what is teletype? it’s a navigator. a conductor. a communicator. a box of wonders. a ghost in the machine. or, as the manual puts it, “algorithmic ecosystem: a dynamic, musical event triggering platform”.
it can do many things:
- generate rhythms and melodies
- process triggers, CV, MIDI
- control other modules
- orchestrate actions in reaction to events
it can be many things:
- a sequencer
- an automaton
- a controller, especially when used with grid or midi controllers
- a preset manager
- a utility module
- a live coding platform
- all of the above at once
it can talk to many things:
- keyboards
- grids
- midi controllers
- faderbank
- select bus (via disting ex)
- i2c enabled modules - just friends, telex, er-301, many others
it can be the heart of a big modular system - or a small 42hp case. it’s something that will keep surprising you even after many years. above all, it will give you the excitement and the wonder of seeing your own code make things happen.
this can also make it sound intimidating - and it shouldn’t, you can start doing interesting things with it as soon as you learn the basic syntax. but with so much information available it can also be difficult to see where to start, or to find a relevant thread. this is what this guide is for. this is a wiki, so if you see something missing, consider contributing as well!
this guide is split into categories depending on what you want to do, but make sure to check all sections as, for instance, development discussion threads can provide an interesting perspective or help to understand how to use some features (CHAOS op, i’m looking at you). some links can appear in more than one section, where appropriate.
this guide is also a testament to the spirit of community - it would take a page just to list everybody who contributed to hardware, code, documentation, tutorials, videos and who shared their thoughts and ideas. consider contributing as well. 
and this is where it all started:
what is it / is it for me?
if you’re not sure what it does or how it can be used, take a look at these threads. they don’t cover everything, however, so make sure to check other categories as well.
Teletype, interview on horizontalpitch
Teletype - opinions
Using Teletype when you’re a full-time programmer
Teletype, what other module has it replaced for you?
Teletype love
Why Teletype?
Teletype(s)?
The [something] of Teletype
this thread has many examples of teletype being used in a very small system:
42/54 hp Lunchbox Inspiration
begin
this is where to start if you’re just making your first steps.
the official documentation:
https://monome.org/docs/teletype/#getting-started
the official teletype studies linked above are the best way to dive in. here are the relevant threads (just remember that some info might be outdated by now):
Teletype Studies
Teletype Studies Part 2
Teletype Studies Part 3
Teletype Studies 4
Teletype Studies Part 5
Teletype Studies Part 6
Teletype Studies 7
if you prefer videos check out this excellent tutorials:
Teletype Talk
Teletype patch from scratch / sorta tutorial video
any questions, even basic ones? use this thread:
Teletype workflow, basics, and questions
teletype scenes don’t have to be complex. get some ideas here:
Teletype haiku
advance study
go deeper with more advanced techniques.
integrate with grid:
Studies for grid integration
integrate with just friends:
JUST TYPE studies
teletype talk videos also cover more complex topics:
Teletype Talk
exploration of various concepts:
Teletype concepts and thoughts
also check feature development threads as they can offer interesting perspectives and ideas on how to use specific features, and code sharing threads, to see what other people came up with.
and consider creating your own studies!
Volunteers: New Teletype Studies
shared scenes
these threads collect various shared scenes - use them as is or as an inspiration for your own scenes.
> teletype : code exchange
> teletype: grid # code exchange
Grid Ops Base Controller for ER-301
Teletype haiku
Teletype concepts and thoughts
Teletype codex: community github script repository
how do i..
threads with questions on how to do something with teletype. some of these threads are pretty old, so things that were considered impossible might be entirely possible now. if you have a question and none of these threads answer it, post it here: Teletype workflow, basics, and questions
Teletype: creating gate patterns
Teletype as envelope generator?
Teletype : LFOs
Teletype: rapid polling
Basic Question: Teletype as Basic Sequencer
TT turtle mode - any demos?
Swinging Teletype
Teletype: Swing timing
Teletype feature request: swing
TELETYPE - Decimal to binary scene HELP
Teletype as a trigger processor
Can i trigger Teletype with a 9V battery?
Teletype : Transpose to pattern
Teletype ‘wrap’ clarification
Teletype freeze button
Tuplet Clock Divider on Teletype?
Teletype - basic scripting question
Help: passing cv thru teletype
Teletype: best practices for addressing different patterns simultaneously
concepts
various concepts in various stages of completeness. find ready to use scenes here or use them for inspiration. these are discussion threads - consider adding to the discussion.
Teletype concepts and thoughts
Orca style sequencing with teletype scripts
Composing with Teletype
TELETYPE - First-order Markov chain melody generator
Teletype: MARKOV SequencerS (TT+Txi)
Help with sh-101-like sequencer with Teletype
Teletype arpeggiator
Bishop’s teletype
Help my teletype scene evolve
Teletype Challenge : Bartok Palindrome
Teletype : ASR – analog shift register / Spannable CV Delay
Teletype / Ansible : 4 Track Step Sequencer
Teletype : re-creation of other modules?
