ChipboxTUTORIAL

Let's make the tetris theme! You know the one!

BASICSThe workflow

PROJECTS contain multiple PAGES

PAGES contain multiple CHANNELS

You build up the song by chaining PAGES together

1Open a project

Hold HOME to open the project view

Pick a free project with the SELECT knob

Press HOME to open it

Protip: Hold EDIT on a project to delete it!

DOUBLE Protip: Hold GLO and HOME to get to the SUPER HIDDEN MENU. Factory Reset lives in there.

2Add channels

Hit HOME until you're on the RACK view

Twist that PRESETS knob to the + row (the one at the bottom)

Press OCT+ to open the 'Add Channel' view

Pick a console, then a channel, hitting OCT+ each time. OCT- goes back

Add NES Pulse, NES Triangle, GB Pulse and SMS Tone, in that order

3Tempo

Set KNOB 1 (Tempo) to 144

4Pages

Hit HOME until you're in the SONG view. This is where we'll arrange our pages to make our song

Hit OCT+ until you have 7 pages

RACKEntering notes

There are two ways to enter notes

SEQ is the precise way. You enter the notes one at a time. Best for getting a melody exactly right

REC is for living in the moment! Play along, mess it up, have fun, make some happy accidents. Live your best life!

Mix them. Nobody's checking

5The lead

Here's the lead for the whole song:

        1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
page 1  E5  ·   ·   ·   B4  ·   C5  ·   D5  ·   ·   ·   C5  ·   B4  ·
page 2  A4  ·   ·   ·   A4  ·   C5  ·   E5  ·   ·   ·   D5  ·   C5  ·
page 3  B4  ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   C5  ·   D5  ·   ·   ·   E5  ·   ·   ·
page 4  C5  ·   ·   ·   A4  ·   ·   ·   A4  ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·
page 5  D5  ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   F5  ·   A5  ·   ·   ·   G5  ·   F5  ·
page 6  E5  ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   C5  ·   E5  ·   ·   ·   D5  ·   C5  ·
page 7  B4  ·   ·   ·   B4  ·   C5  ·   D5  ·   ·   ·   E5  ·   ·   ·

Page 8 is page 4 again, so there are only 7 to enter. We'll sort that out at the end

SEQPage 1, the precise way

Twist PRESETS to the top channel (NES PU)

Double check you're on page 1. If not, twist that ALGORITHM knob until you are

Hit SEQ

Here you can take your time and enter the page's notes one by one. Page 1 starts with an E5. Try to find it yourself! If you get it wrong, use SELECT to shift the cursor back to that step and try again

PROTIP: If you can't find the right key, it might be on a different octave. Use OCT+ or OCT- to change octave

The next note, B4, is on step 5. To leave gaps for rests, skip around with the SELECT knob

Carry on down the row: C5 on step 7, D5 on step 9, C5 on step 13 and B4 on step 15

Want a long note? Hold the key and turn KNOB 2. A line under the note shows how far it goes

If you mess up a note, use SELECT to move the cursor to it, then either replace it with the right note or hit EDIT to delete it altogether

PROTIP: Try hitting PLAY on this view

Use the ALGORITHM knob to change the page, but keep the channel the same

As always, OCT+ and OCT- change the octave

When you're happy with your masterpiece, hit HOME to get back to the RACK view

RECPage 1, the vibes way

Same start: PRESETS to the top channel, and check you're on page 1

Hit REC. The page starts looping

Play along as the line passes each step. Hold a key down for a long note, then hit ARP to show a line under it for how long it lasts

Too quick? Turn SELECT left once for slooooow motion

Hold EDIT while it plays to wipe notes as the line passes them

UNDOOops

If you ever make a mistake, hit LFO to undo it

PROTIP: LFO kind of sort of rhymes with undo. Kind of. I mean. Just pretend it does...

5+Pages 2 to 7

Flip to the next page with the ALGORITHM knob and enter its row, either way. Page 7 and you're done with the lead

Page 5 has an A5, which is up past the end of the keyboard. Hit OCT+ to reach it

6The bass

Same idea, a different channel:

        1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
page 1  E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·
page 2  A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·
page 3  E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·
page 4  A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·   A2  ·
page 5  D3  ·   D3  ·   D3  ·   D3  ·   D3  ·   D3  ·   D3  ·   D3  ·
page 6  C3  ·   C3  ·   C3  ·   C3  ·   C3  ·   C3  ·   C3  ·   C3  ·
page 7  E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·   E2  ·

Twist PRESETS to the second channel (the triangle). The + row is a stop on the way round

Hit OCT- twice. The keyboard drops into bass land

Hit SEQ and find the E2. Skip a step with SELECT, press it again, and so on. (Can't find it? Check your octave)

7The stabs

Four notes a page this time:

        1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
page 1  ·   ·   B3  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·   ·   ·   B3  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·
page 2  ·   ·   C4  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·   ·   ·   C4  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·
page 3  ·   ·   B3  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·   ·   ·   B3  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·
page 4  ·   ·   C4  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·   ·   ·   C4  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·
page 5  ·   ·   D4  ·   ·   ·   F4  ·   ·   ·   D4  ·   ·   ·   F4  ·
page 6  ·   ·   C4  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·   ·   ·   C4  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·
page 7  ·   ·   B3  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·   ·   ·   B3  ·   ·   ·   E4  ·

Twist PRESETS to the third channel (the GB pulse)

OCT+ twice to get the keyboard back to the middle

Hit SEQ and find the B3 and the E4

8Thicker

Everything's a bit thin. Doubling the lead an octave down fixes that

Twist PRESETS to the fourth channel (the SMS one), hit OCT- once, and enter the lead again. Yes, again. It's worth it

Then hit HOME to get to the CHIP view

Turn KNOB 2 (VOL) down until it hugs the lead instead of fighting it

CHIPShape the sound

This is where you shape how a channel sounds. Every channel has a patch, the settings behind its sound, and KNOB 1 to KNOB 4 turn them

A patch has three pages: tone, envelope and arp. ALGORITHM flips between them

9The song

Hit HOME to get back to the SONG view

The 8th page of this song is actually the same as the 4th, so let's just cue up page 4 again. Hit OCT+ to add an 8th page, then select it with the cursor, and turn PRESETS until it says 4

PLAY. That's Tetris. You made that!

PROTIP: Want to hear just one page on its own? Go to the RACK view, pick the page with ALGORITHM and hold PLAY. It loops that page. A quick tap plays on from it

FXMess with it

Hit FX, then hold the white keys

Hold the first pad, TAPE, and twist SELECT

Hold EDIT in the SONG view to copy a page, then change the copy

GLO is help