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Hello, and welcome to the manual for the Artiphon INSTRUMENT 1!

The INSTRUMENT 1 is a versatile, expressive, and portable multi-instrument. With this single instrument, you can perform a variety of intuitive musical gestures and play any sound.

It was designed to be fun and useful for music lovers at all skill levels. The INSTRUMENT 1's complexity can be scaled from a simple connection to the Artiphon iOS app up to a powerful and customizable MIDI interface for professional software.

This manual will detail all of the ways the INSTRUMENT 1 can be played and customized.

We want to ensure that you have the best experience possible with your INSTRUMENT 1. If you have any questions, feedback, or just want to say hi, please don’t hesitate to email us at support@artiphon.com.

You are also encouraged to join the discussion over on the Artiphon Community Forum. See and hear user-created projects, find technical information, and more!

A saved combination of INSTRUMENT 1 settings. For example, the Guitar preset includes the settings Fretted, Strum, and Guitar tuning (EADGBE).

The circular multi-purpose knob can be turned to control volume and pressed to cycle between presets.

The rectangular, pressure-sensitive playing surface with six strings and twelve frets.

The two triangular buttons at the end of the fingerboard.

The six triggers between the fingerboard and knob used to trigger sounds.

The panel for input and output connections on the side of the instrument. This is also where the power button is located.

The first steps here are also covered on our Getting Started YouTube playlist.

The free Artiphon companion app is available on the Apple App Store. This app includes sounds and allows you to customize settings for the INSTRUMENT 1.

The desktop interface for controlling all the INSTRUMENT 1's various settings on Mac and Windows. Note that the desktop editor does not have built-in sounds.

Every preset for the INSTRUMENT 1 will include these main settings.

Each string has a base tuning and the pitch ascends chromatically. The tuning can be chosen from one of the provided profiles in the app or editor and can also be customized.

If two frets are pressed on one string, only the higher note will be played. Notes can be triggered by performing hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Fretless mode allows you to slide continuously between notes, while Fretted mode will play the notes of the chromatic scale. In Fretless mode, the notes of the chromatic scale can be played by pressing just to the left of a fret marker.

Two modes set the INSTRUMENT 1 fingerboard to respond as a grid or pads:

Grid mode has 72 notes on the fingerboard in a 12 x 6 arrangement with an additional 6 triggers on the bridge. Any note on the grid can be pressed and played, meaning you can play multiple notes on the same string.

Unlike string modes where the tuning ascends chromatically from a base tuning, each Grid mode note location can be tuned individually.

You’ll notice the notes in Grid mode are where the strings are in Fretted and Fretless modes, not the spaces in between strings.

Pad mode has 12 locations with an additional 6 triggers on the bridge. In this mode, an entire fret becomes one large pad, so just a single note or chord will be triggered no matter what part of the region is pressed.

The method setting determines how you intend to interact with the INSTRUMENT 1. Some methods are only available for certain modes.

(Available for Fretted, Fretless, and Pad modes)

Strum method is similar to playing strings like a guitar, bass, banjo, harp, ect. A string will be activated by strumming or plucking the bridge. Notes can also be activated by striking the fingerboard as a hammer-on or pulling-off to another fretted note.

The bridge and fingerboard are sensitive to how hard they are played (velocity).

If you are holding a string on the fingerboard, the note will stop when the fingerboard is released. Open strings will ring out for some time unless they are muted. Strings can be muted in a few different ways:

If you press straight into the bridge, this will mute the note. When you release this, a note will not be triggered.

If you touch the bridge, but release slowly, this will not trigger a note. (As if you were playing bass and your finger lands on a lower string, not intending to pluck it.)

If you lightly press an active open string on the fingerboard, this will mute the note.

(Available for Fretted, Grid, and Pad modes)

Tap method is similar to playing a keyboard or a drum pad. When you tap or press the fingerboard or bridge, a note will be triggered. When you release, the note will turn off.

The bridge and fingerboard are sensitive to how hard they are played (velocity).

(Available for Fretless mode)

Slide method is the Fretless version of Tap, where you can tap a note and slide up or down a string. This method also allows for vibrato when rocking back and forth over a fret.

