HX3.5 DSP Updates
While organ sound generation is done entirely in hardware (FPGA), the HX3.5 board uses an additional Digital Signal Processor (DSP) for reverb effects (EFX) and General MIDI voice generation. 128 GM sounds are installed as a so-called soundbank. Up to two soundbanks can be installed at a time; with an extended HX3 licence, a second soundbank may contain additional, more elaborated instruments (with same MIDI GM bank and program numbers), which replace the instruments in the first soundbank.
The DSP firmware and DSP soundbank(s) may be updated via USB connection. Connect USB cable from your PC either to USB mini jack (internally connected to PL3) or HX3.5 B-type USB-Jack. Please note: The USB B-type connector on our discontinued HX3 Extension Board mk4 does not have direct access to the DSP chip and cannot be used for DSP updates, unfortunately.
The DSP update package consists of the following files:
- DSP Updater (file DreamDfu.exe for Windows, update by USB connection)
- DSP firmware (file HX35_5504-FW_xxxx.dfu with Reverb and GM synth sound generation)
- DSP default sound bank (file GMBK5X64_0x8008.dfu, default GM soundbank for DSP GM synth)
- DSP additional sound bank (file xxxx_0x8050.dfu, refined additional instruments for DSP GM synth)
The updater application "DreamDFU.exe" (Windows OS only) handles the DSP communication. Mac unsers, please see section DSP Updates on a Mac below.
The update package is available in our Github repository as a ZIP archive. Please unpack to a local harddisk folder. DFU mode does not need a driver from Window 7 and up. Windows XP users: Please direct Windows driver installer to file "dream_dfu_device.inf" in directory "DFU_driver_XP" when Windows requests a driver path after clicking "Start DFU" in HX3.5 Editor's Finalize Window.
Firmware Update by USB
To update the DSP firmware, proceed as follows:
- Attach USB cable to HX3.5. PC should recognize a USB MIDI device.
- Open HX3.5 Editor's Update/Finalize window and click "Start DFU". Connected PC will deregister USB MIDI and recognize a DFU device instead.
- HX3.5 will show "DSP update (DFU)" on MenuPanel display.
- Start DreamDFU.exe and open DSP firmware file "HX35_5504-FW.dfu". DreamDFU.exe should show a window as seen in picture.
- Click "Update Device". A progress bar will indicate the update progress.
- When finished, close DreamDFU.exe by clicking on "Abort" or Close button.
- HX3.5 will revert to MIDI over USB mode.
- Click on "Close" in the HX3.5 Editor window, then "Open" to re-establish the MIDI over USB connection.
Soundbank Installation/Update by USB
To update/install the "Extended Licence" GM2 soundbank, proceed as follows:
- Attach USB cable to HX3.5. PC should recognize a USB MIDI device.
- Open HX3.5 Editor's Update/Finalize window and click "Start DFU". Connected PC will deregister USB MIDI and recognize a DFU device instead.
- HX3.5 will show "DSP update (DFU)" on MenuPanel display.
- Start DreamDFU.exe and open supplied DSP soundbank file, e.g. "Piano16_0x8050.dfu" or similar. DreamDFU.exe should show a window as seen in picture.
- Click "Update Device". A progress bar will indicate update process.
- Close DreamDFU.exe by clicking on "Abort" or Close button.
- HX3.5 will revert to MIDI over USB mode.
- Click on "Close" in the HX3.5 Editor window, then "Open" to re-establish the MIDI over USB connection.
DSP Updates on a Mac
We are assuming that you already have the HX3.5 Editor running on your Mac according to the instructions in section HX3.5 Editor on a Mac.
DSP Updates may be performed virtually in the same mannor. There is only one small stumbling block: Each time the connection is closed, you may need to re-assign the USB port to the virtual machine before re-connecting to the HX3.5 system. This happens when DFU ist started in the editor and again when DreamDFU.exe is aborted.
