Misa Quadwave - Reference Manual

1. Overview

2. Before You Start

3. How to Play - Basics

4. How to Play - Advanced

5. Configuration Presets

6. Configuration Settings

7. Firmware Updates and Configuration Changes

OVERVIEW

The Misa Digital Quadwave is an experimental instrument, similar to an electric guitar in shape, but with an interface designed to easily and intuitively control MIDI compatible monophonic synthesizers. 

Neck Panel

 

X / Y Pad

BEFORE YOU START

• This instrument is designed to be connected to a computer with a low latency audio interface. Without one, you may experience a noticeable delay between playing a note and hearing the sound, which can disrupt timing and responsiveness, especially in live or precise performance settings.
• The X/Y touchpad has a narrow inactive zone around its four edges. This inactive zone does not sense touches. If you are dragging your finger on the touchpad and approach the edge of the active zone, both LEDs will rapidly flash white as a visual indicator. For best results, start your touch or finger movements within the active area. Slowly dragging from the inactive zone to the active zone may delay detection; faster movement from the edge ensures a more consistent response.
• When powering up the guitar, avoid pressing any buttons on the neck, as the capacitive sensors need to calibrate during startup. Pressing them during this time may interfere with proper calibration, potentially affecting sensitivity.

HOW TO PLAY - BASICS

Playing this instrument is conceptually broken down into three parts.

1. Note Selection

• Press down on a note sensor to choose which note you would like to play.
• Only one note can play per string. If multiple notes are pressed on a single string, then only the note on the highest fret will play.

2. Sound Activation

• While a note is selected, press down on the X/Y pad to play the note.
• Once a note is playing, pressing another note sensor on a higher fret will automatically cause it to play if the touchpanel is pressed.
• Pressing a second touch on the X/Y pad will cause the note to re-attack (the note will quickly stop and then restart, resetting the synthesizer's amplitude envelope).
• Lifting your touch from the X/Y pad will not stop the note from playing. To stop the note, lift all touches from the note sensors.

3. Sound Modulation

• Pressing down and sliding a touch on the X/Y pad will also adjust the values of MIDI controls.
• The X and Y coordinates of the touch are calculated based on the origin and a scale of 128 (the standard 7-bit MIDI range).
• By default, the X value controls MIDI CC number 16, and the Y value controls MIDI CC number 17. These CC numbers are configurable.
• To assign a touchpad axis to a control in a DAW such as Ableton, select the control in the DAW, turn on the DAW's "MIDI Listen" feature, and then tap the X/Y pad. If you press the left side of the pad, you will link the control to the X axis, and if you press the right side of the pad you will link the control to the Y axis.

HOW TO PLAY - ADVANCED

1. Pitch Bend

• Pressing down and sliding four touches on the X/Y pad will adjust the pitch.
• Dragging towards the neck will decrease the pitch. Dragging towards the base of the instrument will increase the pitch.

• The resolution of the pitch bend is dependent on the initial X position of the fourth touch.

• In the above example, the pitch down resolution is greater because the touch will need to travel further to reach the pitch down limit, than the pitch up limit.
• Removing the fourth touch will not reset the pitch until the note touches on the neck are released and a new note starts playing. This is to ensure that pitch bends don't reset during the synthesizer's amplitude envelope release stage.

2. Droning

Note: Only available when you have string assignments on multiple MIDI channels (by default, the GREEN and PURPLE configuration presets).

• Press down on a note sensor to choose which note you would like to drone.
• While the note is selected, press down on the X/Y pad to play the note.
• Lift your touch from neck. This will not stop the note from playing, as long as the X/Y pad is still being touched.
• Press down on a note sensor on a different string on a different MIDI channel. This note will start playing, and the original note will continue to drone.
• Press a different note on the droned string. The droning note will change to the newly selected note.

3. Tap Mode

• Pressing 5 fingers on the touchpad and sliding up will enable "Tap Mode".

• In this mode, LED 1 will glow GREEN (on older firmware versions, it glows RED - if you see this, please update your firmware to the latest version).
• When in Tap Mode, pressing a note sensor on the neck will play it, even if the touchpad is not pressed. Lifting the note sensor will cause the note to stop playing, unless the touchpad is pressed.
• Only one note can play per string. If multiple notes are pressed on a single string, then only the note on the highest fret will play.

CONFIGURATION PRESETS

The instrument comes with three saved configuration presets that can be switched during play.

To switch the configuration preset, tap 5 fingers on the X/Y pad. LED 2 will change color to indicate which configuration is selected.

