v1.8.2 Beta 234 (released 27 July 2022)
This is a special "public beta", not quite a full release.
We've made a large number of "under the hood" changes to support the latest
"Apple Silicon" (ARM) processors on Apple's latest Macintosh machines, as well as a small number of useful changes.
Testing on Apple Silicon hardware is still ongoing, but in the meantime, we'd like all our users to be able to try
the other changes, and we need more feedback than our small team of dedicated beta-testers can realistically provide.
So, we're offering this latest beta version of Unify to everyone.
If it doesn't work out for you, the README file included with the downloads includes instructions for
how to downgrade back to Unify v1.8. We recommend that you do not test this beta software on any machine you
rely upon for professional use.
- No AAX plug-ins
- This release does not include AAX plug-ins, either for Mac or Windows.
- We will not attempt to build Unify for AAX again until we are sure all major features are stable.
- If you require AAX for ProTools, please continue to use Unify v1.8 until further notice.
- Apple Silicon support: Please pay close attention to the following, if you have an M1 or M2 Mac.
Note that updating to this beta means you will lose access to your Intel-only third-party VST/VST3 plug-ins, unless
you run Unify in Rosetta mode.
- The Unify stand-alone app and plug-ins, and the PlugScanner helper-app are now compiled in
"universal binary" format, meaning that both Intel and ARM-native versions exist in the same bundle.
- The stand-alone app should now run natively on Apple Silicon Macs, unless you explicitly specify that it
should be opened using Rosetta 2.
- The new bundled plug-ins should basically work identically as before. However the Digits
phase-distortion synth had to be rebuilt more extensively with a new GUI, so it looks a bit different.
- Yellow color replaced by grey.
- Button-like controls which used to work like pop-up menus now cycle through choices using mouse button.
(Left-click for next, right-click for previous item.) You can also use mouse wheel.
- There is now a new dedicated patch browser. This is a work in progress; don't expect it to be perfect.
- In general, you will only be able to load third-party plug-ins in the same processor mode (ARM or Intel)
as Unify itself. Hence, for example, the ARM version of Unify will NOT load any Intel-only VST/VST3 plug-ins.
However, it should be able to work with Intel-only Audio-Unit plug-ins, because MacOS provides a built-in
bridging technology for this purpose.
- General changes
- MIDI channel handling in Transport MIDI logic has been improved.
- MIDI-based transport triggering should now work better with multiple MIDI keyboards sending on different channels.
- SHIFT-click ops-button (concentric circles icon) on any plug-in box is a shortcut to "Paste plug-in state".
- New Settings defaults
- Show patch count now defaults to ON.
- Show CPU meters now defaults to ON.
- Force follow-host now defaults to ON.
- Warn about changes now defaults to OFF.
- Note if you have ever set these manually, you'll have explicit settings in your Unify.settings file,
so you may not see these updated defaults.
- Linked Parameters
- New "Dup.Layer+1" menu item works like "Duplicate" but with the layer-number increased automatically by 1.
- Guru Sampler
- There were some bugs in the way looping samples were played, resulting in occasional small glitches.
These have now been eliminated.
- Pitch-bend range maximum increased from 36 to 48 semitones (for closer compatibility with MPE keyboards).
- New lock icon to the right of sample +/- buttons when lit up green (click to toggle), "paste plug-in state" will affect all parameters except the current sample selection (the four pop-up menus in the GUI).
- In SFZ files, the sense of the "tune=" parameter has been reversed, because it was incorrect all along.
- If you have created any SFZ files, you will need to reverse the sign of any "tune=" tags you have used.
- For example, "tune=12" should become "tune=-12" and vice versa.
- New "CCMate" built-in plug-in
- CCMate is logically similar to ModMate, but more powerful.
- Usage instructions will be added to the Unify online manual shortly.
- MIDI Monitor
- New "aftertouch" checkbox allows to show/disable both Poly-Aftertouch and Channel Pressure events.