Grid Ops Base Controller for ER-301
Teletype patch from scratch / sorta tutorial video
development discussion
many features have dedicated threads - and they can make for both a practical and a sentimental read. it’s wondrous to see how some of the features grew from a simple idea, a dream, a “what if”. some got developed, some never did. some resulted in heated arguments - we are all passionate about this little box. and many of the threads have a wealth of ideas on how to use a particular feature, or explanations on why things were done a certain way. also see the release discussion section below.
Telex: Teletype expanders
Grid ops / integration
CHAOS Operators
A Euclidean rhythm operator for the Teletype
(Teletype) Monitoring Live Variables (Done)
(Teletype) LFSR op - help with pre-review
Scala files in Teletype + Telex ecosystem
(Teletype) USB Disk Mode Interface
(Teletype) The JI op
(Teletype) expanding scripts: length and amount
Generic teletype ops for interacting with other devices?
Teletype MIDI IN ops [experimental]
Teletype and MIDI
Teletype Disting EX integration
Universal ops
NOTE teletype op
Teletype Timing Issues, CV Edition 
[Bounty complete!] Teletype Circular Shift OPs
Teletype - non-repeating RAND/RRAND?
Teletype feature request: also
Teletype Delay Limitations
(Teletype) IN / PARAM Calibration (Done)
(Teletype) EVERY+SKIP+OTHER+SYNC
(Teletype) State Clearing Operators
Teletype 2.0 documentation
Updating the teletype docs
(Teletype) IN cv read latency?
(Teletype) Screen Saver (Done!)
(Teletype) Configuration Menu - Vetoed!
TELETYPE: Multiple metronomes?
(Teletype) Tracker Input Improvement
Does your teletype stop responding after an hour or two?
Teletype Firmware i2c Debugging
I2C questions / discussions
Teletype recursion
Sub commands on the teletype
Replacing the parser code on the teletype
ʜ⊥ᴚoℲ (and other Teletype ideas)
TT Short Aliases?
Argument Expansion -> Functions
(Teletype) Asynchronous tasks and variable scope
Teletype refactoring ideas
Timing for teletype (and other monome euro mods)
release discussions and the official release threads
several major releases had their own discussion threads, check them for background on many features or to see if a feature was already requested (or maybe even implemented).
Teletype 1.1 beta
Teletype v1.1
(Ansible/Teletype 1.4.0)
Teletype firmware major version bump?
Teletype v2 proposals
Teletype 2.0 beta (release candidate 2 released 13th July 2017)
Teletype firmware 2.0.0 (released 18th July 2017)
Teletype 2.0.1
(Teletype) 2.1 Firmware Beta (rc2: EVERY et al.)
(Teletype) 2.1 Release
(Teletype) 2.2 Release Status
(Teletype) 2.2 Release
Teletype 3.0
Teletype 3.+ feature requests and discussion
(teletype) 3.2.0 release
Teletype 3.2+ feature requests and discussions
if you have issues updating the firmware, see if these threads have the answer:
[solved] Homebrew install issue
Trying to update Teletype to 2.1 - Help Appreciated
developing firmware
thinking of becoming a teletype firmware developer? these threads will help you set up the toolchain and give you some pointers (pun intended) on how things are set up.
Module firmware development: avr32 toolchain
Building modules hex file in windows 7
(Teletype) Firmware build troubles with 2.2 (Fixed!)
Teletype firmware discussion
Teletype hacking
Teletype 2.0 documentation
alternative firmwares
you can also use teletype as a platform to develop your own alternative firmware.
Teletype: Alternative firmware?
the easiest way to start is to use multipass, a very lightweight framework that provides helper functions for working with inputs, outputs, i2c devices and more:
Multipass - a framework for developing firmwares for monome eurorack modules
several alternative firmwares are already available:
Teletype Oscilloscope (Telescope - build released)
Orca’s Heart Multipass
you can also use this alternative firmware to run teletype scripts on ansible:
Satellite: run teletype scenes on ansible
things you can connect
teletype can talk to many things, whether it’s via CV, I2C, HID or MIDI. also see dedicated sections for inputs/outputs, keyboard, grid and I2C below.
CV / triggers
right out of the box teletype can be integrated with other modules via triggers and CV. if you need additional inputs and outputs, you can use ansible and telexo modules:
Telex: Teletype expanders
controllers / MIDI / Select Bus
for additional control, you can use 16n faderbank or other i2c enabled controllers (via i2c) or grid and MIDI controllers (via the USB port). for the latter, make sure your case provides sufficient power! also, if you have an older revision of teletype (green PCB), you might need to power USB devices externally - see below.