These stored configurations can be changed using the Misa Quadwave Configuration Tool on PC or Mac.

CONFIGURATION SETTINGS

The following settings can be configured for each preset.

1. String MIDI Channels

Default configuration: BLUE LED

String 1	MIDI Channel 1
String 2	MIDI Channel 1
String 3	MIDI Channel 1
String 4	MIDI Channel 1

 

In the default configuration, all strings are assigned to the same MIDI Channel. This makes the instrument monophonic, so only one note can be playing at a time. If note sensors are pressed on multiple strings, only the most recently pressed string will play.

Alternative configuration #1: GREEN LED

String 1	MIDI Channel 1
String 2	MIDI Channel 2
String 3	MIDI Channel 2
String 4	MIDI Channel 2

 

Strings that share the same MIDI Channel form a monophonic set. In this configuration, string 1 is monophonic and plays notes on MIDI Channel 1. Strings 2 and 3 are together monophonic, so that only one note can be played across the two strings.

Up to two notes can be played simultaneously in this mode (one on string 1, and one on either string 2 or 3), and is useful when connecting to paraphonic synthesizers such as the Moog Sub37. It's also useful for sustaining a bass note on string 1, and playing on top of it with string 2 and 3.

Alternative configuration #2: PURPLE LED

String 1	MIDI Channel 1
String 2	MIDI Channel 2
String 3	MIDI Channel 3
String 4	MIDI Channel 4

 

In this configuration, each string plays notes on a different MIDI channel. This mode is useful for playing chords.

2. Neck String Tuning

Default configuration:

String 1	E3 (MIDI note 40)
String 2	A3 (MIDI note 45)
String 3	D4 (MIDI note 50)
String 4	G4 (MIDI note 55)

 

Left handed players that want to play the instrument upside down should reverse the above tuning.

3. X/Y Pad MIDI Channel

The X/Y pad will send control changes to each MIDI Channel that a string is assigned to. For example, if the string MIDI Channels are configured as:

String 1	MIDI Channel 1
String 2	MIDI Channel 2
String 3	MIDI Channel 2
String 4	MIDI Channel 2

 

then MIDI Control Changes will be sent to both MIDI Channel 1 and 2.

4. X/Y Pad MIDI Control Change Number

Specify the X and Y axis MIDI Control Change numbers.

Default configuration:

X	16
Y	17

FIRMWARE UPDATES AND CONFIGURATION CHANGES

Misa Quadwave Configuration Tool

The Configuration Tool application lets users do two things:

1. Update their Misa Quadwave firmware to the latest version.
2. Reconfigure the BLUE, GREEN and PURPLE configuration presets. These settings are the string MIDI channels, string tuning and X/Y pad CC parameters. (Generally, it's not necessary to do this, as it is more convenient and faster to reconfigure these settings through the DAW. For example, Ableton Live has "Pitch" MIDI Effect that can adjust the tuning of the Quadwave. But this Config Tool is still available if you want to make config changes that are stored in the device.)

Download Configuration Tool from this page.

Updating the Quadwave Firmware

The Quadwave firmware is the software that runs on the device itself. When it is updated, you may notice the instrument behave in new ways, as features are added, or as improvements are made to the control algorithms.

To update the firmware:

1. Start the Configuration Tool on your computer and connect the Quadwave.
2. Press and hold the four corners of the Quadwave touchpad at the same time (not right on the corner - slightly inward). LED 1 and LED 2 will change to RED.
3. After a few seconds, the Configuration Tool should detect the device.
4. Press "See changes" button. This will show you the latest version number and the changes in this firmware update.
5. Press "Update firmware" button. This process should take less than 1 minute. Do not disconnect the Quadwave or close the program until the process is complete - doing so can permanently damage the instrument.

A video of this process is shown below:

Reconfiguring the Quadwave (ADVANCED)

To reconfigure the BLUE, GREEN and PURPLE configuration presets:

1. Start the Configuration Tool on your computer and connect the Quadwave.
2. Press and hold the four corners of the Quadwave touchpad at the same time (not right on the corner - slightly inward). LED 1 and LED 2 will change to RED.
3. After a few seconds, the Configuration Tool should detect the device.
4. Select the Preset you would like to reconfigure.
5. Make any changes to the other values.
6. Press "Reconfigure device" button. This process should take less than 30 seconds. Do not disconnect the Quadwave or close the program until the process is complete - doing so can permanently damage the instrument.
7. Press "Restart device" button when finished.