Introducing firmware 2.0

Firmware 2.0 marks a milestone in the Woovebox' development. It further expands on the capabilities of the device in ways that rival machines 2x-3x the price and size.

The new 2.0 firmware coincides with the 2 year anniversary, and the release of two new minor mid-life refreshes (SE and Pro) of the Woovebox hardware. The 2.0 firmware is compatible with the OG Woovebox hardware. The SE version is near-identical to the OG version and targets price-conscious users, while the Pro version comes with a slightly bigger battery and extra accessories/cables to make it a true Swiss army knife. Both come with a strong, textured ABS plastic injection-moulded enclosure.

Highlights

Woovebox Expanded mode turns any MIDI controller or MIDI keyboard - even toy keyboards - into a powerful workstation.

• The sampler has received a massive upgrade with double the sampling time, revamped resampling ("skip back") feature, and more.
• Woovebox Expanded; you can now control your Woovebox from any MIDI controller, and turn a dumb controller - even a toy keyboard - into a powerful synthesizer/workstation.
• (select devices only; rev. 15B2, 15B2SE, 15B2PRO markings on the back) The MIDI port can now be used as a physical MIDI IN port.
  
• DJ FX; a completely new way of enhancing your song fragments was introduced to make your compositions sound even more rich and professional
• HiFi upgrade; the fruits of relentless optimization were reinvested in sound quality improvements across the board
• Sound design enhancements; the synthesizer engine was enhanced with some key new features such as two new filter types, a new LFO hold mode and more
  
• Improved preset & patch management; 170+ presets, new preset selection mechanism, improved randomization and a brand new randomization mode
• Workflow & UI enhancements; new workflow and UI enhancements make the Woovebox even faster to use, while simultaneously improving depth and capabilities
• Sequencer; new off-grid live recording, quantization and dynamic swing/quantized playback feature
• Wooveconnect 2.0; improved interface, support for uni-directional communication, freely selectable MIDI ports, more granular control over connection stability, and dynamic parameter help/docs display
  
• Tons of bug fixes quality-of-life improvements and outstanding feature requests
  

List of new features and improvements

Sampler

The sampler has received a massive upgrade with more sampling time, revamped resampling ("skip back") feature and more;

• Total sample time is now doubled to 2m04s; an additional sample bank (selectable in Song Glob page under 14/A8) adds another 1m02s. Note a song may only use one of the two 1m02s banks.
• The device now implements skip-back sampling (up to 11.8s) with auto-arm, allowing after-the-fact sampling of past audio (including internal synthesizer); it replaces old resampling feature.
• Random slice selection for multi-sampled kits; if 15/A7/SL.SL/'Slice Select' is set to "multi sample" and there are multiple slice candidates for the same pitch (e.g. 'tune' setting is identical), then the device will select one at random; for example useful for random drum sample variation etc.
• Streamlined vocoder with seamless switching between sampler and vocoder modes
  
• Stereo VU metering
• Peristent monitoring
• Mic/Line level selector persistency
• "Un-slice" (Init MStr) feature, collapsing all slices back into one master sample slice (useful when chopping breaks)

Advanced MIDI, control and sound module capabilities

You can now control your Woovebox from any MIDI controller and turn a dumb controller into a powerful synthesizer/workstation;

• (15B2, 15B2SE, 15B2PRO hardware revisions only - see back of unit) Physical MIDI In; MIDI port can now be used as input, including for firmware updates. Hold 9/A1 while booting to switch port to input mode.
• Woovebox Expanded; a new remote control expander mode allows remote control of Woovebox via MIDI, most MIDI controllers and allows even toy keyboards to be turned into advanced workstations. Three control schemes available. Sticker sheet included with Pro, available for ordering or download.
  
• Woovebox now functions as a full-fledged 16-part (1x 5-voice polyphonic part + 15x monophonic parts) multi-timbral sound module with proper note priority assignment.
• MIDI CC#81, CC#82 and CC#83 now map to play, write and value button presses(>=64)/releases(<=63) respectively.
• Value knob rotations now map to MIDI CC#96/95 as well as CC#85/84.
• Filter cut-off now (non-destructively) responds to MIDI CC#74.
• CC#75 now controls automation filter negation (from 0/full filter automation, to 127/no filter automation) in Live and Song modes for flexible (yet fool proof) filter performances.
• Now responds to pitch bend
• 2 MIDI channel mapping behaviors; track editing maps all incoming MIDI 1-16 to the active track, while song and live modes map the incoming MIDI channel 1-16 to 1/Cd-16/A8
• MIDI export; song and stem MIDI file export via Wooveconnect.

