Display and panel mode switch.

[TLW]

Not sure if these are bugs or really feature requests.

1. The display.

After a while the display no longer shows the current program name/number but goes black, which means it's possible to lose track of what the current program is. It would be useful if it stayed active and showed the patch name etc. when not showing editing, knob turns etc.

2. The panel switch.

At present this switches panel mode on but does not switch it off unless a different program is selected - it would be better if it toggled panel mode between "on" and "off" so making it possible to switch back and forth between the current program and panel mode. There is also no indication showing panel mode is on other than the few seconds the display shows the button has been clicked. The button blinks white when it's pressed but then get immediately dark. Is it possible to keep the button lit when panel mode is active?

I'm using firmware 1.1.2.398.

[Germain.arturia]

Hello TLW,

For the display, this current behavior is "by design". In fact it has been done to preserve oled screen. Don't worry, feature requests regarding this have already been logged in our database. Don't know what we'll be done , but for sure we'll think about it for next updates.

About the panel switch, let's give some explanation :

 You press this button, preset sound changes accordingly to knobs (pots, not encoders, nor master volume) physical position. The panel button itself now behaves in a "gate" mode. this is exactly what is perceived as a bug , because on previous fw 1.0.5, it behaved in a "toggle" way.

Please consider that the only way to "exit" panel mode, is to load another preset.

I hope this is clearer for you now. But for sure, for a future update, let's consider this panel mode and other stuff (we've got LOTS of feature requests internally logged).

cheers,

[TLW]

I thought the display blanking might have something to do with extending the display’s lifespan, no worries.

As for the panel switch I preferred the original way it operated, but that’s just my opinion and I can live with it as it is.

What I would definitely find useful is a way of telling at a glance and without having to interact with the synth in any way whether or not it is in panel mode. It can be very easy to lose track of things that aren’t clear “at a glance”, especially when playing live and there’s a lot of things going on, adrenalin flowing etc. and the fewer options I have for getting things very wrong - like finding I’m playing a bass patch when I expect a bright and bell-like arp - the happier I am. :-)

Having said all that, really they’re very minor issues and overall I’m very impressed by the Microfreak.

[AndyQ]

About the panel switch, let's give some explanation :  You press this button, preset sound changes accordingly to knobs (pots, not encoders, nor master volume) physical position. The panel button itself now behaves in a "gate" mode. this is exactly what is perceived as a bug , because on previous fw 1.0.5, it behaved in a "toggle" way. Please consider that the only way to "exit" panel mode, is to load another preset. cheers,

I can't see why this behaviour could be of any use that the previous "toggle" mode wouldn't cover. Surely the point of a "panel" button is to switch quickly between the current preset and panel modes? - that's how my other Sub37 works and seems completely logical. If you want it to stay on you just leave it "on".  Also, surely the panel button should light up when it is in effect, so there's visual feedback after the initial OLED message has gone. I can't see why you'd build a backlit button if you aren't going to use the light - this would indicate the design intention was always to be a toggle switch. Methinks this is a "bug" being called an arachnid..... (note that I'm fine with the screen going blank - I presumed it was to save the OLED and/or power, but perhaps a press of the "preset" button should turn it on again)

[Zachary Prochnik]

Hello,
when I switch to panel mode my minifreak is permanently stuck there even if I switch presets, the only way out is to reset all settings, pretty annoying.