Unify Changes prior to v1.5.0

Version 1.4.0 (released 18 March 2021)

This update is recommended for all Unify users.

  High-level changes

• AAX Plug-ins are now included
  • Available on both Mac and Windows.
  • 64-bit only.
  • Allow bridging VST/VST3 plug-ins into Pro Tools (and AU on Mac only).
• Master Effects layer in Embedded Unify instances is now disabled by default
  • Whole layer goes dark.
  • Can be enabled manually by clicking new "B" button at far left.
• INST layers can be enabled/disabled
  • Via external MIDI control only for now - not via GUI.
  • Whole layer goes dark when disabled.
  • Disabled layers don't receive new MIDI notes, but their output audio continues to ring out.
• External MIDI control capabilities expanded
  • See relevant page in user manual for details.

Version 1.3.2 (released 22 January 2021)

This update is recommended for all Unify users.

  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 Sampler
  • Guru 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.

Version 1.2.2 (released 9 November 2020)

This is a maintenance update which replaces v1.2.1. Little has changed; the main issue was that the 1.2.1 updates didn't include .guru files.

• MIDIBox: Fix occasional dropped notes.

Version 1.2.1 (released 7 November 2020)

This is a maintenance update which replaces v1.2.0.

The first change listed below is the most significant. Several users had issues with the way Unify v1.2.0 activates all MIDI-input devices automatically. They relied on the ability to un-check certain devices in the Audio/MIDI Setup dialog to ensure they would never be activated in the Unify stand-alone app (because they were used to control other devices/programs). This update adds a new "MIDI device polling" checkbox on the Settings view. When this is checked (as it is by default), all MIDI-input devices will be selected automatically. Un-check the box to disable this and restore the older, manual behavior.

• Add new Settings checkbox to enable/disable MIDI device polling (checked by default).
• Fix bug where MIDI events could get recorded twice in Cakewalk by Bandlab.
• Correct tooltip text for lightning-bolt button.
• Simplify error messages when unpacking .guru files.
• MIDI Filter: save/recall output channel number.

Version 1.2.0 (released 5 November 2020)

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.