DJ FX & looper

A completely new way of enhancing your song fragments was introduced to make your compositions sound even more rich, polished, and professional;

• New, highly flexible per-fragment "DJ FX" mode allowing DAW and DJ-like sound and effects;
• Per-fragment programmable looper (including external audio), buffer freezer, resampler, overdubber using real-time dynamic 44.1KHz/16-bit/stereo resampling of up to four bars per buffer, with 2 (cross-bounceable) buffers available.
• Per-fragment programmable noise generator for risers, fallers, whistlers and more.
• Per-fragment programmable multi-mode (high pass / low pass) master filter, with selectable target (synth, buffer, noise, mix).
• Per-fragment programmable sine wave drone generator for drops, whistlers and more.
• Per-fragment programmable mixing of the above.
• Per fragment gater of DJ FX.
  

Sound quality & fidelity enhancements

By strategically re-investing hard-won DSP cycle optimizations, back into rendering fidelity and accuracy, the engine's sound quality and clarity were improved across the board. Or, in other words, you should find you that your Woovebox simply sounds "more HiFi" and high-end.

• Improved up-sampling interpolation performance and accuracy
• Improved virtual analog waveform anti-aliasing
• Improved dual-waveform oscillator accuracy
• Improved down-sampling sub-sample accuracy
• Improved automation precision
• Improved reverb
• Improved FM modulator resolution
• Minor precision improvement to distortion quality for subtractive synthesis algorithm
• Minor improvements to HardSync, TSFL and TWEN algorithms performance and sound quality
• Fixed inconsistent Hardsync algorithm behavior, and made amplitude of oscillator 2 a 5 octave pitch envelope for oscillator 1
• Fixed inconsistent volume behavior for TSFL and TWEN algorithms
• Improved Oscillator 3 quality/resolution
• Minor performance optimization to Warp algorithm
• Minor performance optimization to some FM algorithms
• Miscellaneous other minor performance optimizations
• More aggressive pre-emptive JIT re-compilation to better cope with DSP usage spikes

New synthesizer engine capabilities

The synthesizer engine was enhanced with some key new features;

• New voice filter type; "Notch" (two variants), rounding out the per-voice multi-mode filter capabilities.
• New additional hold behaviour for LFOs (use "negative" values for LFO hold); smooth interpolation between previous and next hold values - allows for smooth randomization of LFOs, as well as for complex aliased, yet smoothly changing, patterns and textures.
• Oscillator 3 is now used in dynamics signal path.
• Now allowing longer delays for higher BPMs (up to 750ms, or up to 1.5x sixteenth note length for BPM >= 120).

New presets and selection enhancements

A massive selection of up-to-date presets have been added, along with a new, easier way of selecting and randomizing them;

• Revamped patch ('pach') page and browsing mechanic; new, faster preset selection mechanic with pseudo patch names for easier identification.
• The Sound Category setting has been removed and is now implied by the preset selection mechanic (Behavior setting still remains).
• Eliminated pause & audio dropout when changing patches.
• Many, many new presets (170+) (full list here).
• Init patch removed from 'pach' context menu, and is now last item when browsing patches ('Init SaW').
• Improved patch randomisation with wider repertoire.
• New "I Feel Lucky" patch randomization sub-option; creates cross-category randomized patches for truly original sounds.

UI and workflow enhancements

New workflow and UI enhancements make the Woovebox even faster to use, while improving its capabilities;

• New context menu mechanic; turning the value knob while the context menu is up, allows for specifying a parameter (cuts down on context menu options, while being more flexible); indicator will show if more options available.
• Relative volume gain (1%-100%) can now be specified for volume raising functionality.
• Number of patterns to chain can now be set for pattern chaining functionality.
• Number of desired slices can now be set for the auto-slicing modes.
• Song dumping modes (song, stems wet, stems dry) now selectable using new mechanic.
• Song init now has three total sub-items; rand/random; usual behavior, basic; all tracks initialize as saw waves with most settings zeroed, MIDI; same as basic but with 1/Cd-16/A8 pre-mapped to MIDI channels 1-16.
• Ping-pong delay width now runs from 0%-100% rather than 0%-50% (percentage delay for right channel pong).
• Miscellaneous "predictive" behavior mechanisms pre-select any likely next context menu option.
• Upper ("Hi") and lower ("Lo") chord bank selection now requires holding CdLo/CdHi and turning value knob (instead of old CdLo/CdHi button press cycling gesture).
• Parameter zeroing out shortcut now works also works in Song mode
• Double-tap value button in song mode now returns to fragment where song was last stopped
• If not playing back song, switching to individual tracks from scenes or fragments keeps scene/fragment pattern index configuration intact
• Setting a parameter now shows a "virtual knob" visualisation to indicate current value vs range and direction
• Long-pressing button to get the full-length description text no longer switches back to normal view after 3 seconds if still holding button
• Battery level can now be obtained by holding play and pressing value button

