New Firmware v3.1 for Slim Phatty, LP Stage and Tribute

[Benjaminam]

Some folks have requested Triplet values for LFO (and maybe Arp) MIDI sync. I guess this is crucial for dubstep now
Other folks have said that it is hard to change LFO sync values in real time performance if there are triplets in the list, as this throws off the rhythm (if you land on a triplet and then switch back to a non-triplet sync division).

How about initiating LFO sync values by pressing the Enter button? The active preset would be indicated by an asterisk or something. This would avoid those unwanted LFO rates. In my opinion, this would also be nice with Arpp as well.
edit. I forgot to mention that I think triplets are a good idea.

[nathanscribe]

Does the Arp Gate have to be tied to a note division, or could it be any fraction? That is, if you're arp-ing 1/4 notes, would the gate division have to be a choice of 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 (say) or could you dial in something like 99% to keep the length but lose the always-on problem?

Personally I think even a limited choice of two settings would be great, but even better would be the option to assign gate length to mod wheel or something... I doubt there's room for that though.

[Amos]

oh geez... yes gate length to mod wheel would be awesome. No I don't think I can pull that off easily enough.
In any case gate length is currently a percentage of whatever the current step length (tempo * clock division), that's how I intend to keep it, for simplicity. It used to be 100% and is now 50%, the 50% scales automatically as you adjust tempo or clock divisions. Right now I'm seeing about adding a choice of 50% or 100%... after that, 25% or 75% is fairly easy... "actually overlapping" or >100% gate length might be more difficult. Or, maybe I'm just having a slow brain day (after expending mega brain power all last week!)

[Assar]

OS3.01T
I just played around with the alternative tunings, to see what happens when you use it per patch vs global.

I can't seem to get it work with different tunings per patch. They get the global tuning however I do.
If I choose tuning #11 (any but #0) and save the patch, then I change patch and go back again, the patch tuning is #0.

[Amos]

If I choose tuning #11 (any but #0) and save the patch, then I change patch and go back again, the patch tuning is #0.

Yes, this is a bug I fixed yesterday. I'll post an update later today with a fix.

[joe_moog]

joe_moog: Yes I think you're on to something with sync - your report rings a bell, I think someone else mentioned this but I haven't noticed it myself yet. Will look into this today. Meanwhile have you checked out the new Poly behavior? It's so much more fun, at least I think it is...
There's at least one small bug in poly mode as well, which I also hope to fix today if I can.

Cool - thanks, Amos. BTW, I also noticed that sometimes when you switch to a preset, the Filter pot is indeed affecting a parameter, but which parameter it's controlling is not lit on the SP.

Does the "new" Poly behavior require something other then the "POLY: x of y" setup? I got my third Phatty yesterday and went poly after updating them all to 3.1, so the subtleties may be lost on me, I'm afraid. I DO love the poly, though. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the effort you've put into this, Amos!

>>> Side Rant:

I got into Moog equipment when I picked up a Moogerfooger. I remember going into my local music shop and telling the guy that I was looking for an off-the-wall, but useful effect. He brought in the Phaser, to which I said, "Nah - I've already got a phaser." He laughed and basically forced me to try out the Moog unit. I was floored, and I walked out with it in hand. Less than 5 months later, I have three Moogerfoogers (one is the delay, which I sent back for the factory mod), a CP-251, an LP, and two SPs. I can't get enough of this stuff!!! The fact that Bob's vision is carried on by the current guard and that people like Amos are so enthusiastic about what they do is the icing on the cake!

[nathanscribe]

oh geez... yes gate length to mod wheel would be awesome. No I don't think I can pull that off easily enough.
In any case gate length is currently a percentage of whatever the current step length (tempo * clock division), that's how I intend to keep it, for simplicity. It used to be 100% and is now 50%, the 50% scales automatically as you adjust tempo or clock divisions. Right now I'm seeing about adding a choice of 50% or 100%... after that, 25% or 75% is fairly easy... "actually overlapping" or >100% gate length might be more difficult. Or, maybe I'm just having a slow brain day (after expending mega brain power all last week!)

Would there be any way to adjust gate length smoothly in real time? For example, Value knob, one of the pots - I mean I have no idea how these things are implemented in the code, never mind the hardware, so I might be pipedreaming. But some kind of realtime gate length mod would be the canine's cojones if it's at all possible.

Aside from that, you must be busting a gut for us all here. Buy yourself a drink and pretend it's from me.

[pentaeolian]

[quote="Amos"]
New MIDI features:
Can now choose to filter MIDI output as follows:
- Transmit All MIDI CCs from the LP (default behavior)
- send All CCs minus Volume (CC7)
- no CCs from the knobs, only MIDI notes and pitch/mod wheel messages
- no CCs, no wheels, only MIDI notes
(All controls continue to affect the sound of the Phatty as before, only MIDI output is filtered)

Thanks again for adding my request (and all the other features of this release), Amos. You're the best!

[Amos]

Would there be any way to adjust gate length smoothly in real time?

