This should probably be posted in the Moogerfooger forum but I figure this one gets a bit more traffic.
I am currently updating the firmware for the MF-105M Midi MuRF, so if you have one and have any requests for new features or fixes, this would be the time to ask.
I only have 500 bytes(!) of code space to work with, but that’s enough for a thing or two.
Already done:
adjusted LFO/Sweep range to avoid a “thump” that can happen in the lowest filter band when it is swept too far out of range;
added ability to go into MIDI Sync mode automatically when MIDI clocks received - no longer requires a MIDI Start message to sync (this is good for syncing to gear that only sends clocks, without start/stop messages).
Thanks for getting the ‘thump’ fixed. Here are somethings I was thinking about:
a mode to have MuRF ignore Midi clock start/stop (ie. obey timing but not bother with the rest) (LFO switch left + FREQ switch right + hold footswitch for 5 secs)
have the very very bottom of the rate knob (“0”) when clock Midi be the default 4/4 time (either that or RATE=10, whichever is less likely to be used) seems alot of people have problems with this one. You can flash the light RED/AMBER/RED/AMBER for a few seconds to indicate that you’ve reset to 4/4 quarternotes.
a way to change the midi channel without re-powering the device (maybe hold down the foot switch for 5 seconds and then latch to the PATTERN # if both switches are left per documentation)
OK, interesting idea… so far I’m halfway there, in that you can get into MIDI sync mode without a MIDI Start message just by sending clocks. However, at this time that’s the only change. What are you imagining should happen if MIDI clocks stop coming in but there’s no MIDI Stop message? Currently, the unit will wait forever for the next clock to come in, in this case. Is that OK? I am assuming that in the situation where you’re synced to MIDI clock, it’s not important what happens when the clock stops, because you’re “not playing” at that point. Am I right, or do you use the MuRF differently?
Is there a context where you would continue sending MIDI clocks after sending a MIDI Stop message, where you would want the MuRF to ignore the Midi Stop?
Is “quarter notes” really the most commonly used beat value? Personally I tend towards 8ths or 16ths. In any case, I’m not too keen on this suggestion because it violates the logical consistency of the Rate knob as it’s currently implemented. You’d then have a fast rate at the extreme left of the knob, but the rate would snap to the slowest rate as soon as you started sweeping the knob clockwise, then the rate would increase again and eventually you’d get to the same “default” beat value again, halfway 'round the knob. I’m not totally against this idea but I will need to hear some more voices of approval. Granted I’ve spent a lot of time with this thing, but I’ve never had much trouble just turning the knob and using my ears to detect when it’s playing quarter notes.
There is already one way to change the MIDI channel without re-powering the device… send it MIDI CC#102 (on any channel), CC value 1 to 16 sets channel 1-16. Is this sufficient, or is it a real problem that you don’t have another hardware-only means of changing the MIDI channel. How often do you find yourself changing the MIDI channel on the MuRF? Purely curious for feedback here; the more info I have on how people really use this gear, the better design decisions I can make.
Thanks for your feedback so far! More is welcome. Bug reports also welcome.
On the first one (clock start/stop), I would like it if it just kept ‘clocking’ at the more recent Midi rate. Not sure if you set your own internal clock according to midi clock adjusting every x# of events or if you really count pulses/ticks and then step patterns (taking division into account, of course) but one thing that used to drive me crazy was when I was running Logic is to have the end of a track sound and if I felt like I wanted to keep playing, the MUrF would stop dead. I have a M-Audio iControl that I use when I’m recording on Logic and really like having just a few ‘control’ keys to record, rewind, cue, etc. I suppose I could find a way to have Logic send continuous clock but I haven’t messed with it.
Lately I’ve been using my MP-201 as clock source because I can’t be bothered with the computer sometimes (getting fickle in my old age). That’s working much better because I’m able to keep the one channel active. But to answer the question directly, sometimes (most often), I just like to play and having Murf stepping all the time is handy if clock and star/stop could be separated.
On the 2nd point, yes, absolutely correct, 8th, 16ths, etc. would be more appropriate and I’m with you in that I don’t have any problem dialing it in… just a documentation issue I guess. When I first got my MuRF, I thought that the RATE knob was ‘disconnected’ when listening to SYNC. I didn’t bother reading into the manual in this regard but it’s all there. A simple diagram in the next addendum/update doc that showed the RATE knob with call-outs of each time division would do the trick.
