THE TOURWhat everything is
| # | PART | WHAT IT DOES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Speaker | Its dots light up with whatever is playing. |
| 2 | Stick | Changes the colour of the chord you hold, or rolls and softens drums. More |
| 3 | LOOP, PLAY, UNDO, DRUMS | Record loops, start and stop, remove the last track, and switch the keys to drum pads. |
| 4 | Screen | Shows the chord you are playing and the menu you have open. It is a touch screen: tap any option on it. |
| 5 | Tracks | Six shapes along the bottom of the screen, one per loop track. More |
| 6 | Dial | Turns whichever row is lit in a menu, or the volume when no menu is open. Drag it round with a finger. |
| 7 | Menu keys | Open the menus: KEY, SOUND, MODE and SONGS. More |
| 8 | Chord keys | Seven chords that fit the key you are in. More |
QUICK STARTYour first loop in a minute
- Tap the screen to power on. You will hear a short chime.
- Hold key 1, then key 6, then key 4, then key 5. That is one of the most used chord patterns in pop music.
- Hold a key and push the stick up. The chord gets richer. Let go of the stick and it springs back.
- Press PLAY to start a beat. Press it again to stop.
- Press LOOP, then play a few chords. Recording starts with your first chord. Press LOOP again and Septet finishes the bar and loops it.
- Press DRUMS, then LOOP, and tap a beat on the pads. It plays along with your chords on a second track.
CHORD KEYSSeven chords that always fit
A key, such as C major, has seven chords that belong to it: one built on each note of its scale. Those are the seven keys. In C major, key 1 is the chord built on C (C, E and G played together), key 2 is built on D, and so on up to key 7 on B. On a piano they are the seven white keys.
Each key sounds higher than the one to its left. The big symbol on a key (I, ii, V...) is its number in the key: capitals are major, cheerful-sounding chords, and small letters are minor, sadder-sounding ones. The name underneath is the actual chord.
The colours show what each chord does in a song:
Try these patterns
| PATTERN | SOUNDS LIKE |
|---|---|
| 1 · 5 · 6 · 4 | Countless pop songs |
| 6 · 4 · 1 · 5 | The same, starting somewhere sadder |
| 2 · 5 · 1 | Jazz, with the stick pushed up for 7th chords |
| 1 · 4 · 1 · 5 | Folk and early rock and roll |
Hold two keys and let go of the second: Septet goes back to the first. To change key, open the KEY menu.
Other scales
The SCALE row in the KEY menu changes the family the seven chords come from. MAJOR is bright and MINOR is sad. DORIAN is minor but hopeful, MIXOLYDIAN is major with a bluesy, rock edge, LYDIAN is dreamy, PHRYGIAN is dark and Spanish-sounding, HARMONIC MINOR is dramatic and MELODIC MINOR is smooth and jazzy.
Slash chords
Turn on SLASH CHORDS in the KEY menu. Now hold one key and press another: you hear the second key's chord with the first key's note underneath, written like G/C. Let go of the first key to hear the plain chord again.
Make a key always play one chord
The KEY 1 PLAYS to KEY 7 PLAYS rows set what each key plays with the stick in the middle: AS IS, or always MAJOR, MINOR, 7, DOM 7, SUS4, SUS2, DIM or 9. The stick still changes it as usual.
WAYS TO PLAYChords, arpeggios, a lead line or a drone
The PLAY row in the MODE menu changes what a key does:
| PLAY | WHAT HAPPENS |
|---|---|
| CHORDS | All the notes together, for as long as you hold the key |
| STRUM · SLOW STRUM | The notes one after another, quickly or slowly, like a strummed guitar |
| UP · DOWN · BOUNCE · DN/UP · RANDOM | An arpeggio: the chord's notes one at a time in time with the beat, going up, down, up and down, down and up, or in a random order. ARP SPEED sets FAST, MEDIUM or SLOW, and CHORD UNDER keeps the chord sounding quietly underneath |
| PULSE · STUTTER | The whole chord repeated in time: PULSE every half beat, STUTTER in short, fast stabs |
| LEAD | One note per key, for playing a tune. The stick moves the note: up or down an octave, right a little higher (♯), left a little lower (♭) |
| DRONE | The chord with a deep note under it, and it keeps ringing after you let go. Press another key to change it, or the same key again to stop |
A recorded track keeps the way it was played, so you can loop an arpeggio and play chords or a lead over it.
THE STICKColour your chords
Hold a chord key and push the stick in any of eight directions. The chord changes while you hold it, and only the notes that need to move do. You can also push the stick first and then press a key.
The screen shows the full chord name as you go, such as Cmaj7 or Dsus4.
Other sets of colours
STICK CHORDS in the KEY menu swaps the eight directions for another set. The labels around the stick always show the current set.
| SET | WHAT IT ADDS |
|---|---|
| DEFAULT | The colours above |
| EXTENDED | Bigger, richer chords: 7, 9, add9, 11, 13, 7sus4, 6 and sus2 |
| JAZZ | 7, 9 and 13, half-diminished (ø7), augmented (+), diminished, a crunchy 7♯9 and dom7 |
| BORROWED | borrow takes the same key's chord from the opposite scale (major ↔ minor), a classic surprise. lead plays the chord that leads into the one you hold: play it, then let go of the stick. Plus sus4, sus2, flip, dim, + and dom7 |
In drum mode the stick does something else: up rolls the pad you hold in fast notes, right rolls it in slower ones, and down plays it softly.
