I finally got a real MT-32 :)

[farvardin]

Hello,

I got a genuine MT-32 today (first edition), I'm so happy

I'll still use my mt32pi for daily usage, but the real module is a nice addition to my setup, especially for future recordings!

the select / volume rotary encoder is not very precise and tends to fluctuate, maybe it's possible to change it later...

[Spikey]

Congrats for your first! Mine would have been in 2002, wow..

[jaffa225man]

Hello,

I got a genuine MT-32 today (first edition), I'm so happy

I'll still use my mt32pi for daily usage, but the real module is a nice addition to my setup, especially for future recordings!

mt32_2024-05-18.jpg

the select / volume rotary encoder is not very precise and tends to fluctuate, maybe it's possible to change it later...

Very nice! I hope you're loving the feel of the real hardware!

You've probably noticed, but to change the volume, you must turn it down to a lower value than currently set, before you can turn it up. That prevents other uses of the knob from causing sudden bursts in volume after them.

Since that's probably not your issue, the volume rotary control probably just has dust inside it, making it unreliable. I've successfully fixed the only one I've had issues with (in a CM-500), by disassembling the sound module (with its power unplugged) to access the rotary control from its back and spraying electrical contact cleaner into its holes while turning the knob's full range back and forth. It becomes less resistant to movement while wet but will dry quickly and the resistance will return to normal. With that, it should be like new.

You've probably noticed by now that the BattleOfTheBits competition songs for it tend to set the volume inconsistently, and even not always within a non-clipping amplification bit overflow bug range. That may be overcome with my qmidiroute patch, although not running GNU/Linux could make that a hassle to setup on a raspberry pi or other GNU/Linux computer. With it, the MT-32-digital-volume-overflow-fix-*.qmr files will edit, in realtime, the received System Exclusive messages which affect the master volume and part volumes.

If you want, it may take some time, but I can send you the BattleOfTheBits files I've downloaded after I pre-edit their volumes with qmidiroute. If you'd like that, just let me know. After all, you are the reason I got to hear all this new music for it, and I really appreciate that!

Thanks,

Lucas

[farvardin]

Hello, sorry for the late reply... I haven't noticed about this that you have to turn down the button to be able to raise it, it doesn't seem to be the case on my device (it's a first version). Anyway, I've managed to fix the volume knob (which is also used to navigate into the menu so it's better it's working correctly), after opening the device I've noticed the connector to the rotary knob was kind of loose on one side, so I've put it back, and "just in case" I've also put some contact cleaner and now it's working all fine!

I don't understand well what you meant by this volume inconsistency, I haven't noticed. Maybe it's because they don't setup the volume in the midi event list, but from their DAW and it doesn't export the correct midi events? TBH I've listened and appreciated many songs from the mp3 rendering, I have downloaded the midi files but haven't loaded them into my own DAW. If I ever want to do that in the future I'll see if it prevents me from listening to them, so I'll let you know, thank you.

At the moment I'm working with XG sounds, I've discovered an old synth I got for very cheap on a garage sale (yamaha CS1x) is XG compatible, and even if I like the MT-32 very much, the XG have more interesting sounds. But after I've composed something with XG, I wanted to adapt it into MT32, it was fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APwQTl6GChI

[jaffa225man]

Hello, sorry for the late reply... I haven't noticed about this that you have to turn down the button to be able to raise it, it doesn't seem to be the case on my device (it's a first version). Anyway, I've managed to fix the volume knob (which is also used to navigate into the menu so it's better it's working correctly), after opening the device I've noticed the connector to the rotary knob was kind of loose on one side, so I've put it back, and "just in case" I've also put some contact cleaner and now it's working all fine!

That's great, I'm glad you fixed it!

The only time you might have to turn it down before turning it up is after SysEx or CC MIDI messages set it lower than you had it set by the knob. It's a creative ear protection design so that moving the knob doesn't jolt the volume up suddenly to near where you previously had it set.

I don't understand well what you meant by this volume inconsistency, I haven't noticed. Maybe it's because they don't setup the volume in the midi event list, but from their DAW and it doesn't export the correct midi events? TBH I've listened and appreciated many songs from the mp3 rendering, I have downloaded the midi files but haven't loaded them into my own DAW. If I ever want to do that in the future I'll see if it prevents me from listening to them, so I'll let you know, thank you.

It's probably something you won't want to notice, and I'm just being my pedantic self. When sounds play too loudly, they click due to bits overflowing (being lost) during a digital multiplication amplification stage.

The problem may stem from MUNT handling overflow volume clipping more gracefully than the real MT-32 family. It's possible this bug is so annoying, that even MUNT's perfect emulation chose to fix it. If this is the case, it would explain why some of the competition's songs set the volume too high without noticing. With the CM-32L, CM-64, and CM-500 the problem is worse than the MT-32 because the MT-32 volume knob is able to lower the volume before being input into the digital amplification stage, while on the CM-* units their volume knob affects only the digital volume level after that amplification stage (which may have overflowed).

At the moment I'm working with XG sounds, I've discovered an old synth I got for very cheap on a garage sale (yamaha CS1x) is XG compatible, and even if I like the MT-32 very much, the XG have more interesting sounds. But after I've composed something with XG, I wanted to adapt it into MT32, it was fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APwQTl6GChI

That's very nice!
Yes, XG can be quite expressive and it's expanded from GM, while the MT-32 is pre-GM with very dated programming options. Either way, it's great you're enjoying yourself and using these fun synths to create music!