Future Impact owners’ resource page

[Owen]

Thanks QM. Is this a magic new feature in V3 or available now. All I am interested in doing is holding down single notes. What do I need to make this happen?

[Quatschmacher]

On 02/09/2019 at 07:06, owen said:

Thanks QM. Is this a magic new feature in V3 or available now. All I am interested in doing is holding down single notes. What do I need to make this happen?

It’s a forthcoming (post-v3) rather than currently-available feature. There is no sustain stage in the envelopes in the current publicly-available version so would have probably been tricky to achieve.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Quatschmacher

[Owen]

Thanks. Something to look forward to then

Could you offer any guidance as to what extra hardware I will need?

[Quatschmacher]

3 hours ago, owen said:

Thanks. Something to look forward to then

Could you offer any guidance as to what extra hardware I will need?

You’ll need a sustain or an expression pedal and something that will send the midi CCs from those to the FI. I’m using my Source Audio Hub at the moment but there are other devices ( from Morningstar, Disaster Area, etc) that would do that and allow you to send program change messages and other midi CCs.

Having an expression pedal will be essential to getting the best out of v3 with the new flexi controllers (mod matrix). Most of my patches have some kind of morphing applied to midi CC1. If you check out the clips I posted earlier, you can hear some of that. 

[Quatschmacher]

3 hours ago, owen said:

Something to look forward to then 

It’s not even the most exciting new feature. 

[Owen]

So I could use a Source Audio Hub and my Ernie Ball vol pedal with a Y lead to turn it into an expression pedal? It would be the biggest sustain pedal in the world, but could also (on other patches) open and close filters?

I have so much to learn and such a propensity to expensively get it wrong.

[Quatschmacher]

On 02/09/2019 at 16:35, owen said:

So I could use a Source Audio Hub and my Ernie Ball vol pedal with a Y lead to turn it into an expression pedal? It would be the biggest sustain pedal in the world, but could also (on other patches) open and close filters?

I have so much to learn and such a propensity to expensively get it wrong.

I can’t speak for the Ernie Ball volume pedal as I don’t know the specs. Most passive expression pedals will work (I use a Moog EP-3). You can set up the Hub (via the neuro editor software) to send out any midi cc number from the expression and external control inputs. You need to set it to “midi out” otherwise it doesn’t send out the expression control cc  

CC 11 and 74 are hard routed on the FI to control the filter. It depends on which CCs are programmed in the patches as to what will be controlled. Midi CC1 is the most common as it’s the one which is the mod wheel on pretty much all synths. That’s the one I’ve used consistently. 

If you don’t already have a source Audio Hub or any Source Audio pedals then there are probably better choices out there that offer a few other useful functions. 

Edited September 18, 2019 by Quatschmacher

[Quatschmacher]

Update from Andras about v3:

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/future-impact-now-available-was-deep-impact-reissue-interested.1115025/page-265#post-23028343

[Quatschmacher]

Added a few new patch clips:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1u2-dJaWdaAbPDnDdWkipu-P7IH_GHLQ2

They should appear first in the folder when sorted in last-modified order. 

[HazBeen]

On 03/09/2019 at 13:41, Quatschmacher said:

Update from Andras about v3:

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/future-impact-now-available-was-deep-impact-reissue-interested.1115025/page-265#post-23028343

Few weeks.... getting there!

[Quatschmacher]

11 hours ago, HazBeen said:

Few weeks.... getting there!

I’ve been working on the manual several  hours each day for the last few days. Still need to alter a couple of things in the filter section and am awaiting clarification on a few bits elsewhere but I’ve got through a big chunk of it. I’ve still got the two biggest sections to tackle (envelopes and the new flexis).

One thing that is proving tricky is the choice of how much new information to include which explains a bit about synthesis along the way. The manual is currently written in a way that assumes a lot of prior knowledge of synthesis and I think many users coming to this pedal don't have that knowledge. There is a bit of a time pressure, I’m doing this for free in my spare time alongside my full-time day job and it’s a lot of work so I’m not sure I’ll be able to turn it into exactly what I think it should be (at least not yet) but will do my best to make it more digestible. 

