# Tone and Touch Menu In this menu the Neotone instrument’s sound qualities and preferences can be adjusted and customized. With each slider different sound qualities and details can be set and saved. ![](media/sound-01.png) ### Tone #### Volume Function: Sets the instrument's overall output level, everything the mixer sends to the line outputs and headphones. Above 100% the signal can distort. Adjust the master volume (0 - 200%). It may cause sound distortion if going above 100%. #### Velocity hardness Function: Sets how hard you have to play to reach full volume across the whole instrument. It scales every strike before the per-region curves and amplify settings are applied, so it is the broadest of the touch controls. How hard the velocity impacts volume scaling SENSORS #### Dymanic range *The interface spells this control "Dymanic range" (sound_designs id 98). The manual keeps the spelling for parity until the row is corrected.* Tooltip: The volume becomes more balanced and stable by reducing the dynamic range. Function: Narrows the gap between your softest and loudest strikes, so playing sits in a steadier volume band. It works on the response of every region at once. The dynamic range of the instrument is quite large, which is not ideal for all conditions of use. If you integrate the handpan into an electronic setup or play with an orchestra, too weak beats can be lost in the music, and strong ones can stand out unpleasantly. In such cases, reduce the dynamic range, thus the volume becomes more balanced and stable. #### Edge effect at the rim of the side notes *firmware 6.5+.* Function: Sets how far in from the rim of a side tonefield the harder edge sound begins. Move it in and more of the field sounds like a rim strike; move it out and the clear centre tone reaches further toward the edge. At higher slider values, the shoulder tone is blended in more significantly #### Stereo environment Function: Sets how wide the instrument sounds across the stereo field, from fully centred to fully spread. It has no effect when Mono sound is switched on. Adjust the stereo width. 70% is ideal for headphones, 100% for loudspeakers. #### Stereo panorama *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places the whole instrument left or right in the stereo image. #### Stereo panorama - ding *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places the ding left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 1 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 1 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 2 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 2 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 3 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 3 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 4 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 4 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 5 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 5 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 6 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 6 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 7 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 7 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 8 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 8 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Stereo panorama - tonefield 9 *Not live, Dev.* Function: Places side tonefield 9 left or right in the stereo image, independently of the rest of the instrument. Available when Advanced body sound is switched on. #### Sustain *firmware 6.5+.* Tooltip: Length of the sound Function: Sets how long notes ring after you strike them. #### Body sustain *firmware 6.8+.* Tooltip: Length of body resonance Function: Sets how long the wooden body rings after it is struck, separately from the tonefields. Length of body resonance. #### Mute Function: Sets how readily a resting hand silences a note. Higher values mute with less pressure, closer to an acoustic handpan; lower values need a firmer hand. #### Mute pressure sensitivity *Not live.* Function: Sets how much the strength of your muting hand shapes the result, so a light damp and a firm damp differ rather than both cutting the note the same way. #### Velocity density *Not live.* Tooltip: [DEPRECATED] Function: Deprecated and not in use. #### Tonefield polyphony Tooltip: Retain previous sound layers in the same tonefield Function: Decides how much of a previous note keeps ringing when you strike the same tonefield again. Higher values let layers overlap; lower values clear the field for each new strike. The instrument reduces this automatically when many notes are sounding at once. #### Body crossfade softness *Dev.* Function: Sets how gradually one body area gives way to the next as you move around the instrument, from an abrupt change to a smooth blend. #### Tone crossmix *firmware 6.5+.* Tooltip: Crossfade intensity between note samples Function: Sets how much neighbouring samples blend into each other as you move across a tonefield, so the tone shifts smoothly between the centre and the shoulder rather than stepping between recordings. 0%: Always selects a single tone without mixing multiple sounds. 100%: Uses the current behavior, blending tones based on hit position #### Velocity layer loading density *firmware 6.3+.