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Awave Studio revision history

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Version 10.1

• If you are running under Windows XP then buttons and other control will now use the rounder 'XP style' look.
  
  
• In the loop editor, it is now possible to move the loop graph by pressing down the mouse button on the loop graph and dragging.
  
  
• There's now a handfull of keyboard short-cuts in the waveform editor (right click the graph to see the context menu for which keys).
  
  
• Added a 'Track playing pos' option (on by default) to the waveform graph context menu in the waveforms editor tab.
  
  
• Added an option to display (& edit) also the minor bank number as part of the instrument names.
  
  
• Added support for reading DLS 2.2 files containing compressed waveforms using "wave-format-extensible" chunks.
  
  
• Added support for reading FMOD SoundSystem sound banks (.FSB files, uncompressed variety only).
  
  
• Improved Akai S5000 / S6000 release time translation.
  
  
• Added support for WusikSND v4 stereo samples.
  
  
• A hand-full of bug-fixes.
  
  

Version 10.0

• The 'Awave Software synthesizer' is a new 'built in' software synthesizer that can be use both for auditioning instruments and for rendering MIDI songs to waveforms. Here are some of it's features:
  
  
  • All processing is done using 32-bit floating point calculations, including support for 32-bit output, thus virtually eliminating quantization noise.
    
    
  • Arbitrary sample rates are supported.
    
    
  • Very high quality sample rate conversion - our best FIR resampling algorithms are used - providing much higher sound quality than what is available with normal 'real-time' synths (be it hardware or software).
    
    
  • Smooth parameter changes - envelopes, LFO's, MIDI controllers (interpolated ramps), et c, et c - everything is updated on a per sample basis. It is very common that synths update some or all of these only every few hundred samples or even less often - which saves many CPU cycles but degrades the sound quality.
    
    
  • Accurate mathematical functions are used throughout instead of approximating 'look-up tables'.


• Previous versions allowed you to convert a MIDI song (or track) intro a waveform by saving it to special 'WAV - Render MIDI to WAV, x Hz' file format selections. This used the Microsoft Software Synthesizer from DirectX to 'play' the song and captured the output to a file on disk. This has now been replaced by two different mechanisms that both use the new 'Awave Software Synthesizer' to render from MIDI into waveform format:
  
  
  • You can right click one (ore more) MIDI songs (or tracks) and select 'Render song/track to Waveform'. The same command is also available on the Tools menu. This creates a waveform (in memory) that contains the rendered MIDI song. A dialog box pops up that shows the rendering progress. You can abort it at any time by pressing the [x] button.
    
    
  • You can select a MIDI song (or a track) and then do a 'Save selected MIDI song/track as...'. Just like in previous versions - but - instead of just providing a few 'special' file format options to render to WAV files, you now have listed, first of all of course, all of the file formats that supports MIDI-like data, but then also all of the file formats that supports saving waveforms. MIDI to waveform rendering is then done automatically whenever necessary.
  
  If you go to 'Options → Preferences... → MIDI to Wave' you'll find options that control the MIDI to Waveform rendering; e.g. sample rate and what 'Default GM bank' to use (any instrument that is not loaded into Awave Studio and that used by a song will be pulled from the selected default GM bank).
  
  Note that the rendering need not be done in real-time. Simple passages in a MIDI song may be rendered faster than real-time, while more complex passages will take more time to render. Also note that the 'Play MIDI song/track' commands still use the DirectX synth for playback (the Awave Software Synthesizer is simply not fast enough for such real-time playback).
  


• The Awave Software synthesizer is now also the default auditioning synth - albeit with reduced resampling quality and limited polyphony. Under 'Options → Preferences → Auditioning' you can select the sample rate and the audio latency (determined by how much sound is 'pre-buffered') that is used when auditioning instruments. The advantages with using this synth for auditioning is of course that it supports every single instrument parameter that Awave Studio supports, and that it should provide 'reference quality' sound.
  


• FM to Wavetable conversion was introduced in Awave Studio v9.5 with support for reading sounds from different Yamaha DX-series synths as well as AdLib sound card formats and instruments from SMAF (.MMF) ring-tones. Several improvements are made in this version:
  
  
  • FM synthesis instruments are no longer converted to Wavetable (sample-synthesis) instruments when a file is opened. Instead the sound parameters are stored in memory an algorithmic synthesis format and the synthesis type conversion is delayed until such time as it is needed (e.g. when saving it or when auditioning). This makes loading the files much faster. NB, if you want, you can manually right click on one of these instruments and select "Convert FM to Wavetable" to explicitly convert it into a wavetable instrument.
    
    
  • The Awave Software synthesizer will do the FM to wavetable conversion "on the fly" while playing, which makes auditioning these instruments much easier. When using other auditioning synths, there will be a delay between clicking on the instrument and before you can audition it, while a "temporary" conversion is being done (this creates an invisible temporary converted copy, leaving the original instrument in FM-synthesis format).


