Orion Platinum v7 released

[VitaminD]

Dont see a thread specifically about this.. so here ya go..

Ok folks, after a long tedious development process, it's finally there.

OP7 contains a good mixture of many, many user requests and new stuff that should appeal both to newbies and seasoned Orionauts alike. The vast amount of changes, possible only due to extra helping hands (Mark Vera and Coramel on the new skin) - make this the biggest Orion update ever.

Upgrade fee is $39 for Platinum users. If any pro user wishes to upgrade at a reduced price, just email us and we'll work something out.

------- Features in Orion Platinum 7.0 -------

- Completely new graphics + enhanced workflow
- Toxic III included
- Plucked String 4 included
- Analog Distortion effect added
- Saturation effect added
- Channels of VST instruments with multiple outputs can be hidden (VST Config Dialog)
- Patterns can be named in the Playlist
- New preset menu browsing
- New insert menu in workspace area (right-click anywhere in workspace)
- Sampler Editor extended
- Save file backup feature
- MIDI File Drag&Drop directly into generators (useful e.g. for some VST instruments)
- New window management option for generators/fx: Closing a window just hides the window
- You can set default Timebase
- Signature option when creating new project
- System Input Latency can be set from audio input settings (requires PDC enabled)
- Now 2 skins available, Azura (Default) and Classic

* Enhancements:
- Insert slots automatically activated when inserting a new effect
- Window menu options extended to quickly minimize all but active window
- Master Volume displayed in statusbar
- Added resizing for open/save dialogs
- Pianoroll keys have horizontal velocity feature
- Time view display has skinnable colors
- Audiotrack mixer strip has "input source"
- Audiotrack insert menu with inputs
- Audiotrack gain raised by 6dB
- Audiotrack mixer strip click shows adjacent Midiout generator
- Audiotracks drawn antialiased
- Shortcut added: NumPad-* as alternative arm recording
- Shortcut added: Ctrl-Shift-C, Ctrl-Shift-X for cut/copy all patterns at once
- Playlist and Pianoroll tools can be cycled with 'T'
- Playlist has now Shift as Snap to Grid during selection copy/move
- Playlist has now Alt as Snap Selection to Bar during selection copy/move
- Playlist patterns can be changed with drop down by clicking pattern name area
- Quick Lassoo with Ctrl when using Pen tool
- Maximum song length increased from 512 bars to infinite
- Preset names for effects now stored
- New modern pianoroll note look
- Pianoroll notes can be set to display note names
- LFO tool in event editor now works in step mode (grid on) too
- Mousewheel+CTRL in playlist and piano roll scrolls horizontally
- Quick-Select notes or bars by pressing CTRL (no need to switch to lassoo)
- Play cursor follow has two modes, page follow and scroll follow (shortcuts F, Ctrl-F)
- Internal FX and Internal Generators have more precise mouse tweaking while holding Shift
- Mono VST Effect PlugIns can be inserted into stereo tracks now
- MIDI-Out presets now store device too
- Redo has shortcuts, Shift-Ctrl-Z, Shift-Alt-BackSpace (pairs for Undo shortcuts)
- Time Window has two new dual time display modes and only one instance of time window allowed
- Playlist shortcut 'J' centers view to play cursor

* Changes:
- Master Mixer shortcut is now Ctrl-B (Busses)
- Pattern play start position toggler (begining/continue) shortcut is now Ctrl-Shift-B
- Alt key now used for brush tool in piano roll instead of Ctrl
- Maximum tempo is now 500 bpm

* Bug fixes
- Many stability issues fixed
- Playlist paintbrush tool could paint over audiotracks. Fixed
- Playlist grid was occasionally off beat. Fixed
- Playlist wasn't updated properly when patterns were edited. Fixed
- Sidechain loopback configurations were possible. Fixed
- Sidechains in master section did not work properly. Fixed
- Some generators flickered on non-maximized pianoroll window. Fixed
- Pitchbend didn't work when Playback stopped+record was enabled. Fixed
- IRP waveform background bitmap was blitted upside down. Fixed
- Cut pattern cleared whole pattern even if only few notes were selected. Fixed
- Markers jittered somewhat in playlist. Fixed
- Highest/lowest numbers in event editors now readable
- Occasional crashes after saving OSPs from the Sampler editor dialog. Fixed.
- Playlist pattern double click behaved wrong when Pianoroll already visible. Fixed.
- Adding active patterns (F11) added patterns to audiotracks. Fixed.
- Keyboard focus not handled properly certain situations (several non-functional shortcuts). Fixed.
- When copying a mixer channels settings to another mixer strip, the Mute/Solo settings were not properly updated. Fixed.
- Tempo spinner max constraint was wrong. Fixed.
- double-click on desktop files crashed Orion. Fixed.
- Clicks on AudioTrack clip start/end. Fixed.
- Overlapping patterns could not be dragged. Fixed.

