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Unify Update available v1.3.2

TheSteven

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TheSteven

TheSteven

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Unify Update Version 1.3.2 (released 22 January 2020)

Unify Change Log
This update is recommended for all Unify users. It includes a number of new features, some of which are not yet documented in the online manual. Keep checking; the manual will be updated ASAP.

  High-level changes

  • Improved compatibility with older/buggy 64-bit Windows plug-ins
    - Many classic 64-bit Windows plug-ins (including Daichi Synth1 and most Rob Papen VSTs) have a programming error which causes crashing on modern 64-bit Windows systems.
    - Like most Windows DAWs, Unify Windows has now been built with a workaround to disable the security feature (Address-Space Layout Randomization) which triggers this behavior.
  • Instrument plug-in re-use
    - When loading a new patch, Unify can now re-use instances of certain plug-ins instead of throwing them away.
    - This can make patch loading much quicker in e.g. Unified libraries, where every patch uses the same plug-in.
    - Initially, the only plug-ins that will be re-used are Plasmonic (Rhizomatic), Massive (Native Instruments), and all Spectrasonics instruments.
    - A rule-based system governs which plug-ins will be re-used. Details will be included in the online manual.
  • Master Effects layer bypass
    - Entire Master Effects layer can by bypassed as a whole.
    - This is particularly useful to avoid unwanted build-up of processing in embedded Unify instances.
    - See below under "Master Effects bypass" for more details.
  • Batch processing for patch files
    - New "ops button" at top of patch browser provides a menu of operations on the current patch list.
    - Batch operations are now available in Unify plug-ins, but not in embedded Unify instances.
    - So far, only one option is available: Update multiple patches, which simply loads and re-saves all patches one after the other. This is particularly helpful when working with libraries for Native Instruments Kontakt.
    - See January 16 livestream on YouTube for a demonstration.
  • New Transport trigger modes
    New MIDI / Latch mode allows starting and stopping the Transport with a MIDI key (range).
    MIDI / n Bars modes let the playhead run for 1, 2, or 4 bars after releasing MIDI keys, as another way to deal with plug-ins that cut sound off instantly when the host playhead stops.

  Significant GUI and functional changes

  • Layer-stack view
    - Adjusting layer note range no longer resets velocity-based fades.
    - Layer latch
    - - Enabling latch suppresses MIDI sustain.
    - - Latch mode/state is copied in layer copy/paste operations.
  • Improved "Dup Layer" functions
    - When duplicating layers, MIDI channel will only be increased if the layer being duplicated is set to a specific MIDI channel (not ALL).
    - Layer MIDI-conv channel numbers will simply be copied from the layer being duplicated.
    - These changes make adding new layers to an existing layer-set easier, and make the overall logic simpler to state (as above) and understand.
  • Master Effects layer bypass
    - New Bypass ("B") button at left bypasses entire row of effects.
    - Bypass is activated by default for embedded Unify instances.
    - See "Master Effects" bypass below.
  • Master Effects layer bypass
    - Principles "Lock Master Effects" checkbox in Save dialog now only affects top-level Master Effects, when a patch is subsequently loaded into a new Unify layer.
    - Note old patches, which were not saved with the "Lock Master Effects" flag, are treated as though this flag is present and FALSE, i.e., they will load into new Unify layers with Master Effects bypassed.
    - Otherwise, Unify should remember whether individual Master Effect layers in embedded Unify instances were bypassed or not (change and re-save if required).
  • Patch Save dialog change
    - "Save BPM Data" checkbox at bottom left of Save dialog has been replaced with new "Lock Master Effects" checkbox.
  • Patch file format change
    - Patches are now always saved with BPM data, but note that old patches may not include it.
    - Patches remember whether or not Master Effects layers are muted (including in embedded Unify instances).
    - New "Lock Master Effects" tag will be included in all newly-saved patches.
    - - Old patches will not have this flag; if loaded in embedded Unify, their Master Effects will be bypassed.
    - - To change this, re-save the patch and check the new "Lock Master Effect" checkbox on the Save dialog.
  • Linked parameters
    - VST parameter-names are now retrieved in an alternative way, with the result that certain older VSTs (esp. Absynth 5) will now display the full parameter name, rather than a truncated version.
    - Macros and linked parameters
    - - New INITIALIZE item added to ops-menu for each knob (resets knob name, deletes all linked parameters).
    - - When adding a new linked parameter, if it's a "mixLevel", set final endpoint, not initial one.
    - Suppressing redundant plug-in parameters in linked-parameter pop-up menus
    - - New checkbox in Settings: Don't list VST3 "MIDI CCs" (ON by default) will suppress the "MIDI CC" pseudo-parameters which appear at the end of the parameter lists for many VST3 plug-ins.
    - - Spectrasonics plug-ins, e.g. Omnisphere, Keyscape, etc., normally present hundreds of as-yet-unassigned "placeholder" parameters with numbers instead of names. These are suppressed automatically.
  • Settings
    - New checkbox for clearing linked parameters on INIT. (Default is checked, un-check if you are developing a new library and want to keep a standard set of links in place.)
    - New checkbox "On patch load, always set follow-host" added.
  • MIDI Bank files format changes
    - Comments added at the end of a line now require two spaces before the # sign.
    - Comment-only lines can still start with the # sign, preceded by any number of spaces.

