LUNA PreRelease 4

[muzycian]

LUNA Free and LUNA Unlimited PR4 are released.

These is what's new:

* New: Support for vst MIDI plugins
* New: Audio Input can be monitored thru a mixer strip
* New: Audio Recording: You can choose whether recorded audio is auto normalized
* New: Transport Panel has a Loop button
* New: Added "Edit in List Editor" in sequence part context menu
* New: Bypass function for insert effects: right-click (osx: control-click) the insert effect

* Tuned: Improved selection of which audio inputs to record/monitor from
* Tuned: By default, Player Panel follows selected part, but NOT vice versa
* Tuned: When mixing down a selection of parts, a brief message is shown
* Tuned: Sequence editor: zoom out takes part length into account
* Tuned: Loading new synth connects to first mixerstrip if no mixerstrip is focussed => more easy
* Tuned: On first run, Add VST Plugins comes after Audio and MIDI setup
* Tuned: When opened from Player Panel, mixer strip editor always uses a large strip panel
* Tuned: Composition Cycle can be as small as you want (except zero)
* Tuned: For safety, the current session is auto saved before the audio setup panel is shown

* Fixed: a small bug in the ASIO engine, only causing problems with audio cards where inputs and outputs would use different data types
* Fixed: Recording from 0 channels caused a crash
* Fixed: Copy-Duplicate Sequence Part: When session was reloaded the duplicated sequence was gone
* Fixed: Windows: Saving a session in the root folder of a drive caused a problem when recording new audio files
* Fixed: When changing skins, individual mixer strip editor crashed when reopened
* Fixed: "Loop Selecteds" could cause a lockup when nothing was selected
* Fixed: Import Midi File: Tempo issue
* Fixed: Opening a session in LUNA FREE could give a "Couldn't open session" message (depending on the number of mixer strips)


LUNA Unlimited Users should already have received an email with the new download links.

LUNA Free can be downloaded via MUTOOLS.com -> Downloads

Enjoy!

[DaveL60]

Whooo Hooo! Thanks, Jo. Sounds nicely tuned up.

'course now (at least for the moment, since I haven't registered), I have to choose between LUNA Free PR4 (better) and CMusic 1.5 (multi-out VSTi's).

How's the work on the house coming?

DaveL

[bambooman]

very nice

[muzycian]

Whooo Hooo! Thanks, Jo. Sounds nicely tuned up.

'course now (at least for the moment, since I haven't registered), I have to choose between LUNA Free PR4 (better) and CMusic 1.5 (multi-out VSTi's).

How's the work on the house coming?

DaveL

We're at installing electricity.

Still a lot of work but i'm doing my best to work in parrallel.

[mahtazz]

Damn Jo. You are a multi-value man.

[DaveL60]

Hi, Jo.

I've been playing and have a few comments / questions. I hope the following doesn't sound too critical. I'm really having a good time exploring LUNA and I find the light-weight approach encourages playing about and trying things.

This was all with LUNA Free PR4 in a Pentium 4, Windows XP Home SP2, with an Emu 0404 soundcard.

* New: Audio Input can be monitored thru a mixer strip

Once I figured out how to invoke this, this works great. I can monitor audio through VST effects, and I don't have to change my PatchMix settings from Tracktion to LUNA, which is nice.

* New: Transport Panel has a Loop button

I'm not seeing this. Is it a skin issue? Is something not showing because I didn't do a "clean" install?

* New: Bypass function for insert effects: right-click (osx: control-click) the insert effect

This is a great improvement.

* Tuned: By default, Player Panel follows selected part, but NOT vice versa

I like this a lot, but it would be even nicer if it also changed to show the mixer strip in use if the selected part is an audio file.

Some other things:
1) I frequently get an audible click if I enlarge the mixer window during playback. I don't get a click shrinking it, and it's not 100% of the time, so I'm not sure what you can do with that.

2) I'm confused about the whole folder structure associated with .musession files. At this point I've managed to get three layers of AUDIO folders nested under the LUNA Free folder, and I'm not sure how.

3) As I play with this more and add more mixer strips, I'm more and more feeling the need for a Solo button on the mixer strips to complement the Mute button that the little speaker icon effectively represents.

4) I've got a little project set up with several strips handling VSTi outputs that have sends to a reverb plug-in on strip 1. Intermittently I get some wierd buzzing that seems to be coming from strip 1. I've gotten it with several different instrument plug-ins in the sending strips and different reverbs in strip 1. It might be some kind of feedback loop through PatchMix (or maybe my external mixer but that seems really unlikely), but I'm just not sure.

