New firmware version and improved Noise Filterning.

[dmitri]

I just released a new firmware version which introduces anew Misc setting - Noise Filter. By default the Noise Filter level is set to 5. The old noise filtering corresponds to level 0. As an example in my tests with Pintech 10" snare and Gain 4 I could lower Threshold with different Noise Filter levels to these values:
Noise Filter Level Threshold without false triggering and without pre-triggering
0 38 - old filtering
1 36
2 34
3 32
4 30
5 26 - new default filtering
6 24
7 22
8 15
9 14

When AltSampling algorithm is enabled Threshold can be set even lower. With Noise Filter level at 5 I can lower Threshold to 2-3.
I ask everybody at least give a try to the AltSampling algorithm as in my tests it gives much better results. If you experience any problems with AltSampling please report it so that I could address any issues this algorithm might have.

This new Noise Filtering algorithm has effect only on STM32F205 based MegaDrum.

[ignotus]

Hi, I went to try out the new firmware but I'm having a problem with the latest MDMFX - when I click on 'options' to open the MIDI ports, nothing happens, no window opens. I managed to update the firmware using an older version and hoped the MIDI port settings would be picked up by the new one without the need to configure them again (I've always had to do this though), but no luck, so now I'm stuck with default settings and can't load my configs... This is on a Linux machine BTW.

[dmitri]

I'll double check. Likely I built Windows and Linux packages with references to Mac specific library.

[dmitri]

Yep, this was the cause of it. I rebuilt and uploaded it. Please download it again.

[ignotus]

Cheers Dmitri, as quick as usual. I won't be able to check it till the morning but I'll let you know as soon as I do

[ignotus]

Ok, so now I can open the MIDI ports and upload my configs, but when I attempt to change the 'NewAlgorithm' setting, the module hangs and doesn't respond. I've tried changing it through MDMFX and directly in the module, reflashing the firmware, rebooting the module and PC... and same result.

[ignotus]

Well, I was trying to change 'AltSampling' (called it 'NewAlgorithm' before - don't know why) to 'no' because I wanted to test first with my former settings without having to change all the highlevels, but went ahead with it on (as per Dmitri's recommendation) and did some testing with the snare and hi hat. It works really well. The snare used to have occasional false triggering with hard hits and I had to find a compromise by raising the threshold or the Dyn settings, losing some hits with really light playing; now I can get perfect buzzrolls with no missed hits and no false triggering at all with hard hits. But the biggest change was with the hi hat. My DIY hi hat cymbal has a bit of a thick covering on it, and if I lowered the threshold to pick up light hits, I'd get constant false triggers, and to get rid of them I had to raise it quite a lot. I was even considering re-making it but now I don't need to.

Cheers Dmitri, excellent work, this has got rid of a few quirks that had been bothering me for quite a while.

[dmitri]

Can you please describe the steps exactly where the module stopped responding so that I could reproduce it and fix?

[ignotus]

Can you please describe the steps exactly where the module stopped responding so that I could reproduce it and fix?

It happens by just scrolling (in the module) to the 'altsampling' setting, and attempting to change it from 'yes' to 'no'. Or in MDMFX, with Live Updates, by clicking on the corresponding checkbox.

[dmitri]

Ok, I will check. Although I'm sure I tested it before releasing it.