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Future Impact v3 and now V4

Quatschmacher

By Quatschmacher,
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Quatschmacher Grand Master

Quatschmacher

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24 minutes ago, jefbyos said:

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 ?

Andras hasn’t really elaborated on this one to me. I’d guess a pitched sample playback, based on what note you play. Could be a sample of an acoustic instrument or any sound really. 

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Quatschmacher Grand Master

Quatschmacher

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14 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

What’s going on here then?

 

 

 

Seems I may need to spell it out as my hint is too subtle: I’m triggering an actual DX7 using my bass! I’m sure you can work out the significance of my having posted this in this particular thread!

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Woodinblack Grand Master

Woodinblack

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8 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

Seems I may need to spell it out as my hint is too subtle: I’m triggering an actual DX7 using my bass! I’m sure you can work out the significance of my having posted this in this particular thread!

 

Well, it was a bit subtle as when I was looking I was wondering if this was the midi out thing you were saying about, or if it was just the sounds of the FI. Seeing as the FI is a synth its a bit hard to say.

 

But plastic on your keyboards - nice to see someone else who has pigeons in their room!

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Quatschmacher Grand Master

Quatschmacher

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On 05/09/2024 at 10:39, Woodinblack said:

So how fast and reliable is the tracking on the low notes? I am guessing not much on the B string, but at what point does it get reliable?

Have you played the V4? It’s as fast and accurate as that on the “accuracy” setting. Because it has to issue a MIDI note-on message, it has to absolutely know the pitch before sending so takes one wave cycle minimum. (Triggering synths via CV is faster as the gate trigger can be sent before the new pitch has been read (so functions exactly like the FI in “speed” mode where the previously-played note is used until the new pitch is detected).)

 

In absolute terms, the latency when playing a low B is always going to be 33.333…ms minimum as that is how long it takes for one 30Hz waveform to be completed. 

 

There is work in progress to further improve the tracking reliability. Depending on the note quality of the input note, the detection circuit can take a few cycles before it has determined pitch. The work should get it so it will lock on within a single cycle most of the time. During the previous round of testing the new algorithm was really fast but caused some pedal lockups on occasion. Optimisation work has been done elsewhere to reduce processor load so that should no longer be an issue. Andras is doing further detailed work on training the algorithm via a neural net. This involves training the algorithm on real-world samples of pitch input so that it can know which pitch is being played. It will also help to work out what situations might cause mistriggers and help to compensate for those types of input. It’s pretty exciting stuff.

 

Once machines become even more powerful, it may even be possible to do some kind of predictive analysis using only the rising portion of the waveform but I guess that’s some way off.

 

I had suggested some kind of tailored, per-user learning, where the users trains their own pedal user their own instruments/playing style. Again, probably some way off being a reality as it would require a chunk of memory I guess. 

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phagor Collaborator

phagor

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On 05/09/2024 at 09:32, Quatschmacher said:

Seems I may need to spell it out as my hint is too subtle: I’m triggering an actual DX7 using my bass! I’m sure you can work out the significance of my having posted this in this particular thread!

 

That's awesome! The holy grail FM bass synth sound that has eluded bass players so far. Could MIDI it to a Volca FM for a portable live solution.

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Makurin Contributor

Makurin

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hello! I got a FI4. this is my first experience with a bass synthesizer. the manual says "To a certain extent you must learn to play the pedal, much like you would need to learn to play any new instrument." It really is. he makes it clear how clean your game is. note tracking is very fast, I will study it, because the very principle of sound synthesis is not very clear to me, I use ready-made presets. I noticed that there are presets that track notes more successfully.

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Quatschmacher Grand Master

Quatschmacher

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8 minutes ago, Makurin said:

 

hello! I got a FI4. this is my first experience with a bass synthesizer. the manual says "To a certain extent you must learn to play the pedal, much like you would need to learn to play any new instrument." It really is. he makes it clear how clean your game is. note tracking is very fast, I will study it, because the very principle of sound synthesis is not very clear to me, I use ready-made presets. I noticed that there are presets that track notes more successfully.

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Sounds like you’re already getting good and useable results from it. 

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Kiwi Grand Master

Kiwi

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On 22/06/2024 at 06:26, Quatschmacher said:

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.

Can they do an arpeggiator with a clear attack and release for each step?  I remember asking for this last time and the V3 didn't have enough room for the extra code.

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Quatschmacher Grand Master

Quatschmacher

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8 hours ago, Kiwi said:

Can they do an arpeggiator with a clear attack and release for each step?  I remember asking for this last time and the V3 didn't have enough room for the extra code.

Do you rather mean a sequencer? How would you propose to feed an arpeggiator multiple notes?

 

I think it quite unlikely as space is getting tight again in the first app with all the new stuff we added and space needs to be kept for the tracking improvements that are in progress.

