Megadrum Config Tool (comming soon!)

[elrules]

Hi everybody. These days I have been having some technical conversations with dmitri. As I told him some time ago, I was going to start developing a config tool for megadrum. Well, after a week of intensive programming the application is starting to be defined. This is a look of the GUI

megadrumconfigtool.JPG

I hope that in another week of programming, the tool is ready to be released. Here I give you the list of features that will be included (and features that are desired to be included, don't know if I will be able to program them all ):
- Automatic updates of the application each time it is updated by me
- Complies with the new standard sysex messages that megadrum can send and receive
- Compatible with 32 and 22 input versions
- You can control any megadrum you have chainned (setting the chain ID in the app)
- The app is programmed in Java so it is platform independent (although I don't know if Mac can run Java apps)
- Load and save sysex configuration from/to files (all settings, only the hihat, only an input,.. as you want)
- Of course, load and save configurations from/to megadrum
- Load/save drum maps. I will provide with the installation ready-to-use drum maps for all the samplers I have (they are many )
- You will be able to update megadrum firmware within this application (you won't need MIDI-OX anymore)
- You can change the names of the inputs (only useful for those who have an LCD) in the firmware so in the LCD your custom names will appear
- Automatic update detection for new firmwares if you are connected to internet, and automatic update if you wish

PD: the install link is on page 2 of this thread

Bye!

[efbe]

- You can change the names of the inputs (only useful for those who have an LCD) in the firmware so in the LCD your custom names will apear

Fantastic...Can hardly wait.

I think the above is a nice feature, not to mention al the others features.

EFBE

[Synthex]

Very good !!

[japi]

Great!!
I want i want i want

[elrules]

I have been finding some difficulties with some sysex messages not being sent correctly to megadrum. But if I use MIDI-OX as a bridge, they are sent correctly. It must be a buffer size issue I think. I don't know if I will be able to fix it, so the program will not be completely standalone. It will require midi ox configured like this:
Config tool -> Midi-OX -> megadrum

instead of the desired:
Config tool -> Megadrum

Well, I'll keep on investigating this issue after I've finished the program, as now it works with midi-ox chained.

[dmitri]

I have been finding some difficulties with some sysex messages not being sent correctly to megadrum. But if I use MIDI-OX as a bridge, they are sent correctly. It must be a buffer size issue I think. I don't know if I will be able to fix it, so the program will not be completely standalone. It will require midi ox configured like this:
Config tool -> Midi-OX -> megadrum

instead of the desired:
Config tool -> Megadrum

Well, I'll keep on investigating this issue after I've finished the program, as now it works with midi-ox chained.

With MIDI-OX it'll rely on Windows, so it'll loose multi platform feature.

[elrules]

Yuhuuuuuuuuuuu!!!! I discovered why it didn't send the misc config sysex well. It was strange that I could send a "write eeprom" sysex and I couldn't send well a misc config sysex. So after double-checking all the code's lines I found the error. What a noob mistake!! Instead of sending a 7 byte array, I was sending an 8 byte array (with a null byte at the end). An error in only one character of my code was causing me to get mad heheheh

Now everything works perfect. So the software is now going in the right direction! And it will be multiplatform!

[gastric]

I realize you're developing this primarily as a computer based configuration tool. But I'm curious if there's any plans to add monitoring features as well? For example, users without a LCD wouldn't have metering available. In my mind's eye I'm picturing something along the lines of eDrum Monitor functionality where it shows levels for the hihat pedal CC4 data, metering for the gain settings which is useful for configuring the inputs and setting curves, etc.

[elrules]

...where it shows levels for the hihat pedal CC4 data, metering for the gain settings which is useful for configuring the inputs and setting curves, etc.

It is a great idea. It will be useful to have two meters, one for hihat and one for pads, and maybe two software indicator "LEDs", activated when you hit a rim (as roland modules have), and when you hit the new added 3rd zone.

The sending part (send settings to megadrum) is finished and working. Now I am struggling with receiving from megadrum as it is not trivial as I expected...


There is another cool feature I should include: a log window for notes and their velocities. That is a cool feature I have found in Roland TD12 module. You can see in the screen, when you hit a pad, a vertical bar that prints on the screen. If there is xtalk you will see a big vertical bar, and more tiny vertical bars coming from registered low velocity hits on other pads (xtalk). Something like:
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[gastric]

You could surely borrow features from a variety of sources including Edrum MIDI Mapper and eDrum Monitor. I've always preferred their main interfaces where you have a channel strip for each trigger so you can clearly see all metering for all channels simultaneously. eDrum Monitor also includes a separate "monitor" window where it details all of the MIDI note/velocity information generated which is good for troubleshooting triggering. I'm sure you could get very creative with the interface since the software is freed from the physical limitations of the LCD and buttons on the hardware itself.