• No more PlugInGuru/ILIO distinction
  • There is now only one version of Unify for all customers.
  • All customers can now download updates from either ILIO.com or PlugInGuru.com.
  • All customers may contact UnifySupport@PlugInGuru.com for technical support. In a few cases, international customers may be referred to the ILIO support team.
• Faster patch-database rebuilds
  • Patch database now tracks individual patch-file modification timestamps. NOTE this requires a full rebuild of the patch database. Unify will prompt for this the very first time you run v1.2.
  • There are now two kinds of database-rebuild operations.
  • Clicking the "lightning bolt" icon triggers an incremental rebuild, where the entire Libraries folder is scanned, and only files which are newly added, removed, or modified are updated in the database. This is MUCH faster than a full rebuild.
  • Clicking on the "Rebuild" button in the Settings view still triggers a full rebuild as before, where the presets.db is deleted and rebuilt from scratch.
• Faster patch loading with third-party plug-ins
  • When a new patch is loaded, the current patch's layers are held in memory (but inactive) until the new patch is fully loaded.
  • This substantially reduce patch-loading time with many third-party plug-ins, which do a lot of time-consuming setup when the first instance is loaded. (The first patch using the plug-in will incur the start-up delay, but if the next-loaded patch also uses the same plug-in, it will load more quickly.
  • (Note some plug-ins may load no quicker than before. This is beyond our control.)
• Hit "F" key as shortcut to toggle favorite ("heart") for current patch
  • When using arrow-keys to scroll through patches, you can use the F key to toggle favorite status ("heart") for the currently-loaded patch.
• Plug-in Latency Compensation
  • Unify now automatically compensates for plug-in latency on layers, by ensuring that all parallel layers are delayed by an equivalent amount.
  • The new Sample Delay effect can be used to achieve comparable results (manually) inside the new ComboBox plug-in; see below.
• Changes to patch Save dialog:
  • "Reveal" button removed from Save dialog, as it's now a right-click option in patch browser.
  • "Save" button has been renamed "Update"
  • New "Save Layer Patches" button added. Clicking "Save Layer Patches" instead of "Save As" saves multiple copies of the current patch, each having just one of the patch's INST layers, and "L1", "L2", etc. appended to the patch name.
  • This facilitates development of patch libraries where combination patches are also provided as multiple single-layer patches.
• 32 Macro knobs, 32 automation parameters
  • Unify now supports multiple "pages" of Macro knobs, using a column of numbered "radio buttons" to switch between pages.
  • Each knob has a corresponding DAW automation parameter, Macro1 through Macro32.
  • Default is 4 pages of 8 knobs each, but these can both be changed by manually editing the corresponding values in the Unify.settings file (see this manual page to locate it). The new settings are called "numMacroKnobPages" and "numMacroKnobsPerPage".
• New menu options for Macro Knobs and Parameters
  • The ops menu for each linked parameter now has Copy, Paste/Swap and Paste items.
  • Copy copies the parameter path, enablement state, and response curve to the clipboard.
  • Paste updates the target link.
  • Paste/Swap copies the current state of the target link to the clipboard before replacing it, so you can go back to the original source link and Paste it there.
  • A new Add link from clipboard item will appear on the add-link button (circled plus-sign) at the top of the linked-parameter window only when a link has previously been copied to the clipboard.
  • Ops menu for each Macro Knob also has Copy/Paste/Swap operations, which operate on the entire state of the macro knob, including the name and all linked parameters.
  • Ops menu for all Knobs includes new Remove all invalid links function, whihc automatically removes any invalid links (which would appear in red in the linked-parameters window).
• In-place layer note-range setting
  • Right-clicking any note-range input box (e.g. for layers or Transport) now changes the displayed value to "?" and arms the box to listen for incoming MIDI.
  • Hold down Option/Alt while right-clicking to get the old pop-ups note editor instead.
  • "Note-range pop-ups" checkbox on Settings page allows you to select the old behavior as default, but note you must quit and re-start Unify for the change to take effect.
• Option to suppress MIDI-in to Audio effects
  • By default, Unify routes MIDI to all audio effect plug-ins that indicate they accept MIDI.
  • Such plug-ins now display with an "M" button above the "B" (bypass) button.
  • Click the "M" to disconnect the plug-in from input MIDI; audio I/O continues as usual.
• Audio File Player
  • Load into an Instrument plug-in slot.
  • Plays user-selected audio files synced to the Transport, with optional loop capability.
  • Non-looped files can be e.g. stems, backing tracks, or spoken player directions.
  • Looped files, e.g. drones, beats, or repeating ostinatos, should be timed carefully to exactly the correct number of measures.
  • No support for tempo changes: Files play at the same speed they were recorded.
  • Supports most standard audio file formats.
• ComboBox: Tool for loading any number of plug-ins (built-in and third-party) with arbitrary interconnections.
  • Load into any plug-in slot (MIDI Effect, Instrument, or Audio Effect).
  • Right-click to select plug-ins from a menu.
