Pan
ReverbSend ReverbSend ReverbSend ReverbSend ReverbSend ReverbSend ReverbSend ReverbSend
Detune Detune Detune Detune Detune Detune Detune Detune
Cutoff Cutoff Cutoff Cutoff Cutoff Cutoff Cutoff Cutoff
Resonance Resonance Resonance Resonance Resonance Resonance Resonance Resonance
Pitch Bend Pitch Bend Pitch Bend Pitch Bend Pitch Bend Pitch Bend Pitch Bend Pitch Bend
Portamento Portamento Portamento Portamento Portamento Portamento Portamento Portamento
Poly/Mono Poly/Mono Poly/Mono Poly/Mono Poly/Mono Poly/Mono Poly/Mono Poly/Mono
Modulation Modulation Modulation Modulation Modulation Modulation Modulation Modulation
Midi Channel Midi Channel Midi Channel Midi Channel Midi Channel Midi Channel Midi Channel Midi Channel
Edit Voice Edit Voice Edit Voice Edit Voice Edit Voice Edit Voice Edit Voice Edit Voice
Effects Master Vol. Performance
Compress Master Vol. Load
On/Off Save
Reverb Overwrite
Enable New
Size Save as default
High damp Delete
Low damp Bank
Low pass PCCH
Diffusion
Level

It takes some practice to master the operation with only one encoder.

Loading a Performance

  • At the top-level menu, navigate to Performance.
  • Press the encoder once to open the submenu, the display will show "Performance" and "Load".
  • Press the encoder again to access the Performance selection.
  • Rotate to select a Performance and press to load it.

Change the Performance Bank

  • At the top-level menu, navigate to Performance.
  • Press the encoder once to open the submenu
  • Navigate to Bank
  • Press the encoder again to access the Bank selection.
  • Rotate to select a Performance Bank and press to load it.
  • The quickest way to access the „Performance Load menu“ from here is this: Long press – rotate left to "Load" then short press and you'll be back in the Performance Load menu.

Master Volume

  • Start from the top level menu and navitgate to Master Volume.
  • Press once: "Master Volume" appears with a volume bar.
  • Rotate to set the level.
  • Long-press to return to the previous menu.

Multitimbral Operation

MiniDexed can be used in a variety of ways. The included Performances are mostly single-player sounds, meaning the tone generators are layered and all play the same notes as those played by the MIDI keyboard. However, it is also possible to control multitimbral sounds from a DAW. The Performance "MultiTimbral" in Bank 128_Laboratory is a good starting point for using a DAW or sequencer. Each TG is assigned its own MIDI channel:

  • TG1 → MIDI Channel 1
  • TG2 → MIDI Channel 2
  • ...
  • TG8 → MIDI Channel 8

Laboratory 128:002 – MultiTimbral.ini

The tone generators TG1-8 receive on MIDI channels 1-8 and can be edited individually:

TG1 TG2 TG3 TG4 TG5 TG6 TG7 TG8
Voice FENDERHODE BR TRUMPET FLUTE 1 LESLIE CLAV ENS B.J. STRG FRETLESS 1 VIBE 2
MIDIChannel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Volume 64 48 53 53 64 64 64 64
Pan 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Detune 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cutoff 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
Resonance 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NoteLimitLow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NoteLimitHigh 127 127 127 127 127 127 127 127
ReverbSend 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99

Laboratory 128:003 – pure DX7

Only TG1 receives on MIDI channel 1; MiniDexed in "DX7 mode:"

TG1 TG2 TG3 TG4 TG5 TG6 TG7 TG8
Voice INIT miniD INIT miniD INIT miniD INIT miniD INIT miniD INIT miniD INIT miniD INIT miniD
MIDIChannel 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Volume 64 48 48 48 48 48 48 48
Pan 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Detune 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cutoff 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
Resonance 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NoteLimitLow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NoteLimitHigh 127 127 127 127 127 127 127 127
ReverbSend 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99

Laboratory 128:010 – DrumMap.ini

MiniDexed as a drum machine, TG1 - TG8 receive on MIDI channel 1, different sounds split on the keyboard:

TG1 TG2 TG3 TG4 TG5 TG6 TG7 TG8
Voice TR-Kick TR-Snr.Gat TR-clHat TR-clHat TR-clHat DM-Ride TR-Ambos TR-Toms
MIDIChannel 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Volume 127 77 34 32 40 42 56 77
Pan 64 56 56 56 56 56 77 64
Detune 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cutoff 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
Resonance 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NoteLimitLow 36 38 42 44 46 51 56 41
NoteLimitHigh 36 38 42 44 46 51 56 41
ReverbSend 32 32 32 32 39 43 31 42

These tables do not contain all the parameters of a performance, they are only intended for easy understanding. The NoteLimitLow and NoteLimitHigh lines are not yet accessible from the MiniDexed menu.

Useful Links

Acknowledgments

This MiniDexed - Quick Start Guide was written by Banana71.