Soundshaper News

SOUNDSHAPER NEWS

NEW RELEASE - SOUNDSHAPER 6.03

Soundshaper 6.03 has been released. The installation now includes the latest revision of the CDP software. Update and upgrade files also include the software.

Also new in 6.03:

Processes using fixed parameter values can now be re-edited.
Multichan to Stereo: extracts all channels from a multichannel file and uses the Mix Page to remix these to stereo.
Time-buttons restored on the Parameter Page, for quick editing of START and END times.

New in 6.02 and 6.01:

Revised Quick Help on the Main Page, giving a brief description of each process as you scroll through the menus.
Envelope creation and editing revised, with new ENVREDRAW function; also fixed broken Envelope Create.
SAVE PANEL: spectral output can now be saved durectly to .wav, with auto-conversion as necessary.
Graph Edit: provision to allow for blank lines left in data files.
Bugfixes include PSOW INTERLEAVE and PSOW REPLACE now support stereo Infile 1
Delete last preview added.

Soundshaper 6.0 added some important addtions, designed to improve workflow:

PREVIEWS: a preview facility on the Parameter Page allows the user to quickly experiment with and compare different parameter settings.
Up to 99 previews supported, with easy recall of earlier settings.

Preview on Parameter page

SOUNDFILE DISPLAY added to the Parameter Page, mirroring that on the Main Page.

MARKERS: added to the Parameter Page. Exchange time-points between Markers and data files, and Main-page markers. Up to 100 Markers now supported.

IMPROVED GRAPH-EDIT: soundfile display also added to the Graph-Edit page. Edit time-points graphically in relation to the sound being processed.

CDP 8: support for many functions in the forthcoming CDP Release 8. These cannot be run until CDP finalises Release 8, and are currently greyed out (6.03).
Some functions may be available for Beta-testing, on request.

PROCESS GROUPS (from vn 5.09): More Process Groups and new composite functions introduced.

SOUNDSHAPER MANUAL

The Soundshaper HELP manual (in HTML) is now up-to-date for Soundshaper 5.09.
Changes in 4.6 and 5.0 are also documented in the Soundshaper \DOCS folder. See the Downloads Page.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

CDP Release 8: prepare Soundshaper for forthcoming CDP new programs (in Soundshaper 6).
Revise Parameter Pages to display the soundfile viewer, including preview and better integration with automation (in Soundshaper 6).
Improved capture of markers to correct timesfile format for various processes (in Soundshaper 6).
Develop the player to allow zoom, show channels separately, and possibly mixing, etc.
Port to other platforms: as time permits, Soundshaper will be compiled as native 64-bit in a MAC-compatible form and ported to the MAC. A basic MAC version is likely to be released first of all. A version for Linux is also a possibility.
Scripting: further investigate running alternative scripts, including PowerShell and Tabula Vigilans. CDP for Python is another priority.

CDP REVISIONS

CDP Release 7.1 was released in July 2016 and 7.11 subsequently. No new functions have been introduced, but all programs have been re-compiled in July 2022. The latest versions are included in the Soundshaper installation files. If you also have Soundloom, you should download the updated joint set of CDP programs for Soundloom and Soundshaper here: CDP Downloads

CDP Documentation is now available online: CDP Docs Home Page.
You can also download PDF versions of the main docs here.

CDP USERS' FORUM

If you are running CDP and haven't yet joined the CDP Users' Forum, you can do so here: CDP Users' Forum
The forum is a great place to share ideas, news and information about CDP.

NEW FEATURES IN PREVIOUS VERSIONS

Version 5 (Feb 2019-Oct 2021)

Re-designed Main Page: see screenshot. Clearer layout, improved menus and shortcuts.
Built-in streaming soundfile player/viewer: drag loop-points, copy loops to markers or markers to loops, play from a choice of positions. Play spectral files (as .wav).

Process part of file at loop-points or markers. Preview result in context before confirming. Send loop or marker times to parameter pages.
Multi-layered Patches: run chains of processes as a single process. Cells can now contain sub-patches or sub-sub-patches, etc. Save the new patch and run this in a single cell. Re-use cell-patches more than once within a patch.
Process List supports single presets: save your process settings and recall instantly from Process List, or by drag and drop. Easily load lists of process variants.
Patchgrid extended: support for up to 99 cells per row (recommended default now 16 columns and 8-10 rows).
Improved file-saving: Save Panel opens after process for quick saving. Cell data now displays saved filename.
Run User-scripts: basic provision for running user's own batch files (NEW 5.02).
CSOUND: run Csound synthesis and sound-processing scripts (NEW 5.03, revised 5.04).
Synth patches: a synthesis process can now be saved as or within a patch, includig Csound synthesis (NEW 5.04).
New pop-up (context) menus from version 5.09.
Online Docs: CDP online documentation can be accessed from Soundshaper (NEW 5.04).

Version 4.5 and 4.6 (June 2017 to Oct 2018)

Cell-Patches: run a patch within a single cell. Create 2nd-level patches.
Drag+Drop for parameter files: easy selection of favourite processes (and parameters).
Mix Page: extensive revision and bug fixes.
Quick-help docs: now available for all CDP processes, on Main and Parameter pages.
Bugfixes in: GRAIN ALIGN, OVERWRITE, SHUDDER, ANALJOIN, OCTVU, PEAKAMP, SPECPRINT.
Support for 18 new skinned styles, including some dark themes.
Merger of two parameter pages into one. Parameters now in pairs (1,2; 3,4; etc.) rather than columns.
More flexible saving of processed files.

Version 4.3 and 4.4 (Feb. 2014-May 2016)

CDP Release 7 functions: all new CDP 7 functions implemented. Menus and Process Grids updated.
Soundshaper moved to freeware: PRO and LITE versions discontinued; registration now unsupported.
Updated handling of file lengths. Clicking on cell uses stored file-length where possible.
WAVE-EX: "Standard" multi-channel output soundfiles auto-converted to WAVE-EX for playing.
Major code revisions: internally, extensive overhaul of code in preparation for possible MAC / Linux port.
Play pitch files: the pitch found by GETPITCH (.frq or .pch) now playable via transport (4.4.05)
Project Folder: optionally nominate a current Project Folder in Settings. (4.4.04)
Folder to Pool: all CDP files in selected folder are placed in Pool. (Menu item and new button: 4.4.04)
Add Files to Pool (checkbox): if checked, pool files are added to the existing Pool, instead of replacing them.
New scripts: scripts natively support mono/stereo/multi-channel input and include auto-file conversion and interleaving as required.
(Internally, scripts can now easily be adapted to make Bash versions for Linux/OS X development.)
Multiple parameter sets: provision updated – most processes now support multiple parameter sets for stereo / m-c input.
Bulk Processing: copies sources from the Pool list and processes a row with each of them.
(A more versatile method will be introduced in 4.5 using Cell Patches: see below.)
PREMIX: Mix-menu item for use with e.g. Mixmany or Mixtwo. Sets level, pan and pre-delay for each sound.
Save Patches without sources (optional): saves disk space, making patches more versatile. On loading, supply the source(s) as required.
Mix Page overhauled: select sources on Main or Mix Page.
Synth output becomes new source (in current row). Parameters now re-editable as normal.
Revised History function: full details of parameters and processes and parameters now saved.
.env and .pch: support for .env and .pch file extensions for envelope and frequency breakpoint files.
Panorama, Tangent and Transit: now available with sound-out (natively, mixfile out).
Cell-Patches (beta): run a patch within one cell. (Test version)

Versions 4.1 and 4.2

Patches panel: new Patches drop-down list for easy launching of favourite patches (similar to the Pool and Process lists).
Drag and Drop: support for dragging and dropping most files: new sources, patches, datafiles etc.
Resizable Patchgrid: support for up to 16 rows (representing separate channels or process-chains).
Auto-scale datafiles: option to re-scale times of time-varying files automatically.
Default datafiles: template datafiles covering almost all parameters that need them.
Revised HELP Manual: updated to match Vn. 4.2, including CDP Reference for Spectral processes.
Pop-up Usage: quick access to Usage description for most processes, with full parameter information and ranges.
Process Grids updated for CDP Release 6.
Multi-channel support: process multi-channel sounds, even where CDP is natively mono. Source file can be replaced with one of a different channel-count; Soundshaper makes necessary adjustments behind the scenes.
Multiple parameter sets: support for different parameter sets per channel, e.g. for panning, pitch, timing and echo effects.

Version 4.0 and 3

Revised design: including new skinned look.
Patchgrid: Support for multiple rows and 12 columns per row.
Run patches with different source sounds, or copy cells and process in different ways.
Auto-conversion: CDP file types are converted automatically using current settings.
Secondary inputs (Infiles 2,3,...): selectable by clicking on the cell required. Soundshaper auto-converts file types.
Import patches: import a single-row patch and link it to the current one. Build larger patches from smaller tested units.
Multi-channel split: split sounds into channels and process these independently as separate process chains.
Full support for CDP 6 functions.
Randomized parameter values: optionally randomize parameter values, within user-defined limits.
Process List: load a list of favourite processes into a drop-down box, for quick access.
Support for Windows 7 and 8.

Latest Download: SOUNDSHAPER 6.02 – freeware. Requires CDP software.