BlueARP VST Arpeggiator development - let's discuss! (Apple M1 ready, 4K)

[graywolf2004]

Note for OSX / Apple users
Letest version v2.8.6b won't work on OSX below 11 because I upgraded XCode to version 16 (minus one below the latest) and officially OSX 11 is the lower it can support. But later I doscovered that actually it can target down to OSX 10.13. So if you have OSX 10.13 - 10.15 - check this version 2.8.6c
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16SNOis ... z3TP5MycDF
I got a problem report about this.
I wonder if anyone still uses OSX below version 10.13, but it is possible for me to compile BlueARP for earlier OSX versions as well, on another, older Mac. So let me know if anyone needs it.

[graywolf2004]

I love BlueARP and have used it for years, but it lacks one critical feature that I long for every time I use it: delay compensation.
...

Just FYI that this 'time shift' feature is also work in progress, I didn't forget about it. Especially for the guitar mode, it is really needed because real guitar player will normaly aligh the last string hit with the beat, not the 1st one, so time shift to compensate that will help. It just needs careful testing, how it will interfere with the other settings.

[surreal]

I love BlueARP and have used it for years, but it lacks one critical feature that I long for every time I use it: delay compensation.
...

Just FYI that this 'time shift' feature is also work in progress, I didn't forget about it. Especially for the guitar mode, it is really needed because real guitar player will normaly aligh the last string hit with the beat, not the 1st one, so time shift to compensate that will help. It just needs careful testing, how it will interfere with the other settings.

I am still hoping for a ratcheting feature to make those triplet type hihat Trap rolls

[hamlen]

Just FYI that this 'time shift' feature is also work in progress, I didn't forget about it.

Great to hear! I think many will benefit if you can find a way to add it!

Quick clarification: The implementation strategy I tested in my last post achieves sample time-precision, not buffer-length precision. So at a 44.1kHz sample rate, it successfully time-shifts in increments of 1/44100 = 0.0227 ms regardless of buffer size. It achieves this by basically lying to BlueARP about the current project time: Whenever the DAW host asks for a buffer for time t, it asks BlueARP for a buffer for time t + Δ instead. It thereby tricks BlueARP into time-shifting while avoiding touching any of BlueARP's other settings. Maybe an internal BlueARP solution could do something similar.

[graywolf2004]

...
I am still hoping for a ratcheting feature to make those triplet type hihat Trap rolls

I have this in my toDo, but not the top priority now. The idea is to add another mode to GATE LANE, it will be only in the ARP mode though, in drum mode - it is already pretty packed up to add something new. But for hihat rolls it will work fine imho. Also for this 8-bit style fast up/down arps, I had a few requests on this.

[andywt765]

Greetings! I'm having an issues while trying to use BlueARP in Logic, can you please help me?
Mac OS Sequoia v15.6.1 on Intel processor
Logic Pro v11.2.2
BlueArp v2.8.6b
1. Downloaded archive, uncompressed, cleared quarantine flags, copied BlueARP.component to /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
2. Deleted ~/Library/Caches/AudioUnitCache/com.apple.audiounits.cache
3. Rebooted
Logic started and scanned installed plugins, no errors. In the Plugin Manager BlueARP is marked as Successfully Validated.

But when i'm trying to insert BlueArp as MIDI FX plugin on Software Instrument or MIDI track i'm getting the following error: 'Failed to load Audio Unit "BlueARP", please contact the manufacturer for an updated version or further assistance'. At the same time the following error is displayed in syslog: 'localhost Logic Pro[943]: (CoreFoundation) [com.apple.CFBundle:loading] dlsym cannot find symbol g_dwILResult in CFBundle 0x600003903c60 </Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/BlueARP.component> (bundle, loaded): <private>'

The only piece of info regarding such error i've been able to find is located here: https://forum.juce.com/t/dlsym-cannot-f ... ugin/67061
and states: 'The issue is now resolved - turns out I forgot to add the MIDI Effect Plugin flag.'