• Added support for GigaStudio v3 format files (.GIG) including support for 24-bit compressed samples.
  NB, the GIG files produced by Awave Studio are not be directly loadable in GigaStudio v3 because we do not have the correct algorithm for 'signing' them, but you load them in the GigaStudio editor, then hit the "Save" icon (not Save As) then they will be reseved with a correct signature and voila, you'll be able to use them.
  


• Very much improved support for reading the audio data tracks from Apple QuickTime movies (.MOV).
  
  The following audio data formats can now be read from these files:
  
  
  • PCM 8/16/24/32-bit ('NONE', 'raw', 'twos', 'sowt', 'lpcm', 'in24' and 'in32' format tags).
    
  
  
  • Float 32/64-bit ('fl32' and 'fl64' format tags).
    
  
  
  • mu-Law/A-law ('ulaw' and 'alaw' format tags).
    
  
  
  • Apple MACE3 and MACE6 compression ('mac3' and 'mac6' format tags).
    
  
  
  • IMA 4-bit ADPCM compression ('ima4' and 'ms\17' format tags).
    
  
  
  • MS 4-bit ADPCM compression ('ms\2' format tag).
    
  
  
  • MPEG audio layer III compression ('.mp3' and 'ms\85' format tags).
    
  
  
  • GSM 06.10 compression ('agsm' format tag).
    
  
  
  • MPEG-4 AAC compression ('mp4a' format tag) - NB; requires AAC add-on.
    
  
  
  • AMR compression ('samr' format tag) - NB; requires AMR add-on.
    
  
  
  
  Both reading and writing of the following related file formats is now supported:
  
  
  • Apple QuickTime movie format (.MOV).
    
  
  
  • MPEG-4 base media file format (.MP4).
    
  
  
  • iTunes MPEG-4 audio file format (.M4A).
    
  
  
  • 3GPP file format (.3GP).
    
  
  
  • 3GPP 'project 2' file format (.3G2).
    
  
  
  
  Reading files using 'zlib compression' (of 'movie-boxes') are now also supported.
  
  Several types of text meta data is now supported:
  
  
  • The original QuickTime-format (usually found in .MOV files)
    
  
  
  • The 'iTunes'-format (usually found in .M4A files).
    
  
  
  • The 3GPP-format (sometimes found in .3GP files).
    
  
  
  • The ID3v2 format (found in some .MP4 and .3GP files).
    
  
  
  
  Reading all the audio data pieces from so called 'fragmented' files is now supported (sometimes found in .3GP/.3G2/.MP4 files).
  
  Sample description 'version 2' is now supported (i.e. support for > 2 chs and > 64000Hz).
  


• Improved support for reading the audio data tracks from Microsoft Audio Video Interleave files (.AVI).
  
  The following audio data formats can now be read from these files:
  
  
  • PCM 8/16/24/32-bit.
    
  
  
  • mu-Law/A-law.
    
  
  
  • Microsoft 4-bit ADPCM compression.
    
  
  
  • DVI/IMA 4-bit ADPCM compression.
    
  
  
  • MPEG audio layer III compression.
    
  
  
  • MPEG AAC compression - NB; requires AAC add-on.
    
  
  
  • Plus any format that has an installed "Windows ACM codec".
    
  
  
  
  New is also support for the OpenDML extension for > 2 GB file size (a.k.a. "AVI 2.0").
  


• Added support for reading A-Law, G.726, GSM, MACE3 and MACE6 compression formats from .AIFC/.AFC files.
  


• Added support for parsing AAC data from .WAV files.
  


• Increased the number of decimal digits of accuracy for many instrument parameters.
  


• Added new "Filter type" and "Filter slope" instrument parameters (Off, Low-Pass, High-Pass, Band-Pass or Band-Reject filter, and 6, 12, or 24 dB / octave slope). Formats that either fully or partially support these parameters are: .404, .gig, .krz, .mt2, .pbf, .pcg, .sdk, .sfz, .sts, .sxt, .vsb, .wxv.
  


• Added a "Key number to Volume" parameter for formats that supports it (.ARL, .KRZ, .PCG, .SDK, .SF2, .SFZ, .W2V, .W7V).
  


• The program manual is now in 'HTML help' format (it now both looks better and is easier to use than when it was using the older 'WinHelp' format).
  


• When loading a mobile phone ring signal made for an older monophonic phone, a "beeper" instrument is now automatically added for a more correct retro sound.
  


• Double-clicking on an item-icon in the collection pane now brings up the item properties (instead of expanding/collapsing the tree-view).
  


• It is now possible to re-arrange the order of layers using drag'n'drop. There's also new 'Move up layer' and 'Move down layer' commands on the context menu.
  


• Added a loop length display to the loop editor.
  


• MIDI channels are now numbered 1..16 rather than 0..15.
  


• When saving DLS level 2 files, the tuning parameter is no longer saved separately. Instead it is combined with the root key and fine-tune parameters. This is because the most commonly available DLS synthesizer, i.e. the Microsoft Software synthesizer, ignores the DLS level 2 tuning parameter, which could result in incorrect pitch when it played certain notes. This also affects the sound from the MIDI Player dialog.
  


