www.megadrum.info

I was going to post a new firmware version but I haven't had enough time to extensively test it.
So while I'm away and if you're interested in testing it here it is:


This is a change log which I was going to post along with this version:

Changes in version 20090919:

1. Added an "InputsPriority" option. When set to Yes the first 3/4th of Head/Bow inputs are given slightly higher priority (sampled more often) then the rest of inputs.
2. Considerably optimized some firmware internals which should have positive effect on overall performance.

so I was testing this firmware and ended up with a crash on my meghadrum while configuring causing me to loose all of my saved configuration settings in slot 1, heres what happened:
I updated to this firmware version and it installed fine, I noticed that all f my configuration settings were the same as with the previous version of firmware 08182009 and I didn't load saved configure 1. I made some configuration changes with my pads like normal, tweaked threshold, gains etc and saved to config slot 1 a couple of times with no problems.
I was changing midi note numbers to setup my hihat pedal and all of a sudden my lcd screen goes all funny with these funny crosses on the bottom half of the lcd and the megadrum reset itself with all new configuration settings. I tried to load saved configuration # 1 but it loads with the new configurations that are very strange, my Hilevel for my snare is showing 26000 which is really weird, all the inputs are at max curve now, all the midi notes assigned are all screwed up. I was scolling through the menu and noticed that there are 0 in all the curve settings which as also strange, these are just a few things that I noticed. I try to reset the megadrum powering it with the right key pressed and it restarts with a very high contrast screen and the rotary up/down dial is not funtioning but the up down buttons are working, I leave it for a few second and the midi led flashes and goes back to the state that is was in before the reset. I have now reverted back to 08182009 firmware and all the midi notes and curve settings are back to normal but I have lost the saved configuration in slot 1, guess I should start saving my configs to sysex format so I will have some sort of backup but I'm not sure how to do that properly. Thanks for any thoughts you might have on this, Kurt
PS- Do you think it's a faulty eeprom or a rotary encoder problem?
I tried to do a reset with the old firmware and the up/down rotary encoder wont function when I do this, it just resets with high contrast on lcd screen then flashes midi led after 3-4 seconds and then megadrum restarts itself with the copy right screen back to old configuration. I can adjust the contrast using the buttons but it still restarts itself, I noticed that when I have it in reset mode the very last bar on the lcd screen that shows all the vu meters is missing and there is midi activity showing on the vu meters but there is no midi led flashing until megadrum resets itself back to old configuration screen and my up/down encoder starts to work fine again.

I'm starting to think it's my atmega chip thats acting up? I try to restart with the right key and it wont restart correctly to get back to default using 20090919, 20090818 and 20090729 so I'm guessing that the eeprom is faulty. Can I reflash this chip with the isp cable or should I get a new atmega644-20pu. The one that is installed was programmed by synthex if that matters. Thanks, Kurt.

kurtus420 wrote:Can I reflash this chip with the isp cable

You should flash it with the ISP cable. But make sure you erase it beforehand (i.e. in PonyProg2000). You have nothing to lose since your configs in EEPROM have probably been corrupted anyway.

When powered up with Right key pressed, encoders are disabled.
Since you lost the configs in the EEPROM, can you do the following?
1. Power up with the Right key pressed.
2. Set Autoload to No. Let the menu go back to the VU meter mode which guarantees that the Autoload setting is saved.
3. Set NoteOff Delay to 210. Save the config to slot 1.
4. Power cycle MegaDrum. Are any of the settings messed up/different from defaults?
5. Load the config from slot 1. Are any of the settings messed up/different from defaults? Is the NoteOff Delay showing 200 or 210?

Try the above both with the last published firmware version and the version from this thread.

I have started redoing all of my configs so I'm saving them to slot 1 now. Here is the outcome of what you have asked:
1) powered up megadrum right key held down( starts at the autoload "no" screen as always with high contrast, if I don't quickly lower the contrast level megadrum midi led flashes then restarts, left/right rotary works but up/down doesn't so I adjust contrast first using keys only)
2) autoload is set to no by default then I let it go to vu meter screen
3) set noteoff to 210 then I save to config 2
4) Power cycled megadrum and all settings seem to be set to default with noteoff showing 200
5) Loaded config 2 and it shows noteoff 210 as it should
6) Loaded config 1 and all my saved settings from before this test are back as normal

PS-I reinstalled back to your new firmware 20090919 before I did any of this, I have always had my autoload config to yes in the past if that determines anything.

PSS- Made an isp cable just incase.

Hi dmitri, I was trying out the inputspriority function and was wondering if there is a way to implement this for each pad individually as it would be good for my toms but it doesn't work so well with my yamaha cymbals or atleast it makes it very difficult to trigger the edge or bell though I guess that is sorta the point?

dmitri wrote:I was going to post a new firmware version but I haven't had enough time to extensively test it.
So while I'm away and if you're interested in testing it here it is:

megadrum_20090919.zip

This is a change log which I was going to post along with this version:

Changes in version 20090919:

1. Added an "InputsPriority" option. When set to Yes the first 3/4th of Head/Bow inputs are given slightly higher priority (sampled more often) then the rest of inputs.
2. Considerably optimized some firmware internals which should have positive effect on overall performance.

kurtus420 wrote:Hi dmitri, I was trying out the inputspriority function and was wondering if there is a way to implement this for each pad individually as it would be good for my toms but it doesn't work so well with my yamaha cymbals or atleast it makes it very difficult to trigger the edge or bell though I guess that is sorta the point?

Do you mean that when you enable InputsPriority it becomes noticeably harder to trigger edges/bells on piezo/switch pads/cymbals?

Yes, this outcome came from using the same config that I used with inputpriority set to no. I get very inconsistant triggering while hitting the edge or bell, get maybe 3 edge or bell hits out of 10 and the rest all come out as bow hits. Whats your thoughts on the fact that I lost my configs that were saved out of eeprom? Everything seems to be working right now but in the past I have made config changes then the lcd screen goes funny, midi led flashes and megadrum resets causing me to loose whatever settings I was working on and putting megadrum back to the previous state before I made any changes. There is nothing that I can see myself doing that is wrong it just has a mind of it's own from time to time. Thanks, Kurt.

dmitri wrote:

kurtus420 wrote:Hi dmitri, I was trying out the inputspriority function and was wondering if there is a way to implement this for each pad individually as it would be good for my toms but it doesn't work so well with my yamaha cymbals or atleast it makes it very difficult to trigger the edge or bell though I guess that is sorta the point?

Do you mean that when you enable InputsPriority it becomes noticeably harder to trigger edges/bells on piezo/switch pads/cymbals?

kurtus420 wrote:Yes, this outcome came from using the same config that I used with inputpriority set to no. I get very inconsistant triggering while hitting the edge or bell, get maybe 3 edge or bell hits out of 10 and the rest all come out as bow hits.

So, are you having the problem when it is set to No or to Yes?

Whats your thoughts on the fact that I lost my configs that were saved out of eeprom? Everything seems to be working right now but in the past I have made config changes then the lcd screen goes funny, midi led flashes and megadrum resets causing me to loose whatever settings I was working on and putting megadrum back to the previous state before I made any changes. There is nothing that I can see myself doing that is wrong it just has a mind of it's own from time to time. Thanks, Kurt.

Do you mean you get random crashes/funny lcd/etc in normal operation or after firmware upgrades and trying loading configs saved with a previous firmware version?