Piano Roll Studio 4.0 has been published!
I am pleased to announce the release of version 4.0.475 of Piano Roll Studio. This new version is considered the most extensive and includes the most changes since version 1.0.
All new features are listed in the Update History (first comment on this thread). There are many changes, with more than 70 new features. It is highly recommended that you update to the latest version. Before mentioning a few, I would like to comment that the vast majority of requests and improvements that yourselves have sent me by private message have been addressed and updated for this version 4.0. As always, this version has been tested. However, if you notice any unwanted behavior, please PM me and I’ll take care of it.
Some of the most relevant changes, additions and improvements are the following:
- New ruler. The ruler has been reworked, with more Horizontal Zoom, and more controls, including control for vertical dividers.
- Major complete redesign of the grid. Perhaps the most important change that comes close to the perfect design that is possible with the current API. The grid has been reprogrammed obtaining several advantages over the previous version, both in terms of appearance and performance. This represents a very significant leap forward for the PRS and avoids previous problems. Now the entire grid can be customized from the Themes section, with dividers for the beats of the measure, and separation blocks to mark what each measure occupies. This greatly facilitates locating the desired cell to deposit note blocks and navigating between beats.
- Improved grid performance. The grid redesign now allows you to use any UI scaling interchangeably, getting the same performance regardless of this value. This has radically changed. It is also possible to use the Tooltips without any problem. The only thing strictly necessary for good graphics performance is to disable textures (“None” value) in the selected color theme in Renoise. This is an API issue, which doesn’t play well with textures in tools of this caliber.
- New RGB Themes panel for the PRS. Also included are more RGB customization options and more predefined customizable themes.
- The grid now allows the wheel to navigate between patterns. Jumping from one pattern to another is now lightning fast, as is navigating between lines or between beats.
- Better workflow on certain consecutive operations. For example, you can now copy (operation 1) and paste (operation 2) without releasing SHIFT. operations of this style.
- Added the ability to select and drag the selection. It is now possible to mark a permanent selection and move it (translate and transpose at the same time) within each pattern, between patterns, or even between tracks. This is especially useful for moving groups of notes in relatively short steps.
- Another highlight is the handling of existing chords. Now the PRS detects any already written chords (notes placed consecutively on the same line) so that they can be edited together, as if they were a single note from the starting note. Straight up, the PRS is the best tool out there for creating or manipulating chords from the mouse.
- Concept of “broom car” applied in the quick trace for certain operations, such as deleting note blocks in the grid or quickly adding curves in the Parameter Editor. The rapid movement of the mouse can “jump” some line at random, not detecting its passage. Residual functions and linear interpolation between points are applied to avoid undeleted data or jumps between quantity bars.
- 8 New clipboards, new mouse-combination key commands, new operation functions such as compacting patterns, and new added double-click to execute certain operations.
- Analysis and representation of note blocks of the previous pattern, current pattern and following pattern, allowing the detection of note blocks of the previous pattern inclusive.
- Double click on an empty area of the grid to play or stop the pattern. SHIFT CTRL ALT + double click to select a line and play from it. So the wheel and double click are much more useful now.
- It is necessary to remember that the great majority of operations with the mouse are of direct execution, even between them. This involves using keyboard commands like [CTRL] + Click or [CTRL ALT] + Click and dragging or the like directly, without needing to access a control bar to change a switch. Insert, move, stretch or delete a note block or several directly, with the fastest possible workflow on mouse movement (avoid making strokes by needing to change any switches or avoid triangulating).
All news is in the Update History. On the other hand, some novelties and new operations are described in the User’s Manual.
The mouse and keyboard commands panel has also been improved to make it easier to learn all the controls.
Enjoy the Piano Roll Studio!