Synth Presets
Each melodic track (Melody, Chords, Bass) has a library of synth sounds you can select. Use the long-press gesture on the mute pixel to browse and cycle through sounds.
The sound library is much bigger: 48 sounds across Melody, Chords, and Bass, all included. All sounds are level-matched with each other, and jams (including community jams) now remember each track's sound.
Selecting a Sound
Sound Selection
How to Change Sounds
- Long-press the mute pixel (column 0) for the track you want to change.
- After 0.5 seconds, sound selection mode activates and the column switches to its bank-style display.
- Continue holding — the display cycles to the next sound roughly every 0.7 seconds.
- Release when you hear the sound you want.
The sound previews automatically as you cycle through the library.
The Bank-Style Display
While cycling, column 0 no longer shows a single climbing dot: the sound library is too big to fit one-pixel-per-sound in a 4-6 pixel column. Instead it shows two markers:
- A dim pixel marking which bank of sounds you're currently in.
- A brighter pixel marking your position within that bank.
When the two land on the same pixel, it lights at its brightest.
Bank-Style Cycling
Melody Sounds
Melody Sound Library
| Sound | Character |
|---|---|
| Gliss Lead | Smooth, gliding |
| Bell | Bright, harmonic |
| Flute | Soft, breathy |
| Square Lead | Chiptune, retro |
| PWM | Lush, evolving |
| Sync Lead | Aggressive, cutting |
| Stab | Short, percussive |
| Swell | Slow-attack, swelling |
| Glass | Glassy, bell-like |
| Pop | Bright, snappy |
| Growl | Growling, distorted |
| Drone | Sustained drone |
| Clang | Metallic, clanging |
| Reed | Reedy, woodwind-like |
| Wisp | Soft, airy |
| Harp | Plucked, harp-like |
Chords Sounds
The default Chords sound is Pad.
Chords Sound Library
| Sound | Character |
|---|---|
| Pad | Warm sustained pad (default) |
| Piano | Acoustic piano timbre |
| Electric Piano | Warm FM electric piano |
| Combo Organ | Bright combo organ with chorus character |
| Pluck | Plucked string/mallet sound |
| Organ | Drawbar organ |
| Bloom | Slow-blooming, evolving pad |
| Mallet | Soft mallet/percussion timbre |
| Brass | Warm brass ensemble |
| Reso | Resonant, filter-swept pad |
| Dream | Airy, dreamlike pad |
| Glass Pad | Glassy, shimmering pad |
| Aurora | Wide, shimmering evolving pad |
| Core | Solid, centered sustained tone |
| Snap | Tight, snappy chord stab |
| Drawn | Sustained, organ-like tone |
Bass Sounds
The default Bass sound is Acid Bass.
Bass Sound Library
| Sound | Character |
|---|---|
| Acid Bass | Classic 303-style acid bass (default) |
| FM Bass | FM synthesis bass |
| Saw Bass | Sawtooth wave bass |
| Electric Bass | Electric bass guitar timbre |
| Sub Bass | Deep, sine-heavy sub bass |
| Ring Bass | Ring-modulated bass |
| Punch Bass | Short, punchy transient bass |
| Grit Bass | Overdriven, gritty bass |
| Hollow Bass | Hollow, woody bass |
| Formant Bass | Vowel-like formant bass |
| Muted Pick | Muted, picked bass |
| Rubber Bass | Bouncy, rubbery bass |
| Driven Bass | Driven, saturated bass |
| Velvet Bass | Smooth, mellow bass |
| Layer Bass | Layered, thick bass |
| Gated Bass | Choppy, gated bass |
Rhythm Track: Drums
The Rhythm track does not have synth sounds. Instead it plays the classic Synth drum kit: synthesized drums organized into 4 banks. See Drum Banks for information about the drum sounds.
Extra sampled drum kits arrive with Pixelboop Pro in a future update.
Rhythm (No Presets)
Level-Matched Volumes
All sounds are level-matched with each other, so switching sounds on a track doesn't jump the volume up or down — a quiet-sounding Flute and a loud-sounding Sync Lead play at the same perceived loudness.
Jams Remember Your Sounds
Your sound selections are automatically saved and restored when you reopen the app. Each track remembers its last selected sound independently — and this now carries through to jams: opening a saved jam, or opening someone else's jam from Community Jams, brings back the sound each track was using.
Everything Included
All 48 sounds above are included with Pixelboop. Extra drum kits and more arrive with Pixelboop Pro in a future update.
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