eaReckon BloXpander - Version history

1.5.0
New and Improvements :
- New Live View.
You can now switch from the classic Console View to a Live View providing essential
controls to be used once your scenes prepared. Controls in the Live View are highly
contrasted and quite large (touchscreen friendly).
The Live View can also be used to manage your scenes and sets the easy way. For example,
it is possible to move or copy a scene from a set to another (drag n drop), rename it or
change its index in the set from a dialog (accessible by a right-click).
-

Improved user interface.

If we look beyond the updated graphics that improve the overall look of the console and the
redesigned plug-ins case, some controls have also been added or relocated in order to
provide a better workflow. The following details represent a non-exhaustive list of changes.
The automatic layout adaption should work better with small screens (especially when the
resolution height is 768).
Should the screen or window width be too small to display the Console View (between 600
and 960 pixels) , the Live View will automatically be activated. If you are using a Tablet PC
with a screen resolution of 1280x800 (800x1280 in portrait mode), it should then be
possible to switch from the Console View to the Live View by tilting your device.
Transport controls are now accessible from a Big Display panel which includes the LCD
emulation. This panel can be hidden and can have a semi-transparent aspect.
For your convenience, an extra Play button and a Tempo control have been added to the
Touch Zone.
Side panels can be hidden in order to enlarge the console.
Finally, the background of the Console View can be customized and you still have the option
to choose between the new console layout and the previous one.

The interface is now available in three languages : English, French and German.

Master Record.
It is now possible to record the master bus to a WAV file.

Improved MIDI engine.

Insert Subscene Lock option.

Inserts can now be selectively locked so their state dont change when a subscene is called.
For example, this feature can be used to avoid a sampler to reload its content when
switching to another scene while allowing effects to be updated.
The lock state of each insert is saved with scenes.

Various improvements
. Channel names can be edited (and saved with scenes).

. Improved MIDI Sync In option (featuring an offset option).

. New per-plug-in Hot Update option: will speed up the scene loading process when some
specific plug-ins (samplers/romplers mostly) are involved. This option is disabled by default
(except for NI Kontakt) as not all plug-ins can be correctly instantiated this way.
. New per-plug-in Force MIDI process option: should help plug-ins that do not explicitly
report their MIDI capabilities to work as expected.
. New global Master Mode option: can be used to specify whether or not the Master level
should be recalled from scenes.
. New global Transpose option in the MIDI filter: can be used to quickly set a global transpose
value that will be applied to all channels.
. The previous subscene store process has been replaced by a more direct and less
confusing Store/Call mode switch.
. Improved minimizing process and new tray icon.
. Hot Keys can be selectively enabled/disabled and are automatically disabled when
BloXpander is minimized.
. New Expert options.
. The tempo value is now stored with subscenes.
. New default scene option (to be loaded on launch).
. Updated manual.
Fixed bugs :
- Improved MIDI Plug-ins Recall feature (avoids a potential crash).
- Improved handling of some specific resizable plug-ins (these plug-ins were not resized
correctly).
- Improved inserts drag n drop (copy/move) feature (avoids a potential crash).
- Various minor bug fixes.
Updated manuals.

1.4.2
Improvements and fixed bugs:
- Last used ASIO channel pair (master output) is now properly recalled when restarting
BloXpander.
- Fixes a bug related to the F8 keyboard shortcut.
- Fixes a very rare MIDI issue (potential repeating and/or hanging notes).
- Fixes a rare issue related to specific graphics card drivers.
In order to avoid such potential issues, some hardware graphics capabilities are not used
anymore (the intro splash screen has then been replaced by a more simple one).

1.4.1
Improvements and fixed bugs:
- The state of output modes in subscenes is now correctly saved in scenes.
- Fixes a rare issue related to the selection of audio inputs and outputs (potential crash on
some specific configurations).