This method uses the MIDI message pitch bend. The Pitch Bend Range output of the INSTRUMENT 1 can be set to 12, 24, or 48.

The fingerboard is sensitive to how hard it is played (velocity).

(Available for Fretted and Fretless modes)

Bow method is similar to using a bowed string instrument like a violin or cello. Pressing the bridge will activate a string, and modulating pressure will control the MIDI message brightness (CC 74). Releasing the bridge will end the note. Multiple bridge triggers can be bowed and independently control brightness.

In the Artiphon app, Bow method is mapped to control volume.

(Available for Fretless, Grid, and Pad modes when connected to the Artiphon app)

iBow uses the accelerometer in iOS devices to control the volume of the sound. The iPhone is moved in a bowing motion while pressing down on a string on the INSTRUMENT 1. The angle of the iPhone and the motion combined determine how loud a sound is played.

The tuning of the INSTRUMENT 1 can be easily changed and customized. We provide a number of tuning profiles in the app and editor, and each note can be edited.

The fretted and fretless modes have a base tuning for each string, and the notes ascend chromatically up the frets. In grid and pad mode, each note element can be edited independently.

These features can be turned on and off unlike the core settings which are part of every preset. Some features are global, meaning they apply to all presets. Other features are preset specific, meaning they can be on for some presets, but not for others.

The INSTRUMENT 1 can output MIDI on multiple channels (1-7). This is a new, emerging MIDI specification called MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE). With MPE, you can control pitch bend and pressure for individual notes, meaning you can slide notes in different directions with independent pressure control.

The INSTRUMENT 1 fingerboard and bridge are continuously pressure-sensitive. In multi-channel mode, the MIDI message is channel pressure, and in single channel mode, the MIDI message is aftertouch. All INSTRUMENT 1 methods can be made more expressive with pressure.

The INSTRUMENT 1 can be tilted to control mod wheel (CC 1). The maximum tilt range starts from horizontal & parallel with the ground going 90 degrees up to vertical. The minimum and maximum tilt ranges can be adjusted to any range of motion within the 90 degrees.

In the Fretted mode, string bending can be activated. Apply pressure to the fingerboard to bend a string by up to two semitones.

Set your INSTRUMENT 1 to Pad mode and Strum method to play Smart Strum. Press anywhere on a pad and strum or pick the bridge to easily play full chords with a single finger. Change chords by pressing a different pads. This feature is also compatible with pressure, tilt, and the arpeggiator. Chord tuning profiles can be customized to include different chord root notes and voicings.

The capo buttons will shift the tuning up or down. This can be set to shift by one semitone or one octave. The maximum number of shifts is 12 up or down.

Notes will activate at a set tempo as long as they are held down. If multiple notes are played and held, they will play over and over in the order they were activated. The tempo can be adjusted by tapping in the app or set to a specific BPM. The rate of the notes can also be set to a specific note value.

The INSTRUMENT 1 can be played by both left and right-handed players. The Fretted and Fretless string modes can be set to either a left or right-handed orientation. The INSTRUMENT 1 can globally be set to always right or left. Alternately, it can be set to Automatic flip, where the INSTRUMENT 1 will flip the strings based on how you are holding it.

There is also a preset-specific override setting, in case you wish to set a preset to flip specifically one way.

This sets the velocity output across all methods. The maximum is 123 and the minimum increases with Method Sensitivity. If you set this to very high, you can play lightly and still have loud notes. If you set this to low, you can play with the most dynamic range.

Low

Velocity 40-123 using light to very hard touch

Medium (default)

Velocity 60-123 using light to hard touch

High

Velocity 80-123 using light to medium touch

Very High

Velocity 100-123 using light to medium touch

In tap method, velocities 124-127 are possible, but require harder strikes.

(Available for Fretted/Strum)

This sets how hard you have to strike the fingerboard to trigger a hammer-on. If you are playing the Guitar preset and find that you are unintentionally triggering notes when you press on the fingerboard, the Hammer-On Sensitivity can be decreased or turned off to prevent this. Alternately, you can turn this up to make the fingerboard more sensitive.

Turning off hammer-ons will also turn off pull-offs.