Electra One MIDI & Lua Crash Course

WORK-IN-PROGRESS

This document serves as a starting point for collaborative work on the Electra One Programming Handbook for complete beginners.

Part 1: Getting Started

Intro – Give it a try

a one minute example to run a small Lua code and send a MIDI message for complete beginner

1: Newbies, Pick the challange!

What this book is about
What you will learn and build
How to use this book with your Electra One controller

2: What is MIDI, Really?

MIDI is a language of musical messages
Messages describe what to play, how to play it
Common types of MIDI messages: Note On, Control Change, Program Change
MIDI channels and devices

3: Control Changes

Control Change (CC): what it is and how Electra One uses it
Sending notes and changing patches
Try it now: build a simple preset with knobs sending CC messages
Watching MIDI using the Electra One MIDI Console
NRPN and 14-bit CC

4: Electra One presets

How presets work
Creating pages and assigning knobs
Understanding controls
Understanding value ranges and types

5: Intro to Lua

What is Lua?
Why it’s used in Electra One
How is Lua added to a preset
Writing your first script: print to console
Attaching Lua to controls
Common mistakes and how to fix them

6: How Numbers Work in MIDI

Why MIDI uses hexadecimal and binary
How to read and convert hex, dec, and binary
Nibbles, 7-bit packed format, ASCII
Tools to convert values

7: Talk to Your Synth (SysEx Basics)

What is SysEx?
How Electra One sends and receives SysEx
Understanding Synth's SysEx Documentation
Manufacturer-specific SysEx messages
Real-world example: decoding a simple SysEx message

8: Synth Parameter Changes

Changing a parameter with SysEx
Using parameter values, checksums in SysEx
Building complex SysEx parameter change messages

9: Patch dumps without Lua

How patch dumps work?
Sending a request
Parsing a patch dump response

Part 2: Hands-On MIDI & Lua Projects

10: Make a Smart Knob

Create knobs with custom behavior
Wrapping values, scaling, jumps, and filters
Use value formatters to make better value labels
Add visual feedback to the controller

11: Customizing Controls with Lua

Change controls on the fly, their visibility, colours, names
Controls that react to other controls
Examples: switches that control ranges, selectors

12: Live MIDI Processing

Receiving incoming MIDI
React to messages in Lua
Example: filtering or remapping messages

13: ParameterMap, the heart of Electra One

Understanding how Electra One stores the values
Observing the stored values
Setting the values
Reacting to value changes

14: SysEx in Lua

Working with SysEx in Lua
Use Lua to send custom messages
Functions in SysEx messages
Example: switch patches on a hardware synth

15: Process a Patch dump with Lua

Lua functions in Patch requests and responses
Send a patch request in Lua
Process a patch dump response
Example: Update controls using a patch dump

Part 3: Digging Deeper – Becoming a MIDI/Lua Power User

16: Timers

Using Electra timers in Lua
Scheduled actions and delays
Example: A simple sequencer project

17: State Saving

Persist and recall settings using Lua
Use of JSON files on SD card
Create a simple data storage system

18: Preset initialization

Understand steps of initializing a preset
use onLoad() and onReady()
Example demonsgtrating what is called and when

19 User functions

Introduce custom functions
Building your own functions
Create: Transport control buttons

20: Custom controls and graphics

Understand Custom controls
Underestand how things get painted on the screen
React to touch events
Making your own first custom control

21: Debugging & Tips for Success

Logging and troubleshooting Lua code
Structuring larger projects
Advice for testing, sharing, and improving

Bonus Materials

MIDI message and number format cheat sheets
Quick Lua syntax reference
Reusable project templates, patterns, and snippets