2.2.4

OpenTracker 2.2.4: release notes

OpenTracker is an open-source, clean-room firmware for the original Polyend Tracker,
written from behavioural specifications. It contains no Polyend code, fonts, icons or
graphics, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Polyend.

2.0 brings the newer Trackers features to the original hardware: 16 tracks, synth
engines, stereo samples, Mini/Plus-compatible project files and USB Storage mode.

Performance screen (fixes planned for the next version): a couple of reported Performance screen issues are still open, among them how the global Pattern length behaves in Song mode (the song moves on after the shortened length, as on stock). They need more work and testing, so they come in the next release rather than in 2.2.4 (still ongoing research)

New in 2.2.4

• Piano pad layout (contributed by syamajala): Config > General > Pad layout: Stock /
  Piano. Piano turns the pads into two keyboards an octave apart, as on grid controllers:
  white keys along a row, black keys in the row above. The bottom-left C is the C of the
  project's root note octave, so change the root note to play higher or lower. The pad
  lights draw the keyboard: the scale's root brightest, white keys lit, black keys dimmer,
  keys outside the scale barely lit (still playable). The gaps between black keys stay dark
  and play nothing. In the pattern editor the step's note lights on top. Screens whose pads
  do other things (Config, Sample Loader, Performance, synth edit and others) keep their own
  lights. Stock is the default and works as before.
• Chords in step entry (contributed by syamajala): in the pattern editor, in edit mode
  and stopped, pads pressed while another note pad is still held enter a chord. The first
  note goes on the cursor's step as usual, each further note on the same step one track to
  the right. One Undo removes the whole chord.
• Synth pads play chords: holding several pads on a synth instrument now plays them all,
  up to the slot's Polyphony, on the pattern editor and the Synth page (and from the
  computer keyboard in the simulator and desktop app). Before, each new pad released the
  previous one, so a Polyphony 4 patch played only the last pad held; long release tails
  often hid it. (Reported by idagani.)
• Cleaner 44.1 kHz export (contributed by bungoleena): the conversion to 44.1 kHz now
  uses a 32-tap sinc filter. The slight wobble of the old conversion is gone and high
  frequencies come out much cleaner (about 91 dB signal to noise at 18 kHz, was about 10 dB).
  Rendering takes longer: about +28 % for Export Song and +40 % for a selection; song
  stems barely change (+3 %). The 44117 Hz export mode is unchanged.
• Sample Loader preview without gaps (GitHub issue #128): 24-bit and 32-bit float
  stereo files no longer drop out every fraction of a second while you preview them. The
  preview now always reads half a second ahead.
• Sample names with accents (GitHub issue #128): names such as "Più forte" show as
  "Piu forte" in the Sample Loader and on every screen, instead of stray symbols. Characters
  the font doesn't have show as ?. The files keep their real names on the card.
• Busy screens no longer fault (contributed by syamajala): the screen's drawing budget
  now counts gradients and text at what the display chip really builds. Screens such as the
  MIDI instrument CC page, which faulted on every frame (since 2.2.3 it came back in low
  detail; before that the display froze), and the mixers with many gradients now draw in
  full detail within the budget. Text is drawn more cheaply, so lists with long names leave
  more room.

What's Changed

• Export: 32-tap sinc for the 44.1 kHz conversion (follow-up to #59) by @bungoleena in #125
• Synth pads play chords up to the slot's Polyphony by @sandlbn in #129
• Pads: piano layout with key lights, and chord step entry by @syamajala in #122
• Sample Loader: preview keeps ahead of 24-bit stereo; non-ASCII names (#128) by @sandlbn in #131
• Display list: count gradients and text at what the FT81x builds; text as glyph runs by @syamajala in #124

Full Changelog: 2.2.3...2.2.4