Pistil's most powerful feature is its bidirectional control with Orchid. When connected, changes made on either device instantly update on the other, creating a seamless creative experience.
Connection Steps:
- Connect the USB Cable
Use a USB-C cable to connect Orchid's rear USB-C port to an available USB port on your computer. - Power On Orchid
Hold Orchid's power button for one second to turn it on. Wait for the boot sequence to complete. - Enable USB MIDI Mode
When prompted on Orchid's OLED display, use the Options encoder to select "Enable USB MIDI" and push the encoder to confirm. - Verify Connection in Pistil
Look at the top-right corner of Pistil's interface. You should see "ORCHID CONNECTED" with a green dot indicator.
Tip: If you want to hear sound only from Pistil (through your computer speakers or interface), simply turn down the volume on Orchid using its volume encoder. The synth engine in Pistil is identical to Orchid's, so you're hearing exactly the same sound.
Pistil without Orchid
You can also launch Pistil from your Applications folder without Orchid connected to use it as a standalone sound design tool.
Standalone Features:
- Create and edit sounds using all three synth engines
- Save unlimited sounds to your computer (Pistil Sounds category)
- Play sounds using the on-screen keyboard
- Export sounds for later upload to Orchid
Playing Sounds in Standalone Mode:
- Click notes on the on-screen keyboard to trigger sounds
- Connect a MIDI keyboard controller for more expressive playing
- Computer QWERTY keyboard support is planned for a future update