G-Stomper Studio — Full Operations Manual

1. Setup & Audio Configuration

• Install from Google Play → open → create new project.
• Audio settings: Settings → Audio → buffer size 256-512 recommended. Lower = tighter response but risks crackling on older devices. Higher = more stable but adds latency when playing live.
• Sample rate: 44100 Hz standard. Match this to your export target.
• USB MIDI: Plug in MPK Mini IV via USB-C OTG adapter. G-Stomper detects it automatically. Keys play the VA-Beast synth chromatically. Pads trigger drum machine pads. Knobs assignable via MIDI Learn. Pitch and mod wheels active.
• Bluetooth MIDI: Settings → MIDI → Bluetooth → pair your BT MIDI controller. Wireless performance.
• Ableton Link: Settings → Link → enable. G-Stomper syncs tempo with Ableton Live, BandLab, or any Link-enabled app on the same WiFi network. Run G-Stomper as a drum machine alongside Ableton's arrangement in perfect sync.

2. VA-Beast Synthesizer — Complete Breakdown

The VA-Beast is not a preset machine — it's a full virtual analog synthesizer engine with professional-level sound design capability. Understanding every section unlocks sounds that rival desktop VSTs.

Oscillator Section (3 Oscillators)

• Waveforms per oscillator: Sawtooth (bright, rich harmonics — leads, basses, pads), Square (hollow, woody — chiptune, synth brass, PWM pads), Triangle (soft, pure — sub-bass, flutes, gentle leads), Sine (purest tone — sub-bass, test tones, FM carrier), Noise (white/pink — percussion, sweeps, texture layers).
• Tuning: Octave (coarse), Semitone (fine chromatic), Fine Tune (cents for detuning). Detune Osc 2 slightly from Osc 1 for thickness — even 5-10 cents of detuning creates width and movement.
• Oscillator Sync: Lock Osc 2's phase to Osc 1. Sweeping Osc 2's pitch while synced creates that classic hard-sync screaming lead sound. Modulate Osc 2 pitch with an envelope for evolving sync sweeps.
• Mixing: Independent volume per oscillator. Balance determines the fundamental character: mostly Osc 1 = clean. Equal mix = thick. Mostly Noise = textural.

Noise Generator

• White noise and pink noise options. Mix into the oscillator blend for breathy textures, snare-like transients, or ambient wash.
• Route through the filters for filtered noise sweeps — essential for risers, falls, and transition effects.

Ring Modulator

• Multiplies Osc 1 and Osc 2 frequencies together. Creates inharmonic, metallic, bell-like tones that neither oscillator can produce alone.
• Use for: metallic hits, alien textures, bell sounds, dissonant effects. The ring mod output responds to the pitch relationship between the two oscillators — changing one oscillator's pitch radically changes the ring mod character.

Filter Section (2 Multimode Filters)

• Filter types (each filter): Low-Pass (removes highs — warmth, darkness), High-Pass (removes lows — thinning, airiness), Band-Pass (isolates a frequency band — telephone, nasal, wah), Notch (removes a band — phase-like hollowing).
• Cutoff: The main frequency control. Turn it down on a low-pass filter to darken the sound. Automate it for sweeps.
• Resonance: Boost at the cutoff frequency. Low = subtle. High = pronounced peak. Maximum = self-oscillation (the filter becomes its own sine wave oscillator). Resonance adds character but can get piercing — use with intent.
• Key Tracking: Makes the filter cutoff follow the keyboard pitch. Without it, higher notes sound muffled because the filter cutoff stays fixed. With full key tracking, brightness stays consistent across the keyboard.
• Envelope Amount: How much the filter envelope opens/closes the filter on each note. Positive = opens (brighter attack). Negative = closes (darker attack).
• Routing: Run Filter 1 → Filter 2 in series (sound passes through both sequentially — tighter, more sculpted) or run both in parallel (sound splits, passes through each independently, recombines — wider, more complex). Series for precision. Parallel for character.

