Gecho v2 production update - August

PCB Assembly is done

And the boards are on the way to us. Can't wait! :)

The software is pretty much ready as well

During last month, I've been focusing mainly on getting the firmware to a complete enough state. It is never entirely done, as usually by implementing one thing, two more ideas come to mind :) But there was a few key things to get done for version 1.0 that will be shipped with your units.

And probably the most important function of them all is the capability to easily upgrade firmware - now you can do that by simply downloading a file from internet onto the micro-SD card, inserting it into Gecho, and pressing a key combination. The original firmware is not erased and you can revert back to it at any time, should something go wrong with the update.

Two new button colours were chosen

Thanks to everyone who voted for the new colour! From your suggestions, we tried to select shades that looked well with both front panels, by placing RAL sampler underside and looking at it through the holes. Not all RGB values are translating well to real world pigments, and what comes back from the factory is always a little surprise; perhaps with paints mixed into silicone, the saturation is regulated by concentration of the pigment and therefore only with darker tones a precise match can be achieved. But these two turned out close enough (this is only a photo of samples, sent to us from the factory). Buttons should arrive this week, we will take good photos with real panels and add them to the selection.

Update: Buttons are here, and now you can select them in "my order" page. If your order is recent and you don't know where to do that, don't worry, you will receive an email soon.

Works on the documentation started

The "quick start" leaflet has been sent to printer. I'm sharing it here, as it can give you an idea what new possibilities the v2 model has. First, the overview of controls, indicators and connectors:

And to accommodate all settings, there are 3 different configuration menus and one service/recovery menu too:

The complete manual explaining functionality of all channels in detail will take some time to write, and will be available as a printable PDF. But I think the most basic functions are intuitive enough, and a lot of things is automatic - you probably won't need to dive into settings right away to reconfigure anything.

For example, when you run a channel that has pre-defined chord progression, or a randomly generated one, once you plug in your MIDI keyboard and start playing, it will override what was playing before. Similarly, touching wheel controls (continuous controller or pitch bend) will override what the built-in sensors were doing until that point.

And that's what will be demoed next, check back soon!