Posted
File format has changed! Files saved with 2.0.3 can't be opened with earlier versions. This is probably not an issue as nobody wants to go back to an earlier update, but just so you know that making a backup is a good idea.
The full update 2.0.3 brings lots of fixes and improvements:
- Audio Engine 4.1.1: Support plug-ins with 16 input + 70 output channels
- HyperEdit returns to wrong parameter when switched off
- HyperEdit parameters shoud not show up as resizable
- Figure should show in background of Hyper-edited parameters
- Crash when dropping chord on yet unallocated progression at the beginning
- Custom articulations & CC lost after closing dialog
- Snippets: Retain armed states when pressing Stop
- Snippets: Disable pointless transport buttons on snippets page
- Snippets: Improve documentation for toolbar buttons
- Snippets: Support more parameters to be used in a snippet
- Help: Browser should slow down other processes much less
- Help: Browsers in all open window should respond to user actions equally
- Help: Missing links for custom CCs, articulations
- Presets: Option to save instrument ranges, CCs and articulations with device when saving a rack module preset
- Presets: Warn if file already exists
- Option to save instrument CCs and articulations to device after editing them
- Option to save instrument ranges to device from ranges menu
- Issues renaming rack library items
- Issues moving folders in device hierarchy
- Sound Wizard: Channel menu was disabled when extending a module
- Sound Wizard: Playing ranges not written through to instrument
- Sound Wizard: Playing ranges toolbar selection not visible
- Sound Wizard: Ability to set instrument's playing ranges and play notes
- Crashes with SMF export
- Crashes with MIDI compilation/rendering
- New example library that lists all factories
- Crash when picking Harmony template for snippet grid
- Drop phrase from library did not copy private device description
- Drop phrase on standlone library should suggest copying private rack module
- Factories should suggest better portable sound descriptors
- Drop phrase should retain more invisible parameters
- Graphics: Global parameters refresh issues
- Graphics: Isses with tree search input
- Graphics: Drop something on collapsed track should not show insert position
- Library: Cleanup for shipping now works on folders
- Library: Cleanup for shipping options now configurable
- Library: Option to purge unused rack modules in library rack
- Library: Preview phrases with sound wizard
- Library: Rewritten much of drag & drop sound assignments
- Library: Creating new library from arrange window should warn if file exists
- Library: Creating new library from arrange window must open it immediately
- Library: Drop container should ask for copying rack modules of included instruments
- Layout of tree views should be more condensed
- Improved sound allocation monitor panel
- Undo was broken for sound assignment
- Undo did not refresh display in some cases
- Grid Outlet: Simplified default templates
- Display tuplets as reduced fractions where possible
- Removing unused instruments must also consider snippets
Of course some of the reported bugs still remain to be fixed. If you find any new ones in this updates, please post here.
Tue, 2022-05-10 - 19:48 Permalink
There are now additional quintuplet options for quantisation and MusicXML output, something not even listed above. Thanks!
Unfortuantely, I still fail to export the previously shared file with 1/20 quintuplets, though.
Probably not related, but notation software still report an input error like the one below (or a close variant):
Fatal error: line 56 column 34 Content of attribute port does not match its type definition: Engine1:08 is not valid according to xs:positiveInteger..
(I am saying that this is likely not related, because this error is also shown for successful exports without tuplets.)
Will do a few more tests.
Tue, 2022-05-10 - 21:26 Permalink
I now did a few more tests. Sometimes I now could export to MusicXML music that includes quintuplets (sometimes it works, good!), but not always. I am trying to find a pattern. Sometimes, it is possible to output in principle, but the resulting notation is too complicated.
I will continue doing a few more such tests, but for creating a piece for music notation and tuplets with Synfire, it might be a good idea to keep the figures of each track simple, and then merge multiple tracks (e.g., for piano) later manually in the notation software.
Again, thanks for your work on this!
Tue, 2022-05-10 - 21:54 Permalink
A bit more details: keeping tracks simple with only a single figure at a time and a single tuplet type per track seems to help Synfire, and it exports more accurate results.
However, even then the results are still not necessarily accurate. It might be that Synfire MusicXML tuplet export can get confused if a tuplet does not start with notes on the beginning of a beat, but instead with some rests. That can confuse Synfire so much that it can even export a longer or shorter rhythm than fits into the time signature.
