Muse Research has announced that version 1.6 of the Receptor software is now available for download for all Receptor owners. The most significant new and modified features are summarized below. More information regarding these changes is available in the version 1.6 Release Notes [3.3 Mb PDF].
New features:
- Automatic UniWire Enabling: Receptor will automatically enable UniWire if you instantiate a UniWire plugin in your host sequencer (or launch a sequence containing UniWire plugins). Similarly, if UniWire was automatically turned on in this way, it will automatically be turned off (within 30 seconds) when all UniWire plugins are uninstantiated or the connection is lost with the host sequencer. This makes UniWire operation even more seamless within your studio environment.
- Send MIDI Program Changes Directly to Plugins: Receptor will now allow you to send MIDI program changes directly to Source plugins, completely bypassing Receptor's own, internal patch management feature. This is particularly useful, for example, when you load a plugin that does not yet contain any "Receptorized" patches-only its own, internal patches. By using this feature, you can tell Receptor to pass the MIDI program change information directly to the plugin rather than using Receptor's own methodology for managing Multi, Single, and Plugin patches.
- Support for Plugins with Built-in Sequencers: Some plugins (such as Native Instruments' Reaktor) contain built-in "groove oriented" sequencers. On a computer, these built-in sequencers are designed to start and stop with the transport controls in your host sequencer, but Receptor doesn't have a transport control. Prior to version 1.6, there was no way to remotely start or stop a plugin that contained an embedded sequencer (unless you were using UniWire). Now, as of version 1.6, plugins running on Receptor will respond to MIDI start, stop, and continue messages, meaning you can start, stop, and sync these groove oriented plugins over MIDI.
Modified features:
- "File Sharing" and "Mac OS 9 Sharing": In Setup view, two networking options have been renamed:
- The option previously called AppleTalk has been renamed Mac OS 9 File Sharing.
- The option previously called Windows Networking has been renamed File Sharing.
- Run Utility Button: In the "third time's a charm" category comes the Run Utility button that, in v1.5 was renamed the Plugin Tools button that, in v1.3 was introduced as the Register Plugins button. The Run Utility button performs all the same functions previously described in v1.3 and v1.5. The name change reflects the more generalized nature of the mini-applications you will be able to launch from this button in a future release.
- ZLoad is now OFF by Default: That is, in the Setup View's INFO section, the Enable Zload option is unchecked by default. You can, of course, turn on Zload and use it.
Removed Feature:
- Performance Multis: Receptor v1.6 removes the Performance Multis feature, which has been made redundant by recent Receptor software advances. Prior to the implementation of Zload and Snapshot Banks, Receptor offered Performance Multis as a "work around" to slow patch loads whenever they required multiple plugin instantiations. In v1.6, some background coding that allowed this feature to work has been modified, greatly improving Receptor's plugin compatibility, performance and functionality. As a consequence, support for Performance Multis has been removed in v1.6 and, in reality, there is now no need for them, since their benefits have been completely superseded by the Zload feature (introduced in v1.2) and Snapshot Banks (introduced in v1.5).
Special Feature:
- Support for "Komplete Inside" Version of Receptor: "Komplete Inside" is a special version of Receptor that comes with Native Instruments' Komplete 4 plugin package pre-installed and ready to use. This special version of Receptor requires Receptor v1.6 or later and, as such, ships with the latest system software version.
Bug Fixes:
- Numerous tweaks, improvements, and enhancements have been made, including fixing a problem in which AAS plugins would occasionally "go silent." Also, Ivory performance is further improved, as there are no more stray clicks and pops, and sample-based patches load more reliably.