Fourays v2 firmware. This is the documentation as it shipped with v2, kept for devices still running it. Other versions: v4 v3 v1.

How to use your Fourays

Fourays is a standards compliant USB MIDI device. Just plug in to your DAW and start sending notes as you would any other hardware synthesizer.

Default configuration

Each chip has 3 voices, one envelope generator and one noise generator. Each chip has three audio outputs and three gate outputs. The wiring of voices to outputs is fixed and cannot be changed, but you can change the envelope controlling each voice and the noise mix to each output.

Controls

The envelope and noise generators are controlled using MIDI note key switches and CC messages. These settings control how the envelope generator affects each voice, the character of the noise generator and which outputs it is connected to. The defaults are:

Chip	Control channel	Envelope period CC	Noise mode	Noise period CC
1	2	15	CC	16
2	3	15	CC	16
3	4	15	CC	16
4	5	15	CC	16

The noise generator periods can also be controlled using note value or by note velocity.

You can only assign CC numbers 12 to 119 to these functions.

Key switches

The key switches operate by playing a note with velocity > 63 to turn a function on, and with velocity <= 63 to turn a function off. The notes should be played on the chip's control channel. The functions are:

MIDI Note	Function
1 (C#-1)	Envelope for voice A
2 (D-1)	Envelope for voice B
3 (D#-1)	Envelope for voice C
4 (E-1)	Envelope HOLD mode
5 (F-1)	Envelope ALTERNATE mode
6 (F#-1)	Envelope ATTACK mode
7 (G-1)	Envelope CONTINUE mode
8 (G#-1)	Noise mix with voice A
9 (A-1)	Noise mix with voice B
10 (A#-1)	Noise mix with voice C

The key switch note assignments cannot be changed.

The envelope modes are:

Voices

By default all 12 voices are assigned to channel 1, and Fourays performs in polyphonic mode. Each voice can be independently transposed and detuned using CC messages on channels 2 through 13 by default.

Chip/ Voice	Note channel	Control channel	Transpose CC	Detune CC	Filter CC*
1 / A	1	2	13	14	74
1 / B	1	3	13	14	74
1 / C	1	4	13	14	74
2 / A	1	5	13	14	74
2 / B	1	6	13	14	74
2 / C	1	7	13	14	74
3 / A	1	8	13	14	74
3 / B	1	9	13	14	74
3 / C	1	11	13	14	74
4 / A	1	11	13	14	74
4 / B	1	12	13	14	74
4 / C	1	13	13	14	74

* Filter CC applies only if your Fourays has the VCA/VCF/CV analogue extension board.

You can only assign CC numbers 12 to 119 to these functions.

Fourays understands the following standard MIDI messages on the AY control channels:

CC number	CC value	Function
7	0-127	channel volume
120	0	all sound off (this channel only)
121	0	reset all other controllers

Fourays understands the following standard global MIDI messages:

MIDI RTC Clock Start, Stop, Continue, Song Position : for Gate outputs in clock mode
System Reset : silences all outputs
Channel pitchbend : defaults to approximately +/- 2 semitones
SysEx: for dumping and loading configuration

Setting your configuration

Use the push buttons on your Fourays to navigate through the configuration options and set them to your liking.

Some configuration names are abbreviated:

Device name	Full name
A	Voice A
B	Voice B
C	Voice C

Config name	Full name
Ctrl. Ch	Control channel
Note Ch	Note channel
Cutoff CC	Filter cut-off frequency CC
Trans. CC	Transpose CC

Noise mode	Full name
CC	Continuous controller
Nt	Note
Vl	Velocity

Gate mode	Full name
Vc	AY voice
Cl	Clock

You can store up to 8 configuration presets and recall these either using the push buttons or via MIDI program change messages.

Program change numbers 1 to 8 map to the save slots.

Exporting your configuration

You can dump your current configuration via MIDI SysEx message using the push buttons.

Fourays will also respond to being sent the same MIDI SysEx data back and will immediately use that configuration.

Firmware updates

See this page.