To give you some idea, I am sharing here a screen shot of some Synfire figures, where the rhythm is reasonably easy to read, and the resulting notation. Note that the chord in the 2nd track and 2nd bar is completely missing in the notation export -- even without any tupletes being involved. As mentioned elsewhere before, chord factories can result in chord notes positioned slightly before their beat, which seems to be the case here too and might confuse the notation export. In the first track, the rhythm of the notated tuplets does not match the rhythm of the tuplets in the Synfire project. The notated rhythm is not even fitting into the time signature.
Wed, 2022-05-11 - 06:26 Permalink
Maybe this is just happening to me, but it seems like after I updated to 2.0.3 Build 1 the green "Link" button in the Factory tab is no longer working properly. Prior to updating, it would follow whatever chord progression was in the main arrangement tab. And when I changed the progression, it would follow the new progression accordingly. Now, it will only follow the first progression. The weird thing is, the chord names will change in the Factory tab to the new progression, but it will still follow the original one soundwise.
For example, let's say I drag Am,C,Em,D into the Harmony outlet on the Arrangment tab. When I go to the Factory tab and generate a phrase, it will follow Am,C,Em,D. So far so good. After awhile, I want to hear how that phrase sounds with a different progression. So now I'll drag different progression, let's say Gm,A,B,Em. The markers above the generated phrase will indicate that I've changed progressions (now it shows Gm,A,B,Em) but I can hear that it's still following the original progression (Am,C,Em,D). This is even after I've clicked the green "Link" button.
I'm not sure whether or not this has something to do with version 2.0.3. This function was working fine before I updated. If I want to hear the updated progression now I have to go back to the Arrangement tab everytime I generate a new phrase and drag it onto the timeline.
Wed, 2022-05-11 - 10:21 Permalink
@ultravisitor Thanks for the report. It's a bug.
Unfortunately this is a very serious bug that happens to replace Harmony and Preview in the phrase that is being played. You should immediately stop using the library phrase editor until a patch is provided! Sorry for the hassle. Glad you spotted it so soon.
Wed, 2022-05-11 - 11:22 Permalink
FYI, since yesterday my Synfire installation tells me to download the following update online, but currently there is no download available there.
Synfire Pro 2.0.3 Build #2 (Windows)
I assume that you are aware of this, and that this message within Synfire is just some leftover from an update that was later pulled. No worries, just wanted to let you know in case...
Wed, 2022-05-11 - 12:57 Permalink
Andre,
I've had a crash when previewing chords in the Palette view. I was switching between root notes and just clicking on sequences of chords and after about 40 or so previews the main programme crashed out. Unfortunately no crash file produced when I look under Help/Updates. Also I now cannot load the project I created to test 2.0.3 (the one that I was working with when the Palette view crash happened). The load process is stuck trying to load Omnisphere VST plugin.
Thanks, Tim
Wed, 2022-05-11 - 13:35 Permalink
The urgent patch is now online. Please apply as soon as possible.
- Phrase playback with green link button replaced Harmony, Preview and Tempo in the phrase
- Unable to remove empty parameters from phrase
- Phrase pools lost connection to sound after Library >> Save As ...
- Export MusicXML: Fixed several XML DTD violations (file format errors)
Wed, 2022-05-11 - 17:12 Permalink
FYI, the green "Link" button in the Factory tab is currently gone. I assume this is on purpose for the quick fix shared today until a proper fix is implemented.
Update: If a library is embedded in a project, then the link button is there and working, but separate libraries do not feature this button. Probably some misunderstanding on my part...
Thu, 2022-05-12 - 14:39 Permalink
I've come what looks like another small bug. When I open the window to import MIDI files, there is a play button (and what looks like a stop button) for auditioning the MIDI files in my folder. When I press the play button to audition the MIDI file I hear a sample, but when I press the stop button it continues to play. The only way to stop it from playing is to press the play button again. And when I press the play button again to audition the same file, it will not play again. I have to select another file then come back to the file I was just listening to to hear it again.
I'll give an example just to clarify: Let's say I have two MIDI files in my folder, Song A and Song B. I follow the path File>Import>Standard MIDI File and I get the window that contains my MIDI files. I select Song A and hit the play button. I hear a few bars and want to stop it. When I press the stop button, nothing happens and the Song A file continues to play. So now I hit the play button a second time and now the Song A file stops playing. But lets say that just after I stopped it from playing (by pressing the play button) I forgot what it sounded like and I want to hear it one more time. Song A is still selected from that first play through. So I hit play again and nothing happens. Now I have to select Song B (playing it is not necessary) and then select Song A once again just to audition it a second time. I have to follow this process whenever I want to listen to a MIDI file consecutive times after stopping it. So it looks like neither the stop nor play buttons are functioning as intended.
