Have a problem with my AMBIKA

Discontinued products Ambika
#1

I’m an AMBIKA user. A ROOKIE. And I’m not at English, try my best but didn’t find anything helpful.(Maybe use wrong keywords)

I have two problems here.

First one, in the MATRIX, does VCA need to connect to one ENVELOPE for a normal playing?
I tried so many options and only when it’s connected to an ENVELOPE and the AMNT is 63, it can work. Otherwise, the oscillator keeps playing.

The second one, when I use a keyboard connected to AMBIKA. I change the A/sq option to step sequencer.
And then, I play the sequencer. and there is a note keep playing.( Just like you hold the note on your keyboard and don’t release it.)
And the only way to shut down the note is to find the note on your keyboard and play it.

these problems really bother me. And I’m not sure if my AMBIKA:disappointed_relieved: is broken. Or it’s normal in all Ambika (Hope my English is not too terrible to influence your understanding.

#2

Yes, that’s how you’d patch things with a modular synth for example. If you’re into drones, you don’t need an envelope on the VCA - just a constant offset!

The synth engine of the Ambika and Shruthi are similar and share this feature. On the Shruthi, it was more useful because it could be used to open the VCA for external audio processing patches… or for drones.

But why are you concerned about this? Just leave this setting as is! As you can see on all factory patches, this setting is set to 63.

It could be several things… Are you sure that there aren’t two parts listening to the same MIDI channel?

#3

If you aren’t attached, have you tried a factory reset or updating the firmware for the ambika and the voice cards inside?

#4

It’s unlikely corruption of the flash memory would cause such a specific behavior.

I’ve already seen chips with corrupted memory. The synth won’t just boot!

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#5

Very appreciate your answer

Yeah, I shouldn’t confused with the MATRIX. I 'm using a semi-Eurorack now!
But I have a friend who has an AMIKA ( He is the only one I can ask a question and don’t worry I will be ignored). He told me he didn’t use anything connected to VCA. :sweat_smile:
so it’s not a problem now:rofl:

And the second problem is still confusing me. I record a video.

After I tried some settings, I find the note is not related the note in the sequencer. But the OCTV and TUNE.
and I think when I don’t change any settings, the note is always a Middle C.

So it’s because of my setting or AMBIKA is broken?? :persevere:

#6

And this time i connect nothing to MIDI, and the problem i still there.
then I connect my KEYSTEY to MIDI IN, the problem is still there.

#7

Thanks for your help
The AMBIKA is made in 2016, so I think it didn’t update for a long time.
I will try this if i don’t have other solution.

#8

It’s normal. It’s in the manual, in the section related to the performance page.

A particular quirk of this page is the specific function assigned to the encoder. Press it to simultaneously send a C4 note to all parts. Press it again to send a note off message to all parts. This allows Ambika to be used without a MIDI keyboard. While a note is being played through this mean, you can turn the encoder to transpose all parts up and down.

So it looks like your Ambika is configured for 2 parts, one that is mapped to the keyboard, the other that is not mapped to the keyboard and receive the C4 from the encoder.

Question: why are you pressing the encoder if you just want to play the synth from the keyboard?

#9

I have stopped developing this around 2013, so no there are no firmware update.

Can anyone enlighten me on why “reinstall the firmware” is so frequently seen as the solution to problems? The only problems that ever got solved by this were either bugs fixed in a later firmware updates (but I wouldn’t certainly release a product/firmware version with obvious bugs); or corrupted flash memory to the point of not getting the synth to boot at all.

Please believe me on this… Firmware corruption never causes a minor glitch or quirk. Flipping a random bit in a program’s binary code is very, very, very unlikely to introduce odd behavior - it will just make the program non-functional.

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#10

I try to run a sequencer as a background or Accompaniment in one part. And at the same time, I can play the keyboard in another part as a solo or something else. So I can’t hold a key to trigger it.

I’m very sorry to waste your time. I find It’s a stupid question. If I read the manual carefully, it won’t happen.
(I thought I understood the performance part :pensive:)
and I shouldn’t doubt your job. People like me who don’t have enough knowledge always blame BUG in firmware, when they have a problem and can’t understand it.

thanks for your help again.

#11

Have you tried assigning the part with the sequence to another MIDI channel than the keyboard?

Part 1 (keyboard controlled): same MIDI channel as the keyboard, no sequence.
Part 2 (sequencer): another MIDI channel, contains the sequence.

If you start playing on the keyboard, it starts the global clock, and this should start the sequence on part 2 too.

#13

I have tried this but only the part I set on my keyboard is playing.
another part with the sequencer doesn’t run.

#14

I’m afraid there’s no solution for that :frowning: then. Maybe set a split on your keyboard to trigger both the manual and sequenced part on 2 channels?

#15

OK. I have too much request. It’s not a multi-track performance instrument.
I find some multi-part patches and find all the channel is the same one.

Thanks for your patient.:grinning:

#16

Blockquote Can anyone enlighten me on why “reinstall the firmware” is so frequently seen as the solution to problems? The only problems that ever got solved by this were either bugs fixed in a later firmware updates (but I wouldn’t certainly release a product/firmware version with obvious bugs); or corrupted flash memory to the point of not getting the synth to boot at all.

I say this because when I buy a lot of Mutable Instruments stuffs (usually second hand) there could be alternative firmware on the device.

Example, I bought the microClouds module on Reverb a few weeks back. fresh build, the builder didn’t bother telling me that it had the Parasites firmware on it. /shrug.

AS for my own Ambika I have the Yams firmware. (99.9 % the original firmware but you get my point.)

I would be very hesitant to help someone Troubleshoot possible software bugs that I as the developer didn’t write.