<------- SOUNDSHAPER 5.08/5.09: KNOWN ISSUES --------> ========================================= Updated: 10 Oct 2021 ** IF DISPLAYED IN BROWSER CLICK 'BACK' WHEN FINISHED ** THIS FILE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IS REGULARLY UPDATED AT: www.ensemble-software.net/downloads/KnownIssues.txt NEW VERSION 5.08 (March 2021) revised as 5.09 (Oct. 2021) For details see CHANGES and BUGFIXES below REVISED SOUNDSHAPER MANUAL RELEASED (10 Oct '21) ------------------------------------------------- The manual is now up to date for Soundshaper 5.09, including a section on running CSound scripts. Unzip either to: • your CDP Docs folder, e.g. C:\ CDPR7\docs\ or • your \Soundshaper5\DOCS folder; but links to the CDP Docs won't work from here. ================================================================================= B U G S A N D O T H E R I S S U E S ================================================================================= • FOLDER and FILE NAMES (Apr. '21) It has been found that Windows will accept folder names that Soundshaper cannot handle. This concerns the use of "special characters", as found in many languages, such as ç and õ. The advice for now is to stick to the Roman(Latin) alphabet as used in English, that is: a-z (lower or upper case) and numbers 0-9. (File names are probably also affected, but this has not been tested.) • TEMP folder (Apr. '21 5.08) The default golder for Soundshaper's temporary output files is now \TEMP. You can change this in SETTINGS, if you prefer. • CHANGE OF SETTINGS FILE NAME (5.07) The default Settings file has now been renamed Soundshaper.cfg (see CHANGES and BUGFIXES below). The new file is created automatically from the old file Soundshaper.evt (which can then be deleted manually). Personal Settings files (*.evt) can still be read, but new Personal Settings are saved to *.cfg. • INSTALLATION ISSUE (Apr. '20) -------------------- One user experienced installation problems concerning reading the Settings file. The Initial Setup and reading of the Settings file have now been upgraded (5.07). • ENVEL CREATE (.evl or .brk) -------------- The Parameter Page for ENVEL CREATE sometimes fails to check the Radio Button for Mode 1 (left side of page), resulting in no parameters being shown etc. WORKAROUND: 1) Click the button. 2) You can create envelopes directly in Soundshaper's Graph Edit page. To base these on the length of a given soundfile, load the file then select Graph | New Breakpoint File. Change the Y scale to 0 - 1, with 0.5 as the mid-point. Click /edit some points and save as .brk . Use this with ENVEL CREATE (breakpoint) if you want to make an exponential curve: add the letter e to any level value (see CDP documentation). If you do, DO NOT try to edit this in Graph Edit! • ACCESS VIOLATION with TEXTURE GROUPED and TEXTURE DECORATE (fixed 5.07) ------------------------------------------------------------ This has now been fixed. • PATCHES WITH CUT or SEGCUT/SEGPASTE ------------------------------------- Patches involving CUT (or SEGCUT) and/or PASTE (or SEGPASTE) may not run with a different source. This includes running them in a cell as a sub-patch. 1) the CUT will be at specific times, which may not work with the new source. 2) Likewise PASTE. 3) the SEGPASTE file is taken from the original infile (it's the infile with the CUT segment EXCISED). WORKAROUND: none. (Further investigations needed.) • ROBOCOPY ----------- Soundshaper now uses Microsoft's Robocopy program to copy patch folders (including their contents and subfolders). To avoid Windows issues -- having to find Robocopy each time within \Windows\System32 -- Soundshaper looks for it in your CDP programs folder and if not found, it attempts to copy it from \Windows\System32. A warning message is issued if Robocopy is not found when needed; if you get this, copy Robocopy.exe manually from \Windows\System32 to your CDP programs folder. (or copy it anyway -- uou only have to do this once.) Robocopy was introduced in Vista, which makes XP no longer officially supported (...unless perhaps Robocopy can be downloaded and might work if put in your CDP Programs folder? Can't test this.) • OLD PATCHES (pre-5.0) -------------- Patches saved prior to Soundshaper 5 should be