F8R 8 Channel Fader Bank with CV, I2C, and MIDI

Regular price $220.00

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IMPORTANT: USB MIDI Functionality on M1 Macs IS NOT CURRENTLY SUPPORTED. There is an unresolved issue with class complaint USB drivers

New 2.0 Firmware!

Online parameter editor: https://misw.us/editor
Edit Midi CC# per channel on USB MIDI and TRS MIDI Outputs
Set MIDI CC Range
Adjust I2C Leader/Follower Mode
Adjust boot delay
Improved I2C stability for Disting
USB MIDI thru to TRS MIDI

UPGRADE INSTRUCTIONS FOR 1.xx Devices:

Download the 2.02 firmware New 1 November 2021

press the reset twice with USB connected, copy the firmware file to the folder that pops up, it will confirm and the window will close automatically.

The firmware is now unified for F8R and XVI, to identify the device as F8R, DIP switches must ALL BE OFF

THE DIP SWITCH IS NOW DEPRCIATED, ALL FUNCTIONS IT SERVED ARE NOW DONE VIA WEB EDITOR. Mid 2021+ Devices do NOT have this switch

F8R is a 8 channel, 16hp control surface for Eurorack

Features:

Long throw LED 60mm faders
0-5V, 0-10V, -5 to +5V CV ranges per channel
Fully analog CV outputs
I2C communications as leader or follower
MIDI header for one output channel on the back of the device
I2C, MIDI, and CV can be used simultaneously
Available expander with additional midi and i2c outs
Dont forget to order an I2C/MIDI cable if you need one!
Green LED for Natural Panel, Red for Black Panel

Expander Available which adds 3 Midi outputs, 3 I2C ports

16HP Width, 20mm Depth
Current Draw: +12V 50 mA, -12V 40 mA

Basic Usage instructions:

Front:

Voltage Select switches: Independent for each channel. Does NOT affect MIDI/I2C data

Rear:

Power Header: Standard 10pin power cable, there is NO polarity for this connection. It can be connected either way

MIDI Out Header: This is a 4 pin header but only 3 or 2 connections need to be used. To connect to a DIN cable, either GND, 5 (to pin 5, current sink/aka -), and 4 (to pin 4, current source/aka +) should be used. For internal module to module connections, only pin 4 and 5 should be used. The ground pin is only for the shield in a midi cable, it is never connected on a midi input and isnt necessary for the short module to module lengths

I2C Header: 3 pin header to connect to other I2C devices in your rack, this is an unbuffered connection so cable lengths should be as short as possible (20cm/6" recommended). There are 4.7k pull up resistors on this connection

Connector for Expander: This connects the F8R to the I/O expander. The cable is attached to the expander. Note the keyway at the top of the part, the connecter will ONLY connect one way

FIRMWARE UPDATES:

Current Firmware Version: 2.02

Firmware update procedure: Connect the Mini USB to your computer, power up the module and press the blue reset button on the back of the module twice (quickly). A new drive will appear on your computer, simply copy the firmware file to that drive (it will give you a warning about copying a file without properties) and thats it. The drive will disappear once the file is copied and the module will reboot with the new firmware.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR USERS THAT DO NOT HAVE A RESET BUTTON ON THE DEVICE OR ARE RUNNING FIRMWARE VERSIONS LOWER THAN 1.0 (It says on the box)

To update these devices, the process is considerably different and requires the use of the Arduino IDE programming environment. If you are not familiar with the programming Arduino devices, I recommend using their "Arduino Create" online environment. You will need to make an account (or use your Google account) and download a plugin to allow the browser to program the device. You can alternatively download the Arduino software and set it up locally if you prefer not to use the online one. The online one is a bit easier to use since you dont need to install any libraries and its all set up with the correct chipset, you simply set it up, connect the USB, and hit upload.

The current sketch for the firmware can be found HERE

Default MIDI CC mapping for BOTH TRS and USB MIDI is 1, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Version History:

1.03 fixed midi channel on fader one set to channel 2

1.02 Migrated code to new bootloader

Open Source Licenses:

UF2 Bootloader designed by Adafruit Industries and released under the MIT License

Portions of the code used for this device come from the 16n Faderbank by Brian Crabtree, Tom Armitage, and Brendon Cassidy released under the MIT License