Questions, answered.
The essentials for making your first beat in Tactus MK1.
How do I make my first sound? +
On the Sample screen, choose the SYNTH tab, type something like 808 kick (or tap a starter chip), and tap Generate. Press Play to audition, then Use to drop it on the pad.
What is the difference between the MIC and SYNTH tabs? +
The SYNTH tab generates a sound from a text description using the on-device Synth Engine. The MIC tab records from your microphone — hold a pad to record, release to stop. You can stack layers or replace a pad.
What does the vocoder do? +
On the MIC tab the vocoder runs your voice through a synth. Pick a carrier pitch and slide Voice to blend — lower is more robotic.
How do I change a pad's sound? +
On the Play screen, two-finger tap a pad to focus it, then use the FX panel: the XY pad sets filter cutoff and resonance, and there are sliders for volume, delay, drive, reverb, and pitch.
How do patterns and bars work? +
The Step screen programs a 16-step grid. Add bars to make a pattern longer, and use the pattern strip to keep separate patterns like verse, chorus, and fill. Each pattern has its own tempo and length but shares the same eight pads.
How do I set the tempo? +
Tap the BPM tile in the top bar. Type a number, use the steppers, or tap the TAP button in time. Tempo lives on the current pattern.
Does it save my work? +
Yes. Projects auto-save as you work — there is no save button. Undo and redo are in the bottom corners.
How do I export a beat? +
Use the share menu in the top right: Render to Pad bounces the pattern onto a single pad, Bounce Audio exports an audio file, and Export Project saves the whole project to back up or share.
What data does Tactus MK1 collect? +
Only anonymous crash logs, used to fix bugs. No personal information is collected. See the privacy policy for details.
Which devices are supported? +
Tactus MK1 is an iPhone app, available now through the TestFlight beta.