ACE, Diva, Hive, Repro - release candidates

[Urs]

Hi all,

After Zebra 2.9 we're also updating ACE, Diva, Hive and Repro with little fixes - and notarised builds which shall be good for a move to Catalina. The downloads are release candidates, meaning they are beta versions which will hopefully become official versions after the holidays.

As with all .x udpates, they're free for current owners. Just download and install

We have improvements to the preset browser, partly reworked/optimized/tagged factory library, better MPE support (e.g. +/- 48 semitones pitchbend range in Diva, ACE), improved installers, some with improved VST3 support, faster UI drawing, and much more.

We fixed a Situation in Diva which could lead to clicks or drop outs when playing busily, e.g. when playing two notes at once in mono modes. That, combined with improved mono mode behaviour and the new voice stealing we introduced in Hive 2 makes her feel like a new synth to us. We also added a long standing feature request to Diva: Being able to play trills in mono modes while the hold pedal is pressed. ACE has all of this too now, and a tagged factory library (NKS maybe next year).

ACE 1.4.1 RC1 9603 Mac
ACE 1.4.1 RC 9603 Win

Diva 1.4.4 RC 9603 Mac
Diva 1.4.4 RC 9603 Win

Hive 2.0.1 RC 9603 Mac
Hive 2.0.1 RC 9603 Win

Repro 1.1.1 RC 9603 Mac
Repro 1.1.1 RC 9603 Win

Linux versions are also pretty much ready to go, we'll add them asap.

Please let us know if you encounter any issue not listed below.

Enjoy,

- Urs


Improvements:

• Mac installer notarized (Catalina)
• Winstaller improvements
• UTF-8 support for installation paths
• New Preset Browser (ACE)
• Factory presets have been tagged (ACE)
• Improved VST3 implementation
• MIDI learn now working in VST3
• Pitchbend range is now +/−48r (ACE, Diva)
• Improved GUI response time on some Macs (sluggish GUI)
• Windows UI performance improved (less CPU load with open GUI)
• Mac installer improved to prevent permission issues
• Mouseover shows parameter values in Data Display
• Plugin format and OS info shown next to revision number
• New user defined MIDI CC sources replace fixed expression and breath modulation
• Init preset can be loaded from Data Display (for Win users: also works via right-click)
• Increased maximum number of installed skins from 10 to 20
• Improved handling of 14bit MIDI CC assignment
• Sustain pedal now working according to standard (0-63 = off, 64-127 = on)
• List of automation parameters unified between Mac & Win (ACE)
• Fixed an issue where VST3 did not remember preset name in Data Display (Windows only)
• Fixed an issue with mapping generator not updating instantly (ACE)
• Fixed VCF input label (ACE)
• Various small fixes and improvements
• Browser: file icons added
• Browser: file system drag & drop support
• Browser: import/export of favourite assignments
• Browser: preference for scanning on startup (Repro)
• Improved look of rocker switches (Diva)
• Improved hold pedal behaviour in mono modes (ACE, Diva)
• Fixed rare crash when sending MIDI program changes
• Fixed issue when using duo voice mode with hold pedal
• Fixed an issue with intermittent clicks in mono modes
• Scope now running smoother on Mac and Win (Hive)
• Function generator attack/decay times now much longer when being modulated (Hive)
• Fixed automatic switching of unipolar/bipolar sources in scope (Hive)
• Fixed wrong and missing entries in function generator input menu (Hive)

Known Issues: (schedule was tight, a few things had to wait...)

• Rare DC issue (audio clicks, sound cuts out)
• Natural cable style causing GUI glitches (ACE)
• Dialogs may appear transparent in Logic under macOS Catalina (and in Cubase 10.5)
• Context menus need plugin focus to work (Apple issue)
• "Wavetable not found" warning not displayed for missing wave files (Hive)
• Wavetables not loaded if they contain special characters (Windows only) (Hive)
• Random modulation source not working when used on effect parameters (Hive)
• Tracktion: Issue with VST3 and arp/host sync (Hive)
• Randomizer presets crash Repro-1 (Repro)
• FL Studio: S&H rate in Repro-5 behaves erratically (Repro)
• LFO host sync switch can cause crash or mute the plugin (Repro) [might be fixed before release, if time permits]
• Parameter automation issue in Ableton Live (Repro)

[EvilDragon]

We also added a long standing feature request to Diva: Being able to play trills in mono modes while the hold pedal is pressed.

YESSSSSSS!!!!

Coming to Zebra as well?

[Urs]

We also added a long standing feature request to Diva: Being able to play trills in mono modes while the hold pedal is pressed.

YESSSSSSS!!!!

Coming to Zebra as well?

Time will tell... there's a lot of refactoring involved; which is why it isn't even in Hive yet.