  • Plug-ins are represented as boxes with colored "pins" representing inputs and outputs. Drag connection-lines from outputs to inputs.
  • Right-click any plug-in box for a menu of available operations.
  • Each time a plug-in instance is added in ComboBox, it's given a unique name, e.g. "Guru Sampler" will be named "Guru Sampler 1", "Guru Sampler 2" etc.
  • All of that plug-in's parameters will then be made available for macro control, with link paths starting with the assigned name.
• Sample Delay effect
  • Based on the one in Logic Pro X
  • Provides independent or linked Left/Right delays of 0-10000 samples or 0-25 milliseconds.
• Swanky Amp: New modeled tube amp-simulator effect with overdrive
  • Accurate mathematically-modeled tube distortion.
  • Included by permission of the author: Resonant DSP.
  • Special VST2 version (notarized for MacOS Catalina) is exclusive to Unify.
• PolyBox changes
  • Earlier versions of PolyBox would only ever output one note per channel; this version features a pop-up menu where you can select up to 64, and a new mode selector.
  • The default Mono/EP mode (Mono / Extended Polyphony) splits input chords to multiple output layers as before, but the new Voices per Channel menu allows you to choose the maximum number of notes sent to each layer. (The default is 1, which is the same as earlier versions of PolyBox.) Higher numbers allow more flexible extended polyphony, e.g. using two identical instances of a 6-voice polysynth on separate layers to create a virtual 12-voice version.
  • Chord mode sends entire chords to layers, advancing to the next layer when all notes are released (all fingers up) and the next chord is played.
  • Ch/AR mode (Chord / auto-reset) is the like Chord mode, but automatically resets to selecting the first layer each time you release all notes (actually, whenever the Transport stops). This can be used in combination with MIDIBox or another MIDI sequencer plug-in to achieve "Layer Sequencing" (aka Wave Sequencing).
• MIDIBox changes
  • You can now drag the currently-loaded MIDI file out into a DAW by clicking on the file-load button (which displays the MIDI file name) and dragging.
  • Previous versions of MIDIBox allowed switching note-transposition OFF or ON. (OFF means the MIDI sequence plays exactly as it was recorded; ON means it shifts according to the input note.)
  • There is now a third "polyphonic transpose" option, where you can play chords, and every note of the MIDI sequence will be processed once for each note you play, yielding transposed chords at the output.
  • The modes are now called "Play Only", "Mono Tpose" and "Poly Tpose", and are selected from a pop-up menu instead of a checkbox.
  • "Poly Tpose" is now the default mode.
  • New "1-shot/key" mode supports non-looped playback with MIDI triggering
• MIDI Filter changes
  • Input filtering according to MIDI-channel and note-range.
  • New option to modify MIDI output channel.
  • New option ("Suppress multiple Note-On events) adds missing Note-Off not sent by certain MIDI controllers, e.g. Casio Privia digital pianos.
• Omega Delay changes
  • BPM sync is now the default, so delay times are rhythm-based.
  • Default delay times (tempo-based) are now L=1/8, R=1/8D.
• MDA plug-in updated
  • We continue to update and improve the legacy MDA plug-ins bundled with Unify
  • DX10: version number updated to reflect earlier addition of pitch-bend support.
  • JX10, Vocoder: added output clipping to tame filter instability.
• New custom skins for OB-Xd
  • OB-Xd is included by kind permission of the project maintainer: DiscoDSP.
  • Special VST2 version (notarized for MacOS Catalina) is exclusive to Unify.
  • Unify 1.2 includes three new custom "Skippy" skins.
• No version updates for OB-Xd or Dexed, yet
  • Both OB-Xd and Dexed have recently been updated by the project maintainers, but we have chosen to stick with the same versions for the plug-ins we bundle with Unify.
  • Changes are minor/cosmetic, and do not affect sound.
  • We will update these plug-ins once we are certain that doing so will not break existing Unify patches.
  • In the meantime, users can still install the official versions in addition to the bundled ones.
• MIDI device polling (stand-alone app only)
  • Unify now checks MIDI input devices once per second, and automatically activates newly-added USB-MIDI devices.
  • Checking/un-checking individual devices in the Audio/MIDI Setup panel now takes effect almost immediately.
  • It is no longer possible to de-select individual devices in the Audio/MIDI Setup panel and have them remain disabled the next time you run Unify. We hope to restore this ability in an update soon.
• Embedded Unify now remembers "no pitch shift" status
  • When you load a patch into a Unify layer using the "Unify / No pitch shift" option, the embedded Unify instance will remember that it has been invoked this way.
  • If you subsequently use the embedded Unify's patch browser to select a different patch, it will also be loaded with the "no pitch shift" variation.
  • The primary ops menu (for embedded Unify GUIs only) features a "Load patches 'no pitch shift'" item at the bottom, which will be checked if the Unify instance is set to load patches that way. You may manually un-check or re-check it if you wish, but note it will only take effect when loading new patches; to undo the effect after loading a patch, you will need to re-load it.
  • Note the "no pitch shift" option currently only affects the "Note -> Coarse" option in MIDIBox, so it will not work the same way on patches using e.g. BlueARP.

