Pedalboard2 VST host (v2.13 released)

[NiallM]

I've just uploaded a new version. This one's mainly bugfixes, courtesy of an extremely useful bug report from tico-tico on these here forums.

Changelog:

Code: Select all

- Plugin file drag and drop no longer creates multiple instances (JUCE bug).
- Can now drag and drop plugin files to the Available Plugins window (JUCE bug).
- Audio Input and Midi Input toggles now save state.
- Updated File->New etc. descriptions.
- Fixed crash when trying to load a .pdl file with Midi/Osc Inputs disabled.
- Fixed disabled Midi/Osc Inputs screwing up patch loading.
- Added plugin window Always On Top toggle to Misc Settings.
- Fixed plugin renaming incorrectly resizing the Plugin Component.
- Added "Ignore plugin pin names" option to Misc Settings.
- Moved over to the new modular version of JUCE.
- Fixed plugin field scrolling behaviour.
- Changing audio settings no longer requires a reload to get all the input/output pins to show up.
- Plugin window position is now saved.
- Plugin window open/closed state is now saved.
- Can no longer connect audio connections to parameter pins and vice versa.

Barring any outstanding bugs that need fixed, this will probably be the last update for a wee while, as I've got other projects I need to be getting on with.

[NiallM]

Okay, I got various bug reports/feature requests after that one, so here's another release. But this one really will be the last release for a while. The big changes are:

• Support for MIDI program change messages to switch patch, and MMC to control the main transport.
• A global tempo (complete with tap to set) for plugins which can make use of it.
• Shift-dragging to connect all output pins of a source node to all input pins of a destination node (this is so you can more easily connect up stereo nodes).
• A 'save as default file' option.

...also various bug fixes. Here's the full change log:

Code: Select all

- Custom plugin names are now updated when patches are loaded.
- Fixed patch changing via MIDI (& OSC?) not working when the main window is not focused.
- Made sure patches saved pre-2.05 do not place plugin windows outside the screen.
- Patch Organiser move commands now update the selected row more sensibly.
- Added option to have main transport respond to MMC commands.
- Fixed some dialogs not taking on the colour scheme's window background colour.
- Added option to switch patches via MIDI program change commands.
- Fixed connections being drawn wrong when plugin names have been changed.
- Fixed plugins' edited names persisting between patches.
- Made sure connections stay behind plugin components once connected.
- Added global tempo per patch. This is solely for the benefit of delay plugins etc. which can make use of it to set sensible delay times. It is not a full implementation of VST (etc.) time info structures. Plugins which require information about bar starts, current ppq etc. are out of luck. Until I've figured out how the app itself conceives of time those features are not going to be added.
- Can now hold shift while dragging a connection to automatically connect all audio connections between the two plugins.
- Can set tempo by tapping (either via a GUI control or via a keyboard/MIDI CC/OSC command: see the Application Mappings window).
- Refactored creation of mappings so they don't register themselves in their constructors.
- Added 'Save as Default file' option (current file saved as 'default.pdl' inside the Pedalboard2 settings folder (<user>/AppData/Roaming/Pedalboard2 on Windows, <user>/Library/Application Support/Pedalboard2 on OSX)).

You'll probably have to update your Application Mappings, since there's some new entries there.

[tico-tico]

Thank you, Niall.

[spacedad]

thanks niall,i just told my friend about it,he plays guitar and is a puter noob,so it should help him get started.(pedalboard2+frettedsynth's freeamp3full should be a good pair):)

[NiallM]

So it turns out that release wouldn't run on macs running OSX 10.5 Here's a fixed version.

...and a very short changelog (note the fix for patch changing via MIDI) :

Code: Select all

- Fixed the app not running on OSX 10.5.
- Fixed issue where the app would deadlock if you tried to change patch via MIDI before it had finished loading the current patch.

thanks niall,i just told my friend about it,he plays guitar and is a puter noob,so it should help him get started.(pedalboard2+frettedsynth's freeamp3full should be a good pair):)

Hope he finds it useful If he has a multi-fx pedal lying around, he might want to check if it has any MIDI connections. If so he could hook it up to the Pedalboard and use its switches/rocker pedals to control various plugin parameters (assuming his soundcard has a MIDI input). That's how I'm using the app at the moment, anyway.

[spacedad]

he doesn't even have a soundcard,just a electro-acoustic.

[FrettedSynth]

thanks niall,i just told my friend about it,he plays guitar and is a puter noob,so it should help him get started.(pedalboard2+frettedsynth's freeamp3full should be a good pair):)

Hope he finds it useful If he has a multi-fx pedal lying around, he might want to check if it has any MIDI connections. If so he could hook it up to the Pedalboard and use its switches/rocker pedals to control various plugin parameters (assuming his soundcard has a MIDI input). That's how I'm using the app at the moment, anyway.

Been meaning to try this app out for a while now I have to test. Will let you know my experience. Thank you for taking the time to work on it and also for making it available to all for free.

@ spacedad: Thanks for mentioning FA3, I still wonder if FreeAmp is still used by people out their in the world. Someday I hope to update with the new SE? Just started using v1.1 and it seems pretty smooth with many updates. Have many idea's of how to improve FA now just need the time and motivation.

