Messages

16

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: User Waveforms

« on: August 16, 2021, 01:21:29 PM »

Thanks a lot for these waveforms!

I appreciate it!

Phil

17

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / User Waveforms

« on: August 15, 2021, 11:16:52 AM »

Hi,

I didn’t want to mess up the sticky on this forum about user waveforms.

I have tried Audacity and Adobe Audition on a Mac, both of which supposedly can export wave data as txt. But I just have not been able to find the option to do so in either of those apps.

I think I’m using wave files with the correct specs.

The menu path for Audacity mentioned in the sticky thread from 2016 doesn’t seem to exist in my Audacity (latest Mac version) and neither can I find a txt export option in Audition, even though the manual says it exists.

Are there any other ways to convert a wave file to txt?
Google search results all seem to be for conversion of spoken word audio to written text.

Alternatively, would anyone like to share their txt files for PreenFM?

Thanks,
Phil

18

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 display going blank

« on: August 08, 2021, 10:15:32 AM »

Hi Xavier,

Thanks for your help!

I ran the Sequencer on 4 tracks today with level meters on and the display went blank frequently (requiring MENU and -, auto detection didn’t work)

As soon as I stopped the Sequencer the display became perfectly stable again.

Btw, the firmware file I installed was the current v0.107. However, the Preenfm3 displays v0.106.

Regarding the TFT pins, I soldered the 4 top pins but used a connector on the row of bottom pins.

Phil

19

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / PreenFM3 display going blank

« on: August 06, 2021, 08:09:36 PM »

Hi,

I built a PreenFM3 a few weeks ago and have been very happy and impressed with it!
Wonderful synth engine, interface, and a fantastic variety of filters! Thanks for a great synth!

The one thing that is bothering is that the display occasionally goes blank. I know that this is supposedly due to noisy power and changing to a different USB power supply did improve the situation. I also know that a function was already implemented in the firmware that automatically resets the display when it goes blank. This works sometimes but often I still have to reset the display manually by pressing MENU and -.

My observation is that the display never or only very rarely goes blank when the PreenFM3 doesn’t receive any MIDI information. I can have it on that way for many hours and the display stays perfectly fine. But when the unit plays the display does go blank often. The frequency of blank screens seems to depend on the load on the synth engine (how many notes, voices, active sound channels etc.)

I’m no techie and I could be completely wrong, but to me the dependence on synth engine load might indicate that the cause isn’t noisy power. BTW, none of my other synths and effects etc. have ever shown any signs of power issues.

I doubt that my solder connections to the display are weak and I’ve tried numerous different USB power supplies and power outlets.

I'd be glad for advice how to solve this!

Thanks,
Phil

20

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 28, 2021, 02:03:49 PM »

Hi Xavier!

Success!

I installed the DAC boards and now everything seems to be working as it should!

Very beautiful FM sounds and the interface is really exquisite!
Thanks for such a great synthesizer!

And thanks again for all your help with the assembly of my unit!
Phil

21

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 28, 2021, 08:37:11 AM »

Hi Xavier!

I know now why I’m not getting any audio!

Remember that Van Daal hasn’t updated his assembly instructions to the latest board yet.
So I haven't installed the three DACs that are now on external boards, thinking those must just be some unneeded part!

I just saw your remark about the new DAC boards that need to be soldered in.

An adventure!

Phil

22

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 27, 2021, 02:05:37 PM »

The PreenFM3 is running now.
But I’m having two problems:

I’m getting the same occasional white screen as another person here on the forum.
Following the advice in that thread, I set the TFT config to Auto Reinit, which may have helped a little, as the display seemed to become white sooner without the auto reinit. But the screen still goes white after a while (sometimes a long time) without coming back by itself. Pushing MENU plus - then brings the screen back. Other than that, I’m not getting any corrupted display characters, like the other person.

The second problem is that I’m not getting any audio from any of the output jacks. The synth receives MIDI and the mixer page shows an output signal, as does the oscilloscope on the edit pages. I set output to the various jacks and also set the volume on the mixer page. But I have zero audio signal on the output jacks. This is the case with the default sound, as well as with loaded patches. And I tested it with cables and a mixer that definitely work.

I found forum threads about no audio on PreenFM2 but find it difficult to apply the answers to the PreenFM3.

I’d be very glad for help with this!

Thanks,

Phil

23

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 27, 2021, 12:10:54 PM »

Hi Xavier!

