Future Impact v3 and now V4

[GisserD]

A friend of mine got a FI and hated it. I had assumed he sold it long ago... but no. He persevered and cleaned up his technique and muting. And now he's a monster on synth bass and his playing is better and more refined all round. 

He is not on here, but if he was I'd be tagging him to congratulate him on his progress.

 

Well done Kirsty.

[Quatschmacher]

3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

First impressions are definitely positive. Does feel like its tracking better.

 

Quickly auditioned about half the stock patches and very much liking #47 which has a differential response depending on how hard you dig in - synthy with a lighter touch and more of a gated fuzz sound when you dig in hard. Pretty cool! One of yours, Peter?

Quite a few of the new ones are mine but not 47 I don’t think. However, I did do some patches that do what you describe (patch 15 for instance).

Edited June 5 by Quatschmacher

[Kev]

Have to say, the business side of Panda seems a little chaotic.  What is this sale for?? I feel they're at real risk of irritating a lot of their customers, considering this, DV247 prices, presale prices, the bundle price from less than a week ago...

 

Edited June 9 by Kev

[Quatschmacher]

2 hours ago, Kev said:

Have to say, the business side of Panda seems a little chaotic.  What is this sale for?? I feel they're at real risk of irritating a lot of their customers, considering this, DV247 prices, presale prices, the bundle price from less than a week ago...

 

I haven’t seen a single person who’s bought one complaining. They all seem to very much enjoying making music with their pedal and singing its praises. 

[Kev]

2 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

I haven’t seen a single person who’s bought one complaining. They all seem to very much enjoying making music with their pedal and singing its praises. 

I understand why you're defensive over it for obvious reason, but looking it objectively, do you honestly see no issue with the pricing strategy??

[Quatschmacher]

1 hour ago, Kev said:

I understand why you're defensive over it for obvious reason, but looking it objectively, do you honestly see no issue with the pricing strategy??

I wasn’t really being defensive as I have zero input or interest in the business side of things. It was merely an observation based on what I’ve seen and heard from users. From what I can see, people who’ve wanted one have just gone ahead and bought one. Agonising afterwards that one might have got a cheaper price later if one had waited is just wasted energy at that point, irritating though it may be. 

[Al Krow]

16 hours ago, Kev said:

I understand why you're defensive over it for obvious reason, but looking it objectively, do you honestly see no issue with the pricing strategy??

 

14 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

I wasn’t really being defensive as I have zero input or interest in the business side of things. It was merely an observation based on what I’ve seen and heard from users. From what I can see, people who’ve wanted one have just gone ahead and bought one. Agonising afterwards that one might have got a cheaper price later if one had waited is just wasted energy at that point, irritating though it may be. 

 

I don't think FI need to be the least bit defensive! It's a very common pricing strategy in the real world. 

In fact every smartphone maker on the planet uses it. Ok the price cuts following launch were maybe quicker here might usually be seen, but that's FI / retailers decision and it totally worked in my case! I wasn't going to buy at the launch price, others were very happy to. 

Edited June 10 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

On 05/06/2024 at 18:23, GisserD said:

A friend of mine got a FI and hated it. I had assumed he sold it long ago... but no. He persevered and cleaned up his technique and muting. And now he's a monster on synth bass and his playing is better and more refined all round. 

He is not on here, but if he was I'd be tagging him to congratulate him on his progress.

 

Well done Kirsty.

 

That's a really nice story! Is there a good YT tutorial that you or @Quatschmacher could recommend relating to the improved technique and muting you're referring to, and/or able to provide a good summary "mini-masterclass" yourselves? 

[Quatschmacher]

31 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

That's a really nice story! Is there a good YT tutorial that you or @Quatschmacher could recommend relating to the improved technique and muting you're referring to, and/or able to provide a good summary "mini-masterclass" yourselves? 

I think I’ve been through this before on this thread. It’s a combination of left hand muting when stopping notes and the right-hand muting technique whereby when you’ve played a standard rest stroke, you immediately stop the ringing string with the other finger. These two techniques in combination mean you can get enough daylight between notes for the tracking algorithm to hear two separate triggers. Practise each technique in isolation using a single repeated pitch then put them together. 

[LukeFRC]

it's not directly linked to synth pedals, but when I was starting one of the amp manufacturers had a suggestion on their site that you practice everything firstly with the top end massively boosted and really trebly - so you focus on the attack of the note.

And then you cut all the top end and boost the sub so you focus on the decay of the note. 

With the extreme EQs it means you have to play cleanly... but it mean when using digital things like C4 I didn't need to adjust my technique much

[Al Krow]

5 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

I think I’ve been through this before on this thread. It’s a combination of left hand muting when stopping notes and the right-hand muting technique whereby when you’ve played a standard rest stroke, you immediately stop the ringing string with the other finger. These two techniques in combination mean you can get enough daylight between notes for the tracking algorithm to hear two separate triggers. Practise each technique in isolation using a single repeated pitch then put them together. 

 

Have you come across any decent examples of what you've helpfully suggested online?

[Quatschmacher]

30 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Have you come across any decent examples of what you've helpfully suggested online?