Envelope Section (3 ADSR Envelopes)

• Amp Envelope: Controls volume over time. Fast Attack + short Decay + zero Sustain = pluck/stab. Slow Attack + full Sustain + long Release = pad/wash. This shapes WHEN and HOW LONG the sound plays.
• Filter Envelope: Controls filter cutoff over time. Fast Attack + medium Decay = bright pluck that darkens. Slow Attack = filter sweep that opens gradually. This shapes HOW THE TONE EVOLVES per note.
• Free Envelope: Assignable to ANY destination via the mod matrix. Pitch, pan, oscillator mix, effect parameters — this third envelope adds a layer of per-note animation that the first two don't cover.

LFO Section (3 LFOs)

• Shapes: Sine (smooth, classic), Sawtooth (ramp up/down), Square (on/off switching), Sample & Hold (random steps — robotic, glitchy), Random (smooth random).
• Rate: Speed of the cycle. Slow (0.1 Hz) = gentle evolution. Fast (20+ Hz) = FM-like effects. Tempo-syncable to your project BPM for rhythmic modulation.
• Common routings: LFO → Pitch = vibrato. LFO → Filter Cutoff = wah/wobble. LFO → Volume = tremolo. LFO → Pan = auto-pan. LFO → Osc Mix = timbral cycling. Multiple LFOs at different rates create complex, evolving movement.

Modulation Matrix

The mod matrix is where G-Stomper Studio goes from "preset player" to "sound architect." Any source can modulate any destination:

• Sources: Envelope 1/2/3, LFO 1/2/3, Velocity, Key Tracking (note pitch), Aftertouch, Mod Wheel, any MIDI CC.
• Destinations: Osc 1/2/3 pitch, Osc mix, Filter 1/2 cutoff, Filter 1/2 resonance, Amp level, Pan, LFO rate, Effect parameters — virtually any parameter in the synth.
• Examples: Velocity → Filter Cutoff (play harder = brighter). LFO 2 → Osc 2 Pitch at slow rate (gentle detuning drift). Envelope 3 → Pan (each note pans from left to right during its decay). Key Tracking → LFO 1 Rate (higher notes have faster vibrato).
• Depth control: Each routing has a depth/amount control. Set how much the source affects the destination. Subtle amounts for polish, extreme amounts for experimental textures.

Arpeggiator (32 Modes)

• Modes: Up, Down, Up-Down, Down-Up, Random, Chord (all notes together), and 26 pattern variations combining these with octave jumps, note repeats, and rhythmic variations.
• Octave Range: 1-4 octaves. Higher = wider melodic range from a single held chord.
• Gate: Controls how long each arp note plays relative to the step. Short gate = staccato plucks. Long gate = legato connected notes. 50% = standard.
• Tempo sync: Locks to project BPM. Arp speed in note values (1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, triplets).
• Hold: Enable hold mode → press keys once → release → arp continues playing. Free up your hands for knob tweaking while the arp runs.

3. Drum Machine — 24-Pad Deep Dive

• 24 velocity-sensitive pads organized in a 4×6 grid. Each pad is an independent instrument with its own sample, pitch, filter, envelope, and effects.
• Loading samples: Tap a pad → browse WAV files from device storage. Or use Planet-H official sample packs from the Play Store (free and paid). Or record directly from the mic onto a pad.
• Per-pad controls:
  • Volume, Pan — basic level and position.
  • Pitch — semitone and fine-tune (cents). Pitch a snare up for a tight crack or down for a deep thud.
  • Filter — cutoff and resonance per pad. Darken a hi-hat. Brighten a kick. Shape each hit independently.
  • Decay — how quickly the sample fades after triggering. Short for tight clicks. Long for ambient tails.
  • Reverse — flip any sample backward with one toggle.
  • Loop — enable for sustained samples. Hold the pad and the sample cycles.
• Choke groups: Assign multiple pads to the same choke group. Triggering one kills the other. Essential for open/closed hi-hat (open hat stops when closed hat triggers). Also useful for muting tonal options — only one bass note rings at a time.

