[Announce] [LAB] FreeWheeling 0.5pre4 released

["JP Mercury" <swirlee@stickist.com>]

Hi Everyone,

Version 0.5pre4 of FreeWheeling, a live looper for Linux, is now available:

A substantial new release, version 0.5pre4 adds support for saving -and-
loading of loops and banks of loops (called scenes). You can now return to
expand on previous improvisations. New loop and scene browsers allow you to
sift through your library of loops, and a new disk storage scheme
intelligently identifies loops by MD5 digest.

Also new is full support for stereo inputs and loops. FreeWheeling 
correctly
handles stereo channels. When no channels are stereo, it automatically 
stores
audio in mono to save memory and disk space.

Several other enhancements, such as multiple switchable MIDI outputs and 
peak
level indicators, make FreeWheeling easier to use as a live controller and
interface for other Linux audio apps.

Details:

2005-05-02  v0.5pre4

            Many thanks to Sune Mai for several clever fixes,
            to Plutek for your generous donation,
            and to all of you for inspiration and feedback:
            
            Wolfgang Woehl, Mark Knecht, Shayne O'Connor, Esben Stien, 
            Gregory Maxwell...

            ** FreeWheeling now requires libvorbisfile.
        
            New Features
            ------------

            * Go back to previous improvisations
              - Saving -and- loading of loops and scenes of many loops
              - Integrated browser for scenes, loops, and FluidSynth 
patches
              - Loops and scenes are sorted by time in browser
        
                QuickStart:
        
                Use F8 to save a loop, F7 to save a scene of all loops,
                F9 to toggle auto-saving of all loops, 'b' to switch 
browsers
                from FluidSynth to Loops to Scenes, 'enter' to load the
                selected loop or scene, Shift +/- jumps to the next group
                of scenes or loops on disk (at least an hour different in
                time)

                When loading a scene, the loops are restored to their
                original placement. When loading a single loop,
                it goes to the footswitch (SW) by default. You can then
                move it to any QWERTY or MIDI key by pressing that key.
                
                FreeWheeling no longer saves in folders save1, save2, etc. 
                A new library folder (by default, fw-lib/) 
                contains all your loops, scenes, and live mixes.

                A new script scripts/godelete-date, can be used to delete
                loops and scenes from your library by date.
        
            * Full stereo support
              - Individual inputs configurable stereo or mono
              - Automatic stereo or mono loops
              - FluidSynth in stereo or mono

                QuickStart:

                In ~/.fweelin.rc find:
                <var externalaudioinputs="MMS"/>
                This configures two mono and one stereo input.
                FreeWheeling no longer auto-connects to system inputs and
                outputs. You only need to configure what kinds of inputs
                you'd like. Please note that, for now, you need to 
manually         
      
                add displays and keyboard mappings for any inputs you add.
                The rest is handled automatically.
        
            * Multiple ALSA MIDI outputs
              - Send live MIDI messages to different MIDI ports
                to control different Linux apps in real-time

                QuickStart:

                Use "m" key to switch MIDI outputs. The default 
configuration,
                <var midiouts="2"/>
                defines two MIDI outputs. "m" toggles between the two 
outputs
                and the internal FluidSynth.
                
            * Configurable limiter
              - Max gain, threshold, and release rate can be changed
              - By default, limiter no longer raises gain above 100%
              
              See help in ~/.fweelin.rc
        
            * Input level displays
              - Peak levels for each input are now shown

            * Footpedal volume adjust configuration

                QuickStart:

                Use MIDI controller 1 to control individual input levels.
                Press keyboard 1-4 to select input. Then move CC1 to adjust
                volume. Or press and hold keyboard 1-4 while moving CC1 to
                jump to a new pedal value without adjusting volume.

                In ~/.fweelin.rc, see:
                <declare var="VAR_footpedal_ctrl_num" type="int" init="1"/>
                <declare var="VAR_footpedal_vol_max" type="float" 
init="3.0"/>

                You can change the CC# and max volume. 
        
            * Laptop keyboard configuration

                QuickStart:
                
                If you are using FW on a laptop, you probably don't have
                easy access to some keys. I've provided a laptop keyboard
                configuration which remaps some keys. In the help pages, 
                the new keys are shown in square brackets.
                
                To enable this configuration, edit ~/.fweelin.rc:
                <declare var="VAR_laptopkeymode" type="char" init="0"/>
                init="0" becomes init="1"

            * Config file version checking
              - If your config file is out of date, FreeWheeling will
                ask whether you'd like a new one installed.
              
                This means you never have to manually erase ~/.fweelin.rc.
        
            Fixes
            -----
                
            * fixed MIDI note off being misinterpreted on keyboards that
              send note on with velocity 0

            * JACK ports are no longer auto-connected
        
            * fixed startup hang on some systems (mutex init problem)

            * fixed bug in block memory allocator Recycle() 
              that causes a segfault during bursting of many events
                
            * compile fix error: 'ISO C++ forbids cast to non-reference 
type
              used as l-value' in RTNew()
            
            * footswitch is now controller 64 by default, not 67

            * several keys have been remapped- see the help for details
        
Regards,
JP Mercury