* Tooltip: Higher density enhances dynamic responsiveness and detail, while lower density decreases loading speed and reduces the level of sound detail Function: Sets how many of a scale's recorded velocity layers are loaded. Every note is recorded at many strike strengths; loading all of them gives the finest dynamic detail, loading fewer makes scales load faster and use less memory. The default velocity layer loading density of the instrument is set to the highest level. This is because higher density enhances dynamic responsiveness and the details of the sound. Lower density velocity layers decrease the loading speed and reduce the level of sound detail. This is what you can control with this slider. #### Force mute Function: Silences the instrument's own sound entirely while leaving MIDI output running, for playing a synth or a computer without hearing the handpan. Forcing the instrument to play closed sounds. It is recommended to pair it with a foot pedal. #### Mirror assigned notes Tooltip: Assign notes left to right Function: Reverses the note layout left to right across the instrument, for players who prefer the ascending order running the other way. The lowest side note is on the right side by default. When this feature is switched on, it will be on the left side. #### Advanced body sound *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Builds the body sound from a set of individually controlled components rather than the single recorded body tone. It enables the Body settings that follow. #### Mono sound Tooltip: Mono record / line out / headphones Function: Sums the output to mono for the line outputs, headphones and recordings. Stereo environment and panorama have no effect while it is on. #### Body - Offset (ms) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Delays the body sound behind the note, in milliseconds. #### Body - Transient Gain (0=unchanged) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets the level of the body's initial attack, leaving the rest of the tone alone. #### Body - Transient dB (dB) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets the same initial attack level in decibels rather than as a proportion. #### Body - Dome (High) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much of the body's upper register the dome contributes. #### Body - Dome (Low) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much of the body's lower register the dome contributes. #### Body - Center Mix *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much of the body sound is built from the instrument's centre. #### Body - Universal Mix *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much of the body sound comes from a single blend applied everywhere, rather than from area-specific components. #### Body - Ding Fifth (High) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the ding's fifth overtone contributes to the body's upper register. #### Body - Ding Fifth (Low) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the ding's fifth overtone contributes to the body's lower register. #### Body - Fifth Edge Mix (Low) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the fifth shoulder's rim sound contributes to the body's lower register. #### Body - Ding Corner Fifth (High) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the corner of the ding's fifth area contributes to the body's upper register. #### Body - Fifth Overtone Mix *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much of the fifth overtone is present in the body sound overall. #### Body - Fifth Edge Mix (High) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the fifth shoulder's rim sound contributes to the body's upper register. #### Body - Ding Corner Fifth (Low) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the corner of the ding's fifth area contributes to the body's lower register. #### Body - Octave Overtone Mix *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much of the octave overtone is present in the body sound overall. #### Body - Octave Edge Mix (High) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the octave shoulder's rim sound contributes to the body's upper register. #### Body - Octave Edge Mix (Low) *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the octave shoulder's rim sound contributes to the body's lower register. #### Body - Side Tonefield Factor *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the nine side tonefields contribute to the body sound. #### Body - Crosstalk distribution *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how far a body strike spreads into neighbouring areas rather than staying where it landed. #### Body - Ding Octave *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets how much the ding's octave overtone contributes to the body sound. #### Body - Auto mix *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Balances the body components automatically instead of using the values set by hand. #### Body - Randomize offset *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Varies the body's timing slightly from strike to strike, so repeated hits do not sound mechanically identical. #### Body - Transient sample #0 *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Chooses the recording used for attack layer 0 of the body sound. #### Body - Transient sample #1 *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Chooses the recording used for attack layer 1 of the body sound. #### Body - Transient sample #2 *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Chooses the recording used for attack layer 2 of the body sound. #### Body - Transient sample #3 *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Chooses the recording used for attack layer 3 of the body sound. #### Body - Transient sample #4 *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Chooses the recording used for attack layer 4 of the body sound. ### Touch ![](media/sound-02.png) **You can adjust the Dome, Ding and tonefield’s sensitivity curves (dynamic characteristic).