OXI Instruments OXI One: Chord Mode Demystified – A Workflow-Driven Deep Dive

OXI Instruments positions the OXI One as a versatile MIDI/CV sequencer, and this tutorial wastes no time highlighting its innovative Chord Mode. The device is pitched as a tool for users at any skill level, with the Chord Mode designed to make harmonic exploration both fast and intuitive. Each step in Chord Mode can trigger up to eight-note chords, and the grid layout visually maps scale degrees, making it easy to build progressions without deep theory knowledge.

This approach transforms the OXI One from a traditional step sequencer into a harmonic playground. Whether you’re after simple triads or more adventurous voicings with tension and inversions, the system encourages experimentation. The inclusion of two chord banks (A and B) further broadens the palette, with Bank A focusing on more accessible chords and Bank B offering advanced, dissonant options for those ready to push boundaries.

Chord Mode’s workflow is anchored by features that streamline both composition and performance. The auto voicing engine, enabled by default, intelligently assigns voicings to minimize unnecessary voice movement, making progressions sound smooth and musical. Transposition is handled with a simple gesture—hold a sequencer button and tap a pad to shift the entire progression up or down, allowing for rapid harmonic shifts without menu diving.

Perhaps the most striking interface element is the dedicated chord keyboard. This grid-based layout splits into performance and configuration zones, letting users trigger chords by root note and tweak type, voicing, and spread on the fly. The keyboard’s design caters to both seasoned musicians and beginners, with scale filtering and octave navigation built in. Even disabled notes are handled gracefully, snapping to the nearest scale tone, ensuring that every action remains musical and frustration-free.

Beyond just triggering chords, the OXI One’s Chord Mode allows for deep step-level editing. By holding one or more pads, users can access a parameters page to adjust velocity, octave, gate length, and modulation for each chord step. This hands-on approach means that every chord in a progression can have its own expressive nuance, from subtle dynamics to dramatic octave jumps.

Modulation is flexible, with the ability to assign different CCs beyond the default mod wheel, opening up creative possibilities for those integrating external synths or software instruments. The step chord menu further expands control, letting users tweak spread (which repeats chord notes in higher octaves), select chord types from simple to complex, and set inversions or voicings—all per step. This granular editing supports both detailed composition and spontaneous performance tweaks.

OXI Instruments introduces workflow enhancements that make Chord Mode genuinely fun and efficient. The pick and place method allows users to audition chords on the keyboard, then instantly assign them to steps in the sequencer—no need to remember fingerings or menu locations. This feature turns harmonic exploration into a tactile, immediate process.

User-defined chords take customization further. With version 4 firmware, favorite chords—complete with root, type, inversion, and spread—can be stored in dedicated slots on the top row of the keyboard. Storing or clearing a chord is a simple hold gesture, and these user chords behave like any other: they can be arpeggiated, sequenced, and recalled at will. This system encourages building a personal harmonic vocabulary, ready for instant deployment in any project.