Getting Started

Welcome to 2020!

Hello, I am Yotaro, the developer of 2020.

When you opened this app for the first time, you might have been overwhelmed by the density of the GUI. That’s because I’m a “bit” of a maximalist, and I’ve crammed a lot of modules into a single window.

You will need some time to master this app. A bit of sound design knowledge will also help you get the beats you want. First, learn the basics of the GUI. Then get familiar with where each module is and what kind of sound each one makes. Once you have a mental map of the modules, you’ll be much better at exploring new sounds.

Even I, the developer, discover a new sound every time I open 2020. If you discover any great sounds or tips, share them with us using the hashtag #2020beatmachine.
Also check out the tips videos on my YouTube channel. And join the 2020 user community on Discord!

I hope you enjoy the adventure that awaits you!

Triggering your first kick sound

Triggering manually

Find module 1-1, the first module in GRP1. Click the small rectangle in its upper right corner to play the kick sound.

The Z label in its upper left corner (on a QWERTY keyboard) is 1-1’s on/off switch, and Z is its key: pressing it switches 1-1 off and on rather than playing it. The whole bottom letter row, Z to M, switches instruments and groups on and off this way.

Triggering by sequencer

The bottom line of SEQ1 corresponds to 1-1. Click or drag the sequence editor to edit the sequence, then press the space key to play the sequence.

Setting volume and accents

Hold down SHIFT and drag to adjust the volume, and hold down FN2 and click or drag to set accents. SHIFT is the Shift key, FN1 is Option (or Control), and FN2 is Command by default.

Setting the resolution of a beat

Sequence resolution can be set for each beat. Click the left half of the number at the top of a beat to lower it, or the right half to raise it. You can also scroll over it.

Making your beats

Load up a sound file

Sound File Menu

Click the sound file name at the top of a module to open its Sound File Menu, and choose a sound. You can also load sound files by dragging them from Finder onto the module.

Making your sound

Find your favorite sound by adjusting pitch, envelope, and filter. For example:

To add a time variation to the pitch, hold down FN2 and edit the envelope.
To get a sweeping sound, adjust the HPF, LPF, and RES.

Randomizing your beats

Randomizing the sequence

Decreasing the TRIG parameter of SEQ1 decreases the probability of triggering. Increasing the ADD parameter creates additional triggers.

Randomizing parameters

The randomize function creates new sound variations for each trigger. To randomize the envelope, hold down FN1 and drag the envelope point. To randomize a knob value, hold down FN1 and drag the knob to adjust the randomization range, or hold down FN2 and drag the knob to adjust the randomization probability.

Working with presets

The keys below act on every module at once. Clicking a slot in a module acts on that module only; hold SHIFT and click to store into it.

Letters shown here are for a QWERTY keyboard. On other layouts, use the letter printed on the slot.

Storing presets

Hold down SHIFT and press the A key.
The labels Q and A will be highlighted. This means the current parameters are stored as pattern A in song Q.
After editing the sequence, hold down SHIFT and press the S key. The current parameters are now stored as pattern S in song Q.
After making changes to the sound as well, hold down SHIFT and press the W key. The current parameters are now stored as pattern A in song W.

Restoring presets

Press the space key to start playback.
Press the Q key. The preset selector will enter standby, and the preset will be restored at the beginning of the next bar.
Also try pressing the W or S key and see how the preset works.
To restore the preset without waiting for the next bar, hold down FN1 and press W or S.

Routing your beats

Each instrument’s row of switches decides where its sound goes:

BUS1 - BUS3: to the MIX.
SEND, with the DL1, DL2, and RVB knobs: to the send effects.
FX1 - FX3: to the FX patcher, which comes back to the MIX on BUS4 - BUS6.

Building your FX chain

Placing FX modules

The FX patcher connects modules by where they sit. Each module feeds the modules below it that sit inside its arc. Drag a module to move it, and hold down FN1 and drag it to change how wide its arc opens and how far down it reaches.

Controlling parameters with trigger events (CV)

For example, when FLT sits inside FX1’s arc, every trigger sent to FX1 can switch it on and give its knobs new random values.

Modulating with LFOs

Click an LFO button to open its panel, choose a shape, then switch on the parameters you want it to drive. For example, modulating FLG’s DEL with SIN makes it a flanger, and modulating LEV1 with SAW and CYCLE switched off makes it a ducking effect. One LFO can drive as many targets at once as you like, and you can also randomize its frequency and amount.

Keeping time

Click the metronome icon at the left end of the transport. The click has its own METRONOME output, so it can go to your headphones only.

Finishing your mix

Mixing the buses

MIX

Each of the six strips in MIX carries one bus. Drag a strip’s slider to set its level, and hold down FN2 and drag it to add distortion. The button under each slider opens that strip’s LFO, which can move its level, its distortion, or both.

Mastering

MST

The strips go on to MST1, MST2, or both. The dials along the bottom of each master (PRE, DRV, CMP, PNCH, BASS, and LOUD) are the ones you reach for most during a performance. Click EDIT to open a panel with every control of the master chain.

Connecting a controller

Turn on learn mode (Command + L), click a control, then move the knob or press the key that should drive it. Press Command + L again to finish.

To have one control drive several parameters, or to give a mapping only part of a parameter’s range, open Preferences with Command + , and choose MAPPING.

Saving your project

Press Command + S to save everything, sounds included, to one .2020 file. To share a project, send that file.

Recording your beats

To start recording your beats, click the REC button of the master recorder. Click it again to end recording. This is not the sequencer REC, the green circle icon in the transport, which records what you play into the sequencer.

Recordings are saved to ~/Music/2020/Recordings. The menu next to REC caps how long a take runs (60 min by default, Manual for no limit). Its Recorder Settings... item opens Preferences, where the RECORDING tab sets the file format and the start and stop timing.

Opening the default demo project again

Choose Help ▸ Open Demo Project to open the demo project again.