AudioTheory Guitars News

A new update is here for AudioTheory Guitars. This combines a set of performance optimisations to make the application run more efficiently. These include a new method for checking for QWERTY input, settings for how the application runs in the background/ out of focus, and a new 'performance mode' that works behind the scenes to dynamically control the application render rate.



[h3]Variable Render Rate[/h3]

Ah, the solution to all of life's problems. This week I've made a fair few optimisations in the name of performance, but the most noticeable is a new variable render rate that means the display doesn't update when it doesn't need to.

This works well because there are many scenarios where you may find the software idling, it is after all reference material so it makes sense to leave it open up on screen. The software now looks out for these moments and greatly reduces the CPU overhead when possible, before seamlessly resuming to business as usual when any sort of input (or any action that results in a visible change on screen) is detected.



[h3]Run out of focus[/h3]

I have also changed the default behaviour of the application so that it pauses running if the window is not in focus. This makes it a lot more practical to leave open in the background.

Originally this was not set because I imagined scenarios where it would be useful to poll for MIDI input when using the application alongside a DAW or other piece of software (e.g. you could be working in Logic on one screen and have AudioTheory running in the background on a second monitor). This may still be the case, so if your requirements do in fact mean that it's desirable for the application to run out of focus, then you can turn this back on in the settings.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading, and keep practicing.

Fraser

This is a quick update that adds in the option to swap back to use the built-in driver as an alternative to ASIO. You can now swap between these in the options cog, but please note that any driver changes made will require an application restart before it takes effect.

Also, if you select ASIO this will only work if the ASIO4ALL driver is installed on your computer, if not then the application will revert to the built-in driver!

The latest update for AudioTheory Guitars is here and this one makes some pretty big 'under the hood' changes. This includes support for the ASIO4ALL audio driver, designed to give lightning fast response times and improve the latency of the application.

[h3]AudioTheory Guitars and the ASIO4ALL driver[/h3]

ASIO4ALL is a freeware audio driver designed for low latency playback. Most DAWs require the use of an ASIO driver, and whilst it is optional for AudioTheory Guitars, it's highly recommended. It's very easy to install and you are guaranteed to get better performance than the built-in Windows driver.

Oh and yes, to confirm this is a Windows specific feature. Mac and Linux come with audio drivers that can handle very low latencies out-of-the-box. More on how the settings have changed on these platforms in a bit.



[h3]Changes to the Windows version of AudioTheory Guitars[/h3]

There are a few things now in place designed to help swap you over to the ASIO driver. If you load up the application without this installed you will see a one-time notification directing you to the ASIO4ALL website.

After this, when the application loads it will automatically use the ASIO driver if available, or revert to the built-in driver if it's not. You can see which driver is currently in use from the settings popup.



If the ASIO driver is in use, you will also see a 'config.' button that lets you open up the ASIO4ALL settings. Here is where you configure your output device as well as the DSP buffer size. If you are not receiving any audio, the likely cause is that the correct output has not been selected here.



[h3]Changes to the Mac and Linux versions of AudioTheory Guitars[/h3]

These still use the DSP latency settings that were previously in place. As above, the built-in drivers are able to support low latency without the need for an external driver. However I have swapped over the selector to a new dropdown which makes it a bit quicker and easier to select the value you're after.



[h3]More stuff under the hood[/h3]

You may notice that in terms of download size, this update is a little larger than usual. This isn't specifically the ASIO driver, but rather a change to how the application stores and accesses audio data.

The files required for audio playback were previously supplied in a compressed format, however this meant they needed to be decompressed at the point they were played. The uncompressed files can be played right away and this, combined with low latency support, greatly improves the usability of the application as a software instrument.

[h3]Velocity playback[/h3]

Oh, and one more change along the same lines. MIDI input playback now registered the note press velocity, meaning the playback volume is controlled by how hard you are pressing the notes. This helps better simulate the effect of a real instrument.



That's all for today. Updates will be arriving very soon for both AudioTheory Piano Keys and AudioTheory Grids, there are a few additional changes I need to make to support these, but I'll be getting them up as soon as possible in the upcoming few days.

This is a quick patch to resolve an octave playback issue introduced in version 2.0.1.

It also bundles together some 'under the hood' changes, notably an engine upgrade (hence the size of the patch) as well as a reworking of the input system. This improves the highlighting response time of the application and replaces the MIDI input plugin with a new solution that provides improved functionality and better 64 bit compatibility. It means that MIDI support is available on Linux for the first time, although please note that this requires ALSA (libasound2) to be installed on the system.

However, there is a trade off which is that the new MIDI input system does not work with the 32 bit version of Windows. Judging by the Steam hardware data I have access to, I'm hoping this isn't going to be too much of an issue as everyone seems to be on 64 bit these days.

Due to OS and Unity upgrades, 32 bit support is no longer available for either Mac or Linux, with Windows being the final hold out. So yes, the best course of action I can see is for this to be the end of 32 bit Windows support (with this being the final update, which continues to use the old MIDI input system only in the Windows 32 build). This will continue to work and be available, but future updates will be 64 bit only.

The alternative would be to continue to supply patches for the 32 bit Windows version, but for this to no longer support MIDI input. Let me know if you have any strong thoughts on this.

A quick patch arrives to address the following:

• Display fix for sus2 chord sheets (Drop D)
  
• Mini chord popup selector correctly refreshes if a chord from the full library is selected
  
• Mini chord popup selector now clears if 'no chord' is selected
  
• Notes now play for the correct duration when pressed directly on the fretboard and the sustain feature is turned off
  
• User Guide (link to page on AudioTheory website) and Quit Application buttons have been added to the settings