Edited September 8, 2019 by Quatschmacher

[HazBeen]

26 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

I’ve been working on the manual several  hours each day for the last few days. Still need to alter a couple of things in the filter section and am awaiting clarification on a few bits elsewhere but I’ve got through a big chunk of it. I’ve still got the two biggest sections to tackle (envelopes and the new flexis).

One thing that is proving tricky is the choice of how much new information to include which explains a bit about synthesis along the way. The manual is currently written in a way that assumes a lot of prior knowledge of synthesis and I think many users coming to this pedal don't have that knowledge. There is a bit of a time pressure, I’m doing this for free in my spare time alongside my full-time day job and it’s a lot of work so I’m not sure I’ll be able to turn it into exactly what I think it should be (at least not yet) but will do my best to make it more digestible. 

Whilst anticipation is high in most (certainly in me) bassists, I think everyone gets that quality takes time. And I have the C4 to play around with until then anyway.... lol

Keep up the good work, and stress levels low  

[Al Krow]

@Quatschmacher you know my views on this: you definitely should be getting paid for the time and effort you're putting in, if only by them sending a couple of pedals to you as payment in kind. They're not a charity nor a social benefit org. like Wikipedia, and would never in a million years expect to be selling their products for free. There's a strong argument that they are certainly flouting UK min wage laws!

I would never ask my bands to play covers gig for free; Panda Audio are totally taking the p*iss by making you work without any pay. 

Edited September 8, 2019 by Al Krow

[SICbass]

12 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

@Quatschmacher you know my views on this: you definitely should be getting paid for the time and effort you're putting in, if only by them sending a couple of pedals to you as payment in kind. They're not a charity nor a social benefit org. like Wikipedia, and would never in a million years expect to be selling their products for free. There's a strong argument that they are certainly flouting UK min wage laws!

I would never ask my bands to play covers gig for free; Panda Audio are totally taking the p*iss by making you work without any pay. 

@Al Krow much as I‘m very much in agreement with your views on fair pay for work, bear in mind that Panda Audio is essentially one person and not a large, exploitative corporation.

I would also like to see Quatschmacher remunerated in some form, but my impression is that Andras (who basically IS Panda Audio) is also an enthusiast with limited resources. 

@Quatschmacher please feel free to jump in and correct me on this.

[SICbass]

While I’m here, I’d like to thank Quatschmacher for all his help, both here and on the occasions where we’ve met in person. It really is a huge help chatting with someone who is both a user and has such expansive knowledge of synthesis.

[SICbass]

15 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

Added a few new patch clips:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1u2-dJaWdaAbPDnDdWkipu-P7IH_GHLQ2

They should appear first in the folder when sorted in last-modified order. 

Those are some killer sounds mate!

[Al Krow]

To me it's irrelevant whether Andras is a one man band or not. There are plenty of sole-traders out there (including me, as it happens, but that's an aside). If this was Andras' hobby and he was a not for profit org. then fair do's but if it's a business it's a business and he should not be exploiting the hard work of others to be making a commercial profit for himself.

[Quatschmacher]

On 08/09/2019 at 09:54, Al Krow said:

@Quatschmacher you know my views on this: you definitely should be getting paid for the time and effort you're putting in, if only by them sending a couple of pedals to you as payment in kind. They're not a charity nor a social benefit org. like Wikipedia, and would never in a million years expect to be selling their products for free. There's a strong argument that they are certainly flouting UK min wage laws!

I would never ask my bands to play covers gig for free; Panda Audio are totally taking the p*iss by making you work without any pay. 

I just want to state for the record that I do not feel exploited. This was a voluntary role and I knew that upfront.

I’ve ended up putting lots of time and thought into it because it’s something I care about a lot; it speaks both to my passions and to my skill set.

