DDF news: The people have spoken!
Ferrum WANDLA gets new filters for DDF with first major firmware update
With the WANDLA firmware update v1.2.0 we kept our promise that WANDLA customers would have the final word in the Dynamic Digital Filtering (DDF) process. For those who don’t know, we gave WANDLA users the ability to choose between three filters that are present in the ESS DAC chip and two filters that were specially prepared for us by filter specialist Jussi Laako of Signalyst, best known for the HQPlayer app.
Digital filtering in itself is not new, but Dynamic Digital Filtering is. The dynamic part begins when WANDLA users determine which filter performs best in their system and report back to us. The next step is to weigh the people’s choices and replace the least popular filters with new ones based on the most favored characteristics.
Eight months after WANDLA’s introduction we reviewed the data from our enthusiastic WANDLA users and determined which filters should be removed from WANDLA’s memory banks and, more importantly, the direction we and Jussi should take for new filters. Based on the votes of our WANDLA users, we say goodbye to two ESS filters (ESS Minimum Phase/Fast Roll-off and ESS Apodizing) and welcome two new ones by Jussi Laako (HQ Short Roll-off and HQ Apodizing Minimum Phase).
We urge you to keep on using our Digital Filters Survey Form on our website, so we know your preferred filters.
General improvements WANDLA
Apart from the new filter settings, we also made general improvements to WANDLA. We added:
– improved converter integrated circuit (ESS) configuration
– small GUI and UX improvements
– wake-up, standby, and input selection automation on the digital inputs
– setting to select state after power-up (standby/working)
– showing indicator when DC offset is detected
The update of WANDLA’s firmware to v1.2.0 can be performed using the Ferrum Control application available for macOS and Windows.
Click here for more detailed information about the new HQ filters that come with the update
Short filter (HQ Short)
Short time domain response, slow roll-off, partially apodizing, single stage filter optimized for transient response. Especially suitable for jazz, blues and similar recordings.
Apodizing Minimum Phase (HQ Apod. MP)
Minimum-phase version of HQ Apodizing filter. For studio multi-track recordings with focus on transient attack.
Filters available before v1.2.0 update:
HQ Apodizing
HQ Gauss
ESS Minimum Phase/Fast Roll-off
ESS Apodizing
ESS Linear Phase/Fast Roll-off
Filters available after v1.2.0 update:
HQ Short Roll-off (HQ Linear Phase)
HQ Apodizing Minimum Phase (HQ Apod. MP)
HQ Apodizing
HQ Gauss
ESS Linear Phase/Fast Roll-off
Click here for more detailed information about firmware update v1.2.0
More detailed information about firmware update v1.2.0 UI improvements:
mute was added to volume popup (i.e. when you change mute by remote you see that on the volume popup as in case of changing volume)
lists are centred now
other little improvements in GUI
added input and standby automation (digital inputs only):
auto wake-up – when signal is detected on any digital input WANDLA wakes up and switches to that input
auto standby – after some time of inactivity on current digital input (no signal detection) WANDLA goes into standby state
auto input selection – when there is no signal on current digital input and signal is detected on another digital input WANDLA switches to that input
improved DAC chip configuration
[DDF 1st update]:
removed ESS filters, left one (linear phase fast roll of) – for reference
added HQ Apodizing Minimum-Phase version (called HQ Apod. MP)
added HQ Short (Linear Phase)