Future Impact v3 and now V4

[Kev]

Wonder where that idea came from? 

[Quatschmacher]

6 minutes ago, Kev said:

Wonder where that idea came from? 

If you want to go down that route, clearly MXR lifted a bunch of proposed FI features as their product manager has been hanging around the FI Facebook group for the past few years.

 

In actuality, folks have been asking for a pack of cover band presets for a while and I’d been trying to get them to do it. The success of the MXR finally convinced them that there was a significant portion of potential customers that they were not serving.

 

To be honest, I’m glad of the competition because it’s now given the impetus for the team to implement a bunch of ideas I’ve been pushing for for ages. 

[LukeFRC]

31 minutes ago, Kev said:

Wonder where that idea came from? 

Quincy jones?

[LawrenceH]

Exciting stuff, I'm looking forward to the release! Crossing fingers that portamento on tracked notes made it into this one.

 

Pleased so many of our suggestions on patches are on those lists - even though they're often variations on a theme from a synthesist's perspective, from a practical POV they cover a lot of useful ground.

[Kev]

1 hour ago, Quatschmacher said:

If you want to go down that route, clearly MXR lifted a bunch of proposed FI features as their product manager has been hanging around the FI Facebook group for the past few years.

 

In actuality, folks have been asking for a pack of cover band presets for a while and I’d been trying to get them to do it. The success of the MXR finally convinced them that there was a significant portion of potential customers that they were not serving.

 

To be honest, I’m glad of the competition because it’s now given the impetus for the team to implement a bunch of ideas I’ve been pushing for for ages. 

 

Yup, that's exactly why the MXR has been so successful.  Would be REALLY interesting if Panda changed direction fully and brought out something like the original Deep Impact crossed with the MXR, all the new tech, quality processing and tracking etc but with only a set number of parameters to mess with and all adjustable from the pedal.  Get a decent influencer type on board and it'd easily be as successful as the MXR, perhaps less so now the MXR exists but it'd still do very well.

[Quatschmacher]

28 minutes ago, LawrenceH said:

Crossing fingers that portamento on tracked notes made it into this one.

That’s been in for quite a while already and was made public knowledge. (The only downside is that it’s not adjustable from the panel as the controls were fixed years ago. I did suggest a set of secondary parameters on the dial and I fleshed out a decent UI for it but they didn’t go for it unfortunately.)

Edited Monday at 15:16 by Quatschmacher

[LawrenceH]

Excellent! I know it had been mentioned as coming, but at this end no idea about how they manage release schedules of various features.

 

3 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

That’s been in for quite a while already and was made public knowledge. 

[LukeFRC]

17 minutes ago, Kev said:

Get a decent influencer type on board

That's Quatschmacher isn't it? 

[Quatschmacher]

9 minutes ago, LawrenceH said:

Excellent! I know it had been mentioned as coming, but at this end no idea about how they manage release schedules of various features.

 

We were initially planning to release the update with new presets, portamento-on-audio-triggering, and onboard patch management features, but the big thing we’re working both progressed faster than expected but also had an impact on some of the things we’d added already. Also, as I’m having to rewrite the manual, I’d rather only have to do it once!

[Quatschmacher]

3 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

That's Quatschmacher isn't it? 

Don’t think I’ve got the headspace to learn new media skills; too much crazy life stuff being flung at me at the moment. If I could partner up with a video/recording wizard, that would help. 

[LawrenceH]

Wait so 'the big thing' isn't any of those big things?! Intriguing...

[Quatschmacher]

4 minutes ago, LawrenceH said:

Wait so 'the big thing' isn't any of those big things?! Intriguing...

It’s hinted at massively in my post with the picture above!

[LawrenceH]

Well I have my ideas, will wait to see what's revealed! But I'd have thought now is the time to do said reveal, what with the publicity/interest associated with NAMM.

[Quatschmacher]

1 hour ago, Quatschmacher said:

That’s been in for quite a while already and was made public knowledge. (The only downside is that it’s not adjustable from the panel as the controls were fixed years ago. I did suggest a set of secondary parameters on the dial and I fleshed out a decent UI for it but they didn’t go for it unfortunately.)

It is adjustable via the standard MIDI CC for portamento though. 

Edited Monday at 16:14 by Quatschmacher

[Quatschmacher]

Here’s a video demo of some of the forthcoming v4.5 features:

25 Years History of Bass Guitar Synths:
From the Past to the Future Impact V4.5

The free software update V4.5 for the V4 and V4 VIP models fulfills the ultimate dreams of all bass players. To complement the FI's Virtual Analog (VA) sounds there are now 99 DX7 compatible FM bass sounds. Importing FM sounds is supported in Yamaha DX7 cartridge SysEx format. 