re-loaded and saved again (in a revised format). Click SAVE and a prompt will trigger an update before you re-save the patch. The update RUNS the patch, creating a new-style control script for it. Patches can now be re-saved to the previous name. To avoid file problems, the old patch folder is copied to a new name (_old#, where # increments as needed) and replaced with a new folder of the previous name. Copying is easier in Windows than deleting, where all folders must be empty before deletion; however, the copies should be deleted "manually" at some stage. • PATCHES and PATH / CD statements ---------------------------------- Patches include (at least one) specified PATH, written into one or more BAT scripts in the patch. The PATH is to your CDP Programs Folder, and (where applicable) to the CSound \bin folder. The same issue applies to CD (change directory) statements, which specify your current \TEMP folder. Unfortunately, this does not make patches very portable. And if you change the CDP Programs Folder or your \TEMP folder, the patch cannot run. WORKAROUND: probably none. (There might be a more general way of satisfying the PATH and CD requirements in BAT scripts. Each script might have to be edited and updated on-the-fly before being run...) • PAULSTRETCH (CSound) -------------- 32-bit Csound: The Csound opcode for Paulstretch (extreme stretching) has been incorporated into Soundshaper with parameter controls. However, it does not work on a 32-bit machine: 32-bit Csound is currently the 6.07 Beta which predates Paulstretch (introduced i 6.07 full) As a patch: Paulstretch runs in a patch with the original sound. However, if a different infile is used (e.g. in a cell-patch), the original timelength is still used. Providing the new stretch is not longer, this is OK (though trailing silence may need editing), otherwise it cuts off at the original file length. • SYNTHESIS PATCHES ------------------- Synth processes can now be saved as part of a patch. (This includes CSOUND synthesis.) The synth process must be in Column 0. It may be followed by subsequent processes. The patch will not currently work as a cell-patch (sub-patch), which requires a soundfile input. • SOUNDFILE PLAYER ZOOM ------------------------ The Soundfile Player does not yet have a zoom facility, which makes it difficult to find detailed time-points. WORKAROUND: Set up Audacity or Viewsf as an external editor and export times from there (clumsy); import these as Markers; then Markers to Loops as required. • DRIVE B: ----------- A problem has arisen where a folder in drive B: was selected for the TEMP folder, but Soundshaper couldn't write to it. The cause is unknown, except that B: was historically reserved for floppy drives and Windows may treat it differently from other drive letters. Any advice wold be appreciated. • WINDOWS DEFENDER etc. ----------------------- Windows Defender rejects Soundshaper as a subversive program. Soundshaper does NOT contain secret code to steal your personal information!! Click "details" and you can exempt the program. Trend Micro Security also rejects it. Again, you can create an exception. • WEBSITE NOT SECURE? --------------------- The Ensemble Software website is not yet https. But it doesn't put anything onto your computer, like cookies. All interaction is one-way: download. Soundshaper is compiled on a computer which is never connected to the internet. • PAPLAY / PVPLAY ----------------- - PAPLAY: if play "TO" parameter is set to the end of the file, and the file length is an exact number of seconds, it will not play. (Claims "TO" is past end of file.) Other file-lengths e.g. 3.096961 are OK, because the "TO" parameter is reduced to 3 decimal places (3.096). But 4.000000 would reduce to 4.000, which is the same length! Will be fixed in a later release. WORKAROUND - reduce "TO" by a tiny amount. • TEMP. SUBFOLDERS NOT CLEARING ------------------------------- Temporary subfolders in the TEMP.OUTFILES folder are sometimes not deleted on exit. (Windows thinks they're still in use.) Soundshaper gives a warning if the folder is not erased. This doesn't affect performance, since CDP overwrites datafiles as necessary, but patches might be saved with spurious extra datafiles. vn 5.04: a more robust