I resoldered the SD card socket on the TFT board.

The SD card error has disappeared!

Thanks!!

Phil

24

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 27, 2021, 11:41:04 AM »

Hi Xavier!

I had used the SD formatter.
Does it matter which name the SD card is given?

Could you please tell me which files should be in the root of the SD card and which should be in the /pfm3/ folder?

I put the same files in the root of the SD card and additionally also in the /pfm3/ folder:

flash_bootloader.cmd
flash_firmware.cmd
p3_0_107.bin
p3_boot_1_07.bin

These are the exact names of the extracted files from the zip file.
Is it possible that the difference _107.bin versus 1_07.bin is a typo in one of the files names?

In addition, I have a DX7 folder in the pfm3 folder with some sysex patch files.

Thanks,
Phil

25

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 27, 2021, 10:23:18 AM »

Hi Xavier!

It was the missing TFT VCC to 5v. Now the PreenFM3 starts up fine!

I’m getting a brief "SD card error #6#" after which everything looks fine.
Any idea what might be causing this error?

Thanks for your very valuable help!

Phil

26

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 26, 2021, 10:38:49 PM »

Interesting! The v1.6 mainboard has a slot for the TFT Vcc setting 5v vs 3.3v, but the assembly instructions didn’t do anything with it. Should I solder a dual pin in the 5v position and put a jumper on it? Photo is attached.

And to make sure I understand: You are saying that I can ignore the error message during the flashing of the bootloader process, because the blinking blue LED indicates that the flashing was successful, right?

Thanks for your help!
Phil

27

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 26, 2021, 09:11:40 PM »

Ouch, do I understand this correctly that the flashing of the bootloader will simply not work via browser on MacOS?
Is my only option the strange looking dfu-util?

Phil

28

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 26, 2021, 08:54:40 PM »

Hi Xavier,

I actually misunderstood the flashing of the bootloader process.

I tried it with Chrome now but got an error message during the process:

"DFU GETSTATUS failed: ControlTransferIn failed: NetworkError: A transfer error has occurred."
"Done!"

I do get a blinking blue LED now. After switching the Boot0 pin jumper over to GND, the TFT display turns on all white but nothing else happens. The PreenFM software editor now recognizes the connected PreenFM3 and can pull a patch from the unit. But the display just stays all white.

Thanks for any help with this!
Phil

29

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / Re: PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 26, 2021, 07:42:27 PM »

Hi Xavier,

Thanks for your reply!

No blue LED is lit or blinking.

Did I do the right thing to put the bootloader and firmware .cmd and .bin files in the root folder of the SD card? (I actually put copies of those files also in the pfm3 folder, just to be sure)

Please see the Boot0 pins in the attached photo, which I connected as described in Van Daal manual.

Thanks,
Phil

30

preenfm2 and preenfm3 / [solved] PreenFM3 new built problem

« on: June 26, 2021, 06:13:35 PM »

Hi,

I received my PreenFM3 DIY kit from Van Daal today!

After assembly, the synth doesn’t seem to start up.
I am completely new to DIY synths, so it’s quite possible that I messed up something!

The only signs of life my PreenFM3 currently shows are a lit green and orange LED on the mainboard.
I’m powering it via an Apple iPhone USB charger. I also tried a different USB charger with higher output. Same result.
The SD card, formatted to FAT32, contains the flash_bootloader.cmd and firmware files, plus their bin files.

There are some discrepancies between the current boards and the assembly instructions by Van Daal. A few times I had to scratch my head a little before continuing. My kit came with the 1.6 mainboard and 1.2 controlboard.

I’m listing the important discrepancies, in case I messed up there:

- Page 1 of the assembly instructions shows a 2pin header with jumper that needs to be connected to USB Ground. This is missing on the 1.6 mainboard, so I didn’t do anything with the extra provided 2pin and jumper.
- Page 3 shows a 'Solder Wire Jumper' that doesn’t seem to exist on the 1.2 controlboard.
- Page 3 gives instructions for the placement of an 'Isolator Washer.' I did not use the provided washer and could not identify any purpose for it with the current boards.
- Page 4 shows the TFT installation. My kit included various pin thingies, supposedly as alternative means to deal with the TFT as there would be no other use for all of these except to handle the TFT.

I would be very glad for any advice anyone on this forum can give!
Please have mercy, if I did something foolish!

Thanks,
Phil