Analogue-sequencer

I've uploaded a slightly updated firmware test file to Yahoo.
This adds inverse video characters in the top right of the display 
to indicate Play (P), PlayList Edit (L) or Pattern Edit (E) modes.
Seems to look OK on my PLED display.
Can someone with an LCD display confirm if they are legible, and/or 
offer opinions on whether it clutters up the display too much.

Cheers,
Colin f

> Can someone with an LCD display confirm if they are legible, and/or 
> offer opinions on whether it clutters up the display too much.

looks good Colin, legible 'n'all..
as far as cluttering the display goes; for me it's unneccesary as the 
info already shown in the display tells me where i am, so it's always 
unneccesay clutter but i can imagine people with less time to spend 
with their P3 will appreciate the visual hint, and in that sense it's 
subtle enough not to be annoying. and it gets canceled away when any 
editting is done so i'm fine with it..plus that the inverted 
character does look sweet. :)

grtz Chiel

On Wednesday 14 January 2004 23:43, colinfraser_com wrote:
> I've uploaded a slightly updated firmware test file to
> Yahoo. This adds inverse video characters in the top
> right of the display to indicate Play (P), PlayList Edit
> (L) or Pattern Edit (E) modes. Seems to look OK on my
> PLED display.
> Can someone with an LCD display confirm if they are
> legible, and/or offer opinions on whether it clutters up
> the display too much.

Oooh sexy! I'll try to upload that one into Boele's machine. 
Guess he doesn't mind. ;)

- Robert

On Wednesday 14 January 2004 23:43, colinfraser_com wrote:
> I've uploaded a slightly updated firmware test file to
> Yahoo. This adds inverse video characters in the top
> right of the display to indicate Play (P), PlayList Edit
> (L) or Pattern Edit (E) modes. Seems to look OK on my
> PLED display.
> Can someone with an LCD display confirm if they are
> legible, and/or offer opinions on whether it clutters up
> the display too much.

I'm running the test version now too. And my song data 
survived the upgrade. The reversed characters look very 
nice! A great help, imo.

- Robert

On 16 Jan 2004 at 9:42, Paul Nagle wrote:

> I can't seem to load the latest OS - downloaded it twice but each time
> I start to send from MIDI Ox, I get "bad block". Never had this before
> and I only really use MIDI Ox for the P3, so doubt any settings 
have
> changed.
> 
> any ideas gang?

Not your opto gone bad is it? Thats exactly the problem I had 
originally. Would accept midi notes, no problem, but wouldn't accept 
sysex dumps.

Just a thought.

Andy
---

Andy Wilson
http://www.techman.synth.net
andy@techman.synth.net

> any ideas gang?

just stating the obvious, to be sure; you've got the P3's midi output 
disconnected from the PC's input? a midi-loop during FW-flashing 'll 
return "BAD DATA"..
otherwise it sounds like what Andy said.

grtz Chiel

> >Not your opto gone bad is it? Thats exactly the problem I had 
> >originally. Would accept midi notes, no problem, but wouldn't accept 
> >sysex dumps.
> 
> Just checked my opto, seems the same colour as before but is a little
> sensitive to vinegar. 
> 
> OK, I admit I have no idea what you're talking about <g> but the error
> message appears right at the start of transmission. 

Does the previous version file reload OK ?
It could just be a mime-type problem corrupting the syx file.

Cheers,
Colin f

Paul,

> 
> Just checked my opto, seems the same colour as before but is a 
little
> sensitive to vinegar. 

Prolly shortbread crumbs too ;->)
> 
> OK, I admit I have no idea what you're talking about <g> but the 
error
> message appears right at the start of transmission. 

Sorry, forgot you were squeamish about getting into the guts of the 
thing :->)

It's the 8 pin Optoisolator at the midi input, a 6N139. It can be seen 
on this page

http://www.techman.synth.net/techman_website2_000033.htm

on the top left of the main board (second picture down).

Check Chiels advice first though!

Andy
---

Andy Wilson
http://www.techman.synth.net
andy@techman.synth.net

On 16 Jan 2004 at 10:17, Colin f wrote:

 
> 
> Does the previous version file reload OK ?
> It could just be a mime-type problem corrupting the syx file.

Of course, that's the obvious thing to check 1st . Doh!

