Tobybear MiniHost 1.0 final released!

[tobybear]

After several hours of hard work, MiniHost has finally been released as an official 1.0 version! But now that it is out of beta testing stage does of course not mean that development has stopped, so I am waiting for your bug reports and new suggestions!

Changes between MiniHost 1.0beta5 and 1.0 final:

General:
- Manual updated to include all new features
- support for MiniHost extensions (*.MH) that provide
additional functionality, the first extensions will be
published soon!

ASIO engine:
- ASIO conversion routines improved
- improved setting/changing of samplerate
- improved shutdown procedure

VST host engine:
- downmix to stereo works now, no more CPU spikes
- increased VST compatibility
- correct sending of tempo and PPQ/song position, making
Albino, Ravity, Ensembler and many other PPQ dependent plugins work
- 4Front VSTi modules are working now
- plugins that don't support processReplacing work fine now
- VST plugins with no programs supported
- Luxonix Ravity should work fine now in MiniHost

VSTSpy:
- VSTSpy scanning algorithm drastically improved
- "Load Instrument" and "Load Effect" now start VSTSpy if plugins have not yet been scanned
- no more crashes when closing MiniHost while VSTSpy is still scanning

GUI:
- new GUI design ("flat style")
- GUI color bugfixes for the menus
- auto-skin and color scheme improvements
- display of plugins improved for smaller screens
- optional setting for resizable main window
("ResizableMainWindow" in MiniHost.ini)
- improved drag n' drop behaviour

MID/WAV player/recorder:
- improved MIDI/WAV file loader
- MID and WAV playlists are now saved properly
- new playmodes for MIDI and WAV:
1. stop after playback
2. play same file again (= old loop mode)
3. play next file in playlist
4. play random file from playlist
- no more errors if trying to play an empty playlist
- support for MIDI and WAV playlist files (*.MPL, *.WPL), which are simple text files with the location of each file to load
- timing of MIDI playback improved
- tempo/position changes in MIDI player improved
- WAV recording improved, if no filename is set, it is requested on recording (this includes clicking on the GUI WAV record icon)
- several WAV and MID files can now be opened or removed in one step

MIDI Tools:
- tempo synchronisation improved
- MIDI input options for chord maker, step sequencer and gate now also available in the MIDI-Tools window

Computer keyboard/virtual keys:
- new computer keyboard controls:
left shift + key plays note one octave lower
right shift + key plays note one octave higher
left ctrl + key plays note a bit softer (velocity 70)
right ctrl + key plays note a bit louder (velocity 127)
default velocity is now 100
- virtual keyboard closing bug fixed
- resize window bug with disabled virtual keyboard fixed
- redrawing of virtual keyboard improved
- keyboard settings now stored in the plugin ini file

Presets:
- preset does no longer change when bank is saved
- preset and bank loader now in one file dialog
- preset management improved, proper error message for wrong preset files
- preset name in title bar works again

VSTSpy standalone has also been updated to 1.5, adding the new scanning algorithm and fixing some nasty bugs.

Download is on my page, as usual:
www.tobybear.de

Cheers

Toby

www.tobybear.de

[Midiworks]

Cool Toby, that is an impressive list !

Will download right now.

Cheers
Midiworks

[neal1046]

Cool Toby, that is an impressive list ! :o

Will download right now. :D

Oh yeah...

[ClifAnd2k]

I have been using Forte Solo to convert VSTs to standalone. Up til now, it has been more stable that whatever version of Minihost I have. If the new version is as stable as Forte Solo, I will switch completely to Minihost because of added features, particularly the ability to use the computer keyboard for Midi note input (to add a bass section to my 3-octave Nord G2).

I am sure everyone would like to see a full-featured version of Minihost (that would be no longer "Mini"), but as an intermediate goal, I would like Minihost to handle one instrument and one effect at the same time. Also, I would like the effect to be able to accept the instruments output or accept external audio (or both). I am interested in using Kontakt and Deccabuddy (vocal processing) together, also Cameleon 5000 and CamelPhat might make a good pair. Obviously, there are plenty of other interesting combinations.

[Big Tick]

Toby,

One request: in vstspy, please don't include any plugins with an extension different from ".dll". I have a bunch of plugins renamed to .dll_ and they keep beeing loaded...

Apart from that, that's great work...
'Tick

[Newbie Brad]

Thanks for all the hard work on MiniHost. It is very useful indeed and goes well beyond expectation.

[Funkybot79]

Great work Toby, can't wait to get home from work to try this out. I love just loading a plug in this and playing around as I surf the net or something.

Any chance a VST plug-in version is approaching. Would love to get my hands on the arp/gate inside Sonar .

[rsmus7]

Vielen Dank Mr. Toby

Many thanks Mr. Toby

It is really helpfull in creating new patches and soundbanks.

[BeatMax]

Good work Toby! I just discovered that it also recognizes midi program changes Very handy, thanks for taking your time to code this.

Keep up the great work!

BMX

[Hyperzoid]

personally I think that your host is very nice, but also think that it coulb better.

the settings would be more underground of GUI, and the most useful thing as midi arpeggio, choir, sequencer & a needed volumen control would be more accesibles.

it would be cool that you make a autoscan VST pluing manager that put into a menu all vst plug

[mistertoast]

This is going to sound stupid, but what's MiniHost for, exactly?

What do people do with it?

[Crackbaby]

This is going to sound stupid, but what's MiniHost for, exactly?

What do people do with it?

* As someone said, to create patches.
* Its faster to load than a whole sequenser (easier to set up)
* As someone said, nice to play while surfing
* Great for testing freeware or demos
* All of above

[wgreenlee1]

Thank you tobybear!

[TechnoWeeniePas]

This is going to sound stupid, but what's MiniHost for, exactly?

What do people do with it?

I have an almost purely hardware setup. I am just getting into using VSTs so I use it to run a single synth from my computer via my external main keyboard. I dont need the huge bloated hosts like Cubase and such as I dont currently need the sequencer or other dodads...I just need a simple way of making my computer into a synth...nothing more nothing less

[wgreenlee1]

I use it to check out new VSTs or old ones I never use or dont know what they are.
I used it to clean out my VST folder a while back.
But thats al I ever used it for.
I dont know enough about MIDI yet to use it to make MIDI files to be used elsewhere.