Applies to: Synthesiser products

If you have local control disabled on your synth, the onboard controls (keyboard, knobs etc…) will not affect the synth itself. To get sound, you should either enable local control or route the MIDI sent by the device back to itself (via USB or MIDI out).

Learning about Local Control is crucial if you are to make the most of a combined synthesiser/MIDI controller, like the UltraNova, MiniNova, and Summit.

The term is used to define whether the hardware is in control of its onboard synth; if Local Control is on (default setting) then playing the keys and tweaking the controls will trigger sounds as the synth's patches are activated.

With Local control off, pressing keys and adjusting controls will just output MIDI information to the sequencer, which will either trigger sounds within the computer or return to the hardware at whatever MIDI channel is determined by the sequencer (to control the unit itself or an additional MIDI instrument connected to it).

Most synthesiser/MIDI controllers do not allow this kind of control as their front panel controls do not output MIDI data. So Local Control off means that only the keyboard can be used for controlling external devices but not the buttons, faders, and pots.

For more information please see the MIDI specification here:

midi.org/specifications-old/item/table-1-summary-of-midi-message