• Added '.SD2 file' options to the 'Format options' tab in the preferences that allows you change the default data format for 'data fork only' Sound Designer II files.
  


• Added a new "Fix compatibility issues" function to the 'MIDI processing wizard'. It provides several options for improving the portability of MIDI songs:
  
  
  • "Ensure that there are a 'Bank LSB' (CC 32) message to complement every 'Bank MSB' (CC 0) message",
    
    
  • "Ensure that there are a 'Program change' message before the first note of each MIDI channel",
    
    
  • "Remove all MIDI System Exclusive messages",
    
    
  • "Replace Note-On messages with velocity 0 with Note-Off messages".
  
  


• Added a very simple "MIDI recording wizard" that allows you to capture MIDI note data.
  


• Added small play buttons to the MIDI song & track property dialogs.
  


• Minor corrections to the writing of 'Mobile DLS' files (drum flag is not supported & region level articulation is also supported for the 'minimal' type).
  

Version 9.5

• Added the capability to convert phase-modulation (a.k.a. FM) synthesis instruments into wavetable (a.k.a. sampling) synthesis instruments. The conversion is of course only approximate and it is still to be considered as experimental - but it usually works surprisingly well. Loop points sometimes need a bit of manual tweaking though. Anyway, this cool new synthesis conversion function is available when reading any of the following file formats:
  


• Yamaha DX7 voice SysEx dumps (.SYX, .DX7, .MID).
  


• Yamaha DX7s / DX7II / DX200 voice SysEx dumps (.SYX, .MID).
  


• Yamaha DX21 / DX27 / DX100 voice SysEx dumps (.SYX, .BN4, .BNK, .MID).
  


• Yamaha DX11 / TX81z voice SysEx dumps (.SYX, .BNK, .MID).
  


• AdLib instruments (.INS) and instrument banks (.BNK).
  


• Creative Labs FM instruments (.SBI), Creative Labs FM instrument banks (.IBK), Creative Labs Music Files (.CMF - including songs!).
  


• SMAF mobile phone ring-signals (.MMF). (Song data, PCM-synth and Stream-PCM data already supported from earlier versions, but now also FM synth instruments).
  


• A new 'FM to WT' tab in the program options contains parameters to controls the synthesis conversion.
  


• Added support for reading & writing 'MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding' format (.AAC files) by using an external 3rd party encoder called FAAC (using 'libfaac.dll') and decoder called FAAD 2 (using 'libfaad2.dll'). These are open source software projects and should be generally available on the net. However, please note that they are not available from us. ADTS, ADIF and 'raw' container formats are supported for reading, but ADTS only for writing - see the help file under file formats for more information.
  


• Added support for reading & writing AMR compressed data (4.75, 5.15, 5.9, 6.7, 7.4, 7.95, 10.2, or 12.2 kbit/s), both the MIME specified 'AMR File Storage format' (.AMR files) and the 3GPP specified 'AMR Interface Format 2' (.COD files) are supported. NB, no AMR codec is built in, you need the free 3rd party AMR.dll codec add-on to use this.
  


• Added support for '.u255law' files. This is an 8-bit 'exponential' data format used by a few old drum computers. There are no standard file extension for these files, and no way to auto-detect them, so you need to use .u255law to get the program to recognize them. Also, there's no way of knowing the sample rate - so the program will assume 24000 Hz when reading these files.
  


• Added support for reading and writing Windows Media Audio 9 ABR (Average Bit-Rate) and Professional (24-bit data).
  


• Many file formats that can save compressed audio in different bit-rates are no longer listed in the save dialog with separate entries for each bit-rate. Instead the bit-rate selection is now available in the data-format list. A greater number of different bit-rates are now also available to choose from.
  


• Added a 'Format options' tab to the program preferences dialog; there you can now set various file format specific options (e.g. what types of meta-info tags to write).
  


• Added 'PCM 12-bit', 'PCM 20-bit', 'Interleaved stereo' and 'Sequential stereo' options to the waveform properties 'Source' tab (these parameters can be used when you which to manually specify the data format in order to import data from a file type that is not recognized by the program).
  


• Improved support for Fast Tracker II (.XI and .XM) files (fixed pitch problem + added conversion of volume and volume envelope parameters).
  


• Added an 'Invert sign' function to the 'Audio processing wizard'.
  


• Added an 'Album' text meta-info field for waveforms.
  


• Added a 'Logarithmic' display option for the waveform graph on the waveform edit page.
  

Version 9.4

• Added full support for up to 32-bit floating point wavesample precision. This means that both reading and writing of e.g. 24-bit PCM files are now fully supported with no loss of information!
  


• Added read and write support for the rgc:audio SFZ instrument format (.SFZ files).
  


• Added read and write support for the Orion Sampler program file format (.OSP files).
  


• Added support for SoundFont v2.04 (.SF2 files). This is basically the same as SoundFont v2.01 but adds support for 24-bit samples. This is achieved in such a manner that older apps can still read the files (though they don't get the 8 lowest bits). NB, support for these 24-bit SoundFonts will be available in the upcoming SoundBlaster X-Fi cards.
  