Version 1.1.10 (released 6 August 2020)

This update is recommended for all Unify users.

• Drag/drop to reorder layers:
  • Linked parameter paths will be re-numbered automatically.
• Velocity-based fading for layer note-range bounds:
  • Key-range part of title strip does not extend under ops button
  • Active key range is always shown, and right-mouse can be used at any time
  • Double-clicking right mouse button (or left + Ctrl) resets whatever would be changed by a drag, depending on other modifier keys:
    • No modifier: reset to min or max
    • Option/Alt: reset fade region to zero width
    • Shift: reset fade curvature to zero
• MIDI bank/patch selection based on user-edited "bank" text files:
  • Plain text files in MIDI Bank Files folder under main Unify data folder.
  • Files are named e.g. BB_SS.txt where BB is bank number 1-128 (MIDI CC#0 values 0-127) and SS is sub-bank number 1-128 (MIDI CC#32 values 0-127).
  • Blank lines and lines beginning with # sign are ignored (comments).
  • Active lines consist of a patch number (1-128) followed by the name of a patch (spelling must be exact) OR name of a patch file (ending in .unify or .upf.
• PolyBox: New "Random" checkbox activates layers in random order, instead of strict round-robin.
• MIDIBox: Output note-range defaults to C1-C6 instead of C-2 to G8.
• Patch loading:
  • A patch-load request (by mouse click or MIDI) will be ignored if it occurs less than 500 milliseconds after the previous patch change.
  • This avoids multiple redundant patch loads due to accidental double-clicking, or rapid-fire MIDI events.
• Sorted lists in patch browser: All lists in the patch browser (libraries, tags, etc.) are explicitly sorted.
  • In previous versions, lists were generated in the order the items appeared in the patch database, which was usually sorted alphabetically, but this was not guaranteed.
• MIDI CC-assignments can be saved for embedded Unify instances only.
  • This allows e.g. MIDI CC messages generated by MIDI effects in the outer Unify to be linked to macro knobs in the embedded instance.
• MIDI Monitor has new option to filter by MIDI channel:
  • Default setting is "ALL".
  • Active key range is always shown, and right-mouse can be used at any time
  • Channels 1 through 16 may also be selected.
• Copy/Paste plug-in state: special handling for embedded Unify instances.
  • If the plug-in is an embedded Unify VST instance, its state will be decoded before putting it onto the clipboard.
  • The instance can then be swapped for a built-in Unify instance, and the state pasted directly in.
  • This is to faciliate quick conversion of older patches built with the Unify VST, to use the newer built-in format.
• Guru Sampler: now has a "reverse playback" option.
• Miscellaneous:
  • Layer-stack scroll position no longer resets when Unify window is resized.
  • MIDIBox: bar count, start bar number are retained after loading a new MIDI file, unless they are not valid for that file.
  • MIDI Monitor: Display updates when GUI is opened, Clear button resets relative event-times.
• Bug fixes (partial list):
  • Previous Unify versions would crash if more than 1,000 layer presets were defined. This limit has been raised to 100,000.
  • Fixed bug which caused crashing when loading patches with Kontakt instances.
  • Numerous issues involving linked parameters.
  • Fixed bug which caused non-4/4 MIDI files to play incorrectly.

Version 1.1.7 (released 26 June 2020)

This update is recommended for all Unify users running Unify 1.1.2 or 1.1.3. It is primarily a maintenance (bug-fix) update, but there are a few changes, mainly to facilitate license-activation management and use of embedded Unify instances. See the online manual for details.

