Messages

1

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: Emulating DX7 Style Operator Feedback (a potential workaround suggestion)

« on: May 17, 2020, 05:47:39 PM »

Listening to a DX7 at different feedback levels, you don't hear a difference really until you get up to 5.  You really only need 3 slots, for feedback levels of 5, 6, and 7.

2

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: Loading New DX7 Patches into the unit

« on: February 02, 2020, 10:30:21 PM »

You load patches onto the USB drive in the Preen by holding down the ENG button (top left) when you power it on.  Press ENG again and wait a minute for it to connect to your computer (it's slow, just wait).  Now you can load the patches onto the USB into the DX7 folder.  I loaded a massive number of patch banks into a sub-folder, then moved groups of banks into the DX7 root folder to test them out. 

Press a button on the Preen to un-mount the USB, then reboot the Preen by pressing MENU (right lower button).

Now you can MENU, LOAD, BANK, Select-a-Bank, Select-a-Patch and test one out.

Once you get done testing the banks in the DX7 folder, repeat the process to test another set out.

3

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: FS1R Formants and FM-X on the PreenFM2

« on: January 21, 2020, 03:40:37 PM »

Some.  I recorded the FMX waveforms and handed them off to Aaron.  I haven't heard back yet.  I've been working with the PreenFM2, made a set of patch banks from the Dexed library, made a nice acoustic guitar patch Saturday.  Still need to try formants out though.

4

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: preenfm2 editor 2.11.2 - standalone/vst2/vst3/Audio unit

« on: January 05, 2020, 11:16:29 PM »

Superb!  You're support is absolutely tremendous!  Thanks Xavier!

5

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: No Sustain Modulator Destination?

« on: January 05, 2020, 11:14:05 PM »

Well, I'm using Decay right now.  I could use Sustain if you get around to it.
If you've played a piano or guitar, the high notes die away faster than the middle and low notes.  An instrument patch sounds more like a real acoustic instrument if you set the patch up so the Decay/Sustain shortens as the notes get higher.  Otherwise, it sounds more like an electric piano or electric guitar.  LevelScaling on the original DX7 is similar, it lowers/increases the number of harmonics in different keyboard ranges for the same reason.

And thanks for the update!!  I headed off to get it right now!

6

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: New Patch Banks

« on: January 05, 2020, 11:11:58 PM »

You're welcome, guys.  Some of the acoustic instrument patches need some help.  I'm trying to fix the best piano patch and create an acoustic guitar patch.  We'll see what I come up with.

7

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / No Sustain Modulator Destination?

« on: January 05, 2020, 08:43:51 PM »

Hi guys,  Twice now I've gone looking for the Carrier/Modulator Sustain modifier and it doesn't exist.  We have Attack, Decay, and Release, but no Sustain modulator?  I'm working on a Steel String Guitar patch and I wanted to modify the ring down time on the patch for high notes using the Note1-Scaling.  I had to redo the envelopes from a sharp Attack, sharp Decay, long Sustain to sharp Attack, long Decay, no Sustain because there isn't a Sustain Note1 modulator destination.  The patch sounds ok, but it's not quite what I wanted.

Is there a reason why there is no Sustain time modifier?  I needed it on a piano patch also, but it doesn't exist.

8

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: Final Build Question & Display Issue[Update]

« on: January 05, 2020, 06:20:09 AM »

Just looking at your photos, the second photo has me a bit concerned.  The solder in between the points looks like it's touching in a couple of spots.  It may just be the photo, but you should check it.  You might try doing a continuity resistance check between each pair of adjacent pins to see if the pins are separate, that the solder isn't cross connecting the pins.

9

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / New Patch Banks

« on: January 03, 2020, 08:59:01 PM »

Hi Guys,  I've been digging through the Dexed_cart_1.0 patch library, the sorted instruments section looking for high quality, unique patches.  For named instruments I went after patches that sounded more like real instruments, for synth patches I went after unique ones.  There are hundreds of duplicates in the Dexed library, and thousands that sound pretty much the same.  There are WAY too many modified sawtooth patches in there.  I kept the unique ones and threw out the rest.  So... I cut the sorted instruments down to just 400 patches from over 30,000.   Massive task, only took a couple of days.  Luckily the PreenFM2 firmware allows us to preview patches very quickly, you can go through a bank of 32 patches in about 30 seconds if you don't stop.  As musicians, we can pick out the one good one in a hundred pretty easily by ear. 

Anyway, there are anywhere from 10 to 20 patches in each Bank/category, for a total of about 400.  Plenty of room in each bank to add your own.  Now, if anyone asks you "can the PreenFm2 do a Rhodes Electric Piano patch" you can find one easily.
Cheers!

10

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: diff between preenfm and preenfm2

« on: December 29, 2019, 09:24:22 PM »

Biggest differences are:
     PreenFM       PreenFM2
Parts:   1                 4      mono vs multi-timbre
Poly:    8                14      more notes
Algs:    9                27      more algorithms

11

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: preenfm2 editor 2.11.1 (Windows only for the moment)

« on: December 27, 2019, 10:53:19 PM »

I found an error in loading DX7 patches.  When the Sustain and/or Release values are huge like when they're both 16.0, they both load as 1.0 into the editor.  The patch plays correctly, but the editor display is wrong.  One or both of the 16.0 values is truncated to 1.0.
 When I edit the errant operator from within the editor, the instrument sound changes to match the new values.  I suspect when the total width of the combined time values in seconds is too big for the display, it truncates the values. 

It would be better if the Sustain value was retained and the Release time value was truncated in all cases.  Most of the time the Release Level is 0.0 anyway so the time setting doesn't matter.

I was really confused there for a while.

12

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: preenfm2 editor 2.11.1 (Windows only for the moment)

« on: December 27, 2019, 01:37:58 AM »

Hi Guys, On the Mix1,2,3 etc Dials I need a number value just like the IM1 Main Dial has.  I'm converting patches from my FS1R and I'm shooting in the dark on the mix values.  I can get it in the ball park, but it would be helpful if I could see the numerical value as well.
Thanks.

I'm trying to map Mix values to FS1R volume levels, but without a numerical display it's really hard to do.  I've also came to the conclusion that it's too much work to convert patches by hand, and the differences between the synthesizers makes the results somewhat less than satisfactory.  It's better to develop patches directly on the synthesizer you intend on playing them on, they end up sounding better than an imported patch.  Anyway, back to work/play!

13

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: Display weird "12" char

« on: December 24, 2019, 07:24:35 AM »

OK, I removed the face plate and looked at the OLED Display, but there aren't any markings on the front or sides.  The way the header is soldered in, I can't remove the display without un-soldering the 16 pin header.  The display face frame looks exactly like the form factor of a Newhaven display, either NHD-0420DZ-NSW-BBW or the similar NHD-0420D3Z-NSW-BBW-V3.  Looking through the display manual, I can't see how you get a '12' in a single character position without creating a custom character.  The '|' character is in the table where a '12' is not.  You should be able to access the vertical line character without using a custom one.

It's usable as is, it just looks odd.  Now that I know it's supposed to be a vertical line, I can work around it for now.

14

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: Display weird "12" char

« on: December 23, 2019, 03:49:38 PM »

Hmm.  2.08 has the same thing.  I'll take the case off and see if I can see any I'd numbers on the display tomorrow.

15

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: ADSR Conversion

« on: December 23, 2019, 03:45:35 PM »

Excellent!  That makes it easier for me to go from my FS1R to my PreenFM2.  Thanks!