• Added support for reading AKAI S900 and S950 programs (.P files).
  


• Improved precision FIR resampling algorithms - with selections for greater than 16, 20 and 24-bit signal to noise ration.
  


• Many output formats now have an 'Auto' data format selection in the save file dialog. This instructs the program to select an appropriate data format when you save a file. In the case of some 'collection' file formats, this also provides a mechanism for creating files with 'mixed' data types (because the program will select the data format individually for each waveform in the collection). So how does it do the 'auto selection' and how can you influence it? The previous waveform property 'In file save as' has now been renamed 'Preferred data format for saving'. This property consists of a selection of a format from a list of 'common' data formats. When reading a file, the program will try to set it to match the data format of the input file. When saving using the 'Auto' option, it will try to find a matching data format among those that the particular output file format will support. If no exact match can be found, then it will try an equivalent or higher precision format. If that is not available either, then a reasonable default will be used instead.
  


• The mono and stereo check-boxes in the save dialog have been replaced by a drop-down list with 'Auto', 'Mono' and 'Stereo' selections.
  


• A couple of parameter changes: 'After-touch to Volume' has been added. 'Ch Pressure' has been renamed 'After-touch'. 'Default RPN0' has been renamed 'Pitch-bend to Pitch'. 'RPN1 to Pitch' and 'RPN2 to Key' have been scrapped. The displayed value of 'Key Velocity to Volume' has changed sign (positive now means that the volume scales with the key velocity) and can now take on both positive and negative values. And finally, a number of parameters have had their value ranges extended.
  


• When writing .SF2 files, in the special case where all regions in a layer all have the same articulation data (or when there is only layer or instrument lever articulation), the program will now write 'global zones', which makes the output files a little bit smaller and, more importantly, conserves 'parameter values' (which can become a limiting resource when creating really big & complicated SF2 files).
  


• Added a new 'File load' option called 'Auto-move articulation to higher levels if all equal on lower levels' plus an equivalent 'Instrument processing wizard' function.
  


• Added 'Auto-create regions from waveform root keys' and 'First parse root keys from names' options to the 'Create instrument wizard'.
  


• Added 'Resample' and 'Normalize' buttons to the waveform properties 'General' tab - for quick access to the 'Audio processing wizard's' resampling and volume normalization functions.
  


• Updated the APE codec to v3.99. This should solve an issued with some newer .APE files not opening.
  


• Fixed a handful of bugs.
  

Version 9.3

• Add a 'Read from Audio CD' command to I/O menu, i.e. there's now built in CD-ripper functionality. You can alternatively open a .CDA file (i.e. the Windows 'place-holders' for audio CD tracks) in the normal file open dialog. The 'FreeDB' database can optionally be used to retrieve track names. However, please note that CD ripping may not work or be 100% reliable on some CD-ROM drives (especially old ones can be troublesome). Also, it needs to talk directly to the CD-ROM/DVD driver to do this, and that is only possible if either you are using Windows NT/2000/XP, or you have working 'ASPI32' drivers installed.
  


• Added a 'Read from AKAI CD' command to I/O menu. I.e. the much requested feature of being able to read AKAI S1000 and AKAI S3000 format CD-ROM's is at least here! These can't normally be accessed by Windows so again it needs to talk directly to the CD-ROM driver and to use it you need to be using either Windows NT/2000/XP, or have working ASPI32 drivers installed.
  


• Added a 'Read from Kurzweil CD' command to the I/O menu. This reads so called 'Native' Kurzweil CD's - formatted in a way that Windows does not understand. Later Kurzweil models can also read standard ISO-9660 formatted CD's (which you can access either using the new command, or using the normal file open dialog). The comments for AKAI CD's apply here too, but also note that if you have a Windows version earlier than Windows XP then inserting a native format Kurzweil CD might crash Windows. If this happens for you, then turn off 'Auto-Insert Notification' for the CD-ROM drive and do not try to access the CD in any other way than using the new command in Awave Studio.
  


• Added a 'Read from Roland CD' command to I/O menu. This reads Roland S-7xx series CD-ROM's. Once again, to use this, you need to be using either Windows NT/2000/XP, or have working ASPI32 drivers installed.
  


• Added support for reading Roland S-5xx and S-7xx series floppy disks. These use a file system that is not compatible with Windows. You can now use the new 'I/O → Read from Roland floppy' to read them! NB, this only works under Windows NT/2000/XP.
  


• Added support for reading Roland S-7xx multi-disk spanning floppy disk images. NB, for this to work, the image files need to be named with a running number as before the file extension, e.g. L701_1.OUT + L701_2.OUT.
  


• Much improved translation of Roland S-5xx and S-7xx series instruments.
  


• Added application of a de-emphasis filter when reading Roland S-5xx and S-7xx-series waveforms. This is gives a more correct sound when they are played back on other synths.
  


• Added support for reading Roland W-30 floppy disk images.
  


