Radikal Technologies Spectralis OS Update

PDF here
Update COD binary
http://www.spectralis.de/

Some highlights from the PDF:
"Version 1.0 Preliminary Info
New Sample Managment
The Spectralis now allows exchanging the sample set without rebooting. Samples, set to dynamic loading will be loaded on songselection. Samples, not used in the current song will be removed from memory. Memory cards will be enumerated automaticly. As soon as you insert a new samplecard, the sample-names will be added to the sample list in the oscillator section.
But the new functionality goes even further. Sometimes when arranging a new pattern you want to check other sounds by selecting a sample in the oscillator menu, selecting a preprogrammed sound or by using the randomize sound function. After loading a couple of samples the RAM memory just for testing if they fit the current arrangment would fuel the RAM very quickly. The Spectralis new sample managment will unload samples, which are only temporarily loaded automaticly. The Spectralis will hold samples, that are already in use by patterns of the current song but will unload samples, that have been choosen but discarded by selecting another one. That all works in background. With the Spectralis you simply don’t need to care about „Load-Sample“-menus or unload sample functions like on other samplers. By default, Spectralis 1 samples are set to „Fix loading“. That means that they get loaded on startup and will resist in
memory until you shut down the Spectralis again. This setting only makes sense, if a sampleset is in use in almost all songs. Fixed loaded samples resist in memory and the consumpted memory is not available for dynamic sample loading. For that reason, you should set your samplesets to „dynamic-loading“."

"FX Editor and FX-2
FX-2 has been added to the soundengine and both FXs are now editable. FX2 offers the same functionality like FX1. The FX’s algorithm is at the moment a Digital Delay with some nice extra features. Beside tempo synced delays and ping pong echoes the Spectralis FX section allows very cool moduation FX’s like flanging and chorusing as well.

On the Fly Realtime Recording
Realtime Recording can now be started without stopping the sequencer. The Spectralis must run in Pattern-Mode to start this function. Just select Record and start playing. For orientation you can view the bar position at the LEDs of the numbuttons. After selecting another part, you will be asked if you want to keep the new recording or if you want to jump back to the original recording. Pressing of „Play“ stops the recording but not the sequencer. Play just changes from recording to playback mode without any stopping. As soon as you left the recording loop, the dialog for discarding or keeping the recording appears.

Recording of MIDI controllers
Version 1.0 of the firmware allows for record pitchbend and modulationwheel data in realtime recording mode. The opportunity to assign the modulation wheel and the pitchbend wheel to different parameter targets allows for recording your filtersweeps and other parameters as well. However - the upcoming next version will also record the knob movements of the Spectralis panel.

Quicksound Selection
The new quicksound gives a direct and quick acces to your favorite sounds and drumsets. The quicksound function creates a new file on the internal flash rom called „FAVORITS.SBK“. This is a special mixed format soundbank that holds 32 Hybrid synth sounds, 32 DSP synth sounds, 16 drumsounds for each category kick, snare, closed.hihat, open hihat, clap, tom and percussion, 16 complete drumsets and 16 FX programs.

The randomize function creates new sounds by taking different elements from a number of sounds and mixing them together into new sounds. Furthermore, the randomize function copies the new sounds into a list with 16 entries. After creating some random sounds you can step backwards through the list to check always the last 16 random sounds you created. Going forward into the list creates new random sounds as soon as you have reached the end of the list.
Additionally the randomize function comes with a buffer sound memory. You can hold one of your best randomize results inside this buffer and recall this buffer later. By pressing prev and recall, you can compare the current selected randomized sound from the list with the one, you have saved temporarily into the buffer.

The Spectralis sports a Shuffle function that allows for bringing some nice groove feeling into your tracks. The Shuffle function can be assigned to 8th, 12th, 16th, 24th and 32th notes. The shuffle function always delays the second and the fourth note of a 4 note group by an selectable amount between one and nine 192th notes. The Shuffle Function can be enabled for different tracks independently and you can assign the groove quantize function to step sequencer lines as well.

Shift button latching
The Spectralis allows for latching and temporarily latching the [SHIFT] button now. That is a very usefull feature especially in Live situation, where you have to manage some shifted functions with one hand. Another improvement changes the menu navigation. You can set the edit menus now into a turnaround mode, where the last page in a menu flips to the first page by pressing the [PAGE-UP] button. Both new features can be activated in the System menu.

MIDI SYNC OUT
The Spectralis sends now Start, Stop and Continue in pattern mode and Start and Stop in Songmode and MIDI-Clock.

Easy Triggergroup editing menu access
This button opens directly the menu pages for the triggergroup definition of the Hybrid synth when the hybrid Synth is selected and opens the Part Mixer Channel strip when a DSP part is selected.

Easy envelope bypass control menu
The envelope bypass settings of oscillators and filters can now additionally edited in an extra menu with two menu pages.

Bugfixes
Beside long awaited new features, the latest Spectralis Firmware release contains a lot of bugfixes:
-Extern Sync was not working correctly with songchains.
-Default System settings were not saved.
-MIDI Controllers werde not fed into the engine, if the Arpeggiator was running.
-Under some wired circumstances the sequencer started to eat polyphony.
-Some circumstances caused note hangings at some tempos.
-Init Sound in Hybrid Engine created inaudible settings caused by cleared triggergroup settings.
-Arpeggiator Resolution above 96th notes caused note hangings.
- Missing samplesets caused delayed pattern changings.
- Stepsequencer target DSP part Kick was not memorized.
- problems when using more than one memory card with USB access."