Step Sequencer — Advanced Features

• Grid: 16, 32, or 64 steps per pattern. Tap cells to place hits.
• Per-step velocity: Long-press a step → drag up/down to set velocity (1-127). Ghost notes at 30-40. Normal hits at 80-100. Accents at 120-127. This is how programmed drums sound human instead of mechanical.
• Per-step pitch: Long-press → adjust pitch per step. Create melodic bass lines from a single bass sample loaded on one pad. Or create tuned percussion patterns — toms tuned to scale degrees, for example.
• Per-step probability: Set a percentage chance (0-100%) that each step plays. 100% = always plays. 50% = plays half the time, randomly. 25% = rare ghost hit. This creates natural-sounding variation where no two loop repetitions are identical — the machine generates its own subtle performance differences.
• Swing: Global swing amount offsets the timing of even-numbered steps. 0% = perfectly straight. 20-30% = subtle groove. 40-50% = heavy shuffle approaching triplet feel. Different swing amounts suit different genres — techno wants 0-10%, house wants 15-25%, hip-hop wants 30-50%.

4. Recording Samples

• Mic recording: Tap any empty pad → microphone icon → record sound from the phone mic. Release to stop. Sample is immediately assigned to that pad and playable.
• File import: Tap pad → folder icon → browse device storage for WAV files. Any WAV sample works — one-shots, loops, field recordings, vocal stabs.
• Planet-H expansions: Search "G-Stomper" on Google Play Store. Official 24-bit sample packs designed specifically for the G-Stomper engine. Free packs available: GST-FLPH Mixed-2 FREE and others.
• Internal resampling: G-Stomper can record its own audio output. Play a pattern with effects → capture the processed output as a new sample → assign to a pad. Resample layered beats into single one-shots for further manipulation.

5. Quantize

• Step sequencer = inherently quantized. Each step IS a grid position. When programming by tapping cells, everything is on-grid by definition.
• Live recording quantize: When recording drum hits in real time (playing pads while the sequencer runs), the Quantize function snaps recorded hits to the nearest step position. Tightens sloppy timing while keeping the pattern you intended.
• Swing is post-quantize groove: Quantize first (snap to grid), then apply swing (offset even steps). This gives tight-but-groovy results. Quantize without swing = robotic. Swing without quantize = sloppy. Both together = professional.

6. Transpose

• VA-Beast: Oscillator controls set the pitch — octave, semitone, and fine tune per oscillator. Transpose the entire patch by adjusting all three oscillators equally. Or transpose only one oscillator for interval relationships (Osc 1 at root, Osc 2 up a fifth = power chord from one note).
• Drum pads: Per-pad pitch control (semitone + cents) lets you tune drums to your track's key. Also per-step pitch in the sequencer creates melodic patterns from a single sample on one pad — a tuned 808 bass line, for example.
• Pattern-level: Transpose entire patterns up/down by semitone values. Change the key of a synth sequence without reprogramming notes. Useful for building verse/chorus variations.

7. Looping — Every Scenario

Patterns Loop Automatically

• Every pattern in G-Stomper loops by default. 1-64 bars per pattern. Press Play → the pattern repeats indefinitely. This IS the loop. Program the content, it repeats.
• While recording (overdub mode), the pattern loops and each pass adds new hits on top of existing ones without erasing. Build layers: kick first pass → snare second → hi-hats third → percussion fourth → synth fifth.

Song Mode — Building Full Arrangements

• Mode → Song Mode. Chain patterns in sequence with repeat counts:
• Pattern 1 (intro, 4 bars) × 1 → Pattern 2 (verse drums, 8 bars) × 2 → Pattern 3 (chorus, 8 bars) × 1 → Pattern 2 × 2 → Pattern 3 × 2 → Pattern 4 (outro, 4 bars) × 1
• Each pattern plays its set number of repetitions, then the next pattern starts automatically. The chain plays through once or loops the entire song.

Live Mode — Real-Time Performance

• Mode → Live Mode. A grid of all available patterns. Tap any pattern to launch it — it starts playing at the next beat boundary (quantized launch, no awkward timing).
• Switch between patterns in real time. Drums playing Pattern A → tap Pattern B → it crossfades/switches in sync. Perform your arrangement live.
• This is G-Stomper's answer to Ableton's Session View — pattern triggering for live performance on a phone.