Studies for grid integration
Teletype MIDI IN ops [experimental]
16n Firmware 2.0.1: release and official thread
teletype can also send MIDI and Select Bus but this currently requires expert sleepers disting ex module:
Teletype Disting EX integration
I2C
teletype can also talk to many i2c enabled modules - telexo, just friends, er-301, disting ex and many more. see the relevant section below. use this thread for any questions on how to connect i2c devices:
A user’s guide to i2c
if you want to share the same device between teletype and something else, you can use monome switch, or build one yourself:
Building a USB switch for teletype, ansible and grid
if you want to easily switch between keyboard and another device without replugging USB:
2 devices to 1 host eurorack switch: two > one
if you’re not sure your case or teletype can provide sufficient power, consider external power. it might also be useful if you get noise when connecting an external device:
Offworld-1: USB power utility
Offworld-2: USB power utility
Ansible & grid / power issues?
High pitched buzz with Grid and Teletype
inputs and outputs
anything related to trigger and CV inputs and outputs.
Can i trigger Teletype with a 9V battery?
Simultaneous Teletype triggers?
Teletype trigger specification
TELETYPE + beatstep pro
Teletype CV calibration?
(Re)calibrating ansible CV voltage output
keyboard
teletype wouldn’t be teletype without a keyboard.
Alternative Teletype keyboard recommendations (mechanical, wireless, etc)
Teletype keyboard issues
Teletype with non-US keyboard?
Numeric Keypad for Teletype - which ones work?
integrating with grid
teletype has a built in support for grid. script your own grid based apps, sequencers, controllers.
Studies for grid integration
> teletype: grid # code exchange
Grid ops / integration
Grid Ops Base Controller for ER-301
I2C
nothing reveals teletype potential like i2c. it was added first to control the monome trilogy modules, but since then grew into a sprawling ecosystem - i2c enabled controllers, additional inputs and outputs, sound processors and generators, all controlled directly from teletype without patch cables.
it all started here:
WW/MP/ES teletype updates
many more i2c modules and devices are now supported.
Who’s on your bus? aka “Let’s find I2C buddies!”
TXi / TXo
Telex: Teletype expanders
ER-301
ER-301 Sound Computer
Teletype and ER-301 Basics
I2C communication with Monome Teletype
ER-301 Teletype Scenes
Grid Ops Base Controller for ER-301
ER-301 and the Monome Grid w/ Teletype
Axe thing one (ER-301 and Teletype combo)
Heads | Arc, Ansible,Teletype, Faderbank
Teletype I2c CV ‘lag’
ER-301 under control of Teletype via i2c bus. video
ER-301 possibly missing/delayed i2c triggers
Strange experience with SC.TR.P
Lucid Dream | Custom Unit
Chaos / Rungler Unit?
Just Friends
“Just Type” Beta Testers
W/
Teletype and W/ 2.0 integration
16n faderbank
16n is a bank of faders [release thread] [current version: 2.0.1]
16n Faderbank: build help, dev suggestions
16n Firmware 2.0.1: release and official thread
Others
Teletype and Sweet Sixteen I2c
SSSR Labs SM010 and Teletype
ADDAC221 i2c
Teletype Disting EX integration
this guide will answer any questions on how to connect and troubleshoot i2c devices:
A user’s guide to i2c
if you just have 1 or 2 i2c devices, you can connect them directly to teletype. for more complex systems you might need an additional busboard (also see the guide above):
TT-Busboard-Jr (a small powered i2c busboard)
II-bus board
you can make your own i2c cables:
DIY i2c cables
interested in utilizing i2c for your own projects? check out these threads:
Teletype I2C -> Select Bus bridge
Teletype I2C protocol
i2C to MIDI on Raspberry PI
Controlling TXo, ER-301, etc wirelessly using OSC, Node and a RPI
Controlling the ER-301 wirelessly via OSC with a RPI Zero, Node.js and I2c
Transit - MIDI to ER-301 via I2C
DIY
anything diy related.
Teletype hardware: open
Telex: Teletype expanders
16n Faderbank: build help, dev suggestions
Building a USB switch for teletype, ansible and grid
2 devices to 1 host eurorack switch: two > one
USB stick
USB stick remains the main way to backup scenes or upload scenes from a computer.
Teletype v1.1 Issue with USB flash drive scene read/write
Teletype Flash Drive Size
if you edit scenes on a computer and have issues when uploading them to teletype:
Teletype script editing offline
music
listen to music made with teletype.
Martin Mestres - “no data” EP
Eventuate - Tides
Mudlogger - monome ISMS + Whimsical Raps LP
Dan Derks - nested + less concepts: album + cellular automata sequencer
The February Thaw - Telemetry EP
Guy Purssell - Limbs Traffic
Timothy G Taylor - Terrace EP
glia - Oso
carvingcode - Teletype: Triangle Mountain
dudadius - Video: Teletype driving Macbeth Elements
dudadius - Teletype Sketch Video
dudadius - ER-301 under control of Teletype via i2c bus. video
a773 - youtube channel (all teletype code on GitHub)
LaborCamp LCO studio notes: teletype 1 & 2
LaborCamp LCO studio notes: teletype 3 a—c
LaborCamp LCO studio notes: teletype 4
LaborCamp LCO studio notes: teletype 5
