Basics
Full charge is recommended before first use. There are two ways to charge: Basic charging — any USB power source. Tracked charging — requires a computer USB port, which allows charge time logging.
- 1Switch power ON before plugging in. The Power Indicator (yellow LED) lights up, and the start-up sequence of LEDs bounce across the top.
- 2Plug in the USB-C power cord. The Charge Indicator (red LED) begins blinking. If a computer port is detected, the pink/blue LEDs pulse (after 30 seconds) to confirm Tracked charging is active.
Sleep (when not in Tracked charging): after 5 minutes of inactivity, pink/blue LEDs indicate sleep mode. Use Touchpad to wake at any time. See ? for more info.
I/O Ports
3.5 mm jacks:
- Line In — direct analog line pass-through to Tracker Mini
- Line Out — direct analog line pass-through from Tracker Mini
- MIDI Out — direct digital line pass-through from Tracker Mini
Speakers & Amp
Independent analog amplifier
- Separate from the digital MIDI system
- Controlled independently by this switch; the green indicator shows when powered on
- Switch off when not in use: while on, it draws directly from the battery — even when the CPU is asleep
Controls
Levers, press buttons, and touchpad can be assigned to the available MIDI CCs and KB1 functions via the Configurator app.
- Levers 1 & 2: configure lever movement and each lever's press button separately
- Octave Up/Dn: fixed functions only
- Touchpad: Cont, Togg, or Gate behavior, depending on the selected parameter
Tracked Charging
- 1 Power on using battery, then connect USB-C to a computer port. After 30 seconds without key, lever, or touch input, the pink/blue LEDs pulse to confirm tracked charging is active. Any new input hides the pulse and restarts the 30-second timer.
- 2 First-time calibration takes about 5 hours of charge time total. Sessions don't need to be back-to-back — progress is saved and picks up automatically the next time charged in this way.
- 3Once calibrated, tracking continues automatically on every charge after that — no need to repeat it.
- 4Enable Battery Monitoring in the Configurator App to see the level — it's hidden by default. Value can also be overridden manually if needed.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is off by default to maximize battery life.
To enable Bluetooth, follow these steps:
- 1 Squeeze both levers toward each other and hold.
- 2All LEDs light up, then pink/blue LEDs blink with increasing speed.
- 3
Release when
all LEDs turn off — Bluetooth enabled.
Bluetooth is automatically disabled when entering sleep mode.
Configurator App
Once Bluetooth is enabled, follow these steps in the KB1 Configurator web app:
- 1Tap the Bluetooth icon → select device from the pairing dialog.
- 2Settings load automatically. Edit settings or apply a preset, then tap the amber arrow to send and save to KB1. Open USER GUIDE in the Configurator for the full settings reference.
Tracker Settings
On the Tracker Mini open Menu → Config → MIDI
Set:
- 1Notes in to MIDI In jack
- 2Notes in channel to CH1
- 3CC in to MIDI In jack
- 4CC in channel to CH1
- 5Middle C to C-4
Detailed Guide →
Expand to see the Full Detailed Setup and Connection Guide for KB1.
Quick Start →
Collapse back to essential power, charging, and Tracker setup steps.
Firmware Update
Update progress
Connect KB1 over USB to begin
Firmware update
Connect KB1 to check the firmware version.
Choose a different version
Flash a custom .bin file
Device Information
NVS inspector
Battery calibration data
Basics and Light Signals
The KB1 must be switched on before connecting the USB-C cable.
If the red Charge Indicator does not blink:
- Unplug the USB-C cable.
- Wait 5 seconds.
- Reconnect the USB-C cable.
The yellow Power Indicator confirms that the KB1 is switched on. The red Charge Indicator confirms that charging has started.
When LEDs blink
- Pink/blue, pulsing: Tracked Charging active.
- Pink/blue, flashing: KB1 is about to enter sleep mode (5 minute sleep timeout can be adjusted in the Config app)
- Octave buttons flashing: battery warning. The pattern becomes more frequent as the battery gets lower. Connect USB and charge soon.
No Tracked Charging Pulse?
If the pink and blue LEDs do not begin pulsing after 30 seconds of inactivity while Tracked Charging is active, try these checks in order:
- Connect KB1 directly to a computer USB port with a data-capable USB-C cable. A wall charger or power bank can supply power, but cannot provide the USB data used to track charging.
- Leave the keys, levers, and touch sensor alone for a full 30 seconds. Any input hides the charging pulse and restarts the idle timer.
- Redo the charging sequence: disconnect USB, switch KB1 off, wait 5 seconds, switch it on using battery power, then reconnect it to the computer.
Once tracked charging has started, the computer may sleep. Charging continues while USB power remains, and the LEDs stop when the estimated charge time is complete.
Bluetooth Troubleshooting
- No LEDs: push both levers fully inward. All LEDs light when the gesture is detected.
- The sequence stops: release any keyboard keys. A held key cancels the gesture.
- Bluetooth does not toggle: keep both levers held until all LEDs turn off, then release.
- KB1 disappeared later: sleep disables Bluetooth. Wake KB1 and repeat the gesture.
- Enabled but not listed: KB1 may already be connected to another app or device. Close the other connection, then toggle Bluetooth off and on.
