Chapter 17 - Settings (Globals)¶
A Global is a device-wide setting that belongs to UNA as a whole, rather than to the patch you're currently on.
MIDI routing, keyboard split, the click-on-live-play preference - all of these are things you set once for your particular rig, and they persist across every patch you load.
This chapter documents the settings that live in the Menu, plus the BIOS Mode, where reset and diagnostic actions live. If you're new to UNA, most of the defaults will already suit you.
Getting to the Menu¶
From Performance Mode, press the CONTROL Knob to enter the Mixer, then press MENU.
Inside the Menu there are the following button assignments:
| Function | What it opens |
|---|---|
| MIDI | MIDI settings. |
| CONFIG | Playback and behaviour settings. |
| HELP | UNA's on-device Tutorial Mode (see Chapter 3). |
| BACK | Return to the Mixer. |
Select a category, then:
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Rotate the CONTROL Knob to step through the settings.
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Press-and-rotate the CONTROL Knob to change the value of the selected setting.
Every edit saves immediately.
The music keeps playing throughout; you can adjust settings mid-performance without stopping.
The MIDI menu¶
1. MIDI Clock¶
Controls how UNA handles MIDI clock - the steady 24-pulses-per-quarter-note timing signal that keeps tempo locked between devices:
- OFF - UNA ignores incoming clock and sends none of its own. It keeps its own internal tempo.
- IN - UNA slaves its tempo to incoming clock. A DAW or drum machine sets the pace; UNA's local tempo edits are ignored while clock is arriving.
- OUT - UNA streams clock out alongside its notes, so other gear can lock to UNA's tempo.
2. MIDI Transport¶
Controls how UNA handles MIDI transport - the Start, Stop and Continue commands that begin and end playback:
- OFF - UNA ignores incoming Start/Stop/Continue and sends none of its own. You start and stop UNA locally.
- IN - UNA follows incoming transport. A DAW's Play starts UNA; its Stop stops UNA.
- OUT - pressing Play on UNA sends Start; stopping sends Stop, so connected gear starts and stops with UNA.
Clock and Transport are independent, which unlocks the useful mixed setups: Clock IN + Transport OFF locks UNA's tempo to the master while you start and stop it by hand; Transport IN + Clock OFF follows the master's Start/Stop but runs UNA on its own tempo; Clock OUT + Transport OFF drives free-running gear that only needs a tempo reference. Chapter 16 has the full sync behaviour reference, including working scenarios for all possible combinations.
3. MIDI Input Channel¶
Which MIDI channel UNA listens to on its inputs. Range: OFF, 1–16, OMNI.
- OFF - ignore MIDI input entirely.
- 1–16 - accept only messages on the selected channel.
- OMNI - accept messages on any channel.
Most keyboards default to channel 1, so unless you're deliberately splitting channels, OMNI is the friendliest choice.
4. MIDI Input Thru¶
How MIDI notes you play into UNA are echoed to the outputs while you play:
- OFF - UNA captures your notes silently. Useful if your keyboard is already going straight to your synth via another path.
- When Listen Off - UNA echoes your playing only when the Listen toggle is off (so you hear yourself soloing, but chord captures don't leak through).
- Always On - UNA always echoes your playing. Simplest wiring for a single-cable rig.
5. MIDI Output - Port Routing¶
The master enable mask for UNA's outputs.
Turns individual output ports on and off at the top level, above the per-port routing that follows. See Chapter 15 for details.
6. TRS OUT A Routing¶
The tracks that go out of MIDI Out A.
Each track (Melody, Chord, Bass) can be independently enabled on this port. Combined with the per-track MIDI channels, this lets you route different tracks to different synths.
7. TRS OUT B Routing¶
Same as OUT A, but for MIDI Out B.
A common pattern: OUT A gets Melody and Chord for a poly synth; OUT B gets Bass alone to a mono bass synth.
8. Keyboard Split¶
Splits the keyboard into two zones - one drives chords, the other drives melody/solo. Selection options are split between:
- OFF
- Down from split point for chord input
- Up from split point for chord input
Chapter 15 has the full split behaviour reference.
Handy shortcut:
While Keyboard Split selected, play a note on your keyboard. UNA snaps the split point to that note.
Much faster than rotating the CONTROL Knob to hunt for the right value.