5) The user interface for mixdown seems unfriendly. Once I specify the file, the file interface window gets slightly garbled, and then there's no feedback about what's happening until the render is done. Seems like it would nice to clear the file dialog window and put up a little "Mixing Down" notice or something like that.

6) When monitoring audio input from a keyboard that also is supplying MIDI while not recording, the MIDI also triggers whaterver VSTi it's currently routed to so you get both the monitored audio and the VSTi output back to the audio ouput. When recording, LUNA properly records only what it's set to record so there isn't an issue for recording, but if you're say playing back what you've got to practice against it's a little distracting. Is there some way to "mute" the MIDI input under these circumstances?


To sum up:
* BR(?): don't see the loop control on the transport
* BR(?): click when enlarging mixer window
* BR(?): buzzing when using send routing

* FR: solo button on mixer strips
* FR: show mixer strip in player pane when audio part selected
* FR: nicer user interface for mixdown
* FR: MIDI "mute" when monitoring audio but not recording

DaveL

[fycfung]

Hi Jo,
Thanks a lot for the update! Looks really nice so far!

Say, I have a question about MIDI keyboards. I have a USB MIDI keyboard and I find that if I turn it off while Luna is running, I can't get Luna to recognize it if I turn it back on. I have to restart Luna. I thought that reselecting the MIDI setup was helping, but lately I haven't gotten it to help.
Thanks!

[Drenholm]

Thanks a lot, Jo. I'm looking forward to trying this out.

[deleted]

DELETED

[DaveL60]

btw - the hotkeysystem wasn't mentioned ?...

I think that's a feature to be added once the rock-solid v1.0 is achieved.

DaveL

[muzycian]

Hi, Jo.

I've been playing and have a few comments / questions. I hope the following doesn't sound too critical. I'm really having a good time exploring LUNA and I find the light-weight approach encourages playing about and trying things.

This was all with LUNA Free PR4 in a Pentium 4, Windows XP Home SP2, with an Emu 0404 soundcard.

* New: Audio Input can be monitored thru a mixer strip

Once I figured out how to invoke this, this works great. I can monitor audio through VST effects, and I don't have to change my PatchMix settings from Tracktion to LUNA, which is nice.

* New: Transport Panel has a Loop button

I'm not seeing this. Is it a skin issue? Is something not showing because I didn't do a "clean" install?

Indeed, a skin issue.

You can download updated skin files here:

http://www.mutools.com/luna/LooxBenu-Update20060928.zip
http://www.mutools.com/luna/LooxShark-U ... 060928.zip

These zip files only contain the subfolders "Panels" and "Pictures". Update these folders, and it will work fine.

If you're not sure how to do this, it's best to wait until PR5.

* New: Bypass function for insert effects: right-click (osx: control-click) the insert effect

This is a great improvement.

* Tuned: By default, Player Panel follows selected part, but NOT vice versa

I like this a lot, but it would be even nicer if it also changed to show the mixer strip in use if the selected part is an audio file.

Huh, that is the case.

Doesn't that work on your system?

Some other things:
1) I frequently get an audible click if I enlarge the mixer window during playback. I don't get a click shrinking it, and it's not 100% of the time, so I'm not sure what you can do with that.

That's most probably a windows sound driver issue.

Unfortunately, even with the coming of Windows XP these kind of audio problems still exist on windows

There are some nice websites on the web which handles this topic, don't have an exact link right now.

2) I'm confused about the whole folder structure associated with .musession files. At this point I've managed to get three layers of AUDIO folders nested under the LUNA Free folder, and I'm not sure how.

Normally, recorded audio is stored in the audio subfolder beneath your musession file.

If no musession file is known, then LUNA defaults to the audio folder beneath the application file.

3) As I play with this more and add more mixer strips, I'm more and more feeling the need for a Solo button on the mixer strips to complement the Mute button that the little speaker icon effectively represents.

Right-click (Osx: control-click) the mute icon

4) I've got a little project set up with several strips handling VSTi outputs that have sends to a reverb plug-in on strip 1. Intermittently I get some wierd buzzing that seems to be coming from strip 1. I've gotten it with several different instrument plug-ins in the sending strips and different reverbs in strip 1. It might be some kind of feedback loop through PatchMix (or maybe my external mixer but that seems really unlikely), but I'm just not sure.