I certainly wasn’t moaning about not getting paid!

It would be AMAZING if I could do this kind of thing for a living so I see this a useful first step towards getting some experience in this area and getting myself out there a bit. 

Edited September 12, 2019 by Quatschmacher

[Al Krow]

Gotcha - so an unpaid internship, right? 😉

[Quatschmacher]

1 hour ago, SICbass said:

@Al Krow much as I‘m very much in agreement with your views on fair pay for work, bear in mind that Panda Audio is essentially one person and not a large, exploitative corporation.

I would also like to see Quatschmacher remunerated in some form, but my impression is that Andras (who basically IS Panda Audio) is also an enthusiast with limited resources. 

@Quatschmacher please feel free to jump in and correct me on this.

As far as I’m aware, yes, Andras IS Panda (though Gábor is closely involved). And yes, I think resources are quite limited and the company is alongside his main work.

I want so much for this new version to come to fruition and be the best it can be that I am happy do devote my time and energy to it without the expectation of a (monetary) return. If everything in this life were only done with the expectation of financial gain, then it would be a miserable existence.

I’m happy that I’ve been able to make a large contribution to the development of new features and I’m hoping that my work on the manual will help to make the pedal more accessible to others so that more people can use it and make cool music.  

[Al Krow]

3 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

I want so much for this new version to come to fruition and be the best it can be that I am happy do devote my time and energy to it without the expectation of a (monetary) return. If everything in this life were only done with the expectation of financial gain, then it would be a miserable existence.

Love the approach and attitude you're taking - and you have all our respect and thanks for all the effort you are putting in, for free, which a lot of others are going to benefit from in terms of their enjoyment of this kit, and Panda Audio will benefit from financially.

The flip side is that there are too many musicians who find it extremely hard to scrape a living with e.g. promoters getting paid but originals bands being made to play for free etc.

So it's a balance. Panda Audio aren't a charity.

[Quatschmacher]

5 hours ago, Al Krow said:

The flip side is that there are too many musicians who find it extremely hard to scrape a living with e.g. promoters getting paid but originals bands being made to play for free etc.

I've been there plenty of times. I have also had plenty of well-paid gigs.

[Quatschmacher]

I'm nearly finished my first draft of the new v3 manual and I thought it might be useful to compile a list of FAQs. Below are the ones I've already thought of. If you can think of any others then please let me know via PM and I'll consider adding them. Thanks. Apologies for the formatting failure when pasting in here. I may well paste this into the first post at a later date.

@GisserD, @andybassdoyle, @Bo0tsy, @SICbass

 

FAQs

 

• How do I choose which sound plays when the pedal is first powered on?

The FI always starts up at the most recently-saved program. Navigate to the program you want to have as the start-up sound using the PROGRAM switch. Turn the EDIT dial one click in one direction, one click in the other direction then press the dial again.

 

• How do I change the order of sounds on my pedal?

If you have never yet sent programs to your FI then the likelihood is that you are still using the default sounds on the FI. For the purposes of answering this question, let’s suppose this is the case. You’ll need to connect the FI to your computer using two MIDI cables. Launch the editor, go to the file  menu and click select directory. Locate and select the folder called “defaults_pr3”. If you don’t already have this folder on your computer then you need to go to http://pandamidi.com/support and download it.

 

To change the order of the patches, you need to change the two-digit numerical prefixes at the beginning of the files you wish to move. The prefix corresponds to the slot number on the pedal that the program will be sent to. When you have renamed the programs you wish to rearrange (taking care to avoid any duplication of prefix numbers) then click write all to write the programs in the folder to their newly chosen locations on the pedal.

 

• How do I listen to and add new sounds to my pedal?

Firstly you’ll need to download the Program files of any sounds which you want to audition. It will be helpful to place these all in a single folder on your computer as it will make browsing quicker. Connect your FI to your computer with two MIDI cables. (If you just wish to audition sounds without writing them to the FI then you only need to connect one cable from the MIDI OUT of your computer to the MIDI in of the FI.) 