MENUSThe four menu keys
The four keys above the chord keys open menus on the screen: KEY, SOUND, MODE and SONGS. Press the same key again to close the menu.
Moving through a menu
| DO THIS | TO |
|---|---|
| Push the stick up or down | Move to another row. Hold it to keep moving. |
| Push the stick left or right | Change the highlighted row. Hold it to change faster. |
| Tap the stick's cap | Select, for rows you tap rather than change, such as a song. |
| Turn the dial | Change the highlighted row, finely. |
| Tap the screen | Tap a row to highlight it, its ‹ › arrows to change it, or its value to select it. |
What's in each menu
| MENU | ROWS |
|---|---|
| KEY | KEY the note the song is in · SCALE major, minor or one of six other moods (see Chord keys) · CHORDS RISING (each key higher than the last), SMOOTH (all chords kept close together), or a 1st, 2nd or 3rd inversion (a different note of the chord at the bottom, written like C/E) · STICK CHORDS which colours the stick plays (see The stick) · OCTAVE everything down or up · SLASH CHORDS hold one key and press another to put the first key's note in the bass · LOW NOTE the deep note added under each chord, on or off · KEY 1 PLAYS to KEY 7 PLAYS a chord a key always plays |
| SOUND | SOUND the instrument (see Sounds) · DRUM KIT TIGHT, BOOM, DUST (dark and grainy), DEEP (a long, low kick), PUNCH (hard and bright), VINTAGE (soft and old) or TRAP (a very long kick and crisp hats) · TONE bright or dark · ATTACK how slowly notes fade in · RELEASE how long they ring after you let go · WOBBLE a pulse in time with the beat, and its WOBBLE SPEED · SHAPE sets tone, attack, release and wobble in one go · the effects (see Sounds) · SPACE echo and room, with the ROOM type and how long the ECHO is · VOLUME |
| MODE | PLAY how the keys play (see Ways to play) · ARP SPEED and CHORD UNDER for the note-by-note modes · DRUM PADS turn the keys into drums · BEAT a backing beat: KICK, BASIC, CLICK (a metronome), LO-FI, POP, ROCK, FUNK, DISCO, HOUSE, BOSSA, DUB, DEMBOW, 1-DROP, BREAK, SWING or TRAP · VARIATION eight takes on the beat (see Drums) · MAKE TRACK turns the beat into a loop track · BASS LINE on or off · TEMPO change it, or tap the value in time with a song to match it · LOOP LENGTH FREE, or 1 to 8 bars (see Loops) · METRONOME OFF, only while RECORDING, or ALWAYS, with its CLICK SOUND and whether it clicks every BEAT or every HALF BEAT · TAPE STOP stopping slows the music down to a halt, like switching off a tape player · CHORD STEP, WRITE CHORDS, PROGRESSION and ADD IT make chord tracks without playing in time (see Loops) |
| SONGS | A level for each recorded track, seven song slots, SHARE and CLEAR, then the extras. See Loops, Songs and Extras. |
SOUNDSInstruments and effects
Pick the instrument on the SOUND row of the SOUND menu. Everything is made by Septet as you play; there are no recordings inside.
| SOUND | LIKE |
|---|---|
| KEYS · PIANO | An electric piano, and a plain piano |
| GUITAR · E-GUITAR | A plucked acoustic guitar, and a crunchy electric one. Try them with STRUM in the MODE menu |
| PAD · STRINGS · CHOIR · OCEAN | Long, soft sounds: a synth pad, a string section, voices singing "ah", and a gentle tone with a breath of sea spray |
| PLUCK · MARIMBA · BELL | Short, bouncy sounds for arpeggios |
| ORGAN · HORNS · CHIP · SAW BASS | An organ, a brass section, an old video game, and a deep synth bass |
Effects
SHAPE is the quick way to change how notes start and stop: PLUCKY, SOFT, SWELL, LONG TAIL, PULSING, DARK or BRIGHT. The rows under it fine-tune the same things.
| ROW | WHAT IT DOES |
|---|---|
| VOICES | Two or three slightly out-of-tune copies of every note, for a wider, thicker sound |
| GLIDE | Notes slide into each other when you move the stick or change keys while holding one |
| VIBRATO | A gentle wobble in pitch, like a singer's |
| DRIVE | Grit and crunch, like an amplifier turned up |
| SWIRL | CHORUS makes it shimmer, FLANGER makes it whoosh |
| TAPE | An old cassette: warbly and a little dull |
DRUMSPlay the beat yourself
Press DRUMS and the seven keys become drum pads:
Choose the kit in the SOUND menu. Hold a pad and push the stick up or right for a drum roll, or down for soft hits. Press DRUMS again to get your chords back.