9. CC Input Channel¶
Sets the Input MIDI Channel for UNA's remote-control CC map - (The hardcoded CC numbers that let a MIDI controller trigger panel actions).
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OFF (default) - external CCs are ignored
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1–16 - exact match
- OMNI - accept on any channel
Full map in Chapter 15.
This is not the general MIDI CC filter. Modulators with a MIDI CC source each carry their own channel (set via LEARN or the Assign screen in Chapter 12), and the sustain pedal is gated by its own Sustain Pedal setting.
10. CC Input Toggle¶
Tells UNA whether your external controller sends:
- Momentary buttons (127 on press, 0 on release - piano keys, drum pads)
- Latching buttons (127, then 0 on the next press - many footswitches and DAW toggle buttons).
This setting decides how the input is handled.
- MOMENTARY (default) - toggles flip on press and release.
- LATCHING - toggles flip on every other press.
If a toggle only reacts to every other press, switch to LATCHING; if it only holds while you press, switch to MOMENTARY.
Full detail in Chapter 15 - Input and Controller CCs.
Every remote action is edge-detected, so a swept knob or fader will work with either setting.
11. MIDI Out On Live Play¶
Governs whether Live Play (holding a key with the sequencer stopped) also broadcasts Start / Stop / Clock to your other gear.
- ON (default) - Live Play behaves like a real Play: connected gear locks in as you hold notes.
- OFF - Live Play stays private. Connected gear sits still until you press Play properly.
Set to ON when you want a drum machine to run whenever your fingers are on the keys; OFF when Live Play is for private practice or arrangement noodling.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
MIDI Clock and MIDI Transport, must be set to OUT for this to function.
AND Live Play must be enabled.
12. MIDI Loop Protection¶
A safeguard against MIDI feedback loops on the TRS port.
- When on (default), MIDI coming in on TRS is not echoed back out the TRS output, so a TRS cable that loops back to UNA can't build a feedback loop.
- When off, TRS input is passed straight to the TRS output, letting UNA work as a MIDI thru box on that port.
It gates all thru traffic on TRS - notes, CCs, Program Change and clock - not just notes.
USB and USB Host are always protected and are unaffected by this setting.
13. Live Play Sustain (CC64)¶
Lets a sustain pedal latch Live Play, similar to how a piano's sustain pedal holds notes after you lift your hands.
When UNA is running from held keys (Live Play - Chapter 16), press and hold a sustain pedal (MIDI CC64) and UNA keeps running even after you release the keys. So you can move between chords without the sequencer stopping in the gaps.
Release the pedal and playback stops, unless you're still holding keys, in which case Live Play simply carries on.
- ON (default) - a CC64 sustain pedal latches Live Play as described.
- OFF - CC64 is ignored; Live Play stops the moment you release the keys.
Playing a new chord while the pedal is held updates UNA's harmony live, exactly as if you'd pressed Play. The pedal is read on the same channel as your notes (the MIDI Input Channel, item 3 above).
The CONFIG menu¶
1. Velocity Sensitivity¶
ON / OFF (default OFF).
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When on, the velocity you play is carried into UNA's output, so playing softly makes UNA play softly.
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When off, incoming velocity is ignored and each track uses its own velocity setting instead.
When ON, the import velocity modulates the track velocity, it doesn't override it; so your velocity stepper patterns and Mixer settings are maintained.
Turn it on if you want your touch to come through; leave it off if your keybed feels twitchy.
2. Root Note¶
Controls how UNA decides which note is the root of the chord you're holding - the root UNA names the chord from, and the note the tracks anchor to.
- OFF (Lowest) (default) - the root is the lowest note you play. Predictable, and how UNA has always worked.
- Chord - UNA reads the whole chord and finds its musical root, so inversions resolve: play C-E-G in any order and the root is C. Hold C minor with G at the bottom and the root is C, not G.
- Key of C ... Key of B - as Chord, and additionally uses the key you pick to interpret chords that have no third in them (sus and stacked-fourth voicings), which are genuinely ambiguous. In Key of C, holding G-C-D reads as Csus2 rather than Gsus4.
This never overrides a chord that has a clear root of its own - an A minor 7 stays A minor 7 - and chords from outside the key you pick are left alone. UNA also never invents a note you aren't holding: with a rootless voicing (say just the 3rd and 7th of a jazz chord), the lowest note stays the root.