I've also tried couple of previous versions of the plugin on this Mac OS and Logic, and on Mac OS Mojave with earlier version of Logic - but with the same outcome.

[graywolf2004]

Greetings! I'm having an issues while trying to use BlueARP in Logic, can you please help me?
Mac OS Sequoia v15.6.1 on Intel processor
Logic Pro v11.2.2
BlueArp v2.8.6b
...

Can you try this version 2.8.6f (not yet released)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17yNe_7 ... hXtCncsMg4

I had an error report from one user with OSX 10.13 and it had some memory ussues, which did not appear in my system. But I fixed them and tested on the virtual system with OSX 10.13, and he reported that on his real system it now works OK. Pls let me know if this one works for you

PS. I have the 'midi effect' turned on for my plugin, I don't know what exactly does it do in JUCE, but in plist.info plugin type is set to 'aumi' (midi fx plugin) not 'aumu' (instrument), otherwise it wouldn't work anywhere. You shouldn't add it as an instrument on a new mixer strip in Logic - it won't work, but you should press MIDI-FX button above the instrument in the existing strip and add it there, upper in the chain before the plugin/synth it will drive.
Maybe this will also help, only now manuf. name is 'omg instruments' instead of 'graywolf'
https://imgur.com/a/midi-fx-steps-lC2GS

[andywt765]

Greetings! I'm having an issues while trying to use BlueARP in Logic, can you please help me?
Mac OS Sequoia v15.6.1 on Intel processor
Logic Pro v11.2.2
BlueArp v2.8.6b
...

Can you try this version 2.8.6f (not yet released)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17yNe_7 ... hXtCncsMg4

I had an error report from one user with OSX 10.13 and it had some memory ussues, which did not appear in my system. But I fixed them and tested on the virtual system with OSX 10.13, and he reported that on his real system it now works OK. Pls let me know if this one works for you

PS. I have the 'midi effect' turned on for my plugin, I don't know what exactly does it do in JUCE, but in plist.info plugin type is set to 'aumi' (midi fx plugin) not 'aumu' (instrument), otherwise it wouldn't work anywhere. You shouldn't add it as an instrument on a new mixer strip in Logic - it won't work, but you should press MIDI-FX button above the instrument in the existing strip and add it there, upper in the chain before the plugin/synth it will drive.
Maybe this will also help, only now manuf. name is 'omg instruments' instead of 'graywolf'
https://imgur.com/a/midi-fx-steps-lC2GS

Thanks for the quick reply!
I've tried this new build using the same thorough install method, but the moment i'm adding BlueARP as MIDI-FX plugin to any track it instantly crashes Logic. Syslog error is similar:

Code: Select all

localhost Logic Pro[874]: (CoreFoundation) [com.apple.CFBundle:loading] dlsym cannot find symbol g_dwILResult in CFBundle 0x6000001cbb80 </Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/BlueARP.component> (bundle, loaded): <private>

Crash report among other info contains the following, if it makes any sense:

Code: Select all

Crashed Thread:        0  Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
Exception Type:        EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes:       KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000000
Exception Codes:       0x0000000000000001, 0x0000000000000000
Termination Reason:    Namespace SIGNAL, Code 11 Segmentation fault: 11
Terminating Process:   exc handler [874]
VM Region Info: 0 is not in any region.  Bytes before following region: 4529127424
      REGION TYPE                    START - END         [ VSIZE] PRT/MAX SHRMOD  REGION DETAIL
      UNUSED SPACE AT START
--->  
      __TEXT                      10df50000-1102fe000    [ 35.7M] r-x/r-x SM=COW  /Applications/Logic Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Logic Pro

