This interactive guide will walk you through everything you need to know: from identifying your adapter type to configuring settings, testing it out, and discovering where to practice. We'll keep it short, sweet, and snarky.
Or save a single self-contained HTML file you can open from disk.
💡 What you'll learn:
Yes, really. Just plug it in. That's it.
What to do:
🎵 Listen for the startup sound!
When you plug in your Vail Adapter, you should hear "VAIL" in Morse code from the built-in buzzer. This confirms the adapter has power and the firmware is working.
⚠️ Didn't hear "VAIL" in Morse?
Your adapter may need a firmware update. Visit the firmware updater, flash the latest version, then come back and try again.
💡 Pro tip: If your computer doesn't recognize it immediately, try a different USB port. Some ports are just grumpy.
Searching for MIDI devices...
🔔 Browser Permission Required
Your browser may ask for permission to access MIDI devices. You must click "Allow" or "Accept" for this guide to detect your adapter.
Recommended browser: Chrome. Some users have reported success with Edge and Firefox, but your mileage may vary.
Not detecting your adapter?
Each port has a job. Like coworkers, but more reliable.
Make it sound just right. Or hilariously wrong. Your call.
Your adapter already has settings stored!
Your adapter remembers its speed, sidetone, and keyer mode from last time. You can key now to test with the current settings, or unlock the controls below to make changes.
Change settings anytime: While you can configure your initial settings here, you can always adjust them later at vailmorse.com using the online Vail Repeater interface.
How fast those dits and dahs fly
The pitch of your beeps
Pick your keying style
Flips which input is treated as dit vs. dah. Handy if your paddle is wired backwards or you want the touch pads flipped for left handed use without touching your paddle. "Touch pads only" leaves the paddle jack alone. The change is saved on the adapter and persists across reboots. Your adapter confirms in Morse: "INV" for a full swap, "INV C" for touch pads only, "INV OFF" when you turn it off.
⚠️ Beta firmware only
This setting only works on the beta firmware. To get it, open the updater tool, check the Show test release box, and flash the test build for your board. If you are running a regular release build, changing this will do nothing. Your adapter will simply ignore the message. Heads up if you still have the first beta from Discord: it only knows on and off, so the touch pads only option acts like off until you update.
Keying Speed: Controls how fast your dits are. Lower = slower, higher = faster. Start around 12 WPM if you're learning.
Sidetone Frequency: The pitch of the beep. 440 Hz (A4) is standard, but pick what sounds good to you.
Keyer Mode: Different modes for different key types. Straight Key for traditional keys, Iambic A/B for paddles, Bug for semi-automatic keys.
Swap Dit / Dah (Beta): Reverses which input is dit and which is dah. You can swap everything, or just the capacitive touch pads if your paddle is already the way you like it. The setting is stored on the adapter itself and survives reboots. Requires the beta firmware available in our Discord.
Your neighbors will love this.
What you're seeing: Each key press appears as a dash (—) above. This confirms your adapter is sending data to your computer!
💡 Want to practice online? After finishing this guide, head to vailmorse.com to practice with other CW operators in real-time!
Because sometimes silence is golden
How to mute the built-in buzzer sidetone:
💡 To turn it back on: Simply unplug your adapter and plug it back in. The buzzer will be re-enabled on startup.
⚠️ Note: This mutes ALL audio output - both the internal buzzer and the headphone/speaker jack. However, when you plug headphones or a speaker into the silver jack, the internal buzzer is automatically disabled (only the jack output works).
The other way your adapter can work
What's the difference?
Your adapter has two modes:
⚠️ How to switch to Keyboard Mode:
You can stay in MIDI mode to keep exploring here or use Vail Repeater!
No need to update unless there's a reason to
ℹ️ You don't need to update right now
If you bought or built your adapter recently, it's almost certainly already running the newest firmware. There's nothing you need to do here today.
⚠️ Only update when there's a new version
Updating firmware can cause issues if it's not done correctly, so don't do it just for the sake of it. The best way to find out if a new version is actually available is to check the Vail Discord, where new releases get announced. Only run the updater if there's a newer version than what you have.
💡 When you do need it: If the Discord says there's a new version, head to the Web Updater. It'll guide you through the whole process step by step. Just follow the prompts.
Now go forth and make some dit-dah magic
Where to practice:
Your adapter works with tons of tools and games. Here are some favorites:
Need help or want to share your setup? Join the Vail Discord community or check out the full manual.