• Added support for reading AKAI S-series floppy disk images. Note that these can't be auto-detected so you need to use a .AKAI file extension.
  


• Add support for editing of MIDI events in the MIDI track property dialog (edit, insert, and delete buttons).
  


• Added an option to 'Auto-sort instruments by bank & program number' in the 'file loading' preferences (on by default), plus another new option to 'Auto-sort waveforms by name' (off by default).
  


• Added the new 'MIDI processing wizard' function 'Replace Note-On with velocity 0 with Note-Off'.
  


• Improved decoding of SMAF (.MMF) files, this includes new support for PCM synthesis instruments as well as streamed PCM and ADPCM sounds. Note though that any song parts that were written to use custom FM synthesis voices will of course still not be played back with the correct instruments.
  


• Improved decoding & handling of ADPCM waves from i-Melody (.MLD) files. A more correct ADPCM decoding algorithm is now used - and it now also creates an instrument with those waves plus a special MIDI track to trigger their playback at the correct time in the song.
  


• Added decoding of Yamaha 4-bit ADPCM data type from .WAV files as well as both reading and writing it in 'raw format' as .YADPCM files.
  


• Added support for saving WMA 9 Lossless format (44KHz stereo only).
  


• Added read support for Panasonic .VM1 voice files.
  


• Added detection of special LAME and Xing 'tags' inside MP3 files. From these tags encoder delay and padding information is extracted. This means that the short 'silent delay' that is usually present at the start of a decoded MP3 file is now removed for those files.
  


• Added a function 'Split waveform at silent sections' to the 'Audio processing wizard'. This is useful if you recorded multiple sounds in 'one take'.
  


• Added an option to adjust 'Fine tune only' in the auto-tune dialog.
  


• Pressing the 'Cancel' button in the waveform properties will now cancel also any changed made to the actual waveform data (and not just cancel 'parameter edits' as previous versions did).
  


• Added a 'Process' button to the MIDI track properties page - this launches the 'MIDI processing wizard' with the track.
  


• Added a 'Channel group' informational property to MIDI tracks.
  


• The 'This may take a long time' warning dialog of the 'Auto loop finder' now has a 'Don't ask again' option.
  


• When overwriting an existing file, the older file is now backed up during the save and then restored in case the save should fail for one reason or another.
  

Version 9.2

• Added support for reading and writing Yamaha Motif 'waveforms' files (.W2W + .W3W) and 'voices' files (.W2V + .W3V) and for reading 'all' files (.W2A+.W3A).
  


• Added support for reading and writing Yamaha Motif ES 'waveforms' files (.W7W + .W8W) and 'voices' files (.W7V + .W8V) and for reading 'all' files (.W7A+.W8A).
  


• Added support for reading and writing Soundscape Audio-Take files (.ATAK1A through .ATAK4D file extensions).
  


• Added support for reading and writing Wuzikstation multisampled sound files (.WusikSND).
  


• Added support for reading and writing Akai MPC1000 program files (.PGM).
  


• Added support for reading and writing 'Mobile DLS' format files (.DLS). You can save as either 'Mobile DLS - minimal', which is much like DLS level 1 plus a restriction of max 7KB of waveform data, or as 'Mobile DLS - full' which is like DLS level 2+ (i.e. DLS level 2 plus support for additional data format) plus a restriction of max 15KB of waveform data.
  


• Rearranged the articulation parameters into 'Articulation', 'LFO's', 'EG1', 'EG2', 'Pitch', 'Volume', and 'Filter' tabs.
  


• Added support for 'mod-wheel to filter cut-off' and 'channel pressure (a.k.a. after touch) to filter cut-off' parameters. This is currently supported for Akai S3000, S5000, S6000, SoundFont 2.1, DLS "level 2++", Kurzweil, Reason 2.x, Yamaha Motif, and Yamaha Motif ES formats.
  


• Added support for 'sample start offset' and 'sample end offset' override parameters on the region level. Formats supporting at least the first of these parameters are: .404, .ARL, .EFE (Ensoniq), .FZX, .GIG (GigaStudio), .PBF, .PRG, .P+.S (Akai S-series), .SBK, .SC2/.INS (SampleCell II), .SDK (Roland S-series), .SF2 (SoundFont2), .SXT (Reason 2), .VSB (Virtual Sampler), .WFS.
  


• Updating of the collection pane when editing instruments is now smarter & faster (it now only updates the portions of the 'tree' that has actually changed - good when handling large collections!).
  


• Added option-menu and tool-bar toggles for the features 'Auto-select waveforms' (when selecting something in the collection pane) and 'Auto-select collection items' (when selecting something in the waveforms pane). Previously, these were always 'on', but now you have to choice to turn off one or both as you desire.
  


• The setting 'Display middle C as' has been renamed 'Display notes & keys as' and there's a new choice to have them displayed as 'MIDI key numbers'.
  


• Added a new 'File load' tab to the Preferences dialog. It contains the following options:
  


• Confirm before losing loaded data
  


• Auto-split stereo waveforms into dual mono pairs
  


• Auto-merge dual mono waveform pairs into interleaved stereo (new!)
  