Mon, 2022-05-16 - 13:27 Permalink
V2.0.3 introduced bug: instruments don't remember their assigned sound if global. Saving and reopening the arrangement shows the red keyboard icons.
Resetting the audio/MIDI system does work, but you have to do this every time you re-open your arrangement.
New example library that lists all factories
Cool.
Sun, 2022-05-15 - 18:02 Permalink
"instruments don't remember their assigned sound if global. Saving and reopening the arrangement shows the red keyboard icons."
I have found something similar for a while - changing a global device description caused the instrument to be "not found" when re-opening the arrangement. Saving the global rack seemed to sort it out.
Mon, 2022-05-16 - 03:05 Permalink
For me, saving the global rack doesn't solve the issue. This didn't happen with 2.0.2.
To be more specific:
- Assign a sound to a track by choosing Global -> Piano.
- Make sure such global instrument has a valid sound, e.g. play the demo music or click some keys.
- Two cases depending on Synfire's mood:
- The arrangement track may play back and no more red icon, but if you save the arrangement and reload, you get it again.
- The arrangement track doesn't get the sound assigned correctly (this alone is another bug), and the icon stays red. Fix: assign it manually from the panel on the right, with the wrench button. However, saving and reopening the arrangement gives you a red icon again.
Unit testing would be much needed for this kind of things lol
I can't possibly know the reason of the bug, but it feels like the global rack is not immediately "recognized" until its window is opened, something like that.
Mon, 2022-05-16 - 04:22 Permalink
Synfire 2 is currently unusable. You shouldn't lose "work" because you shouldn't do "work" with it in the first place, only testing. You can't even select stuff from the menus because the popup menus go partly off-screen. And honestly, I'm not surprised: it's not like V1 was much better in terms of usability and bugs.
Anyway, the autosave feature already exists since V1: Preferences -> Files -> check "Automatic Backup". But it's every 10 minutes, and that is not customizable.
Mon, 2022-05-16 - 13:32 Permalink
How do I get this new version Synfire pro 2.0.3?
By upgrading your license first, in your account at cognitone.com. There are more details in the pre-release thread IIRC, you can start e.g. from here:
(https://users.cognitone.com/comment/19051#comment-19051)
Ok, I now see that this is a paid upgrade.
It depends on when you bought Synfire. If you bought it recently, the upgrade is free.
I am also having to reset the audio/midi constantly when using drones.
May or may not being related to what I've reported here: (https://users.cognitone.com/comment/19661#comment-19661)
I'm also having to reset the audio/MIDI system very frequently when using the Palette tab to write a progression, and switching the "immediate audio feedback" button on/off.
@duderanch By the way, if you're not already doing it, please send crash reports via the "Online updates" window.
Mon, 2022-05-16 - 18:20 Permalink
Hi Andre,
Not sure if it's a bug (or 2.0.3 exclusive) but I've set up 3 drones in Reaper, and was synchronizing both softwares. But at some point something happened and now I can not open my synfire file for the song because it does not find the drone (which is still in Reaper and apparently online).
So I lost my arrangement, apparently. Is there a way to open the file?
Kr,
Carlos
Mon, 2022-05-16 - 20:49 Permalink
Can someone try to import this?
I can confirm. It hangs for a while, when searching for interpretations ("X possibilities in Y clusters" etc.) and then it crashes. I've sent a crash report myself too, maybe it can be of help.
Mon, 2022-05-16 - 22:30 Permalink
Looking at the file in Cubase (where it plays fine) I did notice a couple of very short notes - eg A1 at the start of bar 7 is only one "tick" long. There were three notes like that and I lengthened them to give this file which imported into Synfire ok for me. Does this file import ok for others?
Wed, 2022-05-18 - 14:20 Permalink
Thanks for the many reports.
5-16-22-1_midi_keys.mid does indeed hang the import process in a dead loop. Interesting. That code hasn't been looked at for many years. As a workaround, import as static pitches and do figure recognition piecemeal-wise in the arrangement that opens.
Is there a way to open the file?
Yes. You can oppen it using the Engine (will ask you) and then relocate the rack modules back to the Drones again.
Unit testing would be much needed for this kind of things
Much of the unpredictability is due to Smalltalk, which has no type checking at compile time. The only way to find a mistake is to stumble upon it at runtime (it has many advantages, but this is its biggest disadvantage).
The bug however was due to device identifiers not properly getting propagated to all dependent objects on opening. That should be fixed with next update.
