PatchWork 2.71 Released: MIDI Clock, MTC, SysEx, Presets Navigation & More...

[Blue Cat Audio]

We are happy to announce yet another free update for Blue Cat's PatchWork, our versatile multi-effects processor and plug-in host.

This 38th iteration of PatchWork includes many improvements for MIDI (MIDI Clock, MTC, SysEx...), presets navigation, a re-designed built-in Wah plug-in and a lot more (full change list below and more details here). This is a recommended free update for everyone!



The free PatchWork update can be easily downloaded from the same location as the original full version, accessible through the link provided via email upon purchase. Demo versions, supporting various plug-in formats and available for both Mac and Windows PC, can be found at www.bluecataudio.com.

What's New in PatchWork 2.71:
- Synchronize app transport & bpm with other devices/software with MIDI Clock and/or MIDI Timecode (MTC). Both send and receive supported.
- App can now receive and send MIDI even when no audio interface is selected.
- Both plug-ins and application now support SysEx MIDI events.
- Plug-in and App can now send Bank Select and Program Change messages upon preset selection in the user interface to keep external controllers in sync.
- Find currently selected preset easily in the menu (folders containing the preset now display a check mark).
- Added an option to cycle next/previous preset in current bank.
- Show current preset in Finder/Widows Explorer.
- Updated built-in Wah plug-in: new LFO to modulate the Wah's filter (with host sync option), new presets with modulation effects, custom colors support.
- Improved performance of VST3 plug-in and VST3 host when receiving program change messages.
- Plug-in bypass now follows plug-in upon drag and drop.
- Fixed plug-in slot bypass reset upon plug-in removal.
- Fixed a crash in the params map editor upon GUI load in some rare cases.
- Fixed plug-in slots display issue on MacOS 10.10.
- Fixed crash in app when showing MIDI devices with names using unicode characters.
- Fixed AAX plug-in not supporting all 8 channels surround formats in Pro Tools.
- Windows: fixed navigation in controls with tab key in settings windows.

System requirements:
- Intel or Apple Silicon Mac running Mac OS 10.9 or newer.
- Windows PC running Windows Vista or newer.

Pricing:
Blue Cat's PatchWork: 99 EUR or $99

Enjoy!

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I'm going to be honest, I hardly update my Bluecat plugins because it's such a headache having to dig up the URL's, then download a bunch of plugin formats individually. I really, really, really, really would rather have you take some time off of plugin updates for a bit and get some unified plugin installers and a User Area going.

I'd gain so much more benefit from that as opposed to MIDI Timecode via MTC. I'm sure someone wanted that. But I bet all or most of users would prefer a better download/update experience. BlueCat, as a company, is more than just the plugins you sell. It's the whole experience.

[kraster]

Still the single best plugin investment I've ever made.

Bought this years ago and it's the gift that keeps on giving.

Fantastic work.

[MattLeschuck]

I agree with both posters above. However, i do search for my purchase email and its minor inconvenience (in order to update) since the plugin is so handy.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Yeah, the plugin itself is great and I don't want to sound ungrateful. But it's been great for a long time. Whereas the website/update experience has honestly been sub-par for far longer. I'd just like to see the overall experience catch up to the quality of the plugins.

[escalona]

Yeah, the plugin itself is great and I don't want to sound ungrateful. But it's been great for a long time. Whereas the website/update experience has honestly been sub-par for far longer. I'd just like to see the overall experience catch up to the quality of the plugins.

Absolutely this. Every plugin I own from BCA is great, no doubt about it.
And still I don't ever update them, heck I don't even use them any more and I don't even consider getting any new ones due to exactly what you just described above.
The user download/install/update experience is way overdue.

[rasmusklump]

I for one am really grateful that they don't cram every format into a single installer. I don't want do download 8 formats I don't need.

[Blue Cat Audio]

It definitely cannot be argued that the experience can be improved, for sure.

However did you know that you can retrieve all your licenses and download links instantly with your email address on the website? No user account creation required, no password, triple verification etc.

Blue Cat Audio Licenses Retrieval

Also if you accept to receive email from us upon purchase you will get email notification when updates are available, with a direct link to the new version. Most of the friction today remains when you want to update a large number of products at once, and that's what we'll be working on, for sure.

Whatever happens in the future regarding user account (yes, it will happen), I want to make sure that you are free not to have to register anywhere to use the software. That's why this disconnected & user-account-free system has been put in place.

[Blue Cat Audio]

Still the single best plugin investment I've ever made.

Bought this years ago and it's the gift that keeps on giving.

Fantastic work.

Thanks!

[Blue Cat Audio]

I agree with both posters above. However, i do search for my purchase email and its minor inconvenience (in order to update) since the plugin is so handy.