• Auto-append 32 wavesamples after loop-end point (if it's shorter) (new!)
  


• Auto-convert bi-directional loops into equivalent forward loops (new!)
  


• Auto-convert reverse loops into equivalent forward loops (new!)
  


• The envelope editor graph now automatically initializes the time-zoom slider so that the whole envelope is shown when. Also both the time-zoom and the 'value' sliders are now 'exponential' for easier adjustments.
  


• Added a 'Lock length' check-box to the loop editor tab. If you check it, changing the loop start or the loop end point will automatically change the other point so that the loop length remains intact.
  


• Added an 'Adjust common parameters' command to the 'Instrument processing wizard'. This makes it easier to modify certain parameters for all selected items.
  


• Improved the way that instruments are mapped to Korg Triton and Korg Trinity banks and program locations.
  


• The 'text description' (.TXT) output format has been improved in order to be more friendly for importing the text into spread-sheets, and to provide more detailed information about all instruments when saving a collection.
  


• Now writes 'minimal' .WAV files when writing to Akai MPC1000 and MPC2000XL .PGM format (these synths can be picky if any extra information is stored in the WAV files).
  


• Added approximate conversion of the 'EG1 Hold Decay' flag in .GIG files.
  


• Added support for reading author, comments and typist 'info strings' from newer .DSS files.
  


• Moved the MIDI SDS and SMDI commands to a new I/O menu.
  


• Moved the 'Delete unused/duplicate waveforms' commands to the Tools menu.
  


• Added the option 'Merge all mono waveforms ... with names that terminates in L and R' to the 'Merge mono waveform pairs to stereo' function in the 'Instrument processing wizard' (this function previously only looked at the pan-settings of items in order to determine what to merge).
  


• Added the two commands 'Interleaved stereo → Dual mono' and 'Dual mono → Interleaved stereo' on the Tools menu (same as the functions in the 'Instrument processing wizard').
  


• Added an option to also check region loop point overrides in the 'Trim data after loop end point' function in the 'Audio processing wizard'.
  


• Fixed a subtle issue with reading & writing DLS files where setting an articulation value back to its 'default value' on the region level might not work correctly if it had also been set to 'non-default value' on the instrument level.
  

Version 9.1

• Improved the graphical look of the program menus.
  


• Added a 'Convert Bank MSB to Bank MSB + LSB 0 messages' function to the 'MIDI processing wizard'. This allows you to convert songs authored with only LSB bank select messages into the MSB + LSB select (some synths require both to be present!).
  


• Added a 'Trim from start until first note-on event' option to the 'Trim start and/or length' function in the 'MIDI processing wizard'.
  


• Added an 'Auto extend region key ranges' function both to the "Instrument processing wizard' and as a single-button click in the "Drum kit" editor. This extends existing regions to fill any gaps between regions.
  


• Added a 'Set waveform names from the file names' function to the 'Audio processing wizard'.
  


• Added a 'Set 'In file save as' parameter' function to the 'Audio processing wizard' allowing you to select multiple waves, then set this parameter for all of them (used when saving mixed format DLS files).
  


• The 'Convert to mono' function in the 'Audio processing wizard' now has a new option 'Only convert if left & right chs are identical'. This allows you to quickly detect and convert to mono those stereo recordings that were really recorded from mono sources.
  


• You can now also create MP3 files with 8000, 11025 or 12000 Hz sample rate (previous versions used 16000 Hz as a minimum sample rate). This requires v3.94 or later of LAME_Enc.dll.
  


• Added an 'Engineer' text info type for waveforms (currently only used by WAV and DLS file formats).
  


• Added a 'Slow device' option to the MIDI SDS transmit dialog. Checking this might help with problematic synths...
  


• When you select something in the waveforms editor, it now displays not only the length in time, but also the length in samples as well as the starting and end sample locations of the selection.
  


• There's now a 'Find!' button on loop edit page - for launching the 'Auto loop finder'.
  


• When enabling articulation on layer or region level, and articulation is already enabled on a higher level, then it is now initialized with the values from the higher level (rather than with default values).
  


• There's now two play buttons in the waveform editor page - one plays the whole waveform, the other plays the current selection, or if nothing selected, it plays the loop, or if no loop set, the whole waveform.
  


• The last zoom-level in the loop editor is now remembered.
  


• Added .FLAC format read and write support. This format provides good loss-less audio compression. For more info (including player plug-ins), see http://flac.sourceforge.net/. To use this you need to download the free libFLAC.dll add-on from our web site and copy it to the directory where you installed the program.
  


• Added support for melodies reading newer 'type 2' SMAF files (used by mobile phones based on Yamaha MA-3 and MA-5 chip sets).
  


• Added support for writing Akai MPC-2000XL style programs with attached .WAV files.
  


• Added support for Olympus DSS Player Pro and DSS Player Pro in addition to the older 'v3.x' for DSS decoding.
  


• Added support for reading G.726 sub-format .WAV files.
  


