Analogue-sequencer

Hi Colin,

My brother is a trademark attorney, and I asked him about your name
Sequentix Instruments.  He says that you probably won't have a problem using
the name in your niche business, but if you want to be 100% sure you don't
get stomped on they can run a trademark search for you.  The only downside
is that it costs about $400 US.  I got the impression from what he explained
that it would probably be a waste of money, since the likely scenario would
be that another music electronics related company named Sequentix in some
local region would object to your using their name and they would fire off a
cease and desist letter and then sue to prevent you from using their name in
their region.  And it takes tons of money to do.  I wouldn't worry about it,
but if you have any other questions I can relay them (for free, he's my
brother :-).  He'll probably end up being a P3 owner anyways after he sees
mine!.

Keith

Mmm, I think I uploaded the previous build a week ago and was thinking 
on uploading to the latest one. But I first downloaded the sysex 
(patterns and stuff). I than initialised all banks and send the sysex 
back. Got the badblock X message...
Strange thing is, when I uploaded 3981 all seemed OK. Is there a way to 
check what version I'm running, At start up it shows 398. Does this mean 
3980 or 398(I don't show you)?

Gues I'll have to remove R3...

Tom

--- In analogue-sequencer@yahoogroups.com, Tom Adam <tom.adam@p...> 
wrote:
> Mmm, I think I uploaded the previous build a week ago and was 
thinking 
> on uploading to the latest one. But I first downloaded the sysex 
> (patterns and stuff). I than initialised all banks and send the 
sysex 
> back. Got the badblock X message...

Although I advise a pattern data dump/restore around a firmware 
update, it usually isn't needed.

Do you always get the bad block flag if you try sending the dump 
again ?
If you always get it around the same time, there could have been an 
error in the reception of the dump at your PC (or whatever you 
dumped to) when you made the dump, and that bad block is stored in 
the syx file.
When I finally get things sorted so I'm not building them myself, 
maybe I can get round to that 'proper' librarian utility that'll use 
the handshaking messages to guarantee a successful transfer...

> Strange thing is, when I uploaded 3981 all seemed OK.

Not all midi errors are caused by dodgy opto-isolators.
There are other factors, and if you have already done a successful 
update, it could well be one of those.
But for the most reliable midi reception, I'm now using 6N137 opto-
isolators, with no R3.

> Is there a way to 
> check what version I'm running, At start up it shows 398. Does 
this mean 
> 3980 or 398(I don't show you)?

If you hold FUNC+PAGE at power-on to enter firmware update, you'll 
see a 4 digit hex checksum.
The checksum is the only way to tell for sure which build you have 
running. But I don't have a copy of the 3.981 or 3.980 syx files 
here, or a note of what the checksums were. Can anyone else oblige ?

Cheers,
Colin f

(having email problems again - no colinfraser.com email received all 
day Tuesday...)

> Do you always get the bad block flag if you try sending the dump
> again ?
> If you always get it around the same time, there could have been an
> error in the reception of the dump at your PC 

I get it all the time. Midi transfer continues...
Even after removing R3, I get the message alternating with a checksum 
message I guess. It changes so quickly. But I can clearly see the end 
X.  When it ends I see the checksum message. (before removing R3 it 
ended withe the bad block message) Transmission was OK now.  This is 
when receiving Sysex so not during a build send. I'll try some more 
tomorrow.

> When I finally get things sorted so I'm not building them myself,
> maybe I can get round to that 'proper' librarian utility that'll use
> the handshaking messages to guarantee a successful transfer...

Would be nice ;-)

> > Is there a way to
> > check what version I'm running, At start up it shows 398. Does
> this mean
> > 3980 or 398(I don't show you)?
>
> If you hold FUNC+PAGE at power-on to enter firmware update, you'll
> see a 4 digit hex checksum.

8DF0

> The checksum is the only way to tell for sure which build you have
> running. But I don't have a copy of the 3.981 or 3.980 syx files
> here, or a note of what the checksums were. Can anyone else oblige ?

Anyone?

Tom

> > Do you always get the bad block flag if you try sending the dump
> > again ?

> I get it all the time. Midi transfer continues...
> Even after removing R3, I get the message alternating with a 
checksum 
> message I guess. It changes so quickly. But I can clearly see the 
end 
> X.  When it ends I see the checksum message. (before removing R3 
it 
> ended withe the bad block message) Transmission was OK now.  This 
is 
> when receiving Sysex so not during a build send. I'll try some 
more 
> tomorrow.

Ah... that sounds very much like you have a midi loop going on...
P3 sends an 'ack' message after a successful block receive.
If you loop the 'ack' back to P3, it will give a 'bad block' error, 
since the sending device shouldn't be acking the ack.

Cheers,
Colin f

PS still not getting all my mail - don't ever deal with uk2.net, 
they're fecking amateurs. Anyone know a good UK domain/web hosting 
company who actually answer support calls ?

> Pretty sure I don't have a loop. Only midi in is connected.

The other possibility is that there is no gap between one block and the
next.
It takes a few milliseconds to decode the received block, so another block
following right away might cause a problem.
What are you using to send the dump ?

Mail me the .syx file privately and I can check it out here.

Cheers,
Colin f

>PS still not getting all my mail - don't ever deal with uk2.net, 
>they're fecking amateurs. Anyone know a good UK domain/web hosting 
>company who actually answer support calls ?

seconded! uk2 suck.

colinfraser_com wrote:

> Ah... that sounds very much like you have a midi loop going on...
> P3 sends an 'ack' message after a successful block receive.
> If you loop the 'ack' back to P3, it will give a 'bad block' error,
> since the sending device shouldn't be acking the ack.

Pretty sure I don't have a loop. Only midi in is connected.

Tom

> Anyone know a good UK domain/web hosting company who actually answer
support calls ?

So far I have no problems with 1&1. Very friendly, good prices. Helpful
when necessary.

www.1and1.co.uk

Of course, now that I have said that, my website will spontaneously
collapse never to be seen again.

Regards,

Tony Allgood                           www.oakleysound.com

Oakley Modular Synthesisers      Penrith, Cumbria, England