Preen FM3 volume output levels

[ericd]

On firmware 0.92 - I can't update until I hear back from Ardi about how to get to the SD card (I got a pre-built unit from Van Daal. The case is nice but there is no access to the SD card!)

Does anyone else find the audio output level on the FM3 low? I have to pump up the amplifier to hear it well compared to other synth units.

I have checked all the settings both in the mixer section and the patch itself (just a pure sine wave) and it is definitely set to put out maximum volume, but is still relatively quiet.

[Xavier]

Hi,
 
What algo do you use ?
How many voices ?
How many instruments to the same output ?

All the carriers operator of all instruments have to share the output, so for each its divided by "instruments * voices * carrier ops for the algo".

If you want pure sinusoid with one voice, try ALGO1 (or any ALGO with 1 carrier operator) and set the number of voice to 1.
You can also use other output for other instruments.

Thanks, i tried and it makes me found a bug.
Instruments with 0 voice are considered active.
I'll fix that.

[ericd]

Thanks Xavier, that advice helps already, especially about allocating Inst to outputs.

Algo 1, only op1 on all other ops off (I call this an 'init' patch).

Inst 1 is loaded with this 'init' patch as above. Nothing is assigned to Inst 2-6.

Inst 1 has 1 voice, all other Inst set to 0 voices.

Using 1 voice for Inst 1 is louder than using 2 voices.

Inst 1 is assigned to output 1-2.

Switching the unused instruments outputs to other than 1-2 also increases the volume output. With Inst 2 assigned to output 1-2, the output of Inst 1 is quieter (even though Inst 2 has nothing assigned to it).

[Xavier]

Switching the unused instruments outputs to other than 1-2 also increases the volume output. With Inst 2 assigned to output 1-2, the output of Inst 1 is quieter (even though Inst 2 has nothing assigned to it).

That's the bug i described in my previous post.
Alocating 0 voice to an instrument does not disable it. It should disable it.

[Xavier]

I've reworked totally the output stage of the preenfm3 in firmware 0.97.
https://github.com/Ixox/preenfm3/releases

It does not modify anymore the level depending on the voices or instruments.
It also has an optional dedicated compressor per instrument to avoid clipping.
And it has level metters to visualize everything.

[ericd]

Oh this is amazing! Can't wait to hook it up.

The other feature which I'm really pleased about in FM3, that I only just stumbled on, is the ability to assign the midi note range per instrument. Using the simple looper of the Reface DX (or any basic midi keyboard/controller) you can create a sequence with 6 parts (7 including the DX's own output). Like a zone function on a keyboard but at the synth end.

I don't know if you can do this with the FM2 and I just never noticed, but it's a handy feature.

Who needs the OT anyway!