MIDIbox FM V1.4

T.K March 6, 2011, 9:36pm 1

MIDIbox FM V1.4 has been released!

From the ChangeLog:

MIDIboxFM V1.4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

o PIC18F4685 only: CC assignment changes for Velocity/Aftertouch/Modwheel/WT
are now non-destructive (shadow buffers are used for all parameters)

o PIC18F4685 only: CC assignment names are now print on screen

o changed velocity/modwheel/aftertouch depth parameter resolution to allow
1:1 modulation of 4bit OP parameters.
E.g. Depth=15, Init=0 will control the parameter from 0,,15 in positive direction,
and Depth=-15, Init=15 from 15..0 in negative direction
7bit parameters can't be modulated in full range anymore, but this is
acceptable considered that OP parameters are more important to form the
sound timbre.

o Audio Channel selections now assigned to CC#13..CC#15 to avoid conflict
with Panorama CC #10
[/code]









Best Regards, Thorsten.

Echopraxia March 7, 2011, 5:26am 2

I don’t know what all that means but it sounds awesome!!

Now I really need to swap pics.

The OP changes you’ve made shouldn’t mess with already programmed patches right?

Also my banksticks won’t format or anything right?

Regards

T.K March 7, 2011, 8:10am 3

Yes, correct!

If somebody really used CC assignments in the past, he has to double the depth value - thats all

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Janis1279 March 8, 2011, 8:11pm 4

Hi Thorsten,

I made some changes in code for the pic18f4685 for the 4 x OP and 4 x INS buttons. These buttons look like working right now. But I don’t know how correct are the code changes total(y).

the code part from the cs_menu_buttons.inc :

before:

;; CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP1

;; movlw 0

;; rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

;; CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP2

;; movlw 1

;; rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

;; CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP3

;; movlw 2

;; rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

;; CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP4

;; movlw 3

;; rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

changed to :

CS_MENU_BUTTON_Ins1

bcf CS_MENU_MODE, CS_MENU_MODE_INS_OP

movlw 0

rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

CS_MENU_BUTTON_Ins2

bcf CS_MENU_MODE, CS_MENU_MODE_INS_OP

movlw 1

rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

CS_MENU_BUTTON_Ins3

bcf CS_MENU_MODE, CS_MENU_MODE_INS_OP

movlw 2

rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

CS_MENU_BUTTON_Ins4

bcf CS_MENU_MODE, CS_MENU_MODE_INS_OP

movlw 3

rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

CS_MENU_BUTTON_OP1

bsf CS_MENU_MODE, CS_MENU_MODE_INS_OP

movlw 0

rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

CS_MENU_BUTTON_OP2

bsf CS_MENU_MODE, CS_MENU_MODE_INS_OP

movlw 1

rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

CS_MENU_BUTTON_OP3

bsf CS_MENU_MODE, CS_MENU_MODE_INS_OP

movlw 2

rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

CS_MENU_BUTTON_OP4

bsf CS_MENU_MODE, CS_MENU_MODE_INS_OP

movlw 3

rgoto CS_MENU_BUTTON_InsOP_Cont

Where I can change the columns separation sign - " | ". Or how I can it correct to this view : " | ".

On the my LCDs I see “12” instead of " | " for the MBFM and for the MBSid.

In the previous MBFM v1_1 I deleted these signs in the cs_menu.inc , if I remember it true.

Thanks for your advice !

Regards,

Janis

T.K March 13, 2011, 8:04pm 5

To 1) seems to be correct

To 2) really strange issue, I never saw this on one of my own LCDs.

However, there aren’t so many lines which have to be changed:

mm:midibox_fm_v1 TK$ grep \'\|\' src/*
src/cs_menu.inc:	movlw	'|'
src/cs_menu.inc:	movlw	'|'
src/cs_menu.inc:	movlw	'|'
src/cs_menu.inc:	movlw	'|'
src/cs_menu.inc:	movlw	'|'
src/cs_menu.inc:	movlw	'|'
src/cs_menu.inc:	movlw	'|'
src/cs_menu.inc:	movlw	'|'
[/code]









Best Regards, Thorsten.

Janis1279 March 15, 2011, 7:49am 6

To 2) really strange issue, I never saw this on one of my own LCDs.

However, there aren’t so many lines which have to be changed:

mm:midibox_fm_v1 TK$ grep '|' src/*

src/cs_menu.inc: movlw ‘|’

src/cs_menu.inc: movlw ‘|’

src/cs_menu.inc: movlw ‘|’

src/cs_menu.inc: movlw ‘|’

src/cs_menu.inc: movlw ‘|’

src/cs_menu.inc: movlw ‘|’

src/cs_menu.inc: movlw ‘|’

src/cs_menu.inc: movlw ‘|’

Hi Thorsten, Thank you very much for your help ! And the main instrument page view I changed, too

;; STRING 40, 0x00, "Ens.|I|Ptch|Name | Chn.|Audio"

STRING 40, 0x00, "Ens. I Ptch Name Chn. Audio"

I have Bolymin LCDs .