procedure is now in place, which should help. WORKAROUND: Delete the folder manually after Soundshaper closes. • TEMP FILES NOT CLEARING ------------------------- If temporary files don't erase in Windows, you may need to change Soundshaper's Properties: • In Explorer, right-click Properties for Soundshaper.exe • Select Security tab • Click EDIT to change permissions • Tick Full control - Allow. • Parameter page not displaying -------------------------------- Occasionally the parameter page fails to display, especially when re-editing the process or re-selecting the same one. The Main Page appears to have hung, but actually it's just waiting for something to happen on the (invisible) Parameter page. WORKAROUND: Hit ESC to cancel the process (or select Tools | Close Parameter Page) and then re-select it. Alternatively, hit Carriage Return to run the process and as necessary double-click the cell to re-edit the parameters. • GRAPH-EDIT Visual Editor --------------------------- Some problems importing a processed column of data from the Data Editor, when it's one of a breakpoint pair, e.g. Y values. Also, single-column textfiles may not load as intended, for example frequencies generated with BankFreqs (Data menu). WORKAROUND: The problems will be investigated further. • PATCHES USING TIMED PARAMETERS -------------------------------- A long-standing issue when running patches with different inputs occurs when a process uses a parameter that is dependent on the file-length, which has changed, rendering the parameter value invalid. WORKAROUND: if a patch fails, re-edit the first failed cell and fix any time-based parameter values. Click RUN as necessary to continue running the patch. A more permanent fix would be for Soundshaper to save such values as a percentage of the length. This will be introduced in a future version. OTHER ISSUES ============= • DEFAULT DATA FILES -------------------- Most time-varying parameters now have a set of default data files. For those that don't: WORKAROUND: When you click T-V, if the edit memo is empty, this is because there's no default file. To make one: - Click EDIT - graph limits should show soundfile length for X and correct range for Y - Click in the graph space to create one or more graph points; edit as required. - Click OK: if a new datafile, it saves to "~.txt" - Click SAVE AS and save to your "User folder" (e.g. cdpr6\txt) WITHOUT the tilde (~) and with a .brk extension (for a breakpoint file). Next time, the default file should be this one. • DATAFILES IN SNAPSHOTS ------------------------- When datafiles are edited, they are stored as temporary files by default. This means that they will be cleared when the current patch is cleared. WORKAROUND: 1) Save the datafile to a permanent filename / location before saving the snapshot. 2) If using a datafile more than once in a patch, with different values, save each instance of the datafile to a different filename before saving the snapshot. (These can be temp. files if the snapshots will also be temporary.) • I/O ERROR 32 --------------- Soundshaper's soundfile player is closed whenever it's out of use, to minimise the possibility of I/O errors. However, users can help to avoid problems by: • closing files after viewing them in an external editor, so that conflicts do not occur. • keeping the Temp.Outfiles folder easily accessible in Explorer (e.g. minimise the folder), so that you can see what temporary files are present (the ones starting with ~). • if possible, switching off security software while running Soundshaper, as this slows everything down. • PARAMETER FADER ISSUES ------------------------- Using the arrow keys to move the fader can cause the cursor to appear in the parameter's edit box, and the fader then doesn't move. WORKAROUND Before using the arrow keys for a parameter, click in the groove to the right of the fader, or the right arrow (at the end of the fader range). Once an arrow key has been moved, you can then access the following keys: • Up/down arrows - move fader by larger increment. • Page-up/Page-down - increment/decrement by 10% of range. • INSERT - moves fader to middle position. • DELETE - moves fader to default value. • Spaces in BAT path --------------------- DO NOT HAVE SPACES IN