Thanks! As explained above you don't need to search for the email anymore. Direct license retrieval has been in place for a while now.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

That definitely helps, I'd suggest including a link to that page in any update announcements. Like an "To update, existing customers can retrieve their license and links here." Just to make it easier.

But even once there, Mac "one installer". Windows: you've still got VST2 and 32-bit! Not to be narc, but I'm pretty sure the new Steinberg agreements forbid doing any VST2 releases (hence why so many developers begrudgingly dropped it) and 32-bit has been dead for over a decade. I think I transitioned to 64-bit plugins 15 years ago. My advice there: ditch the legacy formats on Windows and stick it in one installer like on Mac.

And please...use shared resources for all instances of your plugins. The skins, presets, preferences should not go in anyone's plugin folder. Because they can be updated by users, they belong (on Windows) in a Documents\BlueCat\Patchwork\ folder where all instances of the plugin can reference them. When you stick these types of resources in the plugin folders, the DAWs have to scan them because they may be plugins. Additionally, the majority of your users don't want multiple copies of these fils and/or different presets/skins on different versions. That makes no sense. The only other developer that does stuff this way is Acustica and they're definitely the opposite the model for a good user experience. Every other player, from IK to Arturia to U-he use one shared set of resources. I see a BlueCat folder in Documents\ but it appears to have all the same files in the Patchwork.data VST3 plugin folder. So it seems like BC is not only cluttering my plugin folder with extra files but also just using up extra hard drive to make the experience work.

As I said, I appreciate the plugins but it's time to do this maintenance and bring the Customer Experience up to a more modern standard. I've been begging for this type of stuff for years. It's become a series of minor annoyances that have gone unresolved for a long time and just leaves a bad taste in my mouth due to the length of time they've gone unaddressed.

[BBFG#]

I agree with both posters above. However, i do search for my purchase email and its minor inconvenience (in order to update) since the plugin is so handy.

Thanks! As explained above you don't need to search for the email anymore. Direct license retrieval has been in place for a while now.

That's nice. Another suggestion to try is to save each page to a specified favorite folder in your browser. That has worked well for me at least since finding old emails can be more of a chore since they're mixed in my Blue Cat email folder with receipts and support communications.

[audiojunkie]

I'm going to be honest, I hardly update my Bluecat plugins because it's such a headache having to dig up the URL's, then download a bunch of plugin formats individually. I really, really, really, really would rather have you take some time off of plugin updates for a bit and get some unified plugin installers and a User Area going.

I'd gain so much more benefit from that as opposed to MIDI Timecode via MTC. I'm sure someone wanted that. But I bet all or most of users would prefer a better download/update experience. BlueCat, as a company, is more than just the plugins you sell. It's the whole experience.

I'm the complete opposite. I hate challenge/response and being dependent upon installers. I prefer a simple serial file and a simple download. In the long run, this is the safer way to do it. So please, Blue Cat Audio team--keep both methods if you are going to add an installer.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I'm the complete opposite. I hate challenge/response and being dependent upon installers. I prefer a simple serial file and a simple download. In the long run, this is the safer way to do it. So please, Blue Cat Audio team--keep both methods if you are going to add an installer.

I think there's some wires that've been crossed. Challenge/response has nothing to do with anything I'm saying. I'm not talking about authorization methods at all.

And there are already installers. The installers aren't the issue. It's having one installer for each format/permutation on Windows and then having multiple copies of the support files for each type too.

[audiojunkie]

I'm the complete opposite. I hate challenge/response and being dependent upon installers. I prefer a simple serial file and a simple download. In the long run, this is the safer way to do it. So please, Blue Cat Audio team--keep both methods if you are going to add an installer.

I think there's some wires that've been crossed. Challenge/response has nothing to do with anything I'm saying. I'm not talking about authorization methods at all.

And there are already installers. The installers aren't the issue. It's having one installer for each format/permutation on Windows and then having multiple copies of the support files for each type too.

I know that C/R doesn't have anything to do with what you said. I just like to add this in to make sure developers know that there are people that are not fans of C/R, which seems to come hand-in-hand with single installers. I also know that there are already individual plugin installers. However, it's when developers start making a single installer that they start having the installer use the process of downloading to obtain the files. Once you can't download the whole installation and place it, along with the serial file, to your personal archive, you begin to lose self reliance--the ability to keep your software and remain non-reliant upon a company for installs. Usually after that, the next step for developers is to further simplify the installer by adding challenge response. Several of us just went through discussions about all of this with Melda. Luckily, Melda is awesome and worked out a way for both to work-- Users who want a single installer that downloads everything and uses a simple C/R have the ability, and also users who prefer individual complete installs with serials that can be archived by the user have the ability. If we are going to encourage a single installer, I'm OK with it, as long as we keep the ability to download complete individual intallers with serial number authentication so that there is no reliance upon a company after a sale. I hope that makes more sense.

Edited multiple times to try to be as clear as possible and not be offensive.