* Other
- Analog Multisample collection for Sampler added
- Electric Bass Collection for Sampler added
- New velocity-layered acoustic drumkits added
- TR606 Kit added
- New presets added

[mahtazz]

Thank you.

Already running on my PC

[VitaminD]

hehe... I have downloaded the demo..

Things I liked in random order:

clean-up options
Toxic3
Song Playlist look and feel
Mono VST Effect Plugins inserted into stereo tracks
seems a lot snappier than previous version

things I dislike in random order:

The demo only comes with the newer type gui, I'm hoping the original 'classic' version was left untouched.

I say that because.. I dislike the new gui. It's imo a step backwards in usability.. Essentially its the same GUI, but with these giant black bars for the transport, and some darker colors on the mixer and mastering panels. Disappointing.

However, This is only minor in light over the other issue I have with this release.. the plugin selection tab (insert) lists one's files outward now (instead of the original scrollable single list).. I'm at 1280x1024 and I can't see all my effects plugins! Theres an entire column thats rendered off-screen. boo.

Theres also a bug here or there that have slipped by the beta team.. I'll inform rich soonish.

Not considering the small upgrade fee, and also not to sound too much like sour grapes (whats that? too late I hear you mumbling?? ) to me, this release feels like what version 6 or 6.5 should have been. Though, don't get me wrong, its still very nice.. the good def outweighs the bad for me.

[Rabid]

Thanks for the tip. Looks like two of my three biggest gripes are now gone. One thing I was hoping for is the ability to change VSTi's on a track without having to copy all of the patterns to a new track and build it over.

[BONES]

The old skin has been renamed "Classic" and is still available, at least in all our betas. Getting rid of the single, long, scrolling preset list has been a long-standing request from many people and I daresay you are possibly the only one who will complain about it. You might want to try and put some presets in folders to reduce the size of the list. Alternatively you can always select the last visible preset and use the spinners to get to the rest.

[arke]

oh wow! looks great!

[deastman]

I know I've been griping a lot about how I'm not using Orion much these days and couldn't see myself paying to upgrade again, but jeez... $39! How can I go wrong?

[mahtazz]

I know I've been griping a lot about how I'm not using Orion much these days and couldn't see myself paying to upgrade again, but jeez... $39! How can I go wrong?

Again? Which was the last upgrade you paid for?

[DHR53]

I've always preferred Orion... (even though I don't use it for months)... I'm on a mac most of the time (work) so I use Logic, but when I use the PCs at my house, I fire up Orion and always come up with something cool! I'd still rather use it than FL or EXT...

Got my upgrade!

[DHR53]

p.s. does it install as a new app? or replace the 6.0 version...

[bluedad]

I sure miss Orion..although, if I can't get anything finished in either Cubase, Live, FL or XT (have I forgotten any?) then I doubt I would in Orion. Still, great app and looks like a worthwhile update.

[mahtazz]

p.s. does it install as a new app? or replace the 6.0 version...

On the same folder. (Overwrite)

[jouni]

I know I've been griping a lot about how I'm not using Orion much these days and couldn't see myself paying to upgrade again, but jeez... $39! How can I go wrong?

Again? Which was the last upgrade you paid for?

Previous non-free upgrade was Platinum 4 to 5.

[nuffink]

Any midi routing?

[grymmjack]

great work synapse! well done.

i tried the demo of v7, and have to say it's great. finally i can click the X and it wont delete the generator! makes me happy, i know it's stupid but old habits..

the v7 facelift is very pro and shiny i dig it. i like especially that the iconography used for the transport is standard. i hate it when skins/UIs use other stuff (like cubase sx did with the < > instead of a solid triangle, drove me apeshit even though i used the numpad for transport stuff)

regarding the facelift though, a few things that would make using the effects a little more fun/easy to spot; some variations on the interface for different plugins. like they are categorized well already so perhaps different feels for the different types, or something -- they sound great, but visually they could use some differentiation -- i love the monochromatic feel of the new UI but it all sort of melts together with the built-in effects. it'd be neat to have more attention given to those effects interfaces like was given to the synths.

at first i was put off by the fact that patterns were locked to the actual generator A-H, 1-8 etc, but actually found it very intuitive and easy to work with. i doubt i'd ever use more than 64 patterns per generator, and because the lengths can vary for each pattern, it's not that big of a deal that there are only 64.

all in all using the demo was a great experience. i love the sounds, they are very high quality in all my testing, both the samples and the virtual instruments. this prompted me to try the other synths sold, and i was blown away so much so that i am going to grab that synth pack someday. each of the 4 in the synth pack seems like a bargain at $25 (rounding up)...

i'd like to ask the existing orion users; what is it about orion that you feel makes it better than other pattern based hosts (flstudio/phrazor - reason excluded because it's all internal no external support for vst(i)/dx(i))

what is it about orion that you love?