The smallest/smoothest granular increment I could use would be MIDI clock ticks... since the arp has to be compatible with MIDI Sync and it basically only checks to see if it's time to do something, 24 times per quarter note. If your arp is already running at 32nd notes, that's only three clock ticks per 100% note duration... your only options then would be "note is never on" (0 ticks), 33%, 66%, or 100% duration. The longer your clock division, the smoother/more options you might have... but it does get complicated. Then how do you map this to something smooth like a knob (all of which are kind of allocated already) without causing more confusion? I don't have a ready answer.

Aside from that, you must be busting a gut for us all here. Buy yourself a drink and pretend it's from me.

Ha, thank you. I will! And I may settle for a simple menu choice of 50%/100% duration... or possibly a couple more increments... on the principle that "some choice is better than none."

edit: last note for today -- sorry Assar, no update with Alt Tuning bugfix yet today... too much new stuff (per previous messages) and current version is not stable for release today. Probably tomorrow.

Now, if you need me... I'll be at the pub.

[Assar]

sorry Assar, no update with Alt Tuning bugfix yet today... too much new stuff (per previous messages) and current version is not stable for release today. Probably tomorrow.

No hurry, it's not a show stopper ...

Amos. You're the best!

+1

[Amos]

I think I am experiencing a bug post-upgrade regarding the 1>2 Sync control. My setup is LP Stage II > SP > SP. When I change presets TO one with the oscillators synched, the light on the Slims indicating this comes on (as expected). However, on SOME presets, when I go to one that is not synched, the light on the LP correctly reflects this (i.e., it is OFF) but it stays ON on the two SPs. Despite the SPs showing that sync is on, it clearly isn't; in fact, when you press 1>2 Sync on one of them, it stays ON and the sound changes, but Preset indicator turns yellow and "PANEL ACTIVE" is shown on the display.

I'm not sure I articulated that very well...

Hey Joe -- I tried to replicate this today and I thought I was seeing the same thing -- but in my case it turned out I had different preset banks loaded on the LP and the Slim. So, the real issue was that preset #20(for example) on the LP wasn't the same as preset #20 on the Slim. Are you using the same presets on all units and still seeing this? Or did you do the same thing I did?

[bgm]

Umm...unless I'm a total moron and missed this part, is there a version of the Mac OS X PhattyLoader app for PowerPC? I got through the first steps flawlessly and my LP Stage is asking me to "Please Send Firmware" but the PhattyLoader won't run on my PowerBook G4 because apparently it's only an Intel version. I didn't think of trying to run PhattyLoader first to see if it was compatible with PowerPC because I'm pretty anal and basically just slavishly followed the instructions for fear of screwing something up.
So that's some pretty important info that either isn't there or I stupidly missed.

HELP.

I wait, nervously, without touching anything, for further instruction.
Thanks.

[joe_moog]

Hey Joe -- I tried to replicate this today and I thought I was seeing the same thing -- but in my case it turned out I had different preset banks loaded on the LP and the Slim. So, the real issue was that preset #20(for example) on the LP wasn't the same as preset #20 on the Slim. Are you using the same presets on all units and still seeing this? Or did you do the same thing I did?

Amos - They're all in synch, preset-wise. I know this because I had just gotten my 2nd Slim and I had to replace its preset bank with the ones from my Little Phatty.

If it helps, my LP has the CV Out mod, although I doubt that's material to the issue...

[Amos]

HELP.
I wait, nervously, without touching anything, for further instruction.
Thanks.

I am so sorry - that should be a huge warning at the top of the instructions (right next to the warning about the Digi-002).

At this time the PhattyLoader exists for Windows and for OSX on intel macs, apparently -- I was not aware of its incompatibility with PowerPC until now.

I would recommend borrowing a friend with a recent macbook or any-vintage Windows laptop. You could run phattyloader off a thumb drive / USB memory stick, I reckon, so it would not be invasive on the hypothetical friend's computer. Very sorry for the lack of clarity and I will amend the instructions!

-Amos

[Amos]

also (for those of you not in the above predicament) I have a small update:

OS 3.1 build 655 fixes the bugs with Tuning Scale; can now properly save a custom tuning scale (or GL = use global scale) per preset... and the Tuning Scale menu display makes more sense. Now it shows an asterisk on that page if the currently-active tuning is NOT the global tuning, but was set by the current preset... no asterisk if the Global tuning scale is active/currently displayed. Changing tunings on the master menu page always sets the global tuning scale and makes it active... if you then switch to a preset which has a specific tuning scale selected per preset, the preset scale becomes active and overrides the global scale. If you then switch to a preset which has "GL" i.e. the global scale set (this is my recommended setting for most presets), then the global scale is loaded again. It should all work somewhat intuitively now.

OS 3.1 build 655 for TRIBUTE EDITION
OS 3.1 build 655 for STAGE/STAGE II EDITION
OS 3.1 build 655 for SLIM PHATTY.

These are just hex files; load them into PhattyLoader to send to your synth.

Kind regards,

Amos