• It can now decode the same sub-formats from .AVI files as from .WAV files.
  


• Added support for a newer type of MPEG system layer program streams.
  


• Fixed bug with incorrect note lengths when reading Nokia RTTTL format ring tones.
  


• A number of bug-fixes.
  

Version 9.0

Multiple selection & drag'n'drop improvements:

• You can now select multiple regions, layers, and/or instruments and do operations on all of them at once. This much requested feature took some tweaking to accomplish as the standard Windows 'tree-view control' do not support it. Perhaps the single most useful operation that you can use this with is the 'Process...' command, which launches the 'Instrument processing wizard' (now also enhanced to work on the multiple selected items). Other useful multi-selection enhanced operations include copy and paste, drag and drop, delete, et c.
  


• Drag and drop now works like in the Windows Explorer - hold down shift or control while dragging with the left mouse button to do a 'copy' operation on an item (this was the only possible 'action' in earlier versions), else (normal left mouse button drag, no shift) it now does a 'move' operation. Drag with the right mouse button to get a pop-up menu with choices when you release the button. New is also that you can drag and drop 'copy' waveforms to the waveforms list (hold down shift while doing this), which works just like the 'clone' context menu command.
  


• You can also drag multiple waveforms from the waveforms list to a layer in order to create multiple new regions, or to an instrument in order to create new layers, or to the collection, to create new instruments.
  


• When dropping one or more regions on a layer it is now a little bit smarter in assigning the initial region boundaries (previously it set them to the entire keyboard range, now it sets it to the first free range above the top-most previous region, or if no such exists, to the upper half of the top-most previous region).
  


• When the waveforms pane has the focus, all the instruments/layers/et c that are using it are now automatically selected in the collection pane. Thus we now have complete 'cross-wise' auto selection (since as before, when the collection pane has focus, all waveforms used by the items selected in it will automatically be selected in the waveforms pane).
  


• When selecting 'properties' for a multi-selection (in the waveforms pane or in the collections pane), the property dialogs are now better lined up.
  

• Added an option called 'Multiple output formats'. Checking it will give you an extra page (after the 'Select output options' page), where you can select up to 5 different output formats to be produced in the same batch-run.
  


• There's now progress report dialog as the wizard's 'last step'.
  

• Most of the various 'Audio processing wizard' functions now sports a small preview waveform graph in the dialogs, together with 'Calculate', 'Restore' and 'Play' buttons. The 'Calculate' button calculates and displays the waveform with the effect applied (with the current settings). After that, you can use the 'Play' button to listen to it. If you change any value and want to hear the effect of that, you need to hit 'Calculate' again before you play it. The 'Restore' button restores the original sound to the preview graph.
  


• Added a 'Normalize volume' option. This will use a heuristic algorithm to equalize the volume of waveforms (you enter a 'target peak volume'). This feature includes optional inverse F-weight filtering in order to correct for the ears varying sensitivity to different frequencies.
  


• Added a 'Phase vocoder' time-stretching algorithm (in addition to the previously available 'sliding window' algorithm).
  


• Added a 'Pitch scale' option (also using the 'Phase vocoder' algorithm).
  

• In the layer key-map editor, the cursor will now change shape to a sizing arrow when moving over a region border. When it looks like that, you can now drag (size) the region border using the mouse. Also, when the cursor moves over a key, it will now change shape to include the note name for that key.
  


• The waveform display in the background of the volume envelope graph is now scaled by the volume envelope. I.e. when you change a value for the envelope; you will now directly see how the wavesample volumes are being 'ramped' by volume envelope (attack, decay, et c...).
  

This same waveform background is now also shown for instrument and layer level articulation (before it was only shown for region level articulation). The waveform being displayed in those cases will be the waveform referred to by the 'middlemost region' in the 'middlemost layer'.


• Added an option 'Display Middle-C As'. It can now be called C3, C4, or C5 depending on your preference. There's no standard for this really... Note that this is a display value only, and whichever you choose, it does not affect the actual playback pitch.
  


• Added a button named 'Auto range' next to the key-range in the region properties. Pressing this, the program will try to find a good key-range for you based on the waveform root key, and on the other regions in the layer (if any).
  


• In the articulation properties page there is now buttons for loading and saving articulation presets. This can be useful if you are going to use the same articulation settings over and over again.
  


• Added a save file format called 'DownLoadable Sounds level 2++'. The 'level 2+' that was introduced in the last revision of this program, added support for compressed waveform formats compatible with Microsoft DirectX v9 or later. This new 'level 2++' now adds support for stereo waveforms, fractional loop points, reverse and bidirectional loops, layer level articulation, default RPN0, LFO ramp time, and LFO shapes. You might ask, why do this if Awave Studio is the only program that will be able to read these files? The main reason is that people have been asking us for a format that can store all of the parameters supported by Awave Studio - this is it! It could e.g. be used for storing intermediate development copies before the 'parameter set' is narrowed down to what is supported by particular file formats. The extensions have been made in such a manner that other DLS level 2 compatible programs should still be able to read the files - they just ignore the extra information.
  


