Oakboard Mini 2
With each box we send out the door, we feel incredibly lucky to get to help people like you connect with audiences around the world. It’s a privilege to be part of the stories you are telling.
Thanks for being part of ours.
OPERATION OVERVIEW
- COMPUTER CONNECTIONS Always plug in your USB controller, audio interface and other peripherals before turning on your computer. Then open your playback software.
- HOST SOFTWARE INPUTS AND OUTPUTS Set your application's MIDI controller input to Oakboard Mini and map the appropriate MIDI controls in your preferred song launching application. Assign your Digital Audio Workstation’s MIDI Sync output to Oakboard Mini in order to monitor the playback state of your DAW (stopped vs playing with tempo) on your Oakboard's play button LED.
- CONTROL WITH CONFIDENCE Stay up to date and get notified of special offers by joining our mailing list at Oaktone.com.
MADE FOR PLAYBACK
- play button receives MIDI clock and blinks when playing
- USB-C for direct connection to your laptop computer
- 23mm custom enclosure height for extremely compact control
- custom, Illuminated silicone buttons with new and improved tactile response
- durable, 2mm thick, die-cast, industrial-grade aluminum shell
OAKBOARD MINI 2 USER MANUAL
REQUIREMENTS
The Oakboard Mini will work as a MIDI controller on macOS as well as Windows with any digital audio workstation that can be MIDI-controlled. Use the included application Taz Lite to control your show cues with Ableton Live Suite.
1. COMPUTER CONNECTIONS
PLUG IN
Connect to your Mac or Windows computer with the included USB-C Cable.
ASSIGN
Assign buttons to the MIDI controls of your choice. Oaktone’s Taz Lite is included in your Oaktone User Account.
It's a simple cue list manager for controlling your Ableton Live set.
2. HOST SOFTWARE INPUTS & OUTPUTS
SET UP
In your digital audio workstation, set MIDI In to control software buttons as needed. Set the MIDI Out sync to flash the Oakboard PLAY
button in time with your metronome. A complete setup in Ableton Live looks like the image above.
AVOIDING MIDI FEEDBACK
If using your computer’s IAC bus to trigger automatic stopping or to control section looping, be sure you aren’t creating a feedback loop
to avoid double-trigginering your set management plug-in. Most IAC scenarios require a setup like the above where Live’s Remote input
is set to IAC and Live’s Track Output is sending to IAC.
PROGRAMMING MODE
Every Oakboard ships with the ability to enter two utility modes.
Programming Mode allows users to update transmitted MIDI values.
Bootloading Mode facilitates installation of future firmware updates.
The MIDI notes sent from your Oakboard when it leaves our workshop are:
PLAY - MIDI NOTE 36 - C2 (CHANNEL 16)
TOP MIDDLE - MIDI NOTE 37 - C#2 (CHANNEL 16)
STOP - MIDI NOTE 38 - D1 (CHANNEL 16)
PREV - MIDI NOTE 39 - D#1 (CHANNEL 16)
TOP MIDDLE - MIDI NOTE 40 - E2 (CHANNEL 16)
NEXT - MIDI NOTE 41 - F1 (CHANNEL 16)
To change these notes or MIDI channels, visit our online Oakboard Programmer at https://www.oaktone.com/pages/oakboard-programmer
BOOTLOADING MODE
If your Oakboard is in need of updated firmware, connect your device and browse the Oakboard programmer web page on a Web MIDI
enabled browser (like Chrome).
https://www.oaktone.com/pages/oakboard-programmer
After connecting your device, a link to any available firmware options will appear. With the link to download your firmware, a copy of the
Oakboard Firmware Loader will be included with clear instructions on how to update your firmware.
MIDI MAPPING
Your Oaktone Oakboard is a class compliant MIDI device and only requires a few simple steps to be used with Taz in Ableton Live
(or as a MIDI controller in another DAW). Here are the basic instructions for Ableton Live.
- Turn MIDI map mode on Mac: CMD + m, Windows: Ctrl + m. Or use this button in Ableton Live.
- Select the function to map
For this example, we'll click on the PLAY button in Taz.
3. Send MIDI from your Oakboard
Now click the PLAY button on your Oakboard.
Repeat to map additional buttons. Exit MIDI map mode when finished.
3. CONTROL WITH CONFIDENCE
Your Oakboard Mini MIDI controller comes with our state of the art Live Show cue list controller, Taz Lite (available now in your user account at oaktone.com).
Upgrade to Taz Show Presets to reorder your set and create show-specific cue lists. Alternatively, Taz Pro adds instant audible cue slating for your band’s
in-ear mix and brings several other important features to your locators like section looping, auto stop and more.
Beyond our Taz line of Max for Live devices, Oaktone is proud to provide artists, music directors and playback techs a suite of tools to help your shows run as smoothly as possible. Explore these devices and many more at oaktone.com!
LINE CHECK - Like a soundcheck for your playback computer, Line Check sends a carefully calibrated audio slate from each channel you need Front of House to hear.
BUS CAPTURE - Bus Capture is a processor-efficient Max for Live Audio Effect device that sits on any track, group, or master bus in Ableton Live and allows you to capture all audio routed through that bus.
START ON TIME - Start On Time provides a simple way to start Ableton Live's transport at a set time with no user input. Simply set the Start Time and activate the START ON TIME button.
A Letter from our Founder
March of 2021 was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and nobody was performing live music anywhere. This was also precisely when my plans to launch a small business were finally coming together. After years of personal experience, in-depth research, and lots of prototypes with real world testing, the first Oakboards were shipped. I quickly sold out of my initial production run. In fact, the response has continued to be far better than I could have hoped for and there’s so much more to come.
Oaktone is extremely committed to your success and obsessive about making products that add to your peace of mind when operating your show computer. I use these products in my own live performances and created them to help me focus more on the music and less on the tech.
As someone endlessly fascinated by the variety of people who use Oaktone gear, I’m grateful for the individuals who aren’t in the spotlight but are making magic, still the same. So many musical moments and artistic performances of all kinds wouldn’t be heard or experienced if not for you. Thank you for making the world more beautiful with every load-in, rehearsal and performance.
At Oaktone, we believe stories are sacred and we’d be honored to hear yours. Please reach out anytime at jeff@oaktone.com.
See you on stage.
Jeff Caylor
Founder