Sequencer enhancements

The sequencer has been enhanced with some new capabilities;

• Live recording now preserves micro timing ("shft")
• New quantization option in Seq context menu if pattern or pattern chain contains notes with non-zero shift values
• Now always quantizing note lengths to grid to make note offs and legatos more predictable
• Swing/"Swng" parameter on a track's GLob page has been replaced by Groove/'grvE' parameter, with "negative" values introducing quantization and positive values introducing swing
• When live recording in dub or punch mode, pressing play will stop recording, rather than stop playback altogether
• Made some random pattern generators take into account length (e.g. for arpeggios)
• Incoming MIDI chord recognition on 1/Cd's SEQ page; any recognized chord will be briefly displayed and stored for optionally programming using regular write button programming mechanic

Wooveconnect 2

Wooveconnect has had an upgrade along with the device firmware;

• MIDI input and output ports are now freely selectable if auto-detect fails
  
• Wooveconnect can now operate in uni-directional input-only or or output-only mode
  
• Holding a parameter on device for 8-char "help" text, shows online documentation
• A stability vs speed trade-off control is now available for bi-directional connections, with automatic down-throttling in case of packet loss
• Device mirroring now happens in the same window as long as window/device is in landscape mode
  

Miscellaneous enhancements and bug fixes

Some long-standing feature requests, nice-to-haves and minor niggles have been addressed;

• SysEx-only song export/backup added (no audio rendering, MIDI export, or sample export)
• Renamed fragment retriggering patterns and added new fragment retrigger patterns and behaviors
• Added more gater patterns
  
• Fixed button combos (rotate + hold, hold + value) sometimes triggering incorrect behavior
• Fixed live/song volume scaling not being applied logarithmically for lofi noise (dynamic/"dyna" page) injection during fades
• Fixed playthrough logic for edge cases
• Many, many, many, small fixes and QoL improvements
  

Upgrading from 1.0

Make a backup of your 1.0 songs and sample kits. 2.0 is backwards compatible with 1.0 songs and kits, but 2.0 songs and kits are not compatible with 1.0.

Then install your firmware via Wooveconnect. Note that if you have a 15B2 or 15SE revision unit with version 1.0, then the more recent 1.0 firmwares should already be MIDI IN capable for SysEx (on 1.0 too, hold 9/A1 while booting to put the MIDI port in MIDI IN mode). This allows you to update your 1.0 firmware Woovebox to 2.0 via any standard MIDI interface, rather than wireless MIDI.

Important 1.0 vs 2.0 differences

• Chord types are now cycled by holding CdLo/CdHi and turning value knob, rather than pressing CdLo/CdHi to skip to the next type.
• Some context menu items now have sub-items or allow you to specify a value. You will see a "running light" indicator/cue when multiple options are available. So, if you seem to be missing an option (for example dump song stems wet/dry), turn the value knob while you have a related option up (dump song).
• Preset selection has been overhauled (now; hold category, turn value knob).
• Resampler has been removed completely in lieu of the new - far more useful - skip-back sampling.
• 'Init patch' has moved to become the last item in preset selection ('init saw'), and the undo option (used to be hold 16/A8) is now the first option in preset selection.
• Mic/Line-level selection in sampler no longer requires write + play to be held (e.g. just turn value knob).
• Audio input monitoring in the sampler is now persistent, and shows a VU meter in the bottom part of the screen. If the bottom part of the screen appears blank, it means that no audio is coming in at that moment.

Quirks, compatibility and breaking changes

Compatibility of your old 1.0 songs should be good overall, though fixed random seeds (7/hh/'SEEd' on a Song's GLob page) will yield different random value sequences in 2.0. Because there are some new subtleties in how fragments behaviors are reset, the "legacy version" parameter (8/Pc on a Song's GLob page) has been expanded to provide a 1.0 compatibility mode. Your "old" songs will automatically set this parameter as appropriate. Newly created songs will use "2.0" behavior.

Oscillator 3's signal is now also sent to the compressors/limiters, gating, side-chaining and ducking, these may need some tweaking depending on whether you were sending tracks with oscillator 3 to these.