Use keyboard or MIDI to trigger straight key or iambic paddles¶

This page explains how to send CW using a computer keyboard or MIDI controller as a straight key or iambic paddles through the Phone/CW applet. This lets you key the radio without physical paddle hardware connected to the FLEX-8600.

Before you start¶

The active slice must be in a CW mode. The Phone/CW applet switches to its CW sub-panel automatically when CW mode is selected.
The Phone/CW applet must be visible. If it is not, click the P/CW tray button in the right sidebar, or go to View > Applet Panel to show the sidebar.
For MIDI input, your MIDI controller must be connected before launching AetherSDR. Open Settings > MIDI Mapping... to assign controller inputs to key functions.

Steps¶

Select a CW mode on the active slice. The Phone/CW applet switches to the CW sub-panel.
Decide whether you want straight key or iambic paddle operation. For iambic, click Iambic so it is active (highlighted). For straight key, leave Iambic inactive.
Set your keying speed with the Speed (CW) slider (5–100 WPM).
Choose how TX is triggered:
For full break-in (QSK), click Breakin so it is active. Key edges from the keyboard or MIDI controller will trigger TX immediately; the radio's break-in delay holds the relay between characters.
For manual PTT, leave Breakin inactive. Key input will be queued; engage PTT separately to transmit. See Configure break-in OFF so CW keys queue and PTT is manual.
If you want sidetone while keying, click Sidetone to enable it. Adjust the Sidetone volume slider to a comfortable level. The client-side low-latency sidetone (approximately 10 ms latency) and the radio's DAX-fed monitor are both controlled by this single button and slider.
Begin keying from the keyboard or MIDI controller. With Iambic active, the dit and dah inputs are treated as paddle contacts. With Iambic inactive, any key input acts as a straight key closure.

What each control does¶

Control	What it does	Default	Range	Setting key
Iambic	Toggles iambic paddle keyer. When active, keyboard/MIDI inputs are treated as dit and dah paddle contacts. When inactive, input acts as a straight key.	—	On / Off	—
Breakin	Toggles full break-in (QSK). When active, key edges trigger TX and break-in delay holds the relay. When inactive, keys queue and PTT must be engaged manually.	—	On / Off	—
Speed (CW)	Sets the keying speed applied to keyboard and MIDI input.	—	5–100 WPM	—
Delay (CW)	Sets the CW break-in hang time after the last key edge before TX drops.	—	0–2000 ms (step 10)	—
Sidetone	Enables the CW sidetone monitor. Controls both the radio's DAX-fed monitor and the client-side low-latency sidetone generator in lockstep.	—	On / Off	—
Sidetone volume	Sets CW monitor volume. Controls both radio-side and client-side sidetone volumes in lockstep.	—	0–100	—
Pitch < / >	Steps the sidetone and decode pitch by 10 Hz. Pitch follows the radio's `cw_pitch` setting automatically.	600 Hz	100–6000 Hz (step 10)	—

Tips¶

Sidetone pitch and stereo pan follow the radio's cw_pitch and mon_pan_cw settings automatically; you do not need to reconfigure them after changing the radio's CW pitch.
With Breakin OFF, key input from the keyboard or MIDI controller is queued. This is useful when you want to compose characters before transmitting. Engage PTT manually to send the queued input.
Double-clicking the L / R pan (CW) slider recenters it to 50 (centre).

Troubleshooting¶

MIDI controller is not recognized — Ensure the controller was connected before launching AetherSDR. Open Settings > MIDI Mapping... to verify the device is listed and inputs are mapped.
Keying does not trigger TX — Check that Breakin is active if you expect QSK operation. If Breakin is inactive, the radio expects a manual PTT to transmit queued keys.
No sidetone heard while keying — Confirm Sidetone is active and Sidetone volume is above zero. Also verify the active slice is in CW mode; the CW sub-panel only appears in CW mode.
Iambic paddles send straight key behavior — Confirm Iambic is active (highlighted) in the CW sub-panel.