• License activation: If licenses become invalid, e.g., due to major OS update:
  • Unify will prompt for re-authorization of ALL existing licenses, one at a time.
  • (It is no longer necessary to re-install licensed libraries to trigger this.)
  • Patch database will no longer rebuild automatically after re-authorizing each library.
  • (It may be necessary to rebuild manually after re-authorizing multiple libraries, but user decides when.)
• Buttons:
  • Every view except layer-stack views now features a "close" button at top right.
  • "Revert" button is disabled until a patch is either loaded or saved.
• Patch database:
  • Library names may now contain apostrophes without ill effect.
  • Database rebuilds automatically after loading any .guru file which contains patches.
  • SAVE dialog automatically fills in last-used values for Category, Tags, and Author.
• Settings:
  • "Plug-in windows always on top" checkbox is now always available.
  • Two new checkboxes to select options related to embedded Unify instances.
• Macro knobs:
  • Knob text is bright if parameters are linked, dimmed if not.
  • Each knob's ops button has new "copy/paste" functions.
  • Ops button for entire Macro Knobs view has new options for managing links to embedded Unify instances (see manual).
• Macro parameter links:
  • When any layer is deleted, all macro links referring to that layer are deleted automatically.
  • When layers are renumbered (e.g. after deleting a layer), links are also renumbered automatically.
  • In embedded Unify instances, macro knobs are NOT linked to MIDI CCs (and cannot be).
  • New options for automatic creation of links for embedded Unify instances (see manual).
• Linked parameter windows:
  • Restored double-click to edit parameter path as text function.
  • Changing the parameter path no longer resets the curve to a straight line.
  • Resolved an issue with clicking to select specific parameters in list.
• VST3 plug-ins:
  • Improved compatibility with VST3 plug-ins (some will work now, which didn't work before).
  • MIDI CC-out is now supported for VST3 plug-ins.
• MIDI implementation:
  • New Settings option to enable MIDI CC#7 linked to Master Volume.
  • New Settings option to enable MIDI CC#11 linked to Volume Expression (volume scaling).
  • (When either is enabled, those MIDI CC messages are not propagated to plug-ins.)
  • (Volume scaling is automatically reset if you adjust master volume manually, or init/load patch.)
• Bug fixes:
  • Patch save/load:
    • Fix crashing when reloading certain (mainly VST3) plug-ins.
    • Fix crashing when changing patches while linked parameter windows are open.
    • Fix bug where patches and layer presets saved using VST3 instruments would not receive MIDI when reloaded.
  • Layer muting:
    • Fix bug where muting all layers had the effect of muting none.
    • Replacing an AUX or INST layer from a layer preset does not change layer's mute/solo state
  • Load Plug-in State: Fix restore plug-in state functionality.
  • JitterBox: Fixed multiple bugs in pitch-jitter functionality.
  • MIDIBox and JitterBox: will no longer leave stuck notes if bypassed.
  • NoizBox: fix incorrect dry/wet mix when plug-in is first loaded.
  • Macro presets: Loading a preset now sets Macro knob positions correctly.
  • Many smaller fixes.

Version 1.1.3 (released 4 June 2020)

This update is recommended for all Unify users.

