[LAA] Qtractor 0.4.4 - The Frisky Demivierge's in the wild!

What? No automation, yet?

Yes I failed the promise once again. So what? What would you expect from
this self-called über-procrastinator? As sure is one to say that this is
the Year of Linux Desktop (YOLD:), I'll give you the shivers and command
this one will be the year of Qtractor Automation. No kiddin' ;)

Meanwhile, this new dot-release brings you several niceties, a couple of
them have been waaay longer and dustier on the all-mighty-overdue TODO
list than automation is. Rejoice! or else...

  Qtractor 0.4.4 (frisky demivierge) is in the wild!

Release highlights:

  * LV2 plug-in support (NEW)
  * MIDI event list view (NEW)
  * Expedite audio/MIDI clip import (NEW)
  * DSSI plug-in output control ports feedback/update (NEW)
  * JACK transport, MMC, SPP control options (NEW)
  * Self-bounce/recording (FIX)
  * Audio/MIDI drift correction (FIX)
  * Anti-glitch audio micro-fade-in/out ramp smoothing (FIX)

Website:

  http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

Project page:

  http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor

Downloads:

- source tarball:
  http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.4.4.tar.gz

- source package (openSUSE 11.2):

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.4.4-2.rncbc.suse112.src.rpm

- binary packages (openSUSE 11.2):

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.4.4-2.rncbc.suse112.i586.rpm

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.4.4-2.rncbc.suse112.x86_64.rpm

- binary packages (Ubuntu 8.04 LTS; no LV2 support):

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor_0.4.4-1.rncbc.ubuntu804_i386.deb

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor_0.4.4-1.rncbc.ubuntu804_amd64.deb

- binary packages (Ubuntu 9.10):

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor_0.4.4-1.rncbc.ubuntu910_i386.deb

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor_0.4.4-1.rncbc.ubuntu910_amd64.deb

- user manual (ever still outdated):
  http://downloads.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.3.0-user-manual.pdf

Weblog (upstream support):

  http://www.rncbc.org

License:

  Qtractor is free, open-source software, distributed under the terms of
the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2 or later.

Change-log:

- For all the DSSI plugins that have output control ports, a host
feedback/update process cycle is now being finally provided: all output
control ports are now marshaled to their respective GUI process, rather
often and when found open/visible.

- MIDI clip editor (aka piano-roll) snap-to-beat behavior on edit mode
is now kind of more like 'filling-in-the-blanks' (as Frank Neumann et
al. wishes ;)

- Fixed MIDI clip editor mistake when reverting to initial clip length,
before closing and discard changes (thanks to Frank Neumann, for
spotting this one).

- LADISH Level 1 support has been added: SIGUSR1 signal trap just makes
it a shortcut to File/Save.

- Avoid parameter value flickering, due to duplicate command invocation,
most evident when changing values massively on native Linux VSTi plugin
editor GUIs (thanks to a detailed report on this odd behavior, from Mike
of linuxDSP.co.uk).

- Another TODO item bites the dust: MIDI event list editor, now
accessible from the MIDI clip editor menu (View/Events)

- Last used session directory is now made current on startup only when
no filename is given on the command line (solving bug #2920244).

- Current snap-to-beat setting (time quantization) now affects the
anchor event only, while dragging, moving and/or pasting multiple events
over the MIDI clip editor (aka piano-roll).

- Make anti-glitch audio clip micro fade-in/outs independent from
current buffer size as much as possible.

- Audio/MIDI engine drift correction gets really sophisticated, with the
help of (now old) ALSA MIDI tempo skew facility.

- Edit/Clip/Import... menu option is now available for expedite clip
insertion from audio and MIDI file requesters.

- Set default session directory effective to file's location.

- Audio track/clip recording process has been target to special
re-factorization across the internal audio engine process cycle, in a
late attempt to get self-bounce/recording effective and working
consistently for all track layouts.

- All session related dialogs are now set to window modality, (were set
to default application modality before) allowing for continued input
focus and interaction on all plugin/tool windows.

- An off-by-one nasty old bug fixed in audio clip drawing, was causing
instant crashes on certain zoom levels of the main track view.

- Graphical MIDI clip representation regarding note/pitch range is now
kept as much as possible across clip edits (cut, copy, paste, drag,
move, delete, etc.)

- LV2 plug-in hosting has finally come into actual implementation; only
some and the most basic LV2 plug-in features are supported at the
moment; probably there's no big advantage against the old LADSPA ones;
there's some support for external UIs though; also, LV2 MIDI/Event
bare-bones support is included but chances are it won't build nor work
right on most of the setups out there. It's a WIP host implementation
anyways, as is the whole LV2 spec. for that matter ;)

- Connections filter is now reset when widget is shown through the
View/Connections main menu or toolbar button.

- Audio bus auto-connection option is now applied when creating or
updating, newer or existing buses, respectively.

- Global configuration state is now explicitly saved/committed to disk
whenever View/Options... dialog changes are applied or when a session is
loaded or saved.

- Audio ramping spin-locking makes its smooth stuff, in an attempt to
reduce glitching and crackling when editing (due to its own pseudo
spin-locking) and toggling playback states.

- JACK Transport, MMC Device, and MIDI Song Position pointer (SPP)
control modes are now made optional (View/Options...), allowing for
discretionary configuration: None/Disabled, Slave/Input, Master/Output
or Full/Duplex (default).

- Session files may now be dragged and dropped over the main track view
and get loaded for business as usual (once quietly ignored).

- In an attempt to mitigate potential stack corruption and sudden
crashes, old commented out session pseudo-locks are now back in business
while executing clip editing commands (cut, paste, drag, move, insert,
delete) and playback is currently rolling.

- Adjusted first-time application window size to fit into 800x600 screen
size and with reasonable initial dock-ables layout.

- Avoid duplicate snap-to-grid effect when changing the length of MIDI
clip editor events across non-zero clip offsets (after a glitch reported
by Ralf Mardorf).

- Late audio track processing optimization, suppressing all plugin,
mixer and monitor pass-through activity when given track is muted,
either explicitly or implicitly (ie. other track is in solo state).

- Entering System Exclusive events (SysEx) on the MIDI clip editor (aka
matrix/piano-roll widget), yet something not fully supported anyway,
even though allowed in edit mode, doesn't crash the whole damn thing
anymore, while saving the clip to a file.

- Strict aliasing avoidance, with plain and demanded use of 'union', as
much as to stop nagging warnings from gcc >= 4.4.1 (last seen on
src/qtractorMidiEvent.h hackery).

- Visual correct play-head position while changing zoom levels,
applicable to both main track and MIDI clip editor views.

Cheers && Enjoy.

-- 
rncbc aka Rui Nuno Capela
rncbc@email-addr-hidden
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