Thread 0 Crashed::  Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
0   ???                           	               0x0 ???
1   AudioToolboxCore              	    0x7ff816d235fd caulk::inplace_function_detail::vtable<void, MIDI::EventList const*>::vtable<APMIDIRouter::init(MIDIProtocolID, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const*)::$_3::operator()(void*, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const&, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int) const::'lambda'(MIDI::EventList const*)>(caulk::inplace_function_detail::wrapper<APMIDIRouter::init(MIDIProtocolID, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const*)::$_3::operator()(void*, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const&, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int) const::'lambda'(MIDI::EventList const*)>)::'lambda'(void*, MIDI::EventList const*&&)::__invoke(void*, MIDI::EventList const*&&) + 27
2   AudioToolboxCore              	    0x7ff816c306ae MIDI::LegacyMIDIConverter<MIDI::IdentityTranslator>::convertLegacyDataToEventList(std::__1::span<unsigned char const, 18446744073709551615ul>, unsigned long long, caulk::inplace_function<void (MIDI::EventList const*), 48ul, 16ul, caulk::inplace_function_detail::vtable>) + 330
3   AudioToolboxCore              	    0x7ff816d2354f caulk::inplace_function_detail::vtable<int, void*, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const&, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int>::vtable<APMIDIRouter::init(MIDIProtocolID, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const*)::$_3>(caulk::inplace_function_detail::wrapper<APMIDIRouter::init(MIDIProtocolID, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const*)::$_3>)::'lambda'(void*, void*&&, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const&, unsigned int&&, unsigned int&&, unsigned int&&, unsigned int&&)::__invoke(void*, void*&&, AudioUnitPluginDispatch const&, unsigned int&&, unsigned int&&, unsigned int&&, unsigned int&&) + 133
4   AudioToolboxCore              	    0x7ff816d676df MusicDeviceMIDIEvent + 310
5   MAAudioEngine                 	       0x1149db9e2 MAAEAudioUnit::AU2HostAdapter::SendMIDIEvent(unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int) + 18
6   MAAudioEngine                 	       0x1149a08d7 MAAEAudioUnit::AU2PlugIn::SetupTuning() + 167
7   MAAudioEngine                 	       0x1149a02af MAAEAudioUnit::AU2PlugIn::Priv_SetupMidi() + 607
8   MAAudioEngine                 	       0x11499d15d MAAEAudioUnit::AU2PlugIn::Load(long, long, long) + 1309
9   MAAudioEngine                 	       0x114777351 MD::NewPlug(CPlugIn**, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int, bool, long, long, long, bool, bool, bool, bool) + 673
10  Logic Pro                     	       0x10e387297 0x10df50000 + 4420247
11  Logic Pro                     	       0x10e1c4e10 0x10df50000 + 2575888
12  Logic Pro                     	       0x10e1c3681 0x10df50000 + 2569857
13  Logic Pro                     	       0x10e1c1d7e 0x10df50000 + 2563454
14  Logic Pro                     	       0x10e299be3 0x10df50000 + 3447779
15  Logic Pro                     	       0x10f7cbd66 0x10df50000 + 25673062
16  Logic Pro                     	       0x10f7cb619 0x10df50000 + 25671193
17  Logic Pro                     	       0x10fb6a8c6 0x10df50000 + 29468870
18  Logic Pro                     	       0x10fb6c0a8 0x10df50000 + 29474984
19  MAMixer                       	       0x1129ec66d 0x11285b000 + 1644141
20  MAGUI                         	       0x11110f237 0x111026000 + 954935
21  MAGUI                         	       0x11113a96a 0x111026000 + 1132906
22  Logic Pro                     	       0x10e58ec50 0x10df50000 + 6548560
23  AppKit                        	    0x7ff818509920 -[NSWindow(NSEventRouting) _handleMouseDownEvent:isDelayedEvent:] + 4689
24  AppKit                        	    0x7ff818483349 -[NSWindow(NSEventRouting) _reallySendEvent:isDelayedEvent:] + 531
25  AppKit                        	    0x7ff818482f15 -[NSWindow(NSEventRouting) sendEvent:] + 344
26  Logic Pro                     	       0x10e487711 0x10df50000 + 5469969
27  AppKit                        	    0x7ff818db8669 -[NSApplication(NSEventRouting) sendEvent:] + 1905
28  Logic Pro                     	       0x10fa03bb4 0x10df50000 + 27999156
29  Logic Pro                     	       0x10fa036a6 0x10df50000 + 27997862
30  Logic Pro                     	       0x10f9fdab4 0x10df50000 + 27974324
31  Logic Pro                     	       0x10fa03bee 0x10df50000 + 27999214
32  Logic Pro                     	       0x10fa036a6 0x10df50000 + 27997862
33  AppKit                        	    0x7ff81891bc37 -[NSApplication _handleEvent:] + 65
34  AppKit                        	    0x7ff81831cec5 -[NSApplication run] + 654
35  AppKit                        	    0x7ff8182f0005 NSApplicationMain + 803
36  Logic Pro                     	       0x10eba1b0d 0x10df50000 + 12917517
37  dyld                          	    0x7ff81443a530 start + 3056