[EvilDragon]

Fingers crossed! It's the single thing I was missing the most in all u-he synths (Repros also need this!)... apart from option to invert mousewheel behavior on scrollbars and menus.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

First up: is it just me or is this the first RePro build released to the public with Ctrl-A and Ctrl-B? I could be wrong, but I don't recall any prior builds being MPE compatible. If I'm right on that, might want to add that to the change logs.

To add on with my own "simple Feature Request that I really want to see in U-he synths" (since we're on the subject): a preference or something added to make 64 the center value for MIDI (instead of 63). I know it came up in the past and Urs made a good case for why it should be 63, but Roland picked 64 for their detented knobs and a few others consider 64 center too. Would just help with tuning on my MIDI controller.

A small installer related FR: the new installers are recalling and reading the .data directory correctly, but still just take a old approach of trying to install the VST Plugin into the last folder selected. My folder looks like D:\VST Plugins\U-he\[Plugin Name]\[Plugin Name.data]. So when I install RePro then Hive, it tries to put the Hive.dll in the RePro folder. Would be nice if the plugin path itself could also be recalled so I can just "next" my way through the installer without looking.

[tasmaniandevil]

First up: is it just me or is this the first RePro build released to the public with Ctrl-A and Ctrl-B? I could be wrong, but I don't recall any prior builds being MPE compatible. If I'm right on that, might want to add that to the change logs.

From the improvements section:
"New user defined MIDI CC sources replace fixed expression and breath modulation"

A small installer related FR: the new installers are recalling and reading the .data directory correctly, but still just take a old approach of trying to install the VST Plugin into the last folder selected. My folder looks like D:\VST Plugins\U-he\[Plugin Name]\[Plugin Name.data]. So when I install RePro then Hive, it tries to put the Hive.dll in the RePro folder. Would be nice if the plugin path itself could also be recalled so I can just "next" my way through the installer without looking.

The installer has been improved in that regard, we are now using one registry entry for each plugin.
But you first have to run the new installer for each plugin once, so it can create that new reg entry.
When you now run the installer again, or whenever you run a future update installer, it will remember the plugin paths specificially for that plugin (unless you manually moved the plugin to a different directory in the meantime).

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

First up: is it just me or is this the first RePro build released to the public with Ctrl-A and Ctrl-B? I could be wrong, but I don't recall any prior builds being MPE compatible. If I'm right on that, might want to add that to the change logs.

From the improvements section:
"New user defined MIDI CC sources replace fixed expression and breath modulation Added CtrlA/B for better MPE compatibility (RePro, ACE)"

FTFY.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

The installer has been improved in that regard, we are now using one registry entry for each plugin.
But you first have to run the new installer for each plugin once, so it can create that new reg entry.
When you now run the installer again, or whenever you run a future update installer, it will remember the plugin paths specificially for that plugin (unless you manually moved the plugin to a different directory in the meantime).

Just double-checked by running the new installers again: you're absolutely right (as usual).

[Howard]

First up: is it just me or is this the first RePro build released to the public with Ctrl-A and Ctrl-B? I could be wrong, but I don't recall any prior builds being MPE compatible. If I'm right on that, might want to add that to the change logs.

From the improvements section:
"New user defined MIDI CC sources replace fixed expression and breath modulation Added CtrlA/B for better MPE compatibility (RePro, ACE)"

FTFY.

Control A and Control B have nothing to do with MPE. They are simply more flexible replacements for CC2 (Breath) and CC11 (Expression).

[enCiphered]

And again no Midi-Out..

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Control A and Control B have nothing to do with MPE. They are simply more flexible replacements for CC2 (Breath) and CC11 (Expression).

Apologies, I did indeed jump the gun. I was hoping the introduction of this meant that CC74 would respond polyphonically now but it does not.

[Urs]

It doesn’t?!?

[Urs]

And again no Midi-Out..

I guess we should stop updating stuff all together for a few years until we manage to fulfill every single feature request - and hope that not all people have forgotten about us until then

[Echoes in the Attic]

And again no Midi-Out..

I guess we should stop updating stuff all together for a few years until we manage to fulfill every single feature request - and hope that not all people have forgotten about us until then

If thatt's the case, do you mind making the repro effects on/off switches automatable?

By the way, jsut curious, why is it called pressure in Diva but aftertouch in Repro. They are the same right?

[Urs]

And again no Midi-Out..

I guess we should stop updating stuff all together for a few years until we manage to fulfill every single feature request - and hope that not all people have forgotten about us until then

If thatt's the case, do you mind making the repro effects on/off switches automatable?

By the way, jsut curious, why is it called pressure in Diva but aftertouch in Repro. They are the same right?

We can make them automatable, but I don’t fully like the idea. It’s easier with a fixed set of slots like in Diva.

Yes, pressure and AT are the same. I don’t recall the history of who coined which and I guess there’s some kind of fashion of what it’s called by whom and when.