• MIDI Effects:
  • INST layers can now have their own MIDI effects chain. (MIDI layers can still be used.)
  • New built-in MIDI effects MIDIBox (sequencer) and JitterBox (timing/pitch randomizer).
• FOUR new Reverbs:
  • Dragonfly Early Reflection, Room, Hall and Plate.
• Smooth patch changes with NO audio drop-outs:
  • Sounds continue to play while adding, deleting layers.
  • Several new Standard Library patches exploit this, for on-the-fly patch changes.
• Unify is now a "built-in" plug-in:
  • It's no longer necessary (or recommended) to locate and scan the Unify VST, to create "embedded" Unify layers.
• Standard Library enhancements:
  • 505 patches in total, including many showing off new v1.1 features.
  • MANY changes/updates: ALL users should re-download and install the Unify Standard Library.guru file.
• Guru Sampler enhancements:
  • Sample-start randomization is now symmetric about the selected sample-start point.
  • MIDI cc127 now hard-wired to control Coarse Tuning.
  • Selecting a library automatically selects the first bank.
  • Sample-set name shows in red text if file is missing (incorrect link).
  • (Click on red text for more info, and to revert to normal.)
• Patch browser enhancements:
  • Automatic elimination of duplicate tags using new dynamic rule-based system.
  • Can now right-click patch names to delete, reveal file, etc.
  • New options to load to embedded Unify, or add layers to current patch
  • Selected library/patch is now remembered after save/save as/DB rebuild
  • New "X" at right of search-text box, to clear search text.
  • Search-text now matches patch-name, category, tags, and author.
• Enhancements to patch-info view (top of GUI):
  • Patch info box now shows Library instead of Category.
  • Per-patch images are now supported, via a new Media folder in each library.
• Linked Parameters enhancements:
  • New "ops button" at right allows changing the linked parameter by choosing from a menu.
  • (No longer necessary to double-click and edit the link path as text.)
  • Display min/max, current value and unit for active parameter
  • Slider at bottom controls active parameter
  • Dragging control points changes parameter value
  • Values revert to where they should be when no longer selected
  • Individual parameter enable checkboxes
  • Layer titles shown for all linked params
• Transport enhancements:
  • New start/stop modes including MIDI/restart (hit a key to start or restart the clock)
  • Adjustable min/max key range for MIDI (re)start.
  • Reverts to 4/4, 120 BPM on loading any patch saved without BPM data.
• Curve-editor enhancements:
  • In ALL pop-up curve-editors, can now hold down Option/Alt key to adjust control points only up/down.
  • Control points circles are now much smaller, but just as easy to grab with the mouse.
• Settings enhancements:
  • Options to turn CPU meters on all the time
• Other GUI changes:
  • Layer-stack view now defaults to Scroll view instead of Accordion view.
  • Option/Alt-click on any effect "ops button" deletes the effect immediately.
  • New ops-menu options to copy/paste plug-in state, save/load VST FXB/FXP files.
  • Plug-ins with resizable GUI windows (including Unify itself) are now supported.
• Misc:
  • PG-8X synthesizer plug-in has been removed from the basic Unify package, as it cannot be notarized for MacOS Catalina.
  • If you already have PG-8X from an earlier install, it will continue to work, but future OS updates may break it.
  • Patch libraries can now include their own Presets folder for e.g. Layer presets.
• Major bug fixes:
  • VST3 MIDI effects no longer pass-through incoming MIDI data.
  • Reason Studios' Reason Rack plug-ins are now supported.
  • Macro knobs no longer send duplicate MIDI CC messages.
  • MANY other bug fixes for improved stability.

Version 1.0.12 (released 20 March 2020)

This update is recommended for all Unify users.

Note interim versions v1.0.10 and v1.0.11 were in-house test releases only.

• New features:
  • eLicenser/iLok, etc. are now supported on MacOS 10.14 (Mojave) and 10.15 (Catalina).
  • CPU performance metering (switch on/off with main operations menu at bottom center of GUI, see manual page).
  • New PolyBox MIDI effect (see manual page).
  • Single-sample selection in Guru Sampler (see below).
  • New options in MIDI Filter (see below).
  • Improved compatibility with older VST2 plug-ins (see below).
• ShowMIDI View:
  • Layer MIDI key-ranges now respect the Global Transpose setting (bottom right corner).
  • New 32-key keyboard size added, based on Komplete Kontrol m32 key range.
  • Restore mouse functionality of on-screen keyboard, which was broken in v1.0.10 beta.
• Transport changes (plug-in versions of Unify only). When "follow host" is checked:
  • Unify's transport will follow the host's BPM and time-signature settings.
  • Unify's transport will automatically sync to the host transport only when the host's transport is running (i.e., record or play mode).
  • When host's transport is stopped, Unify's transport can still be started and stopped either manually or with MIDI triggering.
• Guru Sampler changes:
  • New menu allows selecting individual samples (mapped across whole keyboard) instead of pre-defined multi-sample map.
• MIDI Filter changes:
  • You can now suppress Pitch Bend, Aftertouch and up to six CCs (chosen from a menu).
  • GUI layout updated to be more compact.
• VST2 plug-in compatibility:
  • For VSTs that support it, plug-in Operations menu now includes options to load bank (FXB) and patch (FXP) files.
• Bug fixes related to:
  • Per-layer MIDI channel settings not correctly saved/recalled.
  • Crashing when rebuilding the patch database.
  • Crashing when swapping plug-ins.
  • Crashing when adding certain plug-ins to Master Effects layer.
  • Plug-in Subset folder names no longer have ".xml" added at end.
  • Windows version of BlueARP no longer crashes when clicking on current preset name.
  • Bypass state of MIDI plug-ins is now saved in patches.

