Increasing site size
To give customers and casual browsers more content and tutorials to look at, we have started expanding the site sections on djchainz_soundbox today (yet again). We hope to offer extra information on loading and saving things with djchainz_soundbox, so that customers have an easier time using it and don't ask on msn for so much detail ;) The readme documentation is fairly long after all... Also, our new expanded sections will give the site more search engine visibility so therefore more people will have fun finding out about djchainz_soundbox!
Pages will include quick and in-depth tutorials, perhaps accompanied by some free samples for example purposes, definitions of technical music terms that we use throughout the site, and extra product information, such as changelogs. We have started to produce these pages today so keep checking to see it coming together ;)
Precise Edit
The forthcoming version will also include a neat dialog for editing the values of the channels' pitch, pan and volume very precisely. This dialog will allow the sounds in the channels to be better placed especially since in normal view the iddly sliders are rather small and unprecise! This dialog will also be threaded (perhaps like plugins will be) so that opening it does not stop the main thread, allowing you to continue cueing sounds whilst changing the parameters on the dialog. We are looking to make the other configuration dialogs work like this to make it better - but perhaps this will wait til next version.
An extra feature being developed is the ability to send all the files loaded in djchainz_soundbox to our premium-quality freeware spark audio converter for encoding all your files. This also means a new version of this software... so it's all go ;)
Til next time, my readers
Precise edit
The forthcoming version will also include a neat dialog for editing the values of the channels' pitch, pan and volume very precisely. This dialog will allow the sounds in the channels to be better placed especially since in normal view the iddly sliders are rather small and unprecise! This dialog will also be threaded (perhaps like plugins will be) so that opening it does not stop the main thread, allowing you to continue cueing sounds whilst changing the parameters on the dialog. We are looking to make the other configuration dialogs work like this to make it better - but perhaps this will wait til next version.
An extra feature being developed is the ability to send all the files loaded in djchainz_soundbox to our premium-quality freeware spark audio converter for encoding all your files. This also means a new version of this software... so it's all go ;)
Til next time, my readers
Multi-threading
I have done a lot of work in making the software multi-threaded and therefore smoother and better on dual core systems ;) It means that the tasks are split up and that the drawing does not interfere with the musical timing part of the program. This means that it is just getting better and better. A new function will be added for the next release on the newly structured menu!
Why new structure? We are working towards making a plugin function for the software allowing extra commands (file, miscellaneous and hopefully dsp/effects!) to be added. This will make it extra-extendable and better for the end user who wants it to do something that's "not on the tin" so to speak. We hope to make it somewhat like the plugin interface available on winamp, and will fully release the necessary SDK to connect to the sampling, midi, pitch etc. functions of the program. :)
Pitchbend wheel support
Whilst playing about on djchainz_soundbox today I discovered that using a pitch bend wheel function might be rather useful when mixing, along with some other assignable functions to apply to the continous controllers in the MIDI spec. This could be almost as good as the arrowkey functions, but global to all the channels...
This idea has been added to the to-do list, which also includes a few other tasks such as "make more skins" and "edit audio API". Perhaps a function for "master tempo" a.k.a. changing tempo without changing pitch would be good...
Anyhow, I must get back to developing other things that we have decided to busy ourselves with. Adios, reader!
Release
We released version 2.1 of djchainz_soundbox today and updated the demo and webpage. A very celebratory event, this is the fourth version to be released on the internet in total after 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0.
Oh, and another thing; there is now an 'Easter Egg' in djchainz_soundbox; i.e. a small thing that if you manage to find/uncover in the documentation then you will be rewarded with a somewhat comedic scene.
We are now scratching our heads on what to implement next and it will probably require editing of the fundamental audio API. If you have any suggestions for what we should add next, don't hesitate to contact us with a request ! We are always open to new ideas and inspiration ;)
Now, to get some more sound packages online...
MIDI Support
OK, I got back from holidays two days ago, and since then all that has been done is MIDI support. It is coming along nicely and I would give a screenshot but there's not much to see just use :P
The various controls have been split into 4 sets which can be moved in channels and then notes, but you can overlay them onto the same channels. The control sets are : cue channels, general controls (including hotkeys), beatpad and the arrowkey control. By selecting a MIDI device plugged into your PC and enabling MIDI, you can do pretty much everything on MIDI rather than with the PC keyboard; a very good advantage.
For a start MIDI allows for more than three keys/notes to be pressed; in fact it can have 'unlimited'. This is obviously important musically ! Secondly, the MIDI equipment is sturdier and seperate from a computer, and most musical hardware can support MIDI messages from controls. Maybe later djchainz_soundbox will also support the OSC / Open Sound Control format; make requests.
Some devices that generate MIDI signals and are therefore compatible with the next version of djchainz_soundbox are listed here:
Til next time, happy sampling.
New Skin
The New Skining features are powerful and easy to use. There are many different ones which will be available to choose from eventually of all different styles.
Here is an example of a new skin which I have made today called 'Minimal White'. It is only 38kb!!! This skin makes it easy to see the tools you are using and in the near future there will be an editor allowing users / djs to create their own skins but this may not be for a while.
The top area of the sampler screen
So far today, I have programmed a few new features into the complete edition. I successfully completed the missing sound dialog so that if you move your sound files (or songs or samples) around to a new drive or folder, you can point the program in the direction of one and it will check for the others. No need to reconfigure when you have to move to a new PC or keep your files on a CD :)
I have also started editing the top bar of the screen area; it will no longer say djchainz_soundbox, but will have a few (optional) features on display. One of these is the CPU monitor, as well as a filename display and some other features that are yet undecided. Here's a picture of the CPU monitor running on the latest compile; note I am still using the previous skin.
Development continues, but I also have work to do on a few other more secretive red spark projects, though these are more collabaraitve on the programming front. Till next time dj blog readers.