Making Tracks Loop Then Stop

• Channel muting: Within any pattern, mute specific channels (drum pads or synth tracks). Same pattern with different mute states = instant variation. Verse 1 has full drums. Verse 2 mutes the snare. Same underlying pattern, different energy.
• Separate patterns: Create Pattern 2A (drums full) and Pattern 2B (drums minus hi-hat). Chain them: 2A × 2 → 2B × 1 → 2A × 2. The hi-hat drops out and returns without reprogramming anything.
• Song Mode automation: Mute states per pattern position in the song chain. Drums run the whole song. Synth enters only in the chorus. Bass drops out in the bridge. Full arrangement control from loop blocks.

Making Tracks Play During Export

• Mute channels before export → only unmuted render in the final mixdown.
• Solo specific channels to export individual elements.
• For stems: export each channel independently as a separate WAV. Import into Cubase, Ableton, or any desktop DAW for professional mixing.

8. Mixing & Effects

Mixer

• Full mixer with independent channel strips for every drum pad and synth track. Volume fader, pan knob, mute, solo per channel.
• Meter bridge shows levels across all channels simultaneously. Watch for clipping (red peaks).

Insert Effects (Per Channel)

• Each channel can have its own insert effects chain — process drums and synth independently.
• Available effects: Parametric EQ (cut/boost specific frequencies), Compressor (tame peaks, add punch), Distortion (warmth to destruction), Bitcrusher (reduce bit depth for lo-fi/chiptune crunch), Filter (additional filtering beyond the synth's own), Delay (echo with feedback, tempo-syncable), Reverb (room/hall/plate space), Chorus (width and shimmer), Phaser (sweeping phase cancellation), Flanger (metallic swoosh).
• Per-pad effects: In the drum machine, each individual pad can have its own effect chain. Add reverb to the snare without affecting the kick. Bitcrush the hi-hats. Distort the clap. Independent processing per sound.

Master Bus

• Master channel with its own effects chain: Limiter (prevent clipping and control loudness), EQ (overall tonal shaping), Reverb Send (global reverb amount), Delay Send (global delay).
• Sidechain compression: Duck the bass/pad/synth volume when the kick drum hits. Creates the classic "pumping" effect used in house, techno, EDM, and modern trap. Set the sidechain source to the kick pad → set the target to the bass channel → adjust threshold and ratio.

9. Exporting

• Formats: WAV (lossless, recommended for quality), OGG (compressed, smaller files).
• MIDI export: Save patterns as standard MIDI files. Open in Cubase, Ableton, FL Studio, Cakewalk, or any desktop DAW. Drum patterns become MIDI data assignable to any drum VST. Synth patterns become MIDI notes playable through any instrument.
• Stem export: Render each channel (pad/synth) as a separate audio file. Import individual stems into a desktop DAW for professional mixing with better tools.
• Project sharing: G-Stomper Studio projects are compatible with G-Stomper Producer — open synth-based projects in Producer to add sample-based elements, or vice versa.

10. Keyboard Shortcuts & Controls

11. Pro Tips — The Kokumo Method

• VA-Beast is a real synth engine — treat it like one. Don't just scroll presets. Open a preset, study its oscillator mix, filter settings, envelope shapes, and mod matrix routings. Then modify them. Then build from scratch. The mod matrix alone makes VA-Beast more capable than most mobile synth apps that cost twice as much.
• Live Mode is your performance tool. If performing live, Live Mode lets you trigger patterns like Ableton clips. Combined with Ableton Link to sync with a laptop or DJ setup, G-Stomper becomes a legitimate performance instrument — not just a production tool.
• Probability makes drums human. Set kick at 100% (always hits). Snare at 95% (occasional skip creates tension). Hi-hat at 75% (natural variation). Ghost notes at 25% (rare surprises). The sequencer generates its own subtle performance — every loop is slightly different.
• Per-step pitch for basslines. Load a bass sample on one pad. Program a step sequence with different pitch values per step. Now that one pad plays a full bass line — no keyboard needed. The same technique works for tuned percussion, melodic tom patterns, or 808 bass slides.
• Export MIDI to desktop. Sketch beats and synth lines in G-Stomper, export as MIDI, open in Cubase or Ableton with professional mixing tools. Mobile for ideas, desktop for polish. The two-platform workflow.
• Ableton Link for hybrid setups. Connect G-Stomper and Ableton on the same WiFi → both play in perfect sync. Use G-Stomper as a dedicated drum machine or synth module alongside Ableton's full arrangement. Two devices, one tempo, zero drift.