1.4.0

New and Improvements:

- 64-bit support: both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of BloXpander can be installed concurrently
on a same computer (they do not share the same data folder).
- Direct support of jBridge (if available).
Please note that BloXpander does not currently feature its own 32-64 bit wrapper.
jBridge is a third party tool which is not delivered with BloXpander.
-

Smooth Mixer: all controls of the mixer have been smoothed. BloXpander will do its best
to avoid pops/clicks and artifacts on a modification of the console state. For example, when
an insert is muted, the plug-in it contains is suspended after a short fade out, etc.

The main controller in MC Protocol mode now handles transport related messages and
optionally sends time code and metering information to compatible external MIDI
controllers.

Improved compatibility with various third party plug-ins.

Alternative Hysteria meter that gives more information about latency and ASIO
performances.

Better handling of hot sample rate changes.

BloXpander is now resizable as any classic windowed application (the maximize button can
be used to switch to full screen mode). It is also possible to hide Aux Returns to get more
visible Channels on smaller screens.

Faster loading of samples in the context of a widely used sampler plug-in.

New Info box (? button on BloXpanders system panel).

Updated manuals.

and a lot more things! (replacement of missing plug-ins, improved handling of hot keys,
improved MIDI engine, expert options, per plug-in options, unified operation of library and
scene slots, less paranoid BloXcanner, etc., etc.)
almost 50% of the code has been changed, actually!

Fixed bugs:
- Fixes a bug related to the MIDI tempo tap setting (was not correctly saved in some
situations).
- Minor bugs fixed.

1.3.0
MIDI Improvements:
- Tempo tap and tempo value can be controlled via MIDI.
- Manual edition of MIDI assignments. A control type (switch, knob, ) can also be selected
for a better interpretation of incoming messages.
- Insert mutes are now controllable from the Main Controller in Basic mode.
- New Omni MIDI input option (input slots)

New Programs map feature (MIDI Input Panel).

This new functionality can be used to send Bank Select and/or Program change and/or All
Notes Off MIDI messages to inserts or MIDI output.
The programs map is a per BloXPander channel / per MIDI channel / per target (insert
or MIDI out) feature. Programs map are saved with scenes and subscenes and can be used
to quickly manage external MIDI devices or VST samplers/romplers.

Audio Improvements:
- New per channel output modes. Four output modes are available on each channel:
. Stereo (default)
. Mono (a mono mix is sent to both left and right channels)
. Mono Mix to One Channel (a mono mix is sent to one of the left and right channels)
. Only One Channel (one of the left and right channels is just muted).
- New Option: Process Muted Inserts
At the cost of an increased CPU usage of muted inserts, these latter still process audio while
they are muted in order to avoid unwanted residual audio when they are un-muted.
Fixed bugs:
- Some plugins provide an option to change the arrangement of their outputs (number of
outputs, mono, stereo, ). When loading a scene featuring assigned Multi-outputs,
BloXpander now checks for changes in plugins IO.
- New workarounds implemented to improve compatibility with some 3rd party plugins.
Updated manuals

1.2.4
Improvements:
- Overall improvement of the Audio and MIDI engines.
- BloXpander now detects missing audio interfaces and/or problems with your ASIO drivers on
startup.
- Parameters names (LCD emulator) are now updated in the case of macro parameters.
Virtual pots of the main MIDI controller are now updated on relevant changes from a
plugin interface (MC mode only).
- Last called Subscene is now underlined.
- Volume fades out and in on ASIO restart to avoid audio clicks during some critical operations
(only some specific audio interfaces were affected by this problem).
- BloXpander remembers Main and LCD windows position.
- Adjusted threads priorities (resolves a rare issue -> audio clicks and pops on GUI operations)
- New minimize button.
Fixed bugs:
- The search box (plugins case) is more stable on fast typing.
- Plugins providing an empty GUI (null height and/or width) are now correctly handled.
- Fixes a bug related to mouse control (which could have been lost in some rare cases).
- Fixes a rare MIDI stuck notes issue.
- Workarounds implemented to resolve incompatibilities with (two) 3rd party plugins.

