DS-8 User Manual

This manual documents the main controls and workflows for using DS-8 on PS Vita. The UI is controlled by focus: move the focus to a section or control, then use the button shown in the footer to act on it.

Core Ideas

DS-8 has three normal work areas: Transport, Sequencer, and Voice. Playlist mode adds a playlist arranger and XY performance area.

Most screens follow the same rules:

Footer hints at the bottom of the screen are the best guide for the current focus. If a button seems inactive, move focus and check the footer.

Starting and Moving Around

Press START to play or stop the transport. Press SELECT to open Settings. Press L / R to move between top-level areas.

When a section frame is focused, press CROSS to enter that section's controls. Use CIRCLE to back out through the current hierarchy. In many lists and grids, moving past an edge returns focus to the parent section.

Hold a D-pad direction to repeat movement. DS-8 distinguishes a single press from a held repeat, especially in the sequencer and picker popups.

Transport

Transport contains play state, BPM, pattern navigation, the pattern menu, the pattern/playlist switch, and playlist-specific controls when Playlist view is active.

Common transport actions:

Pattern length is edited from the Voice parameter grid with the LENGTH card. Press CROSS on LENGTH to cycle the active pattern between available page counts.

Settings and Projects

Press SELECT from a normal screen to open Settings. Use DPAD UP/DOWN to choose a row and DPAD LEFT/RIGHT to change rows that have values. Press CIRCLE to close.

Settings rows:

Projects stores complete .ds8p songs. In the Projects modal:

The name keyboard is also used by preset saving.

USB Audio and MIDI

DS-8 v0.6 can send multitrack audio and MIDI timing over USB, and receive stereo USB audio for sampling. These USB features require the separately installed psvita_usb_midi.skprx kernel plugin. Installing the DS-8 VPK alone does not install or activate the kernel plugin.

Install the USB Kernel Plugin

1. Download the latest plugin package from the PS Vita USB Audio + MIDI releases page and extract it.
2. Copy the extracted psvita_usb_midi.skprx to ur0:tai/.
3. Open ur0:tai/config.txt and find the existing *KERNEL section.
4. Add ur0:tai/psvita_usb_midi.skprx on its own line beneath *KERNEL. Do not create a second *KERNEL section.
5. Save the configuration and reboot the Vita.
6. Launch DS-8 and connect the Vita to the host with USB. The class-compliant device appears as PS Vita USB.

DS-8 already includes the app-side USB component. Only the .skprx kernel plugin needs to be installed manually.

USB Audio Channels

If the kernel plugin is missing or incompatible, DS-8 continues to run but USB audio and USB MIDI are unavailable.

Remove or Recover the Plugin

1. Remove the ur0:tai/psvita_usb_midi.skprx line from ur0:tai/config.txt.
2. Reboot the Vita, then delete the plugin file if you no longer need it.
3. If a conflict prevents normal startup, hold L during boot, remove the line, and reboot again.

Sequencer

The sequencer shows tracks as rows and steps as columns. Move around with the D-pad.

Track Action Popup

Press SQUARE on an editable track in the sequencer to manage mute and solo states. The popup opens on the current active state when possible.

Use DPAD to pick an action, release SQUARE to set it, or press CIRCLE to cancel. START still toggles playback.

Lane Actions

Press CIRCLE on a valid sequencer lane to open lane operations.

Use DPAD to choose an action. For copy range actions, use L / R to adjust the copied range. Release CIRCLE to apply the focused action, or press SQUARE to cancel.

Step Automation

Press TRIANGLE on a sequencer step to open Step Automation. The modal edits the selected step while keeping playback available.

Main controls:

Pages:

Automation notes:

• LEVEL and VELOCITY are absolute per-step values.
• Most other synth and FX automation is relative to the track's global Voice value.
• Returning a relative automation value to zero removes that automation for the step.
• Only Autos filters the current page to values that already have automation.
• NUDGE shifts a step and its full ratchet group by clock ticks.
• Generate applies from the selected step across the active pattern range.

Voice Editing

Voice edits the selected track's sound. The top row contains TYPE, ENG, and FX; the parameter grid edits synth, sampler, or FX values.

Top-row controls:

Parameter controls:

Some top controls require CROSS before changing so accidental D-pad movement does not rewrite the track type or engine.

Presets

Press SQUARE from Voice top controls to open Presets.

Loading a preset replaces the selected track's sound profile. Sampler presets include their PCM sample data.

SYN Note Picker

On compatible SYN controls, hold CROSS to open the SYN NOTE picker. Use DPAD to choose a note, L / R to change octave, CROSS release to set, and CIRCLE to cancel.

Sampler Workflow

Sampler tracks use the SP type and fixed sampler engine. The ENG top card selects ONESHOT or BEATSLICER. The REC parameter card opens recording or editing.

Recording

Focus REC and press CROSS.

Vita capture expects 48 kHz RAW input. If RAW input is unavailable, the record screen shows the relevant retry status instead of silently using lower-quality voice input.

Cropping

After recording or opening an assigned sample, DS-8 shows a crop editor.

Beat Slicing

Beat-slicer mode adds a slice stage after cropping.

Slice modes are MANUAL, GRID, and TRANSIENT. Grid values are 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 32; transient values are LOW, MID, and HIGH. Cue 1 is fixed at the beginning of the sample.

Playlist and Performance

Use the pattern/playlist switch in Transport to enter Playlist view. If the playlist has rows, focus enters the first actionable table cell. If it is empty, focus lands on the add-pattern transport control.

Playlist table controls:

Playlist pickers:

Press L / R while Playlist view is active to cycle focus between Transport, the playlist table, and XY performance.

XY performance controls:

The XY area is performance-only state; it is not saved as the persistent UI section.

Fast Workflows

Make a Basic Beat

1. Enter Sequencer.
2. Use DPAD to choose a track and step.
3. Release CROSS to toggle steps on.
4. Press START to listen.
5. Press SQUARE for mute/solo options, or TRIANGLE on a step for automation.

Change a Sound

1. Enter Voice.
2. Use the top row to choose track TYPE, ENG, and FX.
3. Move into the parameter grid.
4. Use stick left/right to edit values.
5. Hold SQUARE for precision edits.
6. Release SQUARE to switch to FX params when available.

Save a Project

1. Press SELECT.
2. Choose LOAD/SAVE.
3. Press CROSS.
4. Choose SAVE or SAVE AS.
5. Enter a name if prompted and press START.

Record a Sample

1. Set a track to SP.
2. Choose ONESHOT or BEATSLICER with the ENG card.
3. Focus REC and press CROSS.
4. Pick MIC, RESAMPLE, or imported audio where available.
5. Record, crop, preview, then assign.
6. For beat-slicer, set slice cues before pressing SELECT to assign.

Quick Reference