Which tracks actually follow the detected root is up to Root Note Tracks, below.
Whenever detection is on, the Performance Info views (Chapter 6) show a small G>C read-out - the note you played lowest, then the root UNA detected - so you can see what UNA is making of what you're playing. With Root Note OFF the two are always the same note, so the read-out is hidden.
3. Root Note Tracks¶
Chooses which tracks follow Root Note detection. Tracks included in the selection use the detected root; the others stay on the lowest note you actually play.
The options mirror the MIDI OUT routing choices: ALL (default), Chord & Melody, Chord & Bass, Melody & Bass, Chord, Melody, Bass.
A common setup is Bass: the Bass track follows the harmonic root of your chord while the Melody and Chord tracks stay anchored to the voicing you played. Holding C minor with G at the bottom, the Bass plays C while the Chord track still voices G-C-Eb as you fingered it.
This setting has no effect while Root Note is set to OFF (Lowest) - with detection off, both roots are the same note.
Chord chains behave exactly like live playing: a chain remembers the notes you recorded, and Root Note detection is applied as each chord plays. Changing either Root Note setting therefore changes how an existing chain is interpreted from the next chord onward - no re-recording needed.
4. Accents Amount¶
How much louder an accented step plays than a normal step.
Applies to any step marked as an Accent (Chapter 9).
The value is a velocity boost, adjustable from +10 to +50 (default +20), with a final MAX setting that pushes accented steps to full velocity (127).
4. Time Sort Order¶
The order in which the Time parameter values are presented.
- By Speed (default): orders the values by how fast a pattern sounds, interspersing straight, dotted and Triplet notes.
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[1, 2D, 2, 4D, 2T, 4, 8D, 4T, 8, 16D, 8T, 16, 32D, 16T, 32]
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By Type: groups the values into two sets, Triplets and Dotted on the left, Straight on the right.
- [16T, 32D, 8T, 16D, 4T, 8D, 2T, 4D, 2D, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32]
- This allows quick doubling of halving of track playback speed.
5. Solo Output Channel¶
Where your solo-mode playing (Listen off, fingers on keys) is routed on the MIDI outputs.
- Match Input - echoes on the same channel you're playing on.
- 1–16 - forces the solo output to a fixed channel, regardless of what the input channel is.
- Useful when your solo-voice synth expects a specific channel.
6. Solo Pitch Quantize¶
Auto-corrects your solo notes to fit the current harmony. Six modes:
- OFF - pass your notes through unchanged.
- CHORD - snap to the current chord tones only.
- PENTA - snap to the pentatonic scale of the current key.
- SCALE - snap to the full diatonic scale of the current key.
- BLUES - snap to the minor blues scale of the root, blended with chord tones. Great for expressive solos.
- CHROMATIC - pass all 12 notes through (no snapping).
This is UNA's "no wrong notes" promise. Set to CHORD or PENTATONIC when you're playing over a progression and want your solo to sit in it automatically.
7. Live Play¶
Gates whether external MIDI keyboard notes can start and drive the sequencer via Live Play (Chapter 5).
- ON (default) - holding notes on your keyboard runs the sequencer for as long as you hold them, exactly as described in Chapter 5.
- OFF - Live Play is disabled. Incoming keyboard notes still set the shared chord (so the Melody and Bass tracks still follow your playing harmonically), but they no longer start or drive the sequencer. Only manual Play (the PLAY / STOP control) starts the transport.
Turn OFF when you ONLY wish to play over UNA - soloing against a running sequence - without your keyboard also acting as the start/stop trigger.
OFF is useful when you want to set the chord but not hear it play.
Also gates the CC64 sustain-pedal start (item 12 in the MIDI menu): with Live Play OFF, the pedal won't start the sequencer either.
8. Track Mutes¶
Where a track's mute state is remembered.
- Global (default) - mutes are device-wide. Mute the Bass Track and it stays muted as you switch patches. The mute lives outside the patch.
- Per Patch - each patch remembers its own mutes, and loading a patch restores them.
Global is the better default for live use: you drop the bass out for a breakdown and it stays out, whichever patch you move to. Choose Per Patch when a patch's mutes are part of its arrangement - a verse patch with no bass, a chorus patch with everything in.