BTW, its impossible to add the plugin by mistake to any other place except MIDI-FX since Logic is filtering allowed plugins by type, so BlueARP is visible only there.

[graywolf2004]

...
BTW, its impossible to add the plugin by mistake to any other place except MIDI-FX since Logic is filtering allowed plugins by type, so BlueARP is visible only there.

Yep, I see, might be not easy to debug since I can't reproduce it on any of my systems (will try in Rosetta mode though, maybe it will fire). The crash log doesn't give any clues inside BlueARP code. Can you also run this on your system, in command line
auval -v aumi BArp OMGw
and post the output here (better as an attached txt, it may be long). Or only the error parts of it.

[andywt765]

...
BTW, its impossible to add the plugin by mistake to any other place except MIDI-FX since Logic is filtering allowed plugins by type, so BlueARP is visible only there.

Yep, I see, might be not easy to debug since I can't reproduce it on any of my systems (will try in Rosetta mode though, maybe it will fire). The crash log doesn't give any clues inside BlueARP code. Can you also run this on your system, in command line
auval -v aumi BArp OMGw
and post the output here (better as an attached txt, it may be long). Or only the error parts of it.

Please find attached output of the command.
As a side note i would like to add that auval command doesnt work properly in iTerm with its default settings. Its required either to use Mac OS Terminal or turn off 'Prefs > Advanced > Allow sessions to survive logging out and back in' in iTerm Preferences

[andywt765]

...
BTW, its impossible to add the plugin by mistake to any other place except MIDI-FX since Logic is filtering allowed plugins by type, so BlueARP is visible only there.

Yep, I see, might be not easy to debug since I can't reproduce it on any of my systems (will try in Rosetta mode though, maybe it will fire). The crash log doesn't give any clues inside BlueARP code. Can you also run this on your system, in command line
auval -v aumi BArp OMGw
and post the output here (better as an attached txt, it may be long). Or only the error parts of it.

Please find attached output of the command.
As a side note i would like to add that auval command doesnt work properly in iTerm with its default settings. Its required either to use Mac OS Terminal or turn off 'Prefs > Advanced > Allow sessions to survive logging out and back in' in iTerm Preferences

Also i've dug out my old computer with Mac OS Mohave 10.14.6 + Logic 10.5.1 and BlueARP_OSX_MFX_v2.8.6f works fine there. So probably this is yet another Sequoia incompatibility

[graywolf2004]

...
Also i've dug out my old computer with Mac OS Mohave 10.14.6 + Logic 10.5.1 and BlueARP_OSX_MFX_v2.8.6f works fine there. So probably this is yet another Sequoia incompatibility

I think I fixed it! At least I reproduced the error on M1 Mac with also OSX 15, but in Rosetta mode (in M1 mode it was fine)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fHu2_1 ... dJ_nOsP6X1
Funny thing it that looks like in the current iPlug2 repo this issue is not resolved as well (BlueARP is based on older iPlug from about 2016 with lots of my changes over the years)
It is that older/legacy kMusicDeviceMIDIEventSelect method is implemented, while the newer one kMusicDeviceMIDIEventListSelect - is not. And looks like only your rare combination of OSX 15 + Intel fall into this pattern. Cause OSX 15 + M1 - works, OSX 10.13 + Intel - works, only OSX 15 + Intel - fail. Which is imho quite a rare combination, or iPlug2 dev would be flooded by bug reports on this issue and likely it would be resolved already.
But now hopefully it is resolved, pls check it on your system. Did not yet regress-test on OSX 10.13, will do later.