Andy
---

Andy Wilson
http://www.techman.synth.net
andy@techman.synth.net

> >Does the previous version file reload OK ?
> 
> Alas no, it won't load any OS files now. I bet you're gonna tell me
> Aux events are ready to try now too, just to torture me.... 8-(

Hmm. You did change your midi setup round a bit did you not ?
Have you tried it with P3's midi out disconnected, to be sure there's no
loop ?

Is it receiving note data from a master keyboard ?

I would have wound you up about the aux stuff being ready, but I gave
the game away with my last progress report...

Cheers,
Colin f

I can't seem to load the latest OS - downloaded it twice but each time
I start to send from MIDI Ox, I get "bad block". Never had this before
and I only really use MIDI Ox for the P3, so doubt any settings have
changed.

any ideas gang?

Paul
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 09:56:58 -0000, "Andy Wilson"
<andy@techman.synth.net> wrote:

>Not your opto gone bad is it? Thats exactly the problem I had 
>originally. Would accept midi notes, no problem, but wouldn't accept 
>sysex dumps.

Just checked my opto, seems the same colour as before but is a little
sensitive to vinegar. 

OK, I admit I have no idea what you're talking about <g> but the error
message appears right at the start of transmission. 

Paul
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 10:17:15 -0000, "Colin f" <colin@colinfraser.com>
wrote:

>Does the previous version file reload OK ?

Alas no, it won't load any OS files now. I bet you're gonna tell me
Aux events are ready to try now too, just to torture me.... 8-(

Paul
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 10:39:42 -0000, "Colin f" <colin@colinfraser.com>
wrote:

>Hmm. You did change your midi setup round a bit did you not ?
Always.

>Have you tried it with P3's midi out disconnected, to be sure there's no
>loop ?

Did indeed, and also checked the MidiOx had no MIDI In selected.

>Is it receiving note data from a master keyboard ?

Yeah. As long as I set the MIDI channel to 1 - didn't install the fix
to that. 

>I would have wound you up about the aux stuff being ready, but I gave
>the game away with my last progress report...

hehe, you little minx you <g>

Paul
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com

False alarm... just returned to the studio, tried everything again
from scratch and the OS upgrade worked perfectly. 

The new reverse video indicators look fine. Can't recall what else was
changed but I'm much relieved. I put it down to sunspots or
extra-potent shortbread... 

8-)

Paul
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com

Might be a good idea to shunt the transpose field a few characters to
the left in Playlist Edit as currently it occupies the same screen
space as the display character.

I prefer the flashing LED that identifies the length and find pattern
selection better this way. Would be good (here we go) if when you
selected patterns that are empty, the colour or flashing status
indicated it somehow. When I do use playlists (rarely) I tend to use
empty (or no-notes anyway) patterns to add spaces or gaps in playback.
So spotting empty ones during a gig would be helpful.

But don't shunt it higher in the schedule than Aux events <g>

Paul (ducks and runs)
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com

I'm talking bollocks again - you need it how it is in case you use a
figure of minus 10 or over...

I'm getting old...

Paul
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com

> The new reverse video indicators look fine. Can't recall what else was
> changed but I'm much relieved. I put it down to sunspots or
> extra-potent shortbread... 

I'd put it down to my advanced telekinetic repair skills.

Colin f

> I prefer the flashing LED that identifies the length and find pattern
> selection better this way. Would be good (here we go) if when you
> selected patterns that are empty, the colour or flashing status
> indicated it somehow. When I do use playlists (rarely) I tend to use
> empty (or no-notes anyway) patterns to add spaces or gaps in playback.
> So spotting empty ones during a gig would be helpful.

Hmm. I'll check whether I have space in the playlist data to indicate a
step should contain a 'blank pattern'.
Otherwise, I could add a 'mute' option to the 'transpose' value, so the
pattern is effectively blank.
That would save you pissing about with empty patterns. Plus save the
space for another pattern.

Cheers,
Colin f

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 19:51:40 -0000, "Colin f" <colin@colinfraser.com>
wrote:

>Hmm. I'll check whether I have space in the playlist data to indicate a
>step should contain a 'blank pattern'.
>Otherwise, I could add a 'mute' option to the 'transpose' value, so the
>pattern is effectively blank.

I guess, although the length of the blank pattern is important to me. 

>That would save you pissing about with empty patterns. Plus save the
>space for another pattern.

I feel a LEXX moment coming on....

Paul (Rutger)
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com