GR-MEGA as an effect – firmware 1.5

wpress

The new firmware gives the GR-MEGA a scrolling recording function. This allows you to easily set the play head relative to the record head. The function works with all views, and all sound engines.

Speaking of which, we made new sample view: Joint stencil: this overlays left and right channels with different colors, as can be seen in the above animated gif.

The new firmware centers around recording. And there’s tons good stuff:

  • Soft cut: cross-faded cropping, to stitch any recording up and make it wrap without crackles.
  • Armed recording: using MIDI start, or audio trigger level.
  • Growing record buffer.
  • FX Sends: Audio input can be sent to effects via a send control.
  • Support for USB A audio input (crackle-free).
  • Audio input follower as mod source.
  • Improved resampling. Record to background buffer and choose if it replaces your current preset.
  • Dual mono: Duplicate Left or Right input channel. Good when using mono sources like FX pedals.
  • Crop recorded.
  • (Live) grains crossing the Rec head won’t crackle anymore.
  • Improved user feedback in the sampling menu, using popups.
  • Numerous musical improvement when turning the physical knobs, GUI improvements, better HDMI support, better defaults, speedups, and file chooser improvements. It’s the biggest firmware update since 1.0 🙂

Get the new version from our GR-MEGA support page, or use the LAN update feature. The next update (1.6) will be centered around the sequencer and file handling. 1.7 will be an update of the sound engines.

The new sampling menu with:

  • Channels [Stereo, LL, RR],
  • Arm options [MIDI trigger, audio trigger level: OFF / -80 .. 0dB],
  • Sized [Fixed, Auto (growing)],
  • and Scrolling Rec.

Obviously a growing buffer disables Loop, and resampling disables Scrolling record. These things are also mentioned in when you press the [Feel] button.

Growing record automatically extends the buffer and crops and zooms to fit the screen when you stop recording.

FX Sends (left column) in the Effects menu. Note that this now also allows you to send (external) audio input into the effect chain.

Resampling: when you stop you get to:

  • Discard,
  • Keep (=save recording to internal storage, but retain original sample in buffer),
  • or Load (save, and also load the recording into buffer).

Also note the nice new LFO waveforms. Not only aesthetically pleasing, but the orientation of the square wave is now also more clear! 😉

Semitone snapping with [Chord] button + (Pitch) knob.

GR-MEGA Production

The GR-MEGA production has sped up, and the waiting list is now as short as 3 months, and we expect to have them directly available starting February ’26. Perhaps even earlier.

GR-1 firmware

Meanwhile, the GR-1 has also received a few new firmware updates which brings multitimbral bugfixes, better file sharing, and also an emergency stop, which was in demand for a long time. Have a look at our GR-1 support page.

In closing

That’s it for this one. You can always reach us on our (growing) Discord server, or on our Facebook group, or of course via good old email: info@tastychips.nl. Until next time!