1.2.3
Fixed bug:
- A bug related to the authorization process (full version build 1.2.2 only) has been fixed.

1.2.2
Fixed bugs and Improvements:
- Far more stable authorization process. BloXpander should not need multiple authorizations
anymore.
- A new button has been added to easily clear the search box (Plugins Case).
- Subscenes can now optionally store and call plugins state.
- More anti-virus friendly loading procedures.

Checks for Scene Control Configuration validity on start-up.

Using the same MIDI input port for both Scene Control and Main Controller, it is
now possible to assign Basic Control elements via MIDI learn (as prior 1.2.0).
Fixed Unicode typo issues (Rename Preset input box)

1.2.1
New:
-

Subscenes are now callable via MIDI Program Change.

Fixed bugs and Improvements:

- Important optimization of the whole audio engine (for both MultiCore and SingleCore
modes).
- More descriptive labels under MIDI learn buttons.

Calling a subscene via MIDI with the MIDI filter/links window visible could have make
BloXpander crash in some situations.
In MultiCore Support mode, some plugins could have been bypassed in some situations.

1.2.0
New:
-

MultiCore processors support. BloXpander is now optimized for MultiCore CPUs and provide
a per plugin MultiCore option. If one of your plugin does not work correctly with the global
MultiCore support option activated, other plugins can still be processed in parallel.
The global MultiCore support option is deactivated by default. It is accessible from the
System panel.

Subscenes.
16 subscenes per scene are available to backup console states to be instantly called.
The audio/MIDI engine is not stopped when switching from a subscene to another. You can
then call a subscene during a same song.
You can store and call Subscene from BloXpanders interface or via MIDI messages.

MIDI Sync In: BloXpander now understands MIDI synchronization messages coming from
an external device/software (MIDI Clock, Start/Stop, Song position, ).
If needed, you can activate Sync In and Sync Out concurrently to synchronize all your MIDI
hardware from a master unit.

OnScreen MIDI Panic

New Plugins case info panel replacing Tooltips.

Fixed bugs and Improvements:

- The Input/Output MIDI/Audio ports menu could have appeared when right clicking
somewhere on the plugins case.
- Some input ports could have been closed when combining specific actions (in Basic Control
+ All MIDI Inputs mode only).
- Improved accuracy of the Hysteria Meter
- Waves plugins should not be accidentally removed from the plugins case anymore.
- An extra check has been added to the scene loading procedure. It should avoid potential
problems if DLLs are missing.
- All learnable MIDI values can now be erased. Just right click on a value (labels under gray
learn buttons) to bring a dedicated popup menu.
This erase option is also available from the Main Controllers Basic Control mode grid.
- Visual feedback of the Scene loading procedure has been modified. Plugins interfaces are not
directly shown when loading a scene.
During this loading procedure, inserts that need to be filled/updated are colored in blue.

1.1.2
Fixed bugs and Improvements:
- Fade in and out (when launching / closing BloXpander) are now optional.
A new button is available in the System panel.

Overwriting a Basic Control assignment could have resulted in a double assignment.

MIDI Learn has been improved and BloXpander now checks for eventual double/bad
assignments when loading a Main Controller preset.

1.1.1
New:
-

Windowed Mode:
BloXpander can now work as a windowed application. You can select a small size window
(930x600 min.) to keep space on screen for other applications or, if you have large enough
multiple screens, you can choose to display all the 24 channels, 4 aux buses and master bus
in a large 3230x900 window. Intermediate sizes are available.
By default, full screen mode is active (Windowed Mode and Window Size settings are
available in the System panel).

Fixed bugs and Improvements:

- Better handling of secured mouse events.
- A bug introduced in 1.1.0 could have improperly routed MIDI events coming from different
MIDI input ports.

1.1.0
New:
-

IO Modules:
A left click on MIDI/Audio Inputs/Outputs and ASIO driver labels brings a panel to front.
Even if these panels featuring big buttons are an easier way to select ports from a touch
screen, they are mostly a place for some of the new features in version 1.1.0.
The MIDI Input Module provides advanced MIDI routing and processing options. Now you
can quickly draw multiple links between MIDI channels and set how each of these links is
going to be processed. The MIDI processor includes notes, velocity, CC filters and a global
transposition parameter.
The Audio Input Module features a channel selector.