** You can adjust the amplification (gain) of tonefields and the body tones. #### Dome sensitivity curve Tooltip: Based on adjusting curve midpoint, without amplify the maximum velocity. Function: Sets how the dome answers a light touch. It bends the response between a soft tap and a full strike while leaving the loudest strike where it is, so quiet playing can be made to speak more, or made to ask for a firmer hand. #### Ding sensitivity curve Tooltip: Based on adjusting curve midpoint, without amplify the maximum velocity. Function: Sets how the ding answers a light touch, bending the response between a soft tap and a full strike without changing how loud the hardest strike can be. The ding and the dome share one sensor but are shaped separately, so the deepest note can respond differently from the dome above it. #### Tonefield sensitivity curve Tooltip: Based on adjusting curve midpoint, without amplify the maximum velocity. Function: Sets how the nine side tonefields answer a light touch, bending the response between a soft tap and a full strike without changing the loudest strike. All nine move together. #### Body sensitivity curve Tooltip: Based on adjusting curve midpoint, without amplify the maximum velocity. Function: Sets how the wooden body answers a light touch. The body sensors are less sensitive than the tonefields by nature, so this is usually the first place to reach if the body is not speaking under quiet hands. #### Dome amplify Function: Raises or lowers everything the dome produces, evenly. Where the sensitivity curve changes the shape of the response, this changes its overall level, so it is what balances the dome against the rest of the instrument. #### Ding amplify Function: Raises or lowers everything the ding produces, evenly, without changing how the response is shaped. Use it when the deepest note sits too far forward or too far back against the side notes. #### Tonefield amplify Function: Raises or lowers everything the nine side tonefields produce, evenly, without changing how the response is shaped. All nine move together. #### Body amplify Function: Raises or lowers everything the wooden body produces, evenly. The body is quieter than the tonefields to begin with. This setting is multiplied by the factory body amplify value in the Core menu, so the two combine. #### Body bottom sensitivity *Not live.* Function: Not currently active. It was intended to set the lower body area apart from the upper one; the firmware does not read it. #### Shoulder octave size Function: Sets how large the octave shoulders are on the ding. The shoulders are the two areas either side of the ding that sound the octave, and this decides how far in from the rim a strike still counts as a shoulder rather than the fundamental. The degree of dominance of the shoulder tone along the octave (longer) axis. If you increase it, the shoulder tone appears over a larger area; if you decrease it, it appears over a smaller, narrower section. #### Shoulder octave offset Function: Shifts the octave shoulders along the ding's longer axis, so the shoulder tone answers equally on both sides. Use it when one side speaks more readily than the other. This fine-tunes the shoulder tone to ensure it sounds equally on both sides of the octave (longer) axis. If there is less shoulder tone on one side and more on the other, you can use this slider to adjust it in the desired direction. #### Shoulder fifth size Function: Sets how large the fifth shoulders are on the ding, along its shorter axis, deciding how far in from the rim a strike still sounds the fifth. The degree of dominance of the shoulder tone along the fifth (shorter) axis. If you increase it, the shoulder tone appears over a larger area; if you decrease it, it appears over a smaller, narrower section. #### Shoulder fifth offset Function: Shifts the fifth shoulders along the ding's shorter axis, so the fifth answers equally on both sides. This fine-tunes the shoulder tone to ensure it sounds equally on both sides of the fifth (shorter) axis. If there is less shoulder tone on one side and more on the other, you can use this slider to adjust it in the desired direction. With the adjust mutant area, You can adjust the width of the mutant fields slider. If you set the percentage up, the mutant area becomes wider, if you set the percentage down the mutant area becomes narrower. #### Adjust mutant area *Mutant only.* Tooltip: Adjusting the mutant field area on the tonefield Function: Sets how much of each tonefield belongs to its mutant note. Every tonefield on a Mutant instrument carries a second field for the mutant note, and this decides where the boundary between the two falls. #### Top body gain *firmware 6.4+.* Function: Sets the level of the upper half of the wooden body on its own, so the body can be balanced top against bottom rather than only as a whole. The amplify (volume) of the body note around the ding. #### Bottom body gain *firmware 6.4+.* Function: Sets the level of the lower half of the wooden body on its own, so the body can be balanced bottom against top rather than only as a whole. The amplify (volume) of the body note on the slap/rim area. If you turn off the Enable mutant area switch the mutant fields of the tonefields will stop working as separate fields. This way the mutant instrument becomes very similar to a standard NEOTONE¹ model. On the LCD screen you can always follow the notes that you play on the instrument. With the Display note switch you can turn this off if you do not want to see the played notes displayed on the LCD screen. Body sensors enabled are turned on by default. The instrument will be muting the body tones when it is switched off. #### Enable mutant area *Mutant only.* Function: Switches the mutant notes on or off. With it off, each tonefield sounds only its main note and the mutant field is ignored. #### Body sensors enabled Function: Switches the wooden body on or off as a sound source. With it off, only the tonefields respond. #### Push body sound to side notes *Dev.* Function: Routes body sound through the side tonefields as well as the body itself. ### MIDI touch The volume slider helps the volume to be more balanced and stable, by reducing the dynamic range. You can adjust the sensitivity curves (dynamic characteristic) of tonefields and the body tones for the MIDI. You can adjust the amplification (gain) of tonefields and the body tones for the MIDI. Body sensors enabled are turned on by default. The instrument will not send body MIDI notes when it is switched off. The foot pedal connectors work as an expression pedal mode by default. When the trigger pedal switch is turned on, the pedal connectors work as a kick trigger. #### Send midi notes *Dev, firmware 6.8+.* Function: Switches MIDI note output on or off at the instrument, independently of what any MIDI set assigns. #### Volume Tooltip: Helps the volume more balanced and stable, by reducing the dynamic range. Function: Sets the overall level of the MIDI velocities the instrument sends, separately from its own output volume. #### Volume range normalization Tooltip: Adjust the volume more balanced and stable, by reducing the dynamic range. Function: Narrows the gap between your softest and loudest strikes in the MIDI velocities the instrument sends out, so a receiving synth sees a steadier range than the audio side produces. #### Dome sensitivity curve Tooltip: Based on adjusting curve midpoint, without amplify the maximum velocity. Function: Sets how the dome's MIDI velocities answer a light touch, bending the response between a soft tap and a full strike while leaving the hardest strike at full velocity. It shapes what a receiving synth is sent, not what the instrument itself plays. #### Ding sensitivity curve Tooltip: Based on adjusting curve midpoint, without amplify the maximum velocity. Function: Sets how the ding's MIDI velocities answer a light touch, without changing the velocity a full strike sends. It shapes what is sent out, leaving the instrument's own sound alone. #### Tonefield sensitivity curve Tooltip: Based on adjusting curve midpoint, without amplify the maximum velocity. Function: Sets how the nine side tonefields' MIDI velocities answer a light touch, without changing the velocity a full strike sends. #### Body sensitivity curve Tooltip: Based on adjusting curve midpoint, without amplify the maximum velocity. Function: Sets how the wooden body's MIDI velocities answer a light touch, without changing the velocity a full strike sends. #### Dome amplify Function: Raises or lowers the MIDI velocities the dome sends, evenly, so it can be balanced against the other regions at the receiving end. #### Ding amplify Function: Raises or lowers the MIDI velocities the ding sends, evenly. #### Tonefield amplify Function: Raises or lowers the MIDI velocities the nine side tonefields send, evenly. #### Body amplify Function: Raises or lowers the MIDI velocities the wooden body sends, evenly. #### Body sensors enabled Function: Switches the wooden body on or off as a MIDI source, so body strikes can be kept out of what is sent while still sounding on the instrument. #### Trigger pedal enabled Function: Switches the TRIG/EXPR jack between its two modes. Off, the jack reads an expression pedal, which is the default; on, it reads a kick trigger, so a pedal press fires a strike rather than sweeping a value. ### Threshold ![](media/sound-03.png) The default Noise threshold for the tonefields is 50%. It is recommended to increase this value if you use a handpan stand, or if you play strongly / hard on the body. You can decrease this value if you play softly on the instrument. The default Noise threshold for the body is 20%. It is recommended to increase this value if you use a handpan stand, or if you play strongly or hard on the instrument. You can decrease this value if you need extra sensitivity for the body. It may cause crosstalk between the body and the tonefields when this value is below 20%. #### Noise threshold for tonefields Function: Sets how much signal a tonefield must produce before it counts as a strike. Below this level the reading is treated as noise and no note sounds. The default is 50%. Raise it if you play on a stand or hit the body hard and notes trigger on their own; lower it if very soft playing is ignored. #### Noise threshold for body Function: Sets how much signal the body sensors must produce before a hit counts. The default is 20%. Raise it if you play on a stand or strike hard; lower it for extra body sensitivity, though below 20% the body and the tonefields can start triggering each other. #### Midi volume threshold *firmware 6.8+.* Function: Sets the quietest hit that will send a MIDI note. Hits below it still sound on the instrument but send nothing, which keeps stray contact out of a recording. Threshold for incoming MIDI signals. #### Noise threshold for trigger PEDAL 1 Function: Sets how much signal the first pedal must produce before it counts as pressed, so electrical noise on the cable does not trigger it. The threshold is where the trigger pedal perceives and ignores the signals. With the slider it is possible to set the noise threshold for trigger pedal 1. #### Noise threshold for trigger PEDAL 2 Function: Sets how much signal the second pedal must produce before it counts as pressed. The threshold is where the trigger pedal perceives and ignores the signals. With the slider it is possible to set the noise threshold for kick trigger pedal 2. Parameter configurations in the sound and sensor menu now can form a set, It can be saved as a preset and can be recalled anytime. #### Increase mute / overtone threshold *Dev.* Tooltip: Off: 0.1%, On: 0.2% Function: Raises the level a hand must reach before the instrument reads it as a mute or an overtone rather than an ordinary strike. #### Increase residual stress limit for damper *Dev.* Tooltip: Off: 0.8%, On: 1.2% Function: Raises how much lingering pressure the instrument tolerates before treating a resting hand as a damper. #### Extra overtone/mute sensitivity Tooltip: Increase overtone/mute touch sensitivity Function: Lowers the pressure needed to produce overtones and mutes, so lighter hands can reach them. It switches the instrument to a more forgiving threshold rather than adjusting one by degrees.