Best Regards, Janis

Echopraxia March 24, 2011, 2:53pm 7

Just wanted to know if the 18F4620 will work as well as the 18F4685 or even at all? The 4620 is my only spare chip besides my 18F452. I’m assuming I will have to hit up Smash but just wanted to confirm.

PS Do you think that MBFM would ever need to go core32? :rolleyes:

Regards

Imp June 2, 2011, 8:21pm 8

I just found out, that it’s possible to create phonemes by modulating the multiplicators.

I first did it with an external envelope which controls the CC, but then realised that it can be done within the FM via wavetables.

Unfortunately this is not as flexible and fun as with the external EG, so may i request CCs as target for the FM’s EG and LFOs in a future release, please?

I’ll attach a demo:

[FMFormantAT.mp3](< base_url >/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=8841)

T.K June 2, 2011, 10:33pm 9

Very clever! Thanks for the inspiration!

Unfortunately this is not as flexible and fun as with the external EG, so may i request CCs as target for the FM’s EG amd LFOs in a future release, please?

Very difficult, as CC processing consumes too much time.

But I will think about a “slow-path” solution.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hawkeye June 2, 2011, 11:21pm 10

Hi,

very cool!

I donÂ´t have a MBFM and dunno if it is already/at all possible, but what might be an option would be to have a dedicated formant sequence storage, that stores the center frequencies and other mbfm synth operator parameters and then is played back over time, just like the formant sequences of the FS1R from Yamaha (which has 128 to 512 playback steps per formant sequence, each step contains center frequency, volume, and formant-shape which equals the “width” of the spectrum emitted).

As data entry is not viable or really a lot of work, one could maybe use an existing formant converter, this one is in flash:

http://blog.zacharch…ditor-in-flash/

“well, excuse me, princess” <- very nice

The converter is nice, because it also visualizes the formants and so explains a difficult procedure.

When looped, these sequences are able to create completely new (and evolving) un-fm-ish sounds, have a look at the “p11 Uuul-ha” preset for example.

The flash tool generates files for the FS1R (8 “voiced” + 8 “unvoiced” operators), but in my tests it already sounded quite good using only 3 or 4 “voiced” operators (all additive, flat fm algorithm).

I guess the generated sysex files may be parsed to strip excess operators and unavailable fm operator parameters for the opl3. If this would be realized, the very nice and professional formant sequences created by yamaha 12 years ago would be available for MBFM users…

Best regards,

Peter

Imp June 3, 2011, 9:49am 11

But I will think about a “slow-path” solution.

The WT is fast enough for this already, but i had to turn the rate up to 122.

A bit slower you hear the steppiness, faster and it seems to drop some steps on the way.

@Hawkeye: Sounds interesting, but you kinda distort the scale here

I can’t imagine that these sounds are possible with the opl, e.g. because of it’s integer multis.

All i could come up with so far were sounds like “Ja” or “Oi”.

Btw, here’s the patch:

[FormantWT.zip](< base_url >/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=8844)

toneburst July 28, 2011, 12:26pm 12

That formant patch is cool!

I don’t know if this is the correct place for feature-requests for the next MB_FM application version, but..

How about an extra Velocity parameter for each operator? This would allow for more dynamic velocity-response, and the Velocity assignment at the Instrument level could be used for something else.

a|x

T.K July 30, 2011, 5:44pm 13

Each velocity assignment allocates 3 bytes for CC assignment, initial value and depth.

But the patch memory has only 4 bytes free. :-/

Best Regards, Thorsten.

toneburst August 1, 2011, 8:06pm 14

I see. Guess it’s not going to happen, then. Thanks for getting back to me, anyway, TK.

a|x

T.K July 22, 2012, 6:50pm 15

Version v1.4e is available now:

MIDIboxFM V1.4e
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

o all drumsets are selectable again (previously only A1..A5)

o presets/midibox_fm_drumsets.syx has been overworked, it now
contains 16 *different* drumsets

o changed encoder mode to MIOS_ENC_MODE_DETENTED3
since it's compatible with most encoders
[/code]









Here a quick demo of the new drumsets:



[http://www.ucapps.de/mp3/midibox\_fm/mbfm\_drumsets.mp3](http://www.ucapps.de/mp3/midibox_fm/mbfm_drumsets.mp3)



(the superlow tuned toms are only audible with good speakers or with a headphone ;-)







Best Regards, Thorsten.

wicked1 July 22, 2012, 7:01pm 16

Thanks!!!

Thanks!!!

T.K December 1, 2013, 7:55pm 17

V1.4g is available:

MIDIboxFM V1.4g
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   o fixed SysEx import issue with OP Algorithm

   o added presets/bank2/funkybank-v1.syx to the release package.
     This bank contains 128 awesome patches which have been created by Martin aka. mburch

The new bank by mburch is a *must have* for all MIDIbox FM users!

Best Regards, Thorsten.

T.K January 28, 2014, 11:09pm 18

V1.4h is available:

MIDIboxFM V1.4h
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   o Wavetables can now be changed via SysEx when they are stored in RAM

Best Regards, Thorsten.