Chapter 4 - Anatomy of UNA¶
This chapter names every physical control, it's a reference to the terms used the rest of the manual.
The Top Panel¶
[DIAGRAM - Top panel callout] Numbered callouts for the 8 PARAMETER Knobs, the CONTROL Knob, the 6 CONTROL buttons and the display; art pending.
The 8 PARAMETER Knobs¶
Eight endless rotary encoders sit on the left side, numbered 1 to 8 from left to right. They are the hands-on surface for the currently active track.
Each knob carries two layers of parameters, which is how 8 knobs reach 16 parameters per track:
- Rotate - adjusts the knob's primary parameter.
- Press and rotate - adjusts its secondary parameter.
A knob press on its own is a context action rather than an edit - what it does depends on the mode you're in.
In the Mixer's Advanced Mode (press MIXER on Home button 3, then tap the CONTROL Knob), the knobs address the mixer strips instead: Knobs 1, 2 and 3 are the Rhythm, Melody and Bass Tracks, and Knob 5 is the THRU strip for your own playing. Each carries three gestures:
| Gesture on Knob 1, 2, 3 or 5 | What it does to that strip |
|---|---|
| Press | Mute / unmute (THRU: next Thru Track Mode) |
| Rotate | Track volume (velocity) (THRU: Thru Track Mode) |
| Press and rotate | The track's MIDI channel (THRU: its output channel) |
Knobs 4, 6, 7 and 8 carry no assignment there. Solo is on the Mixer's COMMON row: hold CONTROL and press SOLO (buttons 1-3).
The two-layer model is explained properly in Chapter 5, the Mixer itself in Chapter 6, and every per-mode assignment is tabulated in Appendix F.
The PARAMETER knobs also serve as controls for the Modulation (Chapter 12), Patches (Chapter 14), and Suggested Chord modes (Chapter 8).
The CONTROL Knob¶
A single encoder on the right side. Its function depends on the mode you're in - it is the main navigation control. On Home a quick press opens Performance Mode, the performance screen (Chapter 6); on the screens with a second button layer - Chord, Tracks, Chord Rhythm, Melody, Bass and the Mixer among them - it switches to the Advanced Mode; a screen with no second layer ignores the tap. Its per-mode behaviour is listed in Appendix F.
The 6 CONTROL Buttons¶
Six buttons surround the display, numbered 1 to 6 - left to right, top row then bottom. They are context-sensitive: their meaning changes with the mode, and the button's current function is shown adjacent to it on screen.
Each button carries two actions:
- Press - do the thing named on screen.
- Hold - a second, related action. Holding PLAY / STOP, for example, performs a Panic Stop. Where a hold does something, the chapter for that mode says so; where nothing is listed, the button has no hold action.
A few buttons carry a sweep as well: hold one that steps through a list - the lane selector on Melody, or MODE on Performance Mode - and turn the CONTROL Knob to run through that list instead, hearing each entry as it passes.
Appendix F carries the full per-mode function table, and Appendix G the gesture cheat sheet.
The display¶
A 160 × 128 colour screen shows the current mode display and the labels for the six CONTROL buttons. The screen can also be mirrored live into Midicake Connect over USB, so you can see exactly what the unit is showing on a larger display.
The LEDs¶
Each of the six CONTROL buttons has a full-colour LED beneath it. The colour tells you, at a glance, the state of that button's current function.
The buzzer¶
UNA has a small onboard buzzer, used to produce the metronome click (Chapter 13). The click is audible from the unit itself.
The rear panel¶
[DIAGRAM - Rear panel] Port callouts, left to right; art pending.
- USB-C - power, and class-compliant MIDI to and from a computer. This is also how UNA talks to Midicake Connect.
- USB Host (Type-A) - plug a class-compliant USB MIDI controller straight into UNA, no computer required. See the power note in Chapter 15 before connecting a bus-powered controller.
- MIDI Out B (TRS Type-A) - a second MIDI output.
- MIDI Out A (TRS Type-A) - 3.5 mm jack. MIDI output.
- MIDI In (TRS Type-A) - 3.5 mm jack. Use the supplied TRS→DIN cable for 5-pin gear.
- Firmware Update - a recessed button at the far right of the panel, beside the MIDI In jack, used only when flashing new firmware (Chapter 18).
The two TRS outputs are routed independently: the same track can go out of both, or each can carry a different set of tracks. That's configured in the Menu and explained in Chapter 15.
The Colour Language¶
UNA uses colour to help you recognise where you are and what a control is doing. The same colours appear on the button LEDs and on the display. This is a rough guide, not a strict code.
The three track colours:
| Colour | Track |
|---|---|
| Green | Chord |
| Magenta | Melody |
| Orange | Bass |
A few function colours turn up often enough to be worth recognising:
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cyan | Modulation |
| Red | Record - and Stop |
| Green | Play |
| Blue | Metronome |
| Pale green | Menu and Configuration |
| Grey | Unavailable / disabled |
Two colours mark a parameter you're editing (Chapter 6):
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yellow | A temporary edit - it snaps back when you let go |
| Purple | A staged edit - held, waiting to be applied |
Don't read too much into it. A colour can do more than one job - for example, yellow also marks Listen and accented steps - so take it as a hint alongside the label on screen, not as a rule.