Peace
Joe
Fretted Synth

[spacedad]

hi joe,
yeah,it's great,the best 'all-in-one' solution for my mate i think.
he gets confused by unfamiliar interfaces.
so, FA3+PB2=:D!

(though not sure how to connect the electro-acoustic,through the mic in maybe?
or maybe he needs some impedance conversion hardware.)

[NiallM]

(though not sure how to connect the electro-acoustic,through the mic in maybe?
or maybe he needs some impedance conversion hardware.)

Yeah, you can't really plug a guitar straight into a mic input; you need a high impedance input somewhere in the chain. I know line 6 do a basic usb soundcard with a single guitar input (and I'm sure there are similar things from other manufacturers), but you might be able to get away with a DI box instead.

[spacedad]

thanks,i never thought of a DI box.
there isn't as much info out there for electro-acoustic>PC as there is for electric.
i know they have pick-ups,and i guess they're not your standard microphones.

[NiallM]

thanks,i never thought of a DI box.
there isn't as much info out there for electro-acoustic>PC as there is for electric.
i know they have pick-ups,and i guess they're not your standard microphones.

I don't have a whole lot of experience with them myself. As far as I'm aware though you can just treat them like a normal electric guitar, meaning they're a high impedance source (compared to the low impedance of a mic input).

[spacedad]

ah,that's good then.cheers niall.
pedalboard will be great for him,cos it's so easy to get started.
other hosts have baffled him a bit.

[sixeight]

AUTO-ADMIN: Non-MP3, WAV, OGG, SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter and Facebook links in this post have been protected automatically. Once the member reaches 5 posts the links will function as normal.

So it turns out that release wouldn't run on macs running OSX 10.5 Here's (http://www.niallmoody.com/apps/pedalboard2) a fixed version.

...and a very short changelog (note the fix for patch changing via MIDI) :

Code: Select all (#)

- Fixed the app not running on OSX 10.5.
- Fixed issue where the app would deadlock if you tried to change patch via MIDI before it had finished loading the current patch.

Thanks again for fixing pedalboard for mac osx 10.5.
I use pedalboard with my Roland VG99. With it I am able to run softsynths and other effects smoothly. I have tried many other free or cheap hosts on Mac before, but this one is definately the winner. Together with the pizMidi plugins I can sort out the configurations I need for Midi. I used AUlab before, but pedalboard offers so much more. VST support, program changes, tap tempo, flexible routing of Midi and audio. Niall has been very kind in implementing new features and giving support.

[NiallM]

Right, here's one last update before the end of the year. This is just a bugfix release, mainly concerned with fixing the MIDI(and OSC)->Application mappings to ensure they can't deadlock the entire program. Tap tempo should also be more accurate now (it may still be a little iffy; I have a hard time testing it due to my own terrible timing ).

Full changelog:

Code: Select all

- Changed MIDI->Application mappings to use a lock-free FIFO, making deadlocks impossible (hopefully).
- Altered tap tempo calculation: now takes the average of the last 4 taps.
- Tap tempo via MIDI and OSC is now calculated from their respective threads rather than the main message thread; this *should* be more accurate.
- Changed OSC->Application mappings to use the same lock-free FIFO as the MIDI mappings.
- Now pops up an 'Are you sure?' dialog box if you quit without saving the current patch.
- Fixed bug with Patch Organiser inserting bogus patches if you did File->New and had anything but the first patch selected when you did it.
- Fixed *extremely* stupid bug with the Output Toggle; it was sheer coincidence that it worked (or appeared to work) at all.
- Main Transport should be more robust with regard to Audio Recorders.

[NiallM]

More than 6 months later I've got a new update for the Pedalboard. The big changes are:

• Plugin preset support. This includes a unique (I think) system where you can save your own presets and they will be automatically added to that plugin's list of presets so you can easily retrieve them in the future.
• Full html documentation (this is the main reason this update took so long; it took me forever to write it all up). Feedback on this would be very welcome.
• A basic metronome component.

And the full changelog:

Code: Select all

- Fixed MIDI program change to work with individual patch numbers.
- Added initial plugin preset functionality; presets can be altered and renamed, and are saved with patches.
- Added user presets for plugins. Presets saved by the user will automatically get added on to the plugin's list of presets, and can be loaded via the same interface used to load the plugin's internal presets.
- Added User Preset Management window, where you can rename, copy, delete, import and export user presets.
- Added a popup box when MIDI program change is used to switch patches and an out of bounds index is received.
- Added basic metronome component.
- Added file playback to metronome component.
- Fixed the 'are you sure?'-on-quit dialog popping up even if the user made no changes to the loaded file.
- Added the option of running the app in the system tray (Windows & Linux only).
- Fixed the 'are you sure?'-on-quit dialog popping up even if the user made no changes to the loaded file (when the file was loaded from the command line).
- Added documentation (via browser) link to Help Menu.
- AudioUnit parameter changes now show up in plugin editors.

In other news, I now have a proper twitter account: @NiallEM, and there's now a donate button on my website. If you find the Pedalboard useful a small donation would be most appreciated (this is entirely optional of course; the Pedalboard remains a free and open source project).

Finally, here's a couple of tracks I made recently with the app:
Powsels and Thrums
An Aggregate of Coloured Planes