Controls: Defaults & Troubleshooting
Factory defaults
- Lever 1: Pitch Bend (CC 208), bipolar, step 1, linear 25 ms response
- Press 1: Sustain (CC 209), logarithmic, 500 ms onset, momentary release
- Lever 2: Velocity (CC 128), range 13-127, incremental, step 6, linear 100 ms response
- Press 2: Reset (CC 128), fixed value 85, linear 100 ms response
- Touch pad: Cutoff (CC 1), range 30-90%, continuous, 20% threshold, reverse direction
Hanging MIDI notes?
Low battery power can interrupt MIDI communication and cause missed notes or notes to hang – time to recharge.
How KB1 Controls Tracker
The Configurator assigns functions to KB1 over Bluetooth. KB1 sends MIDI to Tracker Mini through the TRS MIDI connection.
Tracker assignments
A MIDI CC (Control Change) assignment tells KB1 which Tracker parameter to control. Choose a Category and Parameter, send the settings with the bouncing amber Send arrow, then use the assigned KB1 control. Live sliders send their MIDI values immediately while connected.
KB1 Expression assignments
KB1 Expression functions change KB1's own playing behavior, such as velocity or arpeggiator pattern. They are not Tracker effect CC assignments.
Configurator Browser Help
- Android: use Chrome, Edge, or Opera. Allow Bluetooth or Nearby Devices when prompted.
- iPhone/iPad: Safari does not support Web Bluetooth. Use V Browser, then enable Settings → V Browser → Bluetooth.
- Incomplete features after an update: refresh the browser. If features are still missing, disconnect and reconnect KB1 to refresh the browser's cached Bluetooth services.
Middle C Tuning
This setting controls how Tracker Mini pitches incoming MIDI note 60. Changing it shifts the playable range by whole octaves.
Use C-4 for Middle C at 261.6 Hz, or choose another octave to move the range lower or higher.
Tracker Mini options
- C-3: 130.8 Hz (one octave lower)
- C-4: 261.6 Hz (Middle C)
- C-5: 523.3 Hz (one octave higher)
- C-6: 1046.5 Hz (two octaves higher)
No Notes or Controls?
- No notes: set Notes in to MIDI In jack.
- Channels must be CH1: set both Notes in channel and CC in channel to CH1. 'All' will not work with KB1.
- Levers or controls do nothing: set CC in to MIDI In jack.
Flashing Firmware
- Connect KB1 via USB-C cable before clicking Connect
- Power off Tracker Mini first if KB1 is connected — a flash sends raw bootloader data down the MIDI line, which can lock up the Tracker’s MIDI input until it is restarted
- The latest release is pre-selected — just press the update button. Older builds live under Choose a different version
- Battery calibration data is automatically backed up and restored* — steps 2 and 4 in the progress tracker
- Do not disconnect the device during the update process
- The device will restart automatically when the update is complete
- Requires Chrome, Edge, or Opera on desktop
* ☑ Clear device data on update will skip steps 2 & 4
Why power off Tracker Mini?
KB1’s MIDI Out is driven by an ESP32 UART. During a flash the chip is reset into its ROM bootloader, which takes over that same UART and blasts high-speed programming traffic down the MIDI line. The pin also floats briefly during the reset pulse, which reads as framing errors and break conditions.
Tracker Mini’s MIDI input has no idea it isn’t MIDI — it parses those bytes as status bytes. A stray 0xF0 (SysEx start) with no matching 0xF7 leaves the parser waiting for an end-of-SysEx that never arrives, so it stops responding to real MIDI until the Tracker is power-cycled. A burst of malformed running-status bytes can wedge it the same way.
Powering the Tracker off during the update avoids the problem entirely. If it does lock up, restarting the Tracker clears it — no harm is done to either device.
Device Information
Shows hardware details read directly from KB1 over USB when connected — chip type, flash size, and the latest firmware version available on GitHub.
What is NVS?
NVS (Non-Volatile Storage) is a small 20 KB partition on the ESP32’s flash memory, separate from the firmware itself. It persists across reboots and retains its data even after a firmware update.
What’s stored here?
KB1 uses NVS to store the battery calibration model — a set of values built up over real charge/discharge cycles that lets the firmware accurately report battery percentage. The key fields are:
- Battery Percentage — last known state of charge
- BLE On / Off Time — cumulative radio-on/off durations used in the capacity model
- Discharge Time — total measured discharge time
- Calibration Time — timestamp of the last successful calibration
Why does the flash tool preserve it?
A standard firmware flash erases the entire flash partition, which would wipe out weeks of calibration data and reset the battery indicator to a rough estimate. KB1 Studio reads the NVS partition before flashing and writes it back after — so the battery gauge stays accurate across every update.
Instrument Builder guide
- Start with Batch import to load a sample set, or Add to bin to add files without auto assignment
- Use the adjustment strip under the piano roll to shift full assignment layout by semitone or octave while preserving note spacing
- Use Slot duration to set playback length; keep the lock on for a consistent instrument, unlock for per-slot timing
- Use Normalize when source files have low or uneven loudness
- Save project as .kb1i while working, then export .pti when ready
- Scroll to zoom, Shift+scroll to pan in both the piano roll and waveform editor