- PolyBox
- Two new MPE-related items added to modes menu:
- MPE Synth helps when using a non-MPE keyboard to control MPE synths.
- MPE Kbd helps when using an MPE keyboard (e.g. Roli Seaboard) to control a stack of non-MPE synths.
- Note these are highly experimental and may not be included in the next full Unify release.
- Bug fixes and other small changes
- Patch name sorting should now be fully case-insensitive.
- Fixed bug where "updating" a patch loaded via MIDI bank/program-change would update the wrong file.
- Multiple MIDI note messages for the same note-number, but sent on separate MIDI channels, should now work as expected.
- PolyBox: Fixed bug where setting 1st MIDI channel to 2 or more could cause stuck notes.
- MIDI Controller Files: midi/cc paths were broken before, now work as described in Unify manual.
- Plug-in Ops menu: Ctrl+Shift-click is now a shortcut for "copy plug-in state".
- This works together with the earlier addition of Shift-click as a shortcut to "paste plug-in state".
Version 1.8.0 (released 17 February 2022)
This update is recommended for all Unify users. It includes significant enhancements and important bug fixes.
- New feature: Key Zones
- Patches can now optionally reference a "key zones" text file, which defines colored/named zones on the MIDI keyboard view in the GUI footer area.
- When zones are defined, ops-menus for MIDI and INST layers include a sub-menu to quickly set the layer key-range to match any named zone.
- New feature: Linked Media
- Patches can now have associated media links, which can reference local image files or web pages.
- Green border around thumbnail image indicates a local file link, blue border indicates a web link.
- Click on thumbnail to open linked content.
- New feature: INST layer titles automatically track name of the instrument preset
- Explicitly adding your own title disables this (edit back to blank to re-enable).
- Note not all third-party plug-ins report their current preset name to host.
- Unify itself and Guru Sampler now do report their current patch/SFZ name.
- Layer titles now update correctly when layers are rearranged/renumbered.
- New feature: Global Gain control
- Red slider next to thumbnail image, only active in stand-alone app.
- Allows reducing output level to avoid distortion due to overdriving audio hardware.
- Setting can be saved once the right level is found.
- New feature: Random patch button
- New "dice" icon between arrow buttons next to patch thumbnail image.
- Click to select a patch at random from among those currently displayed in Chooser (lower half of sidebar).
- Respects current Load-mode selection (menu at bottom-right corner of sidebar).
- Patch Browser changes
- All lists in Patch Selector (top half of sidebar) now update after you select a Library.
- All lists in Patch Selector display a "Clear" button when any items are selected.
- New "..." button next to Search text box allows selecting which fields are searched.
- "Genre" items have been removed. (They were unused, and there was no way to set the "genre" field.)
- Patch-load modes menu (bottom right of sidebar) now labeled "Mode", has an added "INST1 only" choice.
- Guru Sampler
- Numerous changes to SFZ file format, for compatibility with Bjoern's Sample Mapper.
- Several bugs fixed, mainly relating to mono/legato mode.
- Pump House
- Smoothing checkbox added.
- On by default: reduces DC clicks due to discontinuity between end of one cycle and start of next.
- Switch off to restore original, perfectly sample-accurate modulation.
- MIDIBox
- Added rising-edge triggered parameters corresponding to next/prev track and next/prev MIDI file.
- You can now use knobs and host-automation to select tracks and files.
- MIDI Filter
- New checkbox to filter out ALL note-events.
- Bundled plug-ins
- LoudMax updated to v1.4.1.
- All MOrgan plug-ins updated to latest versions.
- Smaller changes
- Channel pressure (aftertouch) can now be assigned to any macro knob.
- All pop-up (right-click) edit boxes now close automatically when you press Enter.
- Mouse wheel now works in CC sliders in ShowMIDI View.
- Ops menu for VST3 plug-ins includes "load .vstpreset" item.
- ShowMIDI keyboard-size and number of CC sliders are now remembered for future sessions.
- New setting to force embedded Unify layers to load with Master Effects layer enabled.