www.megadrum.info

Hi all,

Seems like I'm not the only one having this kind of problems (e.g. https://www.vdrums.com/forum/advanced/diy/1214641megadrum-the-most-difficult-piece-of-gear-i-ve-ever-owned):

1. Whenever I'm struggling to configure the megadrum module via MDMFX, live updates turned on, it soon comes to a point where I'm experiencing inconsistencies.

First thing that seems to help: GetAll. The startup configuration in MDMFX is not the actual MD configuration, but presumably the last one saved by SaveAll. As a consequence, live updates will mix any values I change in MDMFX into the actual configuration in MD, but I don't see that.
Of course there's some logic to it, but it's surprising for someone new to it like me.

2. Megadrum doesn't remember what I configured in MDMFX after turning it off and on again.

Only thing that seems to help here: Menu Main -> All Settings -> Save to MD Slot. I suppose the ... Settings -> Get from MD/Send to MD functions in that menu just duplicate the Get/Set buttons in the Misc/HiHat Pedal/Pads columns? Those do set the values, but they don't store them.
Of course, again, there's some logic to it. On the other hand, it gets really weired when it comes to Send Globals (the button, at least): It's not possible to change the slot name that way (ConfigNamesEn checked), the one stored in the module just comes back. Is this a bug or a feature?
Is there any other way to store settings in the selected slot? With Save to MD Slot I have to be carefull not to choose a wrong number.

As you are using a VST I would just save the mdmfx settings on your pc. If you do make any changes then just send all.
You can set MD to auto load your config once you've got everything set up.

airflamesred wrote:As you are using a VST I would just save the mdmfx settings on your pc. If you do make any changes then just send all.
You can set MD to auto load your config once you've got everything set up.

As I understand it, auto load just concerns the physical device: Set to no, MD starts with a fresh default configuration, set to yes, MD loads the last used slot when turned on.
Otherwise it would have to communicate with the PC at startup. I don't see any provisions for that.

IMHO this usability issue is based on a simple terminological confusion: The concepts of "set" and "store", and correspondingly of "configuration" and "slot", are neither clear nor distinct (sorry, took to much philosophy lessons ).
It's only natural that something like that happens when a group of people builds a piece of software for their own use. In software engineering, you'll write a formal glossary to avoid it.

Just in case some new newbie stumbles upon this thread:

Here https://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3327 Dimitri explains how and when slots and configurations get loaded or saved, the sequence you should execute when starting MDMFX up and the meaning of the label colors.
Additional info for non-electronicians: EEPROM is the non-volatile memory built into the megadrum module, and that's where what Dimitri calls a 'slot' resides. Anything just called 'configuration' is volatile from megadrums point of view - the module forgets it as soon as it looses power. It may still reside on your hard disk though.