9. Track Channels¶
Where a track's MIDI output channel is remembered.
- Global - the three track channels are device-wide and shared by every patch. Editing CHANNEL changes the shared channel; the channels stored in your patches are left untouched.
- Per Patch (default) - each patch stores its own channel for each track (the CHANNEL track parameter, Chapter 7). Loading a patch restores its channels.
Switching to Global copies the current patch's channels into the shared values, so nothing re-channels at the moment you switch. Switching back to Per Patch re-reads each patch's stored channels.
Global suits a fixed studio routing - the synth on each channel never changes, so every patch should address the same three channels no matter what was saved in it. Per Patch suits patches that address different gear.
10. Patch Chain Keep Chords¶
Governs what happens to the chord chain when a patch chain switches patches for you (Chapter 14).
- ON (default) - the chord chain that's currently playing keeps running across the patch change.
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The patches change the sounds and the parts; the progression underneath carries on.
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OFF - each patch brings its own chord chain with it.
- The progression changes when the patch does.
Leave it ON when a patch chain is choreographing a single song over one progression. Turn it OFF when each patch in the chain is a different song.
HELP¶
HELP in the Menu opens UNA's on-device Tutorial Mode. Chapter 3 covers the Tutorial in full; the same tutorial that runs on first boot.
What lives elsewhere¶
Not everything device-wide lives in the Menu. Some settings have their own home:
- Tempo -Press and Rotate PARAMETER Knob 1 (in Performance Mode). Persists as a Global.
- Time signature - Metronome page, TIME SIG.
- Metronome enable and volume - Metronome page, ON/OFF and VOLUME.
- Track mute state - the Mixer (Chapter 6). Saved as Global by default.
- Current bank / current patch - automatically tracked; loaded on boot.
- Voice Mode (Poly / Mono) - set per track in each track's PARAMS menu, not in the Menu.
- Poly lets a track sound multiple notes at once; Mono forces one note at a time. Saved per patch.
BIOS - the hidden hold-CONTROL menu¶
There's one more layer beyond the Menu: BIOS Mode, which holds UNA's system-level actions - reset, factory reset, MIDI activity log, and a memory dump.
Getting in¶
Hold the CONTROL Knob for 3 seconds from any mode, with no other input. UNA enters BIOS Mode.
You can also boot straight into BIOS by holding the CONTROL Knob while powering on. Useful if there is ever an issue, and you want to reach the reset.
The BIOS menu¶
Four items, selected by rotating the CONTROL Knob and pressed via ENTER.
EXIT returns to your previous mode.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| MIDI LOG | Live monitor of MIDI events flowing through UNA. Useful when diagnosing routing problems. |
| MEMORY DUMP | Read-only view of every Global's current stored value. For advanced troubleshooting; not very interesting. |
| SOFT RESET | Restores all Global settings to factory defaults. Patches are preserved. |
| FACTORY RESET | Restores Globals and erases all patches. Everything back to as-shipped. |
Both reset actions ask for confirmation before running - YES commits, NO backs out.
Which reset do I want?¶
- SOFT RESET - use when a MIDI routing or a Menu setting has got out of hand and you want the defaults back without losing your work. Patches survive.
- FACTORY RESET - when you want to start over from scratch. Everything is erased.
Back up your patches to Midicake CONNECT first (Chapter 14) if you want to keep them.
The MIDI Log¶
MIDI LOG shows recent MIDI events in a table - index, command, channel, data byte 1, data byte 2. Colour tells you direction (incoming vs. outgoing). Rotate the CONTROL Knob to page through history when there's more than a screenful.
Most useful when you're wondering "is my keyboard even talking to UNA?" or "is UNA sending what I think it's sending?" - the answer will show up as a live scrolling log.
About defaults¶
Every Global has a default value. If in doubt, SOFT RESET in BIOS restores those defaults without touching your patches.
Cross-references¶
- Chapter 6 - Menu access from Performance.
- Chapter 13 - Metronome & Timing, including Tempo, Time Signature, and click settings.
- Chapter 15 - MIDI, for the deep dive on routing, channels, and CC behaviour.
- Chapter 16 - Sync & Clock, for the full MIDI Clock and MIDI Transport behaviour.
- Chapter 14 - Patches & Banks, for what's not Global (patch state).