  Changes to built-in plug-ins

  • Guru SamplerGuru
    - Sampler now remembers state of MIDI CC#1 (mod wheel) when saving patches.
    - - Patch will re-load as though the mod wheel were already at the saved position.
    - - Does not affect actual mod-wheel state; only where Guru Sampler thinks it is.
    - Guru Sampler can read Zampler SFZ file format
    - - Guru Sampler now accepts SFZ files with all tags on <region> lines.
    - - It also attempts to read sample loop-endpoints encoded in WAV-file metadata.
    - - Loop tags in SFZ file override any read from WAV files.
    - - To force reading of loop-endpoints from WAV files, do not include loop_mode or loop_start tags. Instead, use only loop_end=0, OR trigger=attack.
    - - (The trigger=attack tag has no meaning for Guru Sampler, but is found in all the Zampler Bundle SFZs, so we co-opted it; Zampler samples which should loop will do so automatically.)
  • MIDIBox
    - MIDIBox has new "lead/lag" slider to offset sequence event-times.
    - This is particularly useful for bowed-string instrument samples, which tend to lag the beat and thus play out-of-sync with synth sounds. Push the new slider to the left to make MIDIBox lead the beat to compensate.
    - Notes at start of sequence may be shortened so they still play, unless the lead time is so great as to skip past them entirely.
  • Stereo Gain
    - New, very simple 2-channel gain plug-in, mainly for use in ComboBox.
    - Left/Right gain adjustable from -48 dB to +12 dB.
    - Zero latency.
  • Audio File Player
    - Audio File Player has a new drop-down menu to choose between the default "Sync to Transport" mode, and a new "MIDI Start/Stop" mode which ignores the Transport/playhead and simply plays while any note(s) are held down.
    - MIDI Start/Stop is the default; Sync to Transport must be selected explicitly.
  • MIDI Monitor
    - Reported event times now begin at exactly 0 milliseconds after each reset.
    - Hitting "Clear" button resets event time to 0, and it doesn't start increasing till 1st MIDI event.
  • FlexEQ
    - All four Gain parameters in the built-in FlexEQ effect now have smoothing applied.
Edited by TheSteven
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Simeon Amburgey

Simeon Amburgey

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It is an amazing update.

PLUS

The Discover and Core Station libraries have arrived as well which I am so excited about.
You get both libraries for the intro price of $52 until Feb. 1st.
(I have purchased Unify but John sent me a copy of Discover/Core Station to take a look at).

John is doing a livestream around 3:00 PM EST to premiere the library.

Here is a n initial video preview from John:

Here is just a short improv playing through a couple of the patches.
I am just going through things learning the layout and features of the new patch library but it is phenomenal the amount of work that went into this.

 

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Simeon Amburgey

Simeon Amburgey

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1 hour ago, Reid Rosefelt said:

@Simeon Amburgey   Beautifully done!

Do you have the BBCSO Core Library or the free one?

Thanks so much my friend.
When BBCSO Pro was released one of my dear friends gifted it to me which was amazing.
So Pro includes Discover and Core along with Pro. I used the CoreStation for the quick improv in the video.
I think for most users BBCSO Core would be the thing to get.

What John and the Plugin Guru team have done here is really pushing into some new territory. I think it sort of blurs the line in what The Orchestra Complete has done and what Sonuscore is working on for East West Orchestrator project. What Unify has done is made this a possibility for what one of the developers Shane calls, Meta Orchestration. I think we are seeing just a fraction of what is coming down the road.

I am looking into converting the DiscoverStation library to work with Abbey Road ONE. we shall see how that goes as there is so much going on under the hood with Unify. In fact you can modify the patches and performances to play any library you currently have by switching out the virtual instrument and saving it as a new patch.

I am also looking at doing a video or livestream soon to share more of my discoveries.

All the best!

 

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Reid Rosefelt

Reid Rosefelt

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I'm probably out from every using this to the greatest extent as is because I don't plan to buy BBCSO Core.   And I don't have friends like Simeon does!  My wife gave me a hoodie for Chanukah, even though I was hoping she would surprise me with a coupon for CInematic Studio Woodwinds.   ?

My next video (after the one that should be up later today)  is on "one-person orchestras," but my focus is on Indiginus's Solid State Symphony/Amadeus Symphony patch and the multis in various ProjectSAM libraries (Symphobia 1&2, Swing!, Swing More!) 

These libraries don't work with stacks of arp patterns like The Orchestra or this, but are very simple and focused on the player's control of various parts of an orchestral sound.    In particular, the ProjectSAM libraries trigger different instruments via velocity layers, years before Spitfire invented the concept with British Drama Toolkit.

But I am very curious about this, as I admire John so much, and I love The Orchestra so much.

Edited by Reid Rosefelt
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Starise

Starise

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John had a few patches for the Discovery version on a prior release free included as a patch in UNIFY. Not sure if he expanded on that in this version with the Discover version.

I recently bought CORE. Can't wait to give this a try! This was the one drawback ( depending on how you view it) to CORE in that it was all just independent sections with only instrument range mapping. Looks as if loading it as a UNIFY patch will make it more like the sychron player in Vienna or any other number of other similar combo types of players. For fast group compositions of different orchestral component combinations that sound realistic this looks amazing.

Not that it matter to VST users, but I hear there's an AAX version of UNIFY in beta for PT users.

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