THE PATH TO YOUR TEMP. OUTFILES FOLDER! Soundshaper's batch files are now run in your designated temporary files folder. Unfortunately, if the path has a space in the name, then CDP cannot run them. WORKAROUND: Check on the Settings page and change accordingly. WINDOWS 64-BIT / WINDOWS 10 --------------------------- Soundshaper/CDP has been run on a Win 7 64-bit (Home Premium) system with no apparent problems. Also on Win8 and Win8.1. Soundshaper is still a 32-bit program, but a 64-bit version may be compiled in due course. Soundshaper runs on Windows 10 64-bit. CDP ISSUES / POSSIBLE BUGS ========================== • SPACES IN FILE PATHS / NAMES - You can safely choose a file that has a space in the path/name (because it's copied to a temp. file). - However, do not have spaces in the TEMP folder path. - CDP MIX will not run if any soundfile has a space in the path/name or is surrounded by " " (to avoid the spaces problem) Soundshaper warns you about such files on the Mix Page. Workaround is to rename the file and/or put it in a different folder. • PARTITION PARTITION (c.f. Isolate) was planned for CDP7 but not in fact included. Soundshaper disables the menu item if it's not in your CDP Progs folder. • PSOW LOCATE and CUT-AT-GRAIN Don't seem to work at present. Not sure why. • PSOW CHOP Previously posted as not working in Soundshaper. Maybe OK now... Synth SPECTRA Can't get this to work, even on the command-line. • HILITE BAND (in XTRA) Seems to work only with one band. • ANALJOIN (not in CDP7) ANALJOIN is once again supported in Soundshaper. It has been included in CDP Rel7.1 (though initially dropped). It is unlikely ever to work properly, due to phasing issues which can arise when spectral files are arbitrarily strung together. The CDP documentation will be restored soon. ================================================================================ C H A N G E S and B U G F I X E S ================================================================================ 5.09 (Oct. 2021) • Small bugfixes only, concerning how CDP HELP and SOUNDSHAPER HELP are called Slight changes to shortcuts for above: now uniformly Alt+F1 (CDP HELP) and Shift+Ctrl+F1 (SOUNDSHAPER HELP) 5.08 (March 2021) • New pop-up "context" menus have replaced most submenus. A new MENU button in the taskbar recalls the last-used menu. The new menus have a brief description of the process, for comparison with other processes in the menu. They also have memorable keyboard shortcuts fow immediate access at any time. • Some processes have been grouped together, to allow for the forthcoming CDP Release 8 additions. The group buttons are accessed from the parameter page. Wherever possible, parameters in common have values transferred between processes when you change process. • Some process have been merged onto one parameter page. The old versions are still available in a LEGACY menu, for patches. Old patches should be unaffected. 5.07 (9 May 20) • Fixed Access Violation affecting especially TEXTURE GROUPED and DECORATE • Revised Initial Setup and reading of Settings file. • Changed name of default Settings to Soundshaper.cfg from Soundshaper.evt (as .evt is a Windows reserved suffix). Soundshaper.evt is automatically copied to the new file and .evt files (e.g. Personal Settings) can still be opened. 5.06 (3 May 20) • Fixed an issue regarding processes with more than 10 parameters. 5.05 (Oct. 19) -------------- • Added Delete button matching UNDO (Ctrl+Z)/ DELETE-key and ReEdit Button matching CTRL+ENTER/Double-click. • Renamed Patch Control Panel to PATCH/CELL CONTROLS; added divider to separate patch controls (above) from cell controls • RESTORE "Whole File" -- Radio button "PROCESS: Whole File" is now restored after certain processes, if these have used "Process at Loop-point(s)" or "Process at Markers". The processes are virtually all those not using SEGCUT/PASTE, especially editing processes. The restoration is not applied (or needed) if the process is cancelled. • MIX PAGE - where a mixfile is saved (or recalled), the mixfile name is now passed back to the Main Page and used as a suggested savefile name matching the mix, e.g. junk.mix suggests junk.wav • AUTO-CONVERSION for FRQ/EVL processes and others was broken - now restored. 