 

You can easily arpeggiate and sequence the FI via MIDI as is. Also, you’ll soon be able to use the FI to play MIDI synths that have their own sequencers and arpeggiators. Depending on how the latter work, it might be possible to stack the arpeggiator using single note input, depending on how the synth treats new notes while hold is on.

 

There’s more space in app B as it does not have the pitch tracking algorithm code as it’s MIDI only. Here it would be possible to add my paraphonic idea. Perhaps there might also be space for an arpeggiator, but would be triggered via MIDI only. 

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Kiwi Grand Master

Kiwi

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2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

Do you rather mean a sequencer? How would you propose to feed an arpeggiator multiple notes?

You know an arpeggiator doesn't work like that.  Alexander, Cooper, Hologram and others (Linn) use pitch shifting and delay for the timing.

 

2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

I think it quite unlikely as space is getting tight again in the first app with all the new stuff we added and space needs to be kept for the tracking improvements that are in progress.

I'm getting a sense of Deja Vu.

 

2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

You can easily arpeggiate and sequence the FI via MIDI as is. Also, you’ll soon be able to use the FI to play MIDI synths that have their own sequencers and arpeggiators. Depending on how the latter work, it might be possible to stack the arpeggiator using single note input, depending on how the synth treats new notes while hold is on.

But that means getting into MIDI which is a world of faff, especially since there are currently divided loyalties between 5 pin and USB sockets and extra expense in trying to bridge the gap between manufacturers preferences.  I also suggest an effects section in the Future Impact is a little redundant given how many users will already have their own preferences for effects anyway. 

 

I suggest the primary value of the Future Impact is as a generator of synthy waveformed notes either single notes or arpeggiated.   That output can then be tweaked via external effects (either in a loop or in series).  Adjustments can be made using knobs without the need to get on a laptop and access various menus and sub menus.  Trying to cover all bases (aha) in one pedal is perhaps self defeating when more convenient options for specific functions within the FI are already on the market.  

 

I feel the pedal should play to its strengths not offer features that customers already have.

 

 

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LukeFRC Grand Master

LukeFRC

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1 hour ago, Kiwi said:

I feel the pedal should play to its strengths not offer features that customers already have

Depends on the customer doesn’t it? My decade old H9 can do an arpeggiated sequence without touching midi 

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Quatschmacher Grand Master

Quatschmacher

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1 hour ago, Kiwi said:

You know an arpeggiator doesn't work like that.  Alexander, Cooper, Hologram and others (Linn) use pitch shifting and delay for the timing.

Keyboard arpeggiators do indeed work like that; you hold down multiple notes together and the arpeggiator plays each of the held notes in turn according to the selected pattern mode (up/down/up-down/down-up/as-played/random, etc). If you could send me some links of the type you mentioned, that would be helpful. 

 

1 hour ago, Kiwi said:

I'm getting a sense of Deja Vu.

Yep, it might have been more sensible to get even more memory/better processor from the outset. There are a few things in the implementation which were a bit puzzling. A lot of this stuff was done without any discussion with me, so when the first beta firmware came my way, I had to push hard to get some things changed which I thought, if left, would have made the user experience pretty unwieldy. Trust me, I’m very mindful of the end users in my approach.

 

1 hour ago, Kiwi said:

I also suggest an effects section in the Future Impact is a little redundant given how many users will already have their own preferences for effects anyway.

I disagree. Having inbuilt effects is very useful as they often function as an integral part of the sound design. Having an easy way to turn them on and off would be welcome though for when users want to use external effects. (The last in the chain can be disabled on the panel, but from the outset I’d asked for CCs to disable all and individual internal effects.) Stereo effects would have been better and for V4 I did ask if the output could be made stereo but they went with CV instead. 

 

1 hour ago, Kiwi said:

I feel the pedal should play to its strengths not offer features that customers already have.

For the most part it has been. I don’t use sequencers or arpeggiators at all but can agree that it would be a welcome feature for some users if it can be sensibly implemented.

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Quatschmacher Grand Master

Quatschmacher

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On 19/08/2024 at 11:46, Quatschmacher said:

If anyone is attending the Guitar Summit in Mannheim in September, Panda will be there and I should be exhibiting with them.

 

https://www.guitarsummit.de/?lang=en

I was hoping to be splitting my time exhibiting with Mortrix and with Panda over the weekend but have had to cancel due to more surgery due right around those days. 😞

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AinsleyWalker Rising Star

AinsleyWalker

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I know it's been discussed here previously, but I've been away a while and can't find what I'm after in here - advice on hooking up an expression pedal? (I've got a FI v1 running v.3.60). Do I need to use a midi controller to send the right CC message to control the right parameter (IE: cutoff) ?

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