Quatschmacher

There’s a caveat. As I said, it’s split into 4 apps internally and two of these are taken up with the current implementation. The other two apps won’t be extensions to the current VA engine but will be different things (such as an FM synth, effects (I’ve suggested a simple-architecture polysynth too (obviously MIDI-only))). Yes, in the same way that the FI was developed over 6 years, V4 has space to be developed over the next few years.

The fact that the FI responds to MIDI means you can use any other bit of sequencer/arp hardware to trigger it. Korg make some cheap sequencers. This clip is a Precision bass but I’ve had plenty of success using Jazz basses with it in the past. Also, as there’s still more than half the space left in the new pedal there are some things we’re developing that will take this even further. (Technically there are 4 separate apps and only two are in use with the current implementation.)

Will do my best but I have a lot of very pressing life stuff going on at the moment so it might have to wait a bit. (Need to finish up the manual before everything at home kicks off too.)

I don’t know, I have no means of measuring it. It’s dependent on the note played too. There is some more optimisation work going on at the moment before release so I can’t give a final figure until that work is fully implemented.

Yes, that’s a sync patch so V4 only. You mean a sound comparison of the same patch on v3 and V4 to hear the audio quality differences? I can probably manage that at some point. Could trigger it via MIDI too so that the input is exactly the same for both.

My sincere apologies, I clearly didn’t read that properly! (Too much testing and not enough sleep.)

Sound quality is noticeably better. Oscillator sync patches are cool. (I can now share a clip; excuse the background noise as I had a ground loop as I was daisy-chaining.) If you do on-pedal tweaks there’s MUCH more variation available without ever having to load any patches on and you can save them permanently to the patch data. Sensitivity improvements are very welcome. Having release on the ADSR even when using a bass is a massive difference. You can pluck and stop a note but have the synth note ring out for ages. Audio-804.mp3

The ACCURACY priority setting does get rid of the pitch blip entirely. Was it not clear from the picture I posted and the fact that I have been one of the primary contributors to the development that I already have the pedal? I’ve been testing and developing it for months.

Just to avoid perpetuating a falsehood, these Boss pedals do not track anything at all, they simply overlay the existing audio with a signal that makes it sound like a synth.

There were no surprises. V4 was talked about publicly on Talkbass in March 2023. v3 is still the great pedal it always was and was heavily discounted over the last year.

The manual should hopefully be available relatively soon. I just have one small part left to integrate and then some finessing to do.

Important points: All existing v1 and v3 patches can be loaded onto a V4 pedal. V4 is new hardware, firmware structure and patch file structure. This means that: V4 firmware cannot be loaded onto earlier pedals; Patches created in V4 cannot be loaded onto earlier pedals.

Guessing I can finally post this family shot:

Quoted post: Dear Friends, I am happy to announce the most important step in the history of Future Impact, the FI4, with very significant changes in both hardware and software. While the production of FI3 has come to an end with all devices sold out, the new FI4 will be available at end of March. It comes with an optional cable set to connect to 1V/octave CV-Gate synthesizers, to benefit from the simultaneous sounds of the FI4’s virtual analog sounds and real analog synthesizers. We had to stop development of the FI3 software more than two years ago, as the processor had no more memory available for further enhancements. The new hardware and software structure of FI4 will allow the implementation of new synthesis models, effects and many more features, that we are already working on. Here is a preliminary leaflet about the advantages of FI4 at its release. I would like to thank you all for the support and wholehearted enthusiasm during all the years of the existence of FI, and hope you will be just as enthusiastic in the future with FI4. In particular, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Peter Kenney, who provided irreplaceable help to the whole community by writing manuals, testing new features, creating sounds, and helping all of you with his advice. The Evolution of the Future Impact The Future Impact is the subject of one of those heartwarming stories of the internet as a force for good. It began life back in late 2014 when an enthusiastic member of the Talkbass forum tracked down Andras Szalay to ask him if he’d be able to reissue the discontinued Deep Impact, which he had designed for Akai. However, Andras had much more ambitious plans: the Future Impact was conceived of not as a reissue, but as an entirely new and vastly-improved pedal. The project garnered tremendous support from forum members who funded the first batch of 100 pedals in late 2015. From there, the FI’s popularity and reputation grew; ever more people clamoured to own one, including notable players such as Chris Wolstenholme (Muse), Doug Wimbish (Living Colour, The Rolling Stones) and Bootsy Collins. Thanks to the generous input of members of the online bass-playing community, the FI continued to go from strength to strength. With each successive update, we gradually added more and more features and refinements. With the v3.60 update of June 2021, we had to admit that we had finally squeezed every last drop of juice out of the pedal: we had completely exhausted the available code space. In order to continue developing our ideas further, we have thus had to move to new hardware and implement a new firmware structure. While the FI4 can load patches from all the previous versions of the FI, unfortunately v3 users cannot run the V4 firmware or V4 patches on their device. However, the good news is that our new platform gives us the breathing space to develop well into the future. We already have big plans, so stay tuned! New Features for V4 ● CV/Gate output - Simultaneously play a 1V/octave analog synth using the pedal; ● Detented Parameter dial with extended range - More variations on each sound; ● Sturdier knobs - The potentiometer shafts are now made from solid metal; ● Long Release - Audio-triggered sounds now use the full release time of the ADSR; ● Oscillator sync - VCO2 can sync to VCO1 for more harmonically complex sounds; ● Improved audio fidelity - Via an ultra-low-noise CoDec and noise-reduction coding; ● Overwrite programs - On-pedal edits can be saved to patch data before uploading; ● Superior pitch tracking - Greatly reduced latency and increased sensitivity to input instrument dynamics. Pitch detection can now be set to prioritize speed or accuracy; ● Octave transposition - Two new MIDI CCs to transpose the pitch by ±2 octaves; ● 63 new Flexi curves - Create a split point between any two adjacent semitones; ● Robust firmware update process - Now any MIDI interface can be used; ● Alternative quick access to Global Menu - Enter/exit menu without power cycling; ● Better Global Menu layout - Items are repositioned and more meaningfully labelled; ● Fresh Editor look - An updated color scheme with a clearer and more logical layout; ● Onscreen Mod Wheel - Send out MIDI CCs or Aftertouch directly from the Editor; ● midiBeam 4Control integration - MIDI signals from expression pedals and switches are automatically passed to the FI4 when connected to the Editor. Andras Szalay

Well, here’s the exciting news I can finally talk about: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/future-impact-now-available-was-deep-impact-reissue-interested.1115025/page-389#post-28252259 I’ll copy the text into a post. Just wondering whether I should start a new dedicated thread.

Do you mean the colour of the knobs better matches the colour of the lettering? If so, I agree, though those knobs are really tall. The height of the newest ones are best, shame I couldn’t find these ones in purple.

Third knobs option:

Actually, I can share this one:

I use flatwounds and mine quacks plenty.

That looks like a landing craft from a 70s sci-fi film!

Ah so that’s where that went! You beat me to this. I needed to sell some stuff first. How are you finding it? Sadly I can’t post my latest pedal acquisition as I’m beta testing it and it’s not released yet.