 

Launch the editor and in the file menu click on load program and click the first program in the folder containing your candidate programs. You should now be able to hear it when you play. Click on the “+” button to move to the next sound in the folder.

 

If you have found a sound you like and want to write it to the pedal, click on the write one button in the top left of the editor screen. Locate the program file. If the file name begins with a two-digit numerical prefix then this is the location (slot) on the pedal to which it will be written. If you want to write it to a different slot, first rename the file, prefixing the name with the two-digit slot number of your choice. When you are ready to write the program to your pedal, either double click the file or click open.

 

If you want to write multiple programs to the pedal at once, make sure they are all in a single folder. Go to the file menu, click select directory and locate the folder. Make sure that all files in the folder that you want to write to the pedal have a unique two-digit prefix corresponding to the slots you want them to be sent to. Click the write all button to send the programs to the FI.

 

• Does the FI have MIDI clock?

No, the FI does not currently send or respond to MIDI clock signals.

 

• Can I use an expression pedal to sweep the filter?

Yes. The filter cutoff in the FI is controlled by MIDI CC11 and CC74. You will need a third-party piece of equipment to connect the expression pedal to the FI’s MIDI In port.

 

• How do I use an expression pedal to control the LFO depth?

LFO modulation depth to the filter cutoff and the oscillators’ pitch is controlled by MIDI CC1 (modulation wheel). You can again use a third-party product to attach an expression pedal and send the relevant CC messages to the FI

 

You can also plug in a MIDI keyboard to the FI’s MIDI IN port and use the keyboards mod wheel.

 

• Can I listen to and create sounds on the editor without using the pedal?

No, in order to hear FI program sounds via the editor you must have have the pedal connected to your computer. (Whilst it is technically possible to create sounds on the editor and save them to your PC without having the pedal attached, there would be little point as you’d be unable to hear how they sound!) 

 

• How do I restore the factory patches to my pedal?

You will need to use the editor for this and connect the FI to your computer with two MIDI cables. If you haven’t done so already, go to http://pandamidi.com/support and downloaded the latest “distribution package” to your computer. The factory patches are located in a folder called “defaults_pr3”. Click the “write all” button in the top left corner of the editor window, select the aforementioned folder and follow the on-screen prompts.

 

• How do I update my pedal’s firmware?

You can update the FI firmware directly in your web browser (Chrome only) by going to https://auraplug.com/fiupdate/start.html and following the on-screen instructions. You will need to connect the FI to your computer with two MIDI cables.

 

Alternatively you can download the latest firmware from http://pandamidi.com/support and install the update using the editor. Power on the FI while holding down both footswitches. Select “update firmware” from the file menu in the editor and follow the instructions. Once the update has successfully installed, power the FI on and off again. See page ?? of the manual for full details of the update process.

 

• Can I play chords on the FI, is it polyphonic?

These are really two separate questions. The FI cannot respond to polyphonic input, that is, you cannot play chords on your guitar and have the FI synthesize them. The FI responds only to monophonic input pitches. You can however play chords using the FI in the sense of being able to set the oscillators to different pitches to give a polyphonic output. With the clever use of Flexi Controllers routed to oscillator pitches, you can even change the chord quality on the fly.

 

• Where have all the “bass” sliders gone?

As mentioned, though the FI was originally a pedal for bass guitar, it can now be used with a variety of instruments thus we deemed it necessary to change the names of the “BASS” sliders to “INSTR” (instrument) to reflect this. Rest assured, they function in exactly the same way as before.

 

• How do I access the tuner?

Press and hold the ON/OFF switch to turn the tuner on; press the switch again to turn it off..

Edited September 12, 2019 by Quatschmacher

[Owen]

This looks like the kind of manual I might actually read. This is not normal for me. Good job.

[GisserD]

Agreed! A manual written in the queens plain English well, Northern which is close enough!!!