Via the new Setlist Mode any of the VA and FM sounds can be rearranged in arbitrary sequence without a computer. It is even possible to specify which instrument mode is used on each program of the list.

Copying and swapping internal programs is now also possible on the pedal itself; indispensable for creating a variation of a program and storing it to a new slot.

The Factory Default Programs can be restored anytime with a press of a button and are now built into the firmware. 

 

Another new and much-requested feature is the ability to apply portamento to the VA sounds when triggering via audio.

Back by popular demand is the ability for the pedal to automatically switch between audio and MIDI triggering, depending on which input signal is detected.

The V4.5 software comes with a set of completely new sounds and improved tracking, designed to fulfill the wishes of musicians who want to play bass parts of famous songs.

Just as before, the software comes with a high-quality tuner, MIDI output capability to drive external synthesizers, CV/Gate output to drive analog synthesizers, and MIDI input to use the VA sounds from any MIDI source.

 

The new 4.5 software will be available early March 2026.

 

These are the sounds that we designed to cover famous songs:

 

VA:
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Ginuwine - Pony
Parliament - Flashlight
Herbie Hancock - Chameleon
Madonna - Holiday
Björk - Army of Me
Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Michael Jackson – PYT
Weeknd – Blinding Lights
Muse - Hysteria
Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain’t Nobody
Nine Inch Nails - Head Like a Hole
New Order - Blue Monday

 

FM:
Kool & The Gang - Fresh
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal
Madonna - Live To Tell
Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Mr Mister Broken Wings
Michael Jackson - Another Part of Me
a-ha - Take On Me
Madonna - Live To Tell

 

 

Some of the most famous users of the Future Impact:

Mohini Dey
Chris Wolstenholme (Muse)
Doug Wimbish (Living Colour and The Rolling Stones)
Bootsy Collins
Etienne M’Bappe

Edited 1 hour ago by Quatschmacher

[LawrenceH]

I'm not one for hyperbole (he lied, I totally am), but those are SO GOOD!! The DX7 voices are like nothing I've ever heard from a bass synth. 

 

AWESOME work Peter, you've basically ticked off all my wishlist for a bass monosynth, I raise my hat to you and the team! Can't wait to try it. And then annoy the absolute snot out of my bandmates with it at every opportunity.

 

Out of interest, the video mentions 'improved tracking' in passing. Is that compared to the current firmware or just to V3?

[Kev]

59 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

Here’s a video demo of some of the forthcoming v4.5 features:

25 Years History of Bass Guitar Synths:
From the Past to the Future Impact V4.5

The free software update V4.5 for the V4 and V4 VIP models fulfills the ultimate dreams of all bass players. To complement the FI's Virtual Analog (VA) sounds there are now 99 DX7 compatible FM bass sounds. Importing FM sounds is supported in Yamaha DX7 cartridge SysEx format. 

Via the new Setlist Mode any of the VA and FM sounds can be rearranged in arbitrary sequence without a computer. It is even possible to specify which instrument mode is used on each program of the list.

Copying and swapping internal programs is now also possible on the pedal itself; indispensable for creating a variation of a program and storing it to a new slot.

The Factory Default Programs can be restored anytime with a press of a button and are now built into the firmware. 

 

Another new and much-requested feature is the ability to apply portamento to the VA sounds when triggering via audio.

Back by popular demand is the ability for the pedal to automatically switch between audio and MIDI triggering, depending on which input signal is detected.

The V4.5 software comes with a set of completely new sounds and improved tracking, designed to fulfill the wishes of musicians who want to play bass parts of famous songs.

Just as before, the software comes with a high-quality tuner, MIDI output capability to drive external synthesizers, CV/Gate output to drive analog synthesizers, and MIDI input to use the VA sounds from any MIDI source.

 

The new 4.5 software will be available early March 2026.

 

These are the sounds that we designed to cover famous songs:

 

VA:
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Ginuwine - Pony
Parliament - Flashlight
Herbie Hancock - Chameleon
Madonna - Holiday
Björk - Army of Me
Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Michael Jackson – PYT
Weeknd – Blinding Lights
Muse - Hysteria
Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain’t Nobody
Nine Inch Nails - Head Like a Hole
New Order - Blue Monday

 

FM:
Kool & The Gang - Fresh
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal
Madonna - Live To Tell
Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Mr Mister Broken Wings
Michael Jackson - Another Part of Me
a-ha - Take On Me
Madonna - Live To Tell

 

 

Some of the most famous users of the Future Impact:

Mohini Dey
Chris Wolstenholme (Muse)
Doug Wimbish (Living Colour and The Rolling Stones)
Bootsy Collins
Etienne M’Bappe

 

Easily the most useful FI video I've watched, the formula works!

 

How does the FM engine track compared to the VA?  I got the vibe it definitely doesn't track as well from the video, but it could just be the playing/tracks.