Mmm, difficult to analyze this with the given facts. Maybe you accidently created a feedback loop within the LUNA mixing desk?

E.g. Strip 1 sends to strip 5, and strip 5 sends to strip 8, and strip 8 sends to strip 1

5) The user interface for mixdown seems unfriendly. Once I specify the file, the file interface window gets slightly garbled, and then there's no feedback about what's happening until the render is done. Seems like it would nice to clear the file dialog window and put up a little "Mixing Down" notice or something like that.

Added to the Whish List

6) When monitoring audio input from a keyboard that also is supplying MIDI while not recording, the MIDI also triggers whaterver VSTi it's currently routed to so you get both the monitored audio and the VSTi output back to the audio ouput. When recording, LUNA properly records only what it's set to record so there isn't an issue for recording, but if you're say playing back what you've got to practice against it's a little distracting. Is there some way to "mute" the MIDI input under these circumstances?

You could try this: Create a MIDI Player (name it "Mute") that outputs to midi port "None". Now select that MIDI Player whenever you want to disactivate MIDI input

[muzycian]

Hi Jo,
Thanks a lot for the update! Looks really nice so far!

Say, I have a question about MIDI keyboards. I have a USB MIDI keyboard and I find that if I turn it off while Luna is running, I can't get Luna to recognize it if I turn it back on. I have to restart Luna. I thought that reselecting the MIDI setup was helping, but lately I haven't gotten it to help.
Thanks!

Solution: Keep your devices turned on while you want to use them in LUNA

[muzycian]

Attention - Crash Bug Report:

When editing a name (e.g. track name, sequence name, vst preset name, ...) then don't use Control+X/C (i.e. cut-copy) on an empty string, as that currently crashes LUNA.

Will be fixed in PR5.

[Drenholm]

Heh, the skin issue made me laugh!

The user interface for mixdown seems unfriendly.

I'd have to agree: the entire program seems to freeze until the file has been completely rendered; the windows don't get updated and I always get scared that it's crashed! Even a simple progress bar would be good.

It is really good to have such contact with a developer, and one who listens to and processes requests.

[DaveL60]

Indeed, a skin issue. You can download updated skin files here:

Cool, I'll give that a try.

* Tuned: By default, Player Panel follows selected part, but NOT vice versa

I like this a lot, but it would be even nicer if it also changed to show the mixer strip in use if the selected part is an audio file.

Huh, that is the case. Doesn't that work on your system?

I didn't think the Player Panel (upper left) was tracking the selected part. After I made the post, I noted that the mixer strip to which the selected audio part is connected switches to wide, which is more subtle but does the job. I'll double-check this one.

1) I frequently get an audible click if I enlarge the mixer window during playback. I don't get a click shrinking it, and it's not 100% of the time, so I'm not sure what you can do with that.

That's most probably a windows sound driver issue.

Yeah, I realized later that bumping the latency up a little bit might fix that; it's set at 6 ms right now. It's not a major problem (just a little click ), so I'll play with the audio a bit but I'm not too concerned.

Normally, recorded audio is stored in the audio subfolder beneath your musession file. If no musession file is known, then LUNA defaults to the audio folder beneath the application file.

OK, that helps. I need to get a little more rigorous with management of project files, but it'll be easier with that data point.

3) I'm more and more feeling the need for a Solo button

Right-click (Osx: control-click) the mute icon

Roger, will do that. I've tried right-clicking a lot of places but didn't think of it there!

Mmm, difficult to analyze this with the given facts. Maybe you accidently created a feedback loop within the LUNA mixing desk? e.g. Strip 1 sends to strip 5, and strip 5 sends to strip 8, and strip 8 sends to strip 1

I don't think so, but it's definitely possible. I'll have to spend a littel time digging into this and may come back with more info / questions if I figure anything out.

5) The user interface for mixdown seems unfriendly.

Added to the Whish List

Great. Thanks.

6) When monitoring audio input from a keyboard that also is supplying MIDI while not recording, the MIDI also triggers whaterver VSTi it's currently routed to

You could try this: Create a MIDI Player (name it "Mute") that outputs to midi port "None". Now select that MIDI Player whenever you want to disactivate MIDI input

Interesting. You have a very creative way of looking at how to use this stuff that I envy. I'll give that a try.

Thanks for the response. As others here have said, it's really great to have the interaction with the developer.

DaveL