• Added 'Save current state' and 'Restore last saved state' functions to the Edit menu. This can be much like an 'undo' function. Also, if you enable the new option 'Remember state between sessions' (under 'Options → Preferences → Miscellaneous'), the program state from when you last exited the program will be remembered the next time you start it. NB, the maximum number of saved states is 16.
  


• Property dialogs are now a bit larger - making waveform and key-map editors easier to use.
  


• Several improvements have been made to the waveform graph handling code (i.e. the graph in the waveform properties 'edit' code). E.g. it now redraws much faster and needs to do it less often. And you can now right click on it to get a context menu of editing commands. This context menu also includes new commands to increase or decrease the vertical magnification.
  


• If you try to open a property dialog that is already open, it will now switch the focus to the already open dialog, instead of giving an error message (as earlier versions did). Also, when trying to open a property dialog for a waveform that is already open in an audio player window, the audio player is first closed (again instead of giving an error message).
  


• When turning off the 'Auto property' option, the dialog is now automatically closed.
  


• The 'Crop' function in the 'MIDI processing wizard' has been renamed 'Trim' and can now both trim the duration (as before) and/or cut away a bit at the beginning (new feature).
  


• The 'Filter MIDI messages' function in the 'MIDI processing wizard' has been extended with an option to filter out by 'MIDI channel range'.
  


• Added an 'Artist' text info field to the waveform properties.
  


• When you open a .G721, .G723, .G726 or .VAP file, you will now a question if you want to be asked about the data format again (after first being asked about the data format and bits per sample of the input file). Thus if you have lots of files in the same format, you now don't have to answer the same questions again and again.
  


• Added support for reading and writing stereo impulse files (.ITI, .ITS).
  


• Added experimental support for reading ADPCM compressed samples from MFi v2 files (.MLD).
  


• Numerous minor improvements, plus a few small bug-fixes.
  

Version 8.8

• Added Reason 2 NN-XT format read and write support (.SXT)
  


• Added support for reading and writing Steinberg LM-4 banks (.TXT). Note: An LM-4 drum kit is treated in this program as a 'collection' where each pad is an 'instrument' rather than as a single 'drum-kit instrument'. Use the functions of the 'Instrument processing wizard' to split a drum kit instrument into multiple instruments or to merge the latter to the former.
  


• Added support for writing DLS files with waves in 4-bit DVI ADPCM format and in MPEG audio layer III format. Plus, you can now select explicitly what format an individual waveforms should be saved to inside the DLS file. To use this you have to go into the waveform general properties dialog and select e.g. 'MP3 - n kbit/s' under the heading 'In file, save as'. It also possible to select 'PCM 8-bit', 'PCM 16-bit', 'mu-Law', 'A-Law', 'ADPCM 4-bit' or 'Default format'. The 'default format' is what you select in the 'Save waveform as' dialog. Here you can now override this for specific waveforms. E.g. if you have longer clips with 'vocals' embedded in a song, then you can compress those with MP3, while keeping the rest of the waveforms in PCM 16-bit format. Note that MP3 compression is not suitable for looped waveforms. Also please note: All except 'PCM 8-bit' and 'PCM 16-bit' is not conforming to the DLS specification, but works with Microsoft DirectX v9. To save files containing these additional data formats using Awave Studio, select the 'DownLoadable Sounds level 2+' as output format.
  


• Added a 'MPEG' data sub-format option when writing .WAV files. This will store the data in MPEG 1 audio layer III, 128 kbit/s format.
  


• In the 'Save all in multiple files' dialog, there is now a 'Save in sub-directories' option.
  


• Added Musifile MPEG Layer II Audio stream (.MUS) as a synonym of .MP2.
  


• Added VOX-6K and VOX-8K to explicitly denote 6000 and 8000 Hz Dialogic VOX file (the difference between the two can't be auto-detected).
  


• Improved handling of .VAP files. Previously only files containing data in 8-bit PCM format were supported. Now you can also read and write mu-Law, A-Law, and Dialogic APDCM data format in .VAP files. A dialog box pops up asking you which it is when you open one of these files - there is no info on the data format it is stored in the file.
  


• When rendering a MIDI song to a WAV file, any silence at the beginning is now automatically skipped.
  


• Fixed a problem with the reading of some .PAF files.
  


• The program now responds to MIDI program change messages in 'auditioning mode' (so you can select the instrument to audition from the synth).
  

Version 8.7

• Added support for reading and writing both DS404 patch files and DS404 bank files (.404).
  


• Added support for reading and writing Monkey Audio losslessly compressed files (.APE). This format is well suited for compressing important archive data without loosing any quality - for more info (including player plug-ins), see http://www.monkeysaudio.com/.
  


• Added support for reading waveforms from Unreal Tournament Audio & Music package files (.UAX, .UMX).
  


• Added MadTracker 2 Module (.MT2) read support (samples and instruments only).
  


• Added MadTracker 2 Instrument (.MTI) read and write support.
  


• Added an 'Auto loop finder' function to the 'Audio processing wizