Software Upgrades¶
From time to time it might be necessary to upgrade the Software running on the MidiGurdy to a new version. Either to fix existing problems or to take advantage of new features.
MidiGurdy Software Download
The newest versions of the MidiGurdy software can always be found in the download section of the MidiGurdy website: http://www.midigurdy.com/downloads/
Software Version and Compatibility¶
The versioning of the software follows a simple scheme: <Major Version>.<Minor Version>.<Patch level>. For example, the Version number “1.11.5” is major version 1, minor version 11 and patch level 5.
The patch level is increased for small changes or bugfixes that don’t change the behaviour of the instrument in a noticeable way (apart from fixing the bug, of course).
The minor version is increased for new features or changed behaviour that are noticeable for the user, but still work with your existing configuration and presets.
A new major version indicates that there are changes that are incompatible with the previous version and therefore require you to backup your configuration before the upgrade and restore ( or recreate) it again afterwards.
Always read the release notes!
When upgrading to a new version, please read the release notes carefully before upgrading!
Upgrading via USB stick¶
In order to upgrade the MidiGurdy software, you will need a USB stick with sufficient space for the upgrade file. Download the new software release from the MidiGurdy website to your computer and store it on the USB stick. Make sure you store it with the exact filename, i.e. the version 1.2.3 will be called “midigurdy-1.2.3.swu”
Eject the USB stick from your computer and attach it to the MidiGurdy via the USB-A host port. After a few seconds the MidiGurdy will inform you that it has found an upgrade file on the USB stick and ask if you want to go ahead with the upgrade. Follow the instructions on the display to complete the upgrade process.
Important: Do not interrupt the upgrade!
Do not switch off the MidiGurdy while the upgrade is in progress and ensure that the instrument is supplied with sufficient power before starting the upgrade!
During the upgrade, the String Buttons in the tangent box lid will flash to indicate that the upgrade is in progress. Once the upgrade has finished, remove the USB stick from the MidiGurdy and press any button to restart the instrument. After a successful upgrade, the version number shown during start-up should match the version you wanted to upgrade to.
Troubleshooting¶
If the MidiGurdy does not start the upgrade process a few seconds after you have inserted the USB stick, please double-check if the upgrade file has actually been written to the USB stick and that the file is called “midigurdy-X.Y.Z.swu”, where X, Y and Z indicate the version you are upgrading to.
If your USB stick does not work
There are some USB sticks that draw a lot of power from the USB port in order to function properly (especially sticks with very high capacity or USB 3.0 transfer speeds). If your stick is not recognized, please try a different USB stick with a lower power consumption.
In case the upgrade process was interrupted by a power failure or has failed due to a different reason, the previous software version will still be intact and working. Simply restarting the MidiGurdy should bring it back into a working state.
In case the instrument does not start again after all, please contact us for support. As the MidiGurdy uses a replaceable SD-Card for data storage, you will always be able to revive your instrument if an upgrade went horribly wrong.
Additional Notes¶
You can always upgrade or downgrade to any version of the MidiGurdy software. But please take special care when upgrading or downgrading between different major versions!