Change up the beat
Every beat comes in eight VARIATIONS: ORIGINAL, GHOST NOTES (quiet extra snare hits), 16THS (busier hi-hats), PUSH (kicks just before the beat), FILL (every fourth bar ends with a drum fill and starts with a crash), HALF TIME (feels twice as slow), DOUBLE TIME (feels twice as fast) and PERCUSSION (extra rim and tom hits).
Turn the beat into a track
MAKE TRACK copies the beat into the looper as a drum track and turns the beat off, so it does not play twice. If nothing is recorded yet it makes a one-bar loop (four bars for a FILL beat) that you can build on. Now you can switch it off, clear it, or pick another beat to play on top. The beat's bass line stops with it.
LOOPSBuild a song in layers
Record the first track
Press LOOP. If nothing is playing, recording starts with the first chord or drum you play. If a beat is already going, Septet counts down to the start of the next bar. Play, then press LOOP again: Septet finishes the current bar and starts looping. The first track sets the length of the song. If you keep going, it stops by itself at eight bars.
Pick the length first
If you know how long the loop should be, set LOOP LENGTH in the MODE menu to 1 to 8 bars. Now LOOP starts the beat straight away and clicks four times to count you in, then records exactly that many bars and starts looping by itself. Press LOOP during the take to finish at the end of the bar you are in.
Keep in time
Turn on the METRONOME in the MODE menu. Set to RECORDING it clicks only while a track is recording, so it never ends up in your song. The first click of each bar is the loudest.
Add more tracks
While it loops, press LOOP again. The next track's shape counts down the beats to the start of the loop, then records one full pass of it and stops by itself. Play anything: more chords, a different sound or drums. Press LOOP during the pass to stop sooner. Each track keeps the sound it was recorded with, so you can stack a pad, a pluck and drums. Up to six tracks play together.
Reading the tracks
Tap a track to switch it off or on. It keeps looping silently, so it comes back in time. Hold a track to clear it. UNDO removes the most recent track.
The SONGS menu has a row for each track. Turn its level down to make it quieter, or tap it to play it solo, on its own or with any other solo tracks. Tap it again to bring everything back.
Write chords instead of playing them
No need to play in time. In the MODE menu, tap WRITE CHORDS, then press keys one after another (with the stick, if you like). Each press is the next chord. Tap the row again to finish: your chords become a loop track, each lasting the CHORD STEP you picked (a beat, two beats or a bar).
Or pick a PROGRESSION, a chord pattern many songs use, and tap ADD IT: POP, SAD, 50S, JAZZ, BLUES, CANON, or RANDOM for a new one every time. If a loop is already playing, the chords repeat to fill it.
SONGSSave, switch and share
The SONGS menu has seven slots. The one that is lit is the song you are working on, and it saves as you play. Tap another slot to switch songs: a filled slot starts playing, an empty one gives you a fresh start.
SHARE makes a link with your whole song inside it. Anyone who opens it hears your song, and it never overwrites their own. CLEAR empties the current slot; tap it twice to confirm.
Songs stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no account.
EXTRASGames, a tuner and your own sound
These are at the bottom of the SONGS menu. Tap a row to start it, and again to stop.
| ROW | WHAT IT DOES |
|---|---|
| RHYTHM GAME | A beat starts and a key glows one beat before you should press it. Press it as the beat lands: PERFECT scores 2, GOOD scores 1. Eight bars, then your score |
| EAR TRAINER | You hear the home chord (key 1), then a mystery chord. Press the key you think it was. Get it wrong and you hear them again |
| TUNER | Play or sing a note near the microphone: the screen shows the note and whether you are too high or too low |
| WAVE SCREEN | Shows the shape of the sound instead of the chord name |
Play your own sound
Pick MIC as the SOUND in the SOUND menu, then tap RECORD SOUND. After a count of three, make a short sound: a sung note, a clap, a pluck. The keys now play it at every pitch. It stays on this device until you record another one; songs you share play their MIC tracks with the listener's own recorded sound.
The microphone is only used while the tuner is on or a sound is being recorded, and nothing leaves your device. Your browser asks first.
ON A COMPUTERKeyboard shortcuts
| KEY | DOES |
|---|---|
| A to J, or 1 to 7 | The seven chord keys, or drum pads |
| Arrow keys | The stick: hold two for a diagonal |
| Space | Play or stop |
| R | Loop |
| U | Undo the last track |
| Q | Drum mode |
| [ and ] | Turn the dial |
| Arrow keys, Enter, Esc | In an open menu with no key held: move, select, close |
TIPSIf something is not right
No sound
Tap the screen once more, and check your volume. On an iPhone, sound plays even with the ringer switched off; if it does not, flip the switch and try again.
Keep your songs safe on iPad and iPhone
Safari may clear a website's saved data if you do not visit it for about a week. To avoid that, add Septet to your Home Screen: tap the Share button in Safari, then Add to Home Screen. It then opens full screen, like an app. Sharing a song link is also a good backup.
The page looks out of date
Pull down to refresh. Septet updates often.