[linux-audio-user] ANN: Freewheeling 0.5.2 Release

Folks: Freewheeling 0.5.2 ("The Patch Browser Upgrade") is now available. http://freewheeling.sourceforge.net/ You can now browse patches for external synths and plugins right from inside Freewheeling. Bank and program changes are sent via MIDI, and MIDI output ports are switched as needed. Other work (play!) is going on under the surface of development. For example, I am working on Elastin, an efficient time and pitch stretching library that will integrate tightly with Freewheeling, allowing you to do wonderful things in real-time with your loops. First prototype is already complete. I've also been experimenting with networked jams. Currently I am plugging into Ninjam sessions and adding some loop-based jamming to the mix. Time stays syncronized via the Jack transport. People seem to dig the stability that the loops offer. Enjoy, -Mercury --------- ChangeLog: 2006-05-13 v0.5.2 The Patch Browser Upgrade New Features ------------ * Integrated patch browsers for external audio apps * Bank and program changes are now sent based on the patches you define * MIDI outputs are now switched as part of the integrated patch browser * Automatic patch list generation for DSSI softsynths Detail: The Fluidsynth patch browser has been expanded to provide patch browsing for external synths/apps. You can define your patches (MIDI port, channel, bank, program, and name) in external XML patch files. All your patches, internal and external, now appear in the patch browser. The browser now has several pages, one for each MIDI port and channel for which you have defined patches. Therefore, if you have Hexter on channel 1 of MIDI output 1, and WhySynth on channel 2 of MIDI output 1, you can independently browse your Hexter and WhySynth patches right from within Freewheeling. Freewheeling sends the right bank and program changes out the right MIDI port based on your patch definitions. It also echoes your MIDI events to the right place, so that you can switch one keyboard between several softsynths. When you have the patch browser selected, you can use the left/right arrow keys to switch between browser sections. This causes your incoming MIDI events to be switched from one port to another- as defined in your ~/.fweelin.rc and patch XML files. This way, you can quickly switch between softsynths without leaving Freewheeling's interface. To use this feature, please read 'examples/readme.txt' for setup info. I will likely be expanding this to include 'combi' type actions where you can custom configure your MIDI signal to be sent to several softsynths. Then you could, for example, play Hexter with your left hand and Linuxsampler with your right hand. * Configuration files now live in ~/.fweelin/ ~/.fweelin.rc will be moved to ~/.fweelin/.fweelin.rc when you start version 0.5.2. Fixes ----- * Fixed startup segfault when running without integrated FluidSynth -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.