5.04 (8 May 19) --------------- • Several bugs regarding running CSOUND fixed, especially patch issues. • New OPTION "Run Csound scripts" triggers search for CSOUND PATH. This should be saved in SETTINGS file (Soundshaper.evt). (If Option checked and PATH not found, user is asked to search for it.) • New links to online CDP Documentation. New OPTION "Online CDP Help" enables this. Partial URLs stored in CDPURLS.txt. Please do not edit, but report any broken links. 5.0 (Feb 19) to 5.03 (1 May 19) ------------------------------- • Re-designed Main Page. • New Soundfile Player based on BASS Audio Library. • Some menus revised and Options changed: re-save Settings. • Some keyboard shortcuts also changed. • Cut and Paste revised for processing segment, using Loop Points or Markers. • Cell-patches extended beyond two levels. • Changes to how patches are saved: old patches should be re-saved (Soundshaper runs an automatic update). • Patchgrid now supports a maximum of 99 cells per row. 16 is the recommended default. Memory requirements have not been tested beyond this. • Parameter files can be saved from the Main Page as well as on the Parameter Page. They can also be added to the revised Process List for instant recall. • Cell now displays saved filename, if output has been saved to permanent file. • Basic batch scripting now supported: use %inf% for the infile and %outf% for the outfile. • Run CSOUND scripts. 4.6.02 (26 Oct 18) ----------------- • Bugfix: Report Window somehow got partly obscured in the last release, resulting in CDP Info reports and Error messages being unreadable. 4.6.01 (4 Oct 18) ----------------- • Slight change to naming of suggested save-file name. (Any users who have already downloaded 4.6.0 should download 4.6UG.zip for revised Soundshaper.exe.) 4.6.0 (2 Oct 18) --------------- • Support for more skinned themes; selected on Main page (File | Skin) or Settings. "Pulsar" remains default skin, if none other specified. • Two parameter pages merged into one. Parameters now in horizontal pairs: 1,2; 3,4; etc. Scroll bar accesses >14 params. • More flexible saving of processed files: • Save panel displayed at end of process. (Ctrl+S /Save button saves file, as before.) • Suggested filename is derived from source cell plus process number. • Extension matches CDP outfile type (or .wav if AutoFFT on). • Folder normally that of the source (column 0), unless "Use Project Folder" selected. • Clicking empty row displays File Pool. • Project Folder selectable on Main page (File menu) & Settings. New option (Options menu): "Use Project Folder for Load/Save files". • Windows' Cmd.exe path removed from Settings (found automatically). • Legacy Option "Skip Parameters" removed, as meaningless. 4.5.05 (11 Mar.18) ------------------- • Major overhaul of Mix Page: several bugs fixed and new buttons added. Improved links between Mix List and Soundfiles 'pool' list. Improved display of soundfile data incl. channel levels. Mix list soundfiles now playable. New reference Help for Mix Page included with update (as PDF); also downloadable as HTML. • Quick help completed for all CDP processes and available on Main Page (F1). • GRAIN ALIGN restored • SHUDDER fixed and moved to XTRA menu, as not fully compatible with Soundshaper at present • OVERWRITE (sfedit replace) fixed. • Restored ANALJOIN, as .exe is still there. • Fixed OCTVU, PEAKAMP, SPECPRINT - outfiles missing from cmdline. • Updated SYNTH to support 96kHz S.R. • Undo for column 0 now supported for SYNTH / MIX 4.5.03 and 4.5.04 interim versions: not released 4.5.02 (4 Nov. 17) ------------------- • Double-clicking on a cell when selecting a secondary Infile is now tolerated. The cell should be selected with a single click. Previously, when selecting a second/third etc. file, a double-click (which means "edit this cell") was rejected. However, if you double click: For a single Infile2, the second click triggers a warning that Infile2 has already been chosen. For a process with multiple Infiles, the second click will add the file again as Infile 3. 4.5.01 (1 July 17) ----------------- • Bug in "Edit at Markers": enclosure of Infile 2 in " " was causing file not to be found. • Spurious message when clicking CUT button - removed. • PARTITION in Edit menu now disabled if .exe not available (not included in CDP7). 