Getting Started

Hi, Thanks for giving Prism a chance!


I know you’ll love it, even if it isn't love at first sight.

Prism is an instrument that will grow with you throughout your musical journey.

For the freshly initiated Prism is a new wall of buttons with a unique workflow that can appear

intimidating, frustrating, and mysteriously musical.

We’ll do our best here to get over these initial hurdles,

while still leaving plenty more for you to venture off and discover on your own.


And, when we do... Ooooh baby! It’ll be Fire. Water. Earth. Air. Magic.


Have Fun,

A Mortal Mage 

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Opening Prism For the First Time

Prism is an AUV3 and needs to be loaded into a proper host, such as:

Open host -> add MIDI Track -> add Prism

Connecting Prism to Audio Instruments

Prism is a MIDI Sequencer. It produces no sound on its own. It excels at controlling audio producing machines. Each of Prisms 16 tracks correspond to one of the 16 available MIDI Channels (a standard for controlling software and hardware instruments). When adding your audio sources you’ll want to use the host to filter the MIDI connection to the desired control track in Prism.


For Example: If you want to control a synth with Track 1 on Prism

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Prism's Layout

[HINT] It's built to be played with two hands simultaneously. 

1. Control Buttons

The standard controls that are always available as you navigate Prism and craft your song.

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2. Track Navigation Buttons

Prism’s GUI and workflow is dependent on the active track, though every track is identical in possibilities. The track navigation buttons let you set the GUI state and edit the various layers within a track, which together makeup the track's MIDI processing chain. 

Navigation Buttons: Prism States


States and sub-states are an important concept within Prism. They dictate how the GUI Screen  (#3) ,  Seq trigs (#4), and keypad (#5) operate.

The navigation buttons are your primary way of switching between the core states within a track.

Navigation Buttons: Basic Track MIDI Chain


The navigation buttons are laid out to reflect the order of the track MIDI processing chain, from bottom up:

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3. GUI Screen

Yeah yeah, alright. It’s an iOS device. The whole thing is one big screen, sure. But when playing with prism it’s best to think of this as your display. Its core structure, shape, and function will change to best support the device state and give you immediate access to the most applicable parameters and settings. This is in contrast to the the other 4 components whose structure are static, as though they were actual buttons on a hardware device.

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4. Sequencer Trigs

The 8x2 grid is your primary way for laying down your sequence notes and creating patterns. Though, like the GUI screen the buttons can take on different functions depending on the overall state. The function of the sequence trigs are reflected through distinct colorings and labels.

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5. Multi-Mode Keypad

Play notes, apply settings, transform the SEQ and creative FX, and do so much more with the 4x4 keypad matrix. 

A. Keypad Mode Buttons


Use the four keypad mode buttons to adjust the function of the keypad [B]. The layout roughly follows the process of MIDI editing, from bottom up:



*Like the Sequencer and the GUI Screen the exact modes available may change depending on the state. 

B. Keypad Matrix


The 4x4 keypad matrix reacts depending on the 

track-state -> keypad mode combination.


This means it can and does take many forms. 

Identify different functionality with colors and the pad/side labels.

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[Prism]