Version 1.0.9 (released 25 Feb 2020)

This is a maintenance release with a few changes to support users who install the v1.0.8 DEMO version, and subsequently decide to purchase and install the retail version. Users of Unify v1.0.6 (Mac) or v1.0.7 (Windows) do NOT need to upgrade to this version, but may if they wish.

• Version number change ensures retail binaries will overwrite Demo binaries.
• New Unify Factory Content.guru file replaced Unify Basics.guru and Unify Standard Library.guru.
  • This is simply to remove an unnecessary extra setup step.
  • Users of Unify v1.0.6 (Mac) or v1.0.7 (Windows) do NOT need to download this file; there is nothing in it they don't already have.
• Improved compatibility with older macOS versions back to OSX 10.9 Mavericks.

Version 1.0.8 (DEMO release only, 19 Feb 2020)

The new DEMO release has the very latest changes to the Unify code. Nearly all of these are only relevant for the DEMO, so we're not releasing new installers for the full Unify product at this time, but these changes will appear (with others) in the next full Unify release.

• Known Plugins view: Operations menu has a new item for manual selection of plug-in file(s)
  • Unify is no longer dependent on drag/drop for anything.
  • Drag/drop for .guru files and plug-ins still works, though.
• Ripchord Player: now reads both original and new-format XML files
• Various changes to support the DEMO version of Unify
• Minor GUI changes in response to use "Save As"
• "Save New" button changed to "Save As"
• "Delete" changed to "Remove" in connection with plug-ins in a patch.
• Bug fixes

Version 1.0.7 (Windows) (released 15 Feb 2020)

Several Windows users found they were unable to drag/drop .guru files onto the Unify GUI to install new content, so we created a new interim release which still permits drag/drop, but does not rely on it.

• There is now a "Load .guru file..." button on the Settings view. Clicking this allows the user to select a .guru file using a standard open-file dialog, which is then processed exactly as if it had been drag/dropped into the GUI.
• The first-time install dialogs now ask the user to locate and open the Unify Basics.guru and Unify Standard Library.guru files, rather than drag/dropping them. (Hence most users will not even need the new button on the Settings view.)
• Increased timeout for online license-activation from 10 to 30 seconds.

Version 1.0.6 (released 5 Feb 2020)

• Installers no longer install any Unify "content", not even the User Library or Presets folders.
• Each installer download now includes a Unify Basics.guru file which is drag/dropped into Unify to create the the User Library and Presets folders. (This is only needed on a first-time installation.)
• For first-time users (after installing on a system with NO previous Unify version on it), the first time Unify runs, it presents a series of instruction windows, to guide the user step-by-step through the process of first activating the program, then drag/dropping Unify Basics.guru and finally Unify Standard Library.guru, to complete the installation.
• Existing Unify users do not need to download the full 2.3 GB Unify Standard Library.guru file. They should instead use the MUCH smaller (40 MB) Unify Std Lib 1.0.6 Update.guru file, which ONLY updates a few samples and all the patches.
• After a "reinstall" (on top of a prior Unify installation), the first time Unify runs, it will automatically remove outdated references to bundled VSTs in the PluginList.xml (sibling to Unify.settings). It will therefore be entirely safe (and recommended) to delete all old Unify "VST" folders (leaving only the new one which the installer places under the system's Applications folder). Full details can be found at https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=upgrading-106.

Version 1.0.2 (Windows) and 1.0.3 (Mac) (released 7 Jan 2020)

• These were the very first released versions.
• Version number for Mac is one point higher, due to needing to create a new notarized installer for MacOS 10.15 Catalina

 

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