4.5 (12 June 17) ----------------- No new bugfixes have been included in this release. 4.4.06 (7 May 16) ----------------- BUGFIXES: • Copy Cell: 'Virtual Copy': checkbox abandoned for now, as copy cannot be processed. Ordinary copy - editing the copy was also not working * FIXED * - If new copied cell has Infile (preceding cell is occupied), then it is run with this. - If there's no Infile, cell cannot be edited (not a bug). • Bug when mixfile sent to Mix page (from SPARE FILE) - was not being sent. * FIXED * • Mix Page: colour of Infile labal. * FIXED * • Mix Page: erroneous display of Chan2 Pan with multichannel mix. * FIXED * • Endtime in Markers: sometimes showed time from wrong cell. * FIXED * • Information functions: wrong Infile-length sometimes sent to parameter page. * FIXED * ------------------------------------------------------ Bug or bonus? • If Markers RECORD button is activated before playing file via Spacebar, all stop/start times are recorded in Markers list. • SAVE/AS strengthend for Project Folder • Drag+Drop added for .env / .pch / .brk files to Patchgrid. (also available as text to Spare File) • HISTORY Files (.hst): New "Show History in Report Window"; also added Drag+Drop to Main Page. - review processes run (today or historically), add notes and re-save, etc. • Added "Whole Pool to Sources" to File | Pool menu to match Pool-panel button • Restored ACCU original (in XTRA menu) as slightly different from SUPERACCU. 4.4.05 (31 March 16) -------------------- An updated .exe for Soundshaper 4.4.05 (31 Mar 16)can be downloaded here: www.ensemble-software.net/downloads/Soundshaper4.4.05UD.zip Simply unpack and replace your existing Soundshaper.exe (i.e. versions 4.4 to 4.4.04). BUGFIXES: • GRANULATE was producing a Channel value of 2 even with a mono file. (Hence further processing in mono was not possible.) * FIXED * • GATE was only accepting mono infiles -- now OK for stereo and multichan * FIXED * OTHER: • Strengthened message when incorrect file type offered -- to show name of wrong type (e.g. "Pitch File (.frq)"). • CDP HELP Links: R5/R6/R7 programs now link to latest CDP Help Docs rather than e.g. "cr7othr.htm". This is in anticipation of new CDP Docs being issued soon. NEW FEATURE: • Play .frq and .pch (i.e. pitch breakpoint) files can now be played from the transport. GETPITCH has always produced a 2nd outfile of the pitch trace as an .ana. Now this can be played from the transport, using PVPLAY. File is pch.ana or pch_c1.ana. (Though PCHHEAR (pchinfo hear) perhaps becomes redundant, it is still available and its output file remains vu.ana to avoid name conflicts with any existing pch.ana.) 4.4.04 (17 March 16) -------------------- BUGFIX: personal settings (.evt file) were not loading properly NEW FEATURES: • Project Folder (optional) - assigned in Settings. Defaults to TEMP folder if not set. • Folder to Pool - CDP files in folder loaded to Pool (initial directory is Project Folder) • Add Files Checkbox (Pool Panel) - if checked, Pool files are ADDED to the existing Pool list, instead of replacing them. Project Folder is also used by Load Pool File, OpenFile and SaveFile (Full details in textfile supplied with the update or full versions) 4.4.03 (23 Jan 16) ------------------ BUGFIX: source files with spaces in the path could not be copied to the \Temp folder for processing. 4.4.02 (3 Jan 16) ----------------- BUGDIX: Copy Row function was broken in 4.4 and 4.4.1. Fixed in 4.4.02. 4.4.01 (22 Dec 15) ------------------ BUGFIXES: • Inadequate scripting for the following CDP functions if Infile 2 already converted to native file type (e.g. .for), instead of being auto-converted by Soundshaper: .frq: SPEC BARE, PITCH ALTHARMS, PITCH OCTMOVE, .trn: REPITCH TRANSPOSE 4 .for: ONEFORM PUT, FORMANTS PUT • Scripting typo affected the following CDP functions (spurious extra '+' in script): FORMANTS SEE/GETSEE, SPECINFO LEVEL, HOUSEKEEP EXTRACT 2, PITCHINFO SEE (.frq and .trn), PITCHINFO HEAR. These functions mostly generate pseudo-soundfiles for viewing. PLEASE report bugs: it's the quickest way to have them fixed! ------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Fraser, Ensemble Software May 2020