Manual - Punchline iOS Drum Machine

Interface Overview

Top Row

SND, PAT, and BPM buttons for selecting the sound, pattern and tempo. In AudioUnit Player mode, the BPM button is replaced with SNG (swing/shuffle).

Knobs

Four knobs labelled PTCH, LEN, FLTR, and LVL. When BPM is held, PTCH and LEN are replaced with tempo and swing controls.

Pad Grid

Sixteen pads arranged in a 4×4 grid for step sequencing and triggering punch-in effects.

Bottom Row

? (help), FUNC (function), FX (effects), PLAY/STOP and WRIT (write) buttons. In AudioUnit Player mode, PLAY/STOP is not available.

Basic Use

When Stopped

1.

Tap pads to preview/trigger and select a drum sound.

2.

Hold SND and tap a pad to select it without triggering.

3.

Knobs control pitch, length, filter, and level of the selected sound.

4.

Hold WRIT and tap a pad to enter the selected sound on a step.

5.

Press PLAY to start the sequencer.

Basic actions when stopped: select sounds, tweak knobs, enter steps.

Write Mode (WRIT button on)

1.

Tap WRIT to toggle write mode on/off.

2.

Tap pads to toggle steps in the pattern for the selected sound.

3.

Hold a step to edit its parameters, including RETRIG.

Toggling WRIT, placing steps, and editing step parameters.

Play and FX

1.

Hold FX and tap pads to apply punch-in effects.

2.

With WRIT on, hold FX and tap pads to record effects automation (overwrites existing).

3.

Double-tap FX button to latch FX mode.

4.

Hold BPM and use the knobs to adjust TEMPO and SWING.

Triggering punch‑in FX, latching FX, and tempo/swing tweaks.

Live Record Mode (hold WRIT)

1.

Hold WRIT button down while sequencer is playing and...

2.

... tap a pad while holding WRIT to record the sound live.

3.

... turn a knob to record sound automation.

4.

Hold WRIT while holding FX to overdub effects automation (accumulates with existing).

Holding WRIT to live‑record notes, knob moves, and FX overdubs.

Advanced Operations

Patterns and Chaining

1.

Hold PAT and tap a pad to select a pattern.

2.

Hold PAT and tap multiple pads to create a pattern chain (1, 2, 3, 4).

3.

Hold PAT and tap a single pad multiple times to add it to a chain more than once (1, 1, 1, 2).

SND + Pad

Select a pad without triggering its sound.

WRITE + PAT

Copy a pattern. Tap a pattern to paste.

FUNC + PAT (CLR)

Clear the active pattern.

Advanced Operations with FUNC

1.

Hold FUNC and tap a pad to mute/unmute that sound.

2.

Hold FUNC and FX and tap a pad to enable/disable that effect.

3.

Hold FUNC to adjust quantized pitch and per-sound pattern length.

4.

Hold a step + FUNC to edit that step's probability (chance of triggering).

Hi-Hat Choke Group

1.

CH (Closed Hi-Hat) and OH (Open Hi-Hat) are in a choke group.

2.

When one triggers, it immediately stops the other for realistic hi-hat behavior.

3.

This mimics how real hi-hats work - you can't have both open and closed simultaneously.

Custom Samples & Kit Library

The Sample Browser (FUNC + SND) provides advanced sample and kit management:

Sample Management

Import custom WAV files for any pad
Preview samples by tapping pad badges
Adjust per-pad volume levels
Reset to default samples

Kit Library

Save your current sounds as a kit
Load kits from the library
Share kits via email, messages, AirDrop, etc.
Import/export .punchlinekit bundles
Bundled kits included from Resources
Kits sync between main app and AudioUnit
Each AudioUnit instance can load a different kit

Find more kits and make your own at charles.pizza/punchline/kits

AudioUnit Player

Punchline Player AudioUnit is a full-featured drum machine and sequencer plugin. Use MIDI to trigger individual drum sounds, control effects, and adjust all sound parameters in real-time.

Key Features

All the same sequencing and effects as the main Punchline app
Full MIDI implementation with pad and effects triggering, plus parameter CC
Tempo sync with host DAW
Load different kits per AudioUnit instance

Interface Note: In Player AudioUnit mode, the BPM button is replaced with SNG (swing/shuffle) and there is no PLAY/STOP button as tempo is controlled by the host DAW.

AudioUnit Effects

Punchline Effects transforms your audio with step-based gating and real-time effects processing. Load it as an effects plugin in your DAW to add rhythmic patterns and sonic textures to any audio source.