My thoughts on the final point: Again, I’m just fickle and don’t like pulling and re-inserting power cable when I want to change this. I understand about the availability of CC but I haven’t had a practical way of sending this until just recently. I had an AKAI MPK but just got rid of it in favor of a Novation controller which many more buttons so I suppose I could choose a few to bind to specific channels when these buttons are set.
The application of this has to do with the way that I am cramming all of my legacy gear (much of which doesn’t have USB) into a 2x2 USB interface; meaning that I like to keep traffic segregated if I can routing certain data to certain channels and have a bunch of MidiPatch setups that I use. Just used to having my Midi controller sending clock sometimes, my Multipedal sending clock sometimes, Logic sending clock sometimes, and it’s just a bunch of setup/etc. that I’d rather avoid if there were a more elegant way without re-powering. But you answered my question and I’ll look into using some of my Novation buttons to switch among the 3 or 4 channels that I typically use.
Keep those precious bytes for other features. Thanks for the feedback on the feedback.
How about this one, more for the pattern editor (I think?). Anyway to bind an ENVELOPE setting to the step so that you it can be tweaked per event. You’d have to store the desired setting with the step and adjust in realtime (not sure how your data structures are organized). I haven’t messed with this but it could add another layer of complexity to the sound.
Wow, that would be a mind-blowing level of added musical/rhythmic complexity!
If that was at all possible, I’d put in a big vote for that. For however many values offered,
there should be one value that reads whatever the Envelope knob is currently set at. Then,
you could turn the Envelope knob and it would only change certain steps.
(It would also let you make Patterns that behaved in the original way.)
One more row in the Pattern Editor that completely mutes a step regardless of what the other 8 rows were set at.
I love that the MIDI MuRF can have 8 rows of different lengths. Anything that reduces boring repetition rocks!!
But this feature would allow you to have a constant rhythmic pattern (like every 4, 8, 12, 16, 32, etc.) even
though the other 8 rows were starting over at different times.
Even cooler (I’m thinking as I’m typing…) what if the 9th row was a master override for all 8 filters such that
whatever level you assigned to that step would push all 8 filters to that level. Now you could have consistent
rhythmic blasts of full on, full off, or whatever level you wanted, whenever you wanted it, in specific lengths
even though the other 8 rows are each looping at their own lengths.
When you say “already done,” does that mean that this update is available somewhere or that you’ve added it for when the update is released? So anxious…
EricK: Sorry, the LFO is either on or off. The MuRF processor can’t do fancy stuff like floating-point multiplication, so modulated LFO intensity is asking a bit much.
jwilliams: “done” as in the feature is finished… the firmware is not yet officially released.
We should have a firmware update utility (for PC/windows) within the next week… then I’d love for you to check this out.
Here are the changes in the new version:
1.) tweaked LFO/Sweep range to stay in the filters’ “sweet spot” and avoid thump/noise artifact (which was caused by sweeping the filter frequency too far).
2.) improved MIDI clock sync - now does not require a MIDI Start message; syncs automatically if clocks come in (should work with Eventide Factor pedals!)
3.) added user-selectable “MIDI Stop mode” - when in MIDI sync and the Midi clock stops, you can choose whether the MuRF stops also, or continues on internal clock at the same rate.
4.) added two new Tap-Tempo midi CCs… if you use a guitar multi-FX station, you can map a foot switch to send MIDI CC 92 or 93 and tap-tempo the MuRF via MIDI CC.
– This is good for devices which have tap-tempo but do not send MIDI Clock. You can use the Tap-Tempo CC along with the Pattern Reset CC (CC#90) to get the MuRF on beat and in tempo even without a MIDI clock. Tap-Tempo CC 92 is for Momentary switches (press = high CC value, release = low CC value) where CC 93 is for Latching/Toggle switches (press = on, press again = off). Most guitar multi-fx seem to use Latching switches (stomp-on, stomp-off) so you’d typically want CC93 for this.
I also doubled the refresh rate of several internal CV signals, which should increase the overall sound quality and decrease some subtle background noise.
I think that’s it… all in all, a nice little update.
Brilliant! It seems like you have made everyone happy. (Especially with feature #3.)
Things like this make it so much fun to own Moog products. You truly rock, Amos!
