FX Tracks
FX Tracks process incoming MIDI in real time. They do not create pitch material without incoming or held notes. Instead, they take MIDI from an external controller or sequencer, reshape it inside the T1, and send the processed result onward.
The Track's Pulses determine whether incoming notes are monitored directly or used as the note source for the Track's pulse sequence.
FX Tracks are useful when you want the T1 to sit between a MIDI source and a destination, acting as a musical processor rather than as the original sequencer.
Common uses include:
- keeping an external keyboard or sequencer in key
- thinning or varying incoming notes with Probability
- reshaping feel with Groove, Timing, and Delay
- routing processed MIDI to a chosen channel or output
- storing alternate processing states across Cycles
FX Tracks process MIDI only. They do not generate audio.
What an FX Track Does
A simple way to think about an FX Track is:
- Note Track = generates note patterns
- CC Track = sends MIDI Control Change data
- FX Track = receives MIDI, processes it, and sends the result onward
This makes FX Tracks especially useful when the T1 is part of a larger setup with keyboards, synths, DAWs, sequencers, or other MIDI controllers.
Quick Start
- Connect a MIDI controller or sequencer to the T1 input.
- Select a Track and switch it to FX mode.
- Set the output port and MIDI channel for the destination.
- Optionally choose a Scale and Root to constrain incoming notes.
- Set Pulses to choose direct monitoring or rhythmic triggering.
- Adjust Probability, Groove, Timing, or Delay to shape the result.
- Play or send MIDI into the T1 and listen to the processed output.
For a more neutral starting point, use a chromatic Scale, full Probability, and no added Groove, Timing shift, or Delay offset.
Input and Routing
FX Tracks receive incoming MIDI, process it, and forward it to the selected destination.
This lets the T1 sit between a controller or sequencer and the final instrument. You can use an FX Track to:
- reroute MIDI to a different output
- send processed MIDI on a different channel
- apply musical processing before the signal reaches the destination
Typical routing examples include:
- controller → T1 → hardware synth
- controller → T1 → DAW
- sequencer → T1 → another MIDI device
Learn more about Channel & Output.
Pulses and Incoming Notes
FX Track behavior changes depending on whether the Track has any active Pulses.
| Pulse state | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 0 active Pulses | Incoming note-ons are sent immediately to the Track's configured channel and output, like live monitoring. Note-offs stop those notes unless Hold Mode is enabled. Use this when you want an FX Track to behave like direct MIDI pass-through. Repeat settings can still add repeats from the incoming note-ons. |
| 1 or more active Pulses | Incoming notes become the FX Track's live note pool. The Track then triggers notes from that pool when its Pulses fire, using the Track's current rhythmic, tonal, timing, probability, sustain, repeat, and voicing settings. Use this when you want an external keyboard or sequencer to supply the notes while the T1 controls the rhythm. |
In other words, 0 Pulses makes the FX Track follow the timing of the incoming MIDI source. Adding Pulses makes the incoming notes behave more like held source material for the T1's own pulse pattern.
If different Cycles contain different Pulse layouts, this behavior follows the active Cycle. A Cycle with no active Pulses behaves as direct monitoring; a Cycle with one or more active Pulses uses rhythmic triggering.
Learn more about Pulses & Rotate and Cycles.
Important Scope
FX Tracks are for processing incoming MIDI note performance and sequencing behavior.
In practical terms, an FX Track is most useful when you want to affect things like:
- pitch behavior through Scale and Root
- direct or rhythmic note handling through Pulses
- note density through Probability
- feel through Groove
- timing placement through Timing and Delay
FX Tracks are not described as general-purpose audio effects. They work on MIDI data before it reaches the destination device.
If you want the T1 to directly automate external parameters, use a CC Track instead.
Harmonizing Incoming MIDI
An FX Track can constrain incoming note data to the selected Scale and Root.
This is useful when you want incoming MIDI to stay in key, even if the source performance includes notes outside the chosen scale.
This is most relevant when the FX Track has active Pulses and is triggering notes from its live note pool.
- Scale determines which notes are available
- Root sets the tonal center
This can be used to harmonize a keyboard performance, keep an external sequencer in key, or create different tonal behavior across Tracks.
Use separate FX Tracks if you want different destinations to follow different tonal frameworks.
Learn more about Scale and Root.
Probability and Feel
FX Tracks can reshape the feel of incoming MIDI using several timing and dynamics controls.
- Probability selectively skips events
- Groove shapes dynamic emphasis
- Timing shifts rhythmic feel
- Delay offsets the entire Track in time
These controls do not change the source device itself. They only affect the MIDI stream passing through the FX Track.
This makes FX Tracks useful for taking rigid incoming MIDI and making it feel looser, sparser, or more animated.
When the FX Track has active Pulses, these controls shape the pulse-triggered output. With 0 Pulses, incoming notes are monitored directly, while repeat-generated notes can still be shaped by the Track's repeat-related settings.
A small amount of Timing shift or Probability can add movement without making the result feel unstable.
Learn more about Velocity & Probability, Accent & Groove, and Timing & Delay.
Hold Mode
FX Tracks also support Hold Mode, which lets notes from the internal keyboard or an external MIDI source stay latched for sustained playback or rhythmic processing.
This can be useful when you want to hold a note collection in place and then shape how the FX Track processes it over time.
Learn more about Hold Mode.
Random with FX Tracks
Random can be applied to parameters on an FX Track to create evolving motion over time.
This is useful for:
- subtle humanization
- gently shifting timing feel
- changing processing intensity across repetitions
- creating less predictable performance states
For example, Random can be used to vary:
- velocity-related shaping
- timing feel
- delay offset
Keeping the Random amount low gives gentle motion, while larger amounts create more noticeable variation.
For subtle humanization, use small Random amounts and moderate smoothing.
Learn more about Random Modulation.
Cycles and Performance Use
FX Tracks work well as performance tools because their processing state can change without altering the original input source.
Useful approaches include:
- using Temp for momentary processing changes
- muting and unmuting FX Tracks as live processing layers
- storing different processing states in Cycles
For example:
- Cycle 1 could be nearly neutral
- Cycle 2 could be more sparse and shuffled
- Cycle 3 could be more strongly harmonized
- Cycle 4 could return to a simpler state
This lets one FX Track evolve across repetitions while staying inside the same Pattern.
Learn more about Temporary Control and Cycles.
Practical Boundaries
Before using an FX Track in performance, it helps to keep a few boundaries in mind:
- an FX Track needs incoming or held notes as its pitch source
- with no active Pulses, incoming notes are monitored directly
- with active Pulses, the T1 controls the rhythmic placement of those notes
- an FX Track is best understood as a musical processor, not as an audio effect
- the destination instrument still determines the final sound
- if you want direct parameter automation, a CC Track is usually the better choice
These boundaries make it easier to choose the right Track type for the job.
Practical Uses
FX Tracks are useful for several different workflows:
- keeping an external keyboard in key
- adding groove to an external sequencer
- thinning dense passages with Probability
- creating alternate processing states across Cycles
- rerouting MIDI to different outputs or channels
A good starting approach is to use one FX Track as a mostly transparent pass-through, then gradually add Scale, Timing, Probability, or Delay processing until it supports the rest of the Pattern.
For direct monitoring, clear the Track's Pulses. For rhythmic processing, add one or more Pulses and let the incoming notes define what the FX Track plays.
For more information on FX workflows, see Tracks, Scale and Root, Timing & Delay, and Cycles.