There’s an SBL video where he talks about Gary Willis’s right hand finger muting technique; that’s a good place to start, but really there’s not much more to say other to go and practise it until you can do it. Helpfully the FI will let you know exactly when you’re doing it right as you’ll get clean triggers. 

[Al Krow]

 

2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

There’s an SBL video where he talks about Gary Willis’s right hand finger muting technique; that’s a good place to start, but really there’s not much more to say other to go and practise it until you can do it. Helpfully the FI will let you know exactly when you’re doing it right as you’ll get clean triggers. 

 

I'll check that out,  thanks.

 

But is what you are suggesting, essentially getting at playing a more staccato note style?

[Quatschmacher]

3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

 

I'll check that out,  thanks.

 

But is what you are suggesting, essentially getting at playing a more staccato note style?

Sort of. You’re not required to play really short notes, rather just make sure the first note has been cut dead immediately before the second note is struck. The space between the notes should be as short as possible though. Basically there should be no overlapping notes. There’s not much to it other than that. 

[Kev]

48 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

Sort of. You’re not required to play really short notes, rather just make sure the first note has been cut dead immediately before the second note is struck. The space between the notes should be as short as possible though. Basically there should be no overlapping notes. There’s not much to it other than that. 

Does the FI have any portamento function to help deal with continuous play without notable glitching?

[Quatschmacher]

24 minutes ago, Kev said:

Does the FI have any portamento function to help deal with continuous play without notable glitching?

Portamento is a MIDI-only feature. (I have suggested a slewing function for the oscillators when triggering via audio that uses the portamento slider’s position. It is being considered.)
 

If you play stuff like hammer-ons you get a legato behaviour (pitch change without an envelope retrigger).

[Kev]

9 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

Portamento is a MIDI-only feature. (I have suggested a slewing function for the oscillators when triggering via audio that uses the portamento slider’s position. It is being considered.)
 

If you play stuff like hammer-ons you get a legato behaviour (pitch change without an envelope retrigger).

The Portamento on the Squeezer really helps the tracking out at moderate settings, removes glitches and give a real subtle glide when it doesn't immediately lock on, works a treat, especially when the Squeezer's tracking is less than optimal compared to the FI! 😅  Gets a bit silly on higher settings though, especially on the attack!  Full fretboard slides all over the place 😁

[Al Krow]

3 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

Sort of. You’re not required to play really short notes, rather just make sure the first note has been cut dead immediately before the second note is struck. The space between the notes should be as short as possible though. Basically there should be no overlapping notes. There’s not much to it other than that. 

 

That's helpful thanks.

 

So I would describe that as "a bass technique" but not necessarily one that distinguishes a good bass player from a mediocre one? Not sure it's something, for example, my bass heros such as John Entwistle or Geddy Lee regularly used?

[LukeFRC]

6 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

That's helpful thanks.

 

So I would describe that as "a bass technique" but not necessarily one that distinguishes a good bass player from a mediocre one? Not sure it's something, for example, my bass heros such as John Entwistle or Geddy Lee regularly used?

They probably would if they were using a FI or another bass synth pedal that was tracking the note! 
Dont worry about it, just play! Unless you’re a total beginner I think you will just naturally start adjusting your technique as you go. 

[ped]

This has to be a FI, right? One of my fave new bands. 
 

 

[Quatschmacher]

1 hour ago, ped said:

This has to be a FI, right? One of my fave new bands. 
 

 

Not sure, but could easily be done on one. I’m sure one of my patches I’ve shared is very close to that sound. 

[ped]

21 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

Not sure, but could easily be done on one. I’m sure one of my patches I’ve shared is very close to that sound. 

 

Yeah I'm sure one of my patches is exactly that sound, and it sort of feels like he's playing it on a bass by the way he's separating the notes.

[Quatschmacher]

FI4, MidiBeam and 4Control all up for consideration for the MIDI innovation awards:

https://midi.org/innovation-awards?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=MIDI+Notes+Monthly+Newsletter-June+2024&utm_campaign=June+25+MIDI+Notes+Newsletter+(AMAB)&vgo_ee=ObiZSoS8mb1Rq4HAfeZBCtKKiEiNlOBvZMq6JFmtpOcNgDmZ%3AwdqO8YzCcPKDJPgJYczdfGdV5GZDkBpf

 

that’s 3 projects I’m involved with on the list (Mortrix too).

 

Please vote. 

Edited June 21 by Quatschmacher

[Quatschmacher]

And since this has now been submitted publicly, users will be interested in this:

 

EXPANSION PLANS

The next software version will have pitch to MIDI conversion additionally to the current features; it will also implement the author’s patented ultrafast neural net based pitch recognition algorithm.

The operational system of the V4 software allows seamless switching between four separate application programs. Currently only two of these slots are used, next applications coming with FM synthesis, sample replay or multi effect section.

[jefbyos]

I got my FI V4 a couple of weeks ago and it's already a great pedal as it is. Knowing (even) improved tracking, FM synthesis and MIDI out are on the way, i feel spoiled 😀

 

What's sample replay ?