[aquilyzer]

I made a short video about the new Mute Arp feature. It shows how I’m currently using it. Love it!
Right now there’s only one issue, which I think is a Renoise MIDI timing problem. When the note that suppresses the arp is played at the exact same time as the arp note right at the start of a song, the first note sometimes gets swallowed or lands slightly off the timing grid. When I let it loop, it plays fine again.

[andywt765]

...
Also i've dug out my old computer with Mac OS Mohave 10.14.6 + Logic 10.5.1 and BlueARP_OSX_MFX_v2.8.6f works fine there. So probably this is yet another Sequoia incompatibility

I think I fixed it! At least I reproduced the error on M1 Mac with also OSX 15, but in Rosetta mode (in M1 mode it was fine)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fHu2_1 ... dJ_nOsP6X1
Funny thing it that looks like in the current iPlug2 repo this issue is not resolved as well (BlueARP is based on older iPlug from about 2016 with lots of my changes over the years)
It is that older/legacy kMusicDeviceMIDIEventSelect method is implemented, while the newer one kMusicDeviceMIDIEventListSelect - is not. And looks like only your rare combination of OSX 15 + Intel fall into this pattern. Cause OSX 15 + M1 - works, OSX 10.13 + Intel - works, only OSX 15 + Intel - fail. Which is imho quite a rare combination, or iPlug2 dev would be flooded by bug reports on this issue and likely it would be resolved already.
But now hopefully it is resolved, pls check it on your system. Did not yet regress-test on OSX 10.13, will do later.

It works now! Thank you so much Oleg, really appreciate your dedication!

[graywolf2004]

Yep, I only hope that on Linux it won't be as much PITA as on OSX. I'm not a fan of Windows either, but regarding backwards compatibility I have no questions - even Windows 11 can still run 32 bit apps.
FYI regarding migration to Linux - I had a choice either to try to add Linux and CLAP support to my current project based on iPlug from around 2016 (lots of work) or migrate my whole project to the newer iPlug2 (lots of work either) and benefit from that CLAP and Linux support should work out of the box. Already did a barebone migration. One issue I see - on Windows iPlug2 no longer uses GDI for drawing, which means that ClearType font rendering is no longer available. It will make a plugin fonts look a bit worse at 100% and 125% scale. Obvious an 100%, not so much at 125%, negligible at 150%. I wonder if anyone still works at FullHD resolution and uses 100% GUI scale?
On the positive side, using newer iPlug2 with more fancy graphics libraries (afaik iPlug2 uses NanoVG by default and Skia as an option) it makes possible to do more fancy GUI effects like textures, gradients, led glow etc. But anyway I won't go heavy on these things, I like flat GUI, the way it is now. Maybe will add the ability to change fonts with a skin. But still 'proof of concept' with iPlug2 is not yet ready. BlueARP has a complicated param map, it depends on the operation mode which is the major problem. So maybe version 3.0.0 (the 1st version on iPlug2 as I plan) will break some backwards compatibility with 2.x, cause to make it 100% compliant with VST3 and CLAP I have to remove parameter ID intersection between the operation modes. Now some param ID may mean different things in different operation modes, which is not a good thing. Better to split such params into pairs or triples, each distinct param for each operation mode. Parameters invariant to the operation mode will stay the same obviously.
Anyway looks like it won't be easy and for a while I will keep updating the my current project and slowly migrating stuff to iPlug2 and testing various stuff. Still there are good chances to roll out the 1st release based on iPlug2 with Linux support in 2026.