Version 2.5

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Numerous tickets on GitHub have been reviewed and processed, and the result is Polyphone 2.5, bringing some of the features that have been requested.

Tools

Creating loops

The autoloop tool is now more accurate and is no longer based on an existing approximate loop. It is completly autonomous and uses a smaller crossfade than before.

If you still want the loop points to be at specific positions, you can use a new crossfade tool to smooth the loop. Place the start and end of the loop at the sample level, then open the “Crossfade loop” tool, choose the crossfade duration and the loop is smoothed. Beware of harmonics that may be canceled by this operation.

Merging samples

Suppose you have a preset that simultaneously calls up several instruments and samples when a key is struck. A new “Merge sample for each note” tool will merge, for each note, all the samples played. The result is a new preset that plays only one sample per key, reducing the CPU load required to run the preset.

Bonus: this tool can loop automatically loop all samples using the improved algorithm above.

Interface

Tabs

Opening a lot of soundfonts is now similar to opening a lot of tabs on an Internet browser. Tabs have a minimal width, a close button that can be displayed only if the tab is selected, and can be moved left or right thanks to arrows.

Window states restored

Small improvement but that could save clicks: opening a soundfont can automatically open the virtual keyboard and / or the recorder if Polyphone was closed with these windows open.

Fixes

Minor GUI corrections:

• divisions are correctly highlighted at the preset level during playback,
• for presets, the next or previous available bank / preset is calculated correctly,
• tree sorting is updated after a key range change.

Playing sounds

Improved sound engine

Polyphony has been enhanced with the help of several optimizations inside the sound engine. This is particularly important now that Polyphone can be used as a synthesizer and on a Raspberry Pi, for example.

Voice overflow (when too many voices need to be played) is also better managed. Voices are progressively stopped according to their priority, and the resulting sound is much less altered.

MIDI capabilities

When Polyphone is opened in synth mode, MIDI CC0 and MIDI program change events are able to change the bank and preset currently being played. It is now possible to play a MIDI file using a soundfont loaded into Polyphone, if Polyphone is in synth mode and the MIDI signals emitted by a MIDI player are sent to Polyphone (such as SpessaSynth  - directly accessible with a web browser). For more information, please see this page.

“Mute” and “Always play” features

To test a soundfont, it is sometimes necessary to focus on a specific layer of an instrument or preset, and this is why the solo / mute functions have been added.

Conversely, listening to several instruments or presets at the same time can be useful for harmonizing a set of instruments in an orchestra, or a set of stops in an organ. This complement to the solo / mute functions is called Always play, and all these features are accessible from the tree′s context menu.

Import / export

Importing other sample formats

With the help of the sndfile  library, Polyphone can import samples in MP3, AIFF, AIF, AIFC, SND samples formats in addition to WAV / OGG / FLAC formats.

Sf2 / sf3 export

Create one file per preset when exporting is now possible.

Sfz

The “release” trigger is supported during sfz import / export and uses the “release” sample mode at the instrument level. Please note that this playback mode is not included in the soundfont specifications, and other soundfont players may not support it.

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