High Level - strange phenomena SOLVED

[dmitri]

Sounds right. When lowering the Gain you need to lower HighLevel to achieve the same velocity output for the same hit strength.

[sbonasuk]

I have read this post three times now and still cannot get my head around it, I'm with airflamesred. The idea to my understanding essentially with the HiHat and ride is that to get the full range of hit dynamics the hilvl requires that you set it as high as possible with lowest gain (providing you have conquered the piezo not being too hot) so that as you strike most notably with the hihat the "one, two, three, four" being the hardest and the "and" almost a ghost note, there should be a discernable difference. My autolvl on the hihat gives me approx. 850 with a midi velocity of 118 no matter how hard I strike. If I lower hilvl the velocity goes up not down so that 660 gives me 126. (My cymbals are handmade vacuum formed acrylic with a foam strike area.) Now as I play unless the second hit is very soft I cannot hear a difference in the note.

So two questions why does the velocity go up not down when you reduce hilvl and what other settings affect how the velocity is altered.

Thanks

[dmitri]

I guess you misunderstood the problem airflamesred raised in this thread. If you think I'm incorrect, please describe your problem - possibly with your description I will understand what the problem is.
Anyway, answering your question:
1. HighLevel is a relative measure of signal level produced by a piezo. If the signal is above HighLevel then MegaDrum will convert it to MIDI velocity 127. If it's below Threshold, MegaDrum won't register it at all. If it's between Threshold and HighLevel, MegaDrum will convert it to MIDI velocities between 1 and 127. This is pretty much the same as explained in http://www.megadrum.info/content/pads-settings but in other words. So, consequently, with the same piezo signal, raising HighLevel will reduce MIDI velocity and lowering HighLevel will increase MIDI velocity.
2. Lowering Gain reduces MegaDrum sensitivity and vice versa. Consequently, with the same piezo signal, reducing Gain will reduce MIDI velocity to a point MegaDrum will stop registering it, and increasing Gain will increase MIDI velocity to a point MegaDrum will start false triggering without a piezo being hit due to noise.

The above is true provided Curve is Linear or similar and ComprLvl is 0 and LvlShift is 0. Adjusting Curve, ComprLvl and LvlShift can totally change MIDI velocities - you can even adjust them so that lightest hits produce velocity 127 and strongest hits produce velocity 1.

[sbonasuk]

Thanks Dmitri, I get it now, the construction as you rightly say is fundamental in the correct operation, hence the other question about piezo quality. The foam strike pad and the mesh also appear to play a major role in getting correct operation. The hihat is the hardest item to get right.

So to get the fullest range of dynamics, Gain 2 is fine with hilvl at approx. 680. What would be your broad recommendation for the hihat settings as a basis to make my own adjustments.

[airflamesred]

My autolvl on the hihat gives me approx. 850 with a midi velocity of 118 no matter how hard I strike. If I lower hilvl the velocity goes up not down so that 660 gives me 126.
So two questions why does the velocity go up not down when you reduce hilvl and what other settings affect how the velocity is altered.
Thanks

The velocity should go up when reducing the high level. Imagine dropping the high level to 100 you'll probably reach max velocity quite easily.

I've got one pad that is borderline annoying me.
I set auto high level and hit hard and get say 733. Then I untick high level and play but can reach max velocity quite easily. So I move it up to and past this magic 774 barrier and it just won't output a 127 velocity.

I understand that without anyone else being able to produce this same thing there is nothing that can be done, It's just plain weird. I'll try the atmega tomorrow.

[airflamesred]

Same pad on the Atmega works fine. 863 high level and 127.

[dmitri]

I understand you want me to look at it again, right? Then please start from default settings as I advised in viewtopic.php?p=28342#p28342 and step-by-step describe what you do after that to re-produce the problem.

[airflamesred]

Whilst I do apreciate it Dmitri, If my mds is not showing anything wrong and the problem only affects me then I don't think we need to worry. I have a working kit and I'm happy, so .....

cheers

[airflamesred]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW2lCOb ... e=youtu.be

[dmitri]

The video is very blurred and it's hard to see values.
airflamesred, you live not too far from me. What about choosing one weekend day to come to my place with your problem pad and your MegaDrum and we will try to solve this problem together?