MCL / TBD-16 Hardware Platform

TBD-16 Hardware Platform

The TBD-16 is a hardware platform that can run MCL. It supports all of MCL's external MIDI devices, such as the Machinedrum, but also has an INT mode for controlling the internal TBD sound engine.

Device Setup

Open the device menu from:

CONFIG > MIDI > DEVICES

On TBD-16, MCL adds the TBD device and the INT port to the normal grid setup:

Setting	Use
`Grid X = TBD`, port `INT`	Use the internal TBD sound engine as the primary step-sequenced device.
`Grid Y = TBD`, port `INT`	Use the internal TBD sound engine as the secondary MIDI-style device.
`Grid X = MD`, port `MIDI 1`	Use a connected Machinedrum as the primary device.
`Grid Y = GENER` or `ELEKT`	Use generic MIDI, Monomachine or Analog Four style secondary tracks.

The selected grid device determines the track types that are created in new projects and the editor pages used for those tracks.

Grid Tracks

Grid X = TBD gives you 16 internal TBD step tracks in slots 1-16. These use the Step Editor, Mixer, Chromatic Page, Arpeggiator Page and LFO Page.

Grid Y = TBD gives you six TBD tracks for PianoRoll sequencing and automation.

Internal TBD grid slots can store:

Data	Meaning
Sequence data	Trigs, notes, lengths, loop settings, mutes, conditions and timing.
Sound state	The current TBD sound metadata and parameter values for the track.
Mixer state	Visible mixer parameters exposed by the current TBD sound.
Parameter locks	Step locks for visible TBD audio and mixer parameters, plus note locks for sounds that use per-step pitch.

Device UI, Presets And Parameter Strip

The TBD UI is split into matching Device 1 and Device 2 views. The top-left button opens the UI for controlling Device 1; the top-right button opens the UI for controlling Device 2. Each view can show parameter pages, the preset browser, or the bottom four-encoder strip.

When one device UI is open, press the other device UI button to switch to it. Tap the active device UI button again to leave the UI. The Device 1 or Device 2 button LED shows which UI is active.

Hold the device UI button and press [A] to switch that UI between the full-screen view and the bottom strip. MCL remembers the selected size the next time that device UI is opened.

The four encoders edit the visible parameters for the active track. In the full-screen view, arrow keys move between parameter pages and the preset browser. The trig LEDs show the available parameter pages, and pressing a trig selects a page. In the bottom strip, hold the device UI button to show the same page LEDs and select pages from the trigs.

The preset browser uses Encoder 1 for the machine/preset group and Encoder 2 for the preset. Press Encoder 2 to load the selected preset. NO TRACK means the selected sequencer track has no TBD sound; NO PRESETS means no preset list is available.

Panel Controls

TBD-16 panel input is mapped into MCL's page and device model.

Control	Action
Top-left button	Open or control the Device 1 UI.
Top-left button in menus and browsers	Back/up.
Top-right button	Open or control the Device 2 UI when a second UI-capable device is configured.
Top-right button in local menus	Confirm/enter.
Top-left + top-right	Open the System menu.
Device UI button + A	Switch the active device UI between full-screen and bottom-strip size.
Encoder 1 tap	Open Page Select. Tap Encoder 1 again from Page Select to open the selected page.
Encoder 2 tap	Open or close the Grid bank popup.
Arrow keys	Navigate pages, menus, steps and selected values.
Transport keys	Act as Record, Play and Stop. In copy mode they act as Copy, Clear and Paste.
Trig pads	Select rows, trigger tracks, edit steps, play notes or select TBD UI tracks depending on the active page.
A button	Acts as Scale/page toggle on Grid, Mixer, Save/Load selection views and sequencer pages. In Track Select it toggles the selected device. Otherwise it acts as the legacy menu modifier.
B button	Opens legacy MCL page menus on Grid, Mixer, Save/Load selection views and sequencer pages; otherwise it acts as Function.
X button	Acts as Yes, Load or confirm.
Y button	Acts as No, Save or cancel.

If an expanded device UI is active, TBD device controls get first chance to handle the buttons. If the device UI is collapsed, the active MCL page handles the same buttons.

Track Select

On the Grid Page, Step Editor or Mixer Page, hold [Function] to open Track Select. The top half of the screen shows the active device and track number, and the trig LEDs show the selected track.

While holding [Function], press [A] to switch the selected device, or press a trig pad to select that track. Turn Encoder 1, or press [Left] / [Up] and [Right] / [Down], to move through tracks. Release [Function] to close Track Select and return to the previous page.

If a TBD device UI is open for the selected device, Track Select follows that UI and changes its focused TBD track.

Grid Page Differences

On TBD-16, Save and Load keep the Grid Page visible instead of opening separate full-screen pages.

Action	Result
Open Save	Select the current Grid Page slots and save them without leaving the grid.
Open Load	Select the current Grid Page slots and load them without leaving the grid.
Slot Menu arrows	Move through Slot Menu entries first. Use the normal modifier behavior when adjusting selection geometry.
Grid Select	Press [A] to switch grid selection. The change is applied when [A] is released, so [A] can also be used as a chord modifier.
Bank popup	Tap Encoder 2 to open or close the bank popup. Turn Encoder 1 or Encoder 2 to scroll banks while the popup is open.

The visible grid still follows the same row, slot, bank, chain and queue concepts described in the Grid sections.

Clock And Tempo

TBD-16 can use the internal clock source in addition to clock from MIDI 1, MIDI 2 or USB.

Configure clock and transport from:

CONFIG > MIDI > SYNC

The TBD sync menu uses CLOCK SRC and TRANS SRC. Available source values are:

Source	Meaning
`1`	MIDI 1.
`2`	MIDI 2.
`USB`	USB MIDI.
`INT`	Internal TBD/MCL clock.

The tempo window edits the internal tempo when MCL is using its own clock source. If MCL is following an external clock, the window shows the current clock source but tempo changes and tap tempo are ignored.

From the Grid Page, hold [A] and press [Function] to open the tempo window. Turn Encoder 1 to adjust tempo in 1 BPM steps, or press [Up] / [Down] for 0.1 BPM changes. Hold [Function] and tap [A] or [B] to enter tap-tempo mode; after four taps MCL applies the averaged tempo. [Y] closes the window. The window shows the current tempo and clock source label: INT, EXT1, EXT2 or USB.