Interface

Step Grid

16-step pattern grid controls which steps allow audio to pass through (blue = gated open, grey = gated closed)

GATE Knob

Controls step length and envelope timing

VOL Knob

Global volume control for the effected signal

FREQ Knob

Global filter frequency (200Hz - 20kHz)

RES Knob

Global filter resonance

FX Button + Steps

Hold FX and tap steps to trigger punch-in effects, or double tap to toggle FX mode

Step + FUNC

Hold a step, then hold FUNC to edit that step's probability

FUNC + PTN LEN

Pattern length to loop

Step Patterns

Creating Patterns

Tap steps to toggle them on/off. Filled steps allow audio through, empty steps gate the audio

Pattern Chain

Hold PAT + tap multiple patterns to create a looping sequence

Automation

Knob Automation

Hold WRIT while playing and turn a knob to record its movements to the pattern

Punch-in FX

When WRIT is toggled on, hold FX and tap an FX pad to record punch-in FX automation

FX Overdubbing

When holding WRIT hold FX and tap an FX pad to overdub, rather than overwrite punch-in FX automation

MIDI Implementation

Player AudioUnit MIDI

Drum Sounds (Notes 36-51, C2-D#3)

Notes 36-51 (C2-D#3): Trigger drum sounds using General MIDI mapping
Velocity 0-127: Controls sample playback volume
Note-off: Stops sustained sounds (most drums play to completion)
Visual feedback: Green flash when triggered

Effects (Notes 60-75, C4-D#5)

Notes 60-75 (C4-D#5): Trigger effects on pads 1-16
Velocity 0-127: Controls effect intensity
Note-off: Disables/clears the effect
Maps to actual effect pad layout

Continuous Controllers

Visible Knobs (CC 16-19)

CC 16: Knob A (Pitch) - affects selected sound
CC 17: Knob B (Length) - affects selected sound
CC 18: Knob C (Filter) - affects selected sound
CC 19: Knob D (Level) - affects selected sound

Per-Pad Direct Access (CC 20-83)

CC 20-23: Pad 1 (Bass Drum) - Pitch, Length, Filter, Level
CC 24-27: Pad 2 (Snare) - Pitch, Length, Filter, Level
CC 28-31: Pad 3 (Closed Hi-Hat) - Pitch, Length, Filter, Level
... continuing through all 16 pads
CC 80-83: Pad 16 (Bass Tone) - Pitch, Length, Filter, Level

Effects AudioUnit MIDI

Gate Control (Note 36, C2)

Note 36 (C2): Momentary gate control
Note ON: Gate OPEN (all steps lit, audio passes through)
Note OFF: Gate CLOSED (all steps off, audio blocked)
Hold C2 to keep gate open, release to close
Visual feedback: Step lights update in real-time

Global Parameters (CC 16-19)

CC 16: Step Length (gate envelope timing)
CC 17: Global Volume (master output level)
CC 18: Filter Frequency (200Hz - 20kHz)
CC 19: Filter Resonance (0% - 95%)

Sound Mapping (Notes 36-52, C2-E3)

36 (C2): Bass Drum          37 (C#2): Synth Snare
38 (D2): Snare Drum          39 (D#2): Sticks
41 (F2): Low Tom            42 (F#2): Closed Hi-Hat
43 (G2): Hi Tom             44 (G#2): Cow Bell
45 (A2): Blip               46 (A#2): Open Hi-Hat
47 (B2): Tone               48 (C3): Bass Tone
49 (C#3): Cymbal            50 (D3): Noise
51 (D#3): Hand Clap         52 (E3): Click

Punch-in Effects Reference

Bit Crush

Hold FX + Pad 1: Digital bit reduction for lo-fi textures

Distortion

Hold FX + Pad 2: Analog-style overdrive and saturation

Reverb

Hold FX + Pad 3: Lush reverb with long tails

Delay

Hold FX + Pad 4: Dotted-eighth note tempo-synced delay

Warble

Hold FX + Pad 5: Pitch modulation for chorus-like textures

Phaser

Hold FX + Pad 6: Classic sweeping phaser effect

Tape Stop

Hold FX + Pad 7: Vintage tape-stop pitch drop effect

Note Shuffle

Hold FX + Pad 8: Subtle timing variations for groove

Lowpass Filter

Hold FX + Pad 9: Resonant low-pass filter

Lowpass Sweep

Hold FX + Pad 10: Automatic filter sweep over 2 bars

Hipass Filter

Hold FX + Pad 11: Clean high-pass filter for removing low frequencies

Hipass Sweep

Hold FX + Pad 12: Automatic high-pass sweep

1/4 Gate

Hold FX + Pad 13: Rhythmic gate at quarter note intervals

1/8 Gate

Hold FX + Pad 14: Rhythmic gate at eighth note intervals

1/8 Repeat

Hold FX + Pad 15: Stutter effect at eighth note intervals

1/16 Repeat

Hold FX + Pad 16: Rapid-fire repeat at sixteenth note intervals

Punchline Manual

Quick Navigation