Mini Sysex Librarian: Receive, import, store and send Sysex messages the easy way.

Synchronize external MIDI devices.

Improvements:
- Info Slot : High Contrast option (just click on the big slot)
- Rearrange scenes in a set from drag and drop actions (as for libraries, press CTRL and start to
move your scenes using mouse)
- Plug-ins set in muted inserts are not processed anymore (CPU friendly)
- BloXcanner (plug-ins scanner) does not need a restart anymore when detecting incompatible
64 bits plug-ins or non-VST DLLs.
- Updating the state of a Mackie Control compatible device is now done after a 100ms delay
when changing volume or pan settings from BloXpander. Motorized faders are less stressed
this way.
- Updated manuals.

Fixed bug:
- Minor graphical bugs have been fixed.

1.0.5
New:
-

Optional Info Slot: a large green slot displays some computer resources usage (free and
available physical memory + global CPU Load) or the current, previous and next scenes.
This option is accessible from the general settings panel.
All MIDI inputs mode for the main controller (Basic Control mode only)

Improvements:
- Selectable MIDI Scene Change delay (0.5s -> 5s)
- New shortcut : Shift + Del closes the selected plug-in (yellow slot)
- You can choose the destination directory during installation
Fixed bug:
- Potential crash on application close (using some specific 3rd party plug-ins).
- A massive MIDI flow coming from the main controller could have slow down GUI refreshing.
GUI elements that need an update consequently to an action on the main controller are now
refreshed in another thread (improved stability).

1.0.4
New feature: Controllable transport. Synchronize and smoothly control time information over plugins featuring a time line.
- Start and stop transport.
- Set current bar and beat.
- Loop from bar 1 to a bar of your choice.
- Set time signature
Improvements:
- Better handling of time information
- Double tempo indicator
- The settings panel is now moveable
- Updated manuals

1.0.3
New feature: Plug or unplug USB MIDI devices while BloXpander is running!
You can now plug or unplug any MIDI USB device (not your USB ASIO interface!) without restarting
BloXpander. Before you can plug or unplug one or more USB MIDI devices, you must press
CTRL+SHIFT+F11 (and follow the instructions).
Improvements:

Improved loading of scenes. When switching from a scene to another, BloXpander dont reload a
same plug-in placed in a same insert but it just updates its state (some plug-ins may still have to
be reloaded due to the impossibility to process chunks while their visual editor is open).

Fixed bugs:
- Under certain conditions, the LCD emulator was sometimes visible with the main controllers
MIDI ports reset to none.
- BloXpander could have crashed on exit with a specific anti-virus running in background.

1.0.2
This update brings a new feature: MIDI Scene Selection:
Now you can open or change a scene from your MIDI controller instead of having to divert your
attention to your computer whilst you are playing.
You can assign 2 MIDI switches or pedals to be used to load the next or previous scene and even
navigate within the current set.
With the "PRG CHG" option activated, any "Program Change" message received from the assigned
MIDI input port will make BloXpander load the scene corresponding to the invoked program number.
A delay (2 seconds) before loading the selected scene allows you to subsequently send multiple
significant messages from your controller without the need to load consecutive scenes until you
reach the desired one.
Improvements:
- Drastically improved Audio engine (optimized for SSE and 3DNow! enhanced CPUs)
- Improved handling of scenes files
- Improved synchronization of multiple "threads"
- Improved thumbnails generator
- Updated manuals (featuring a page dedicated to the new "MIDI Scene Selection" functionality)

Fixed bug:
- A rare MIDI issue has been resolved (using specific MIDI interfaces, the incoming MIDI flow was
corrupted after some minutes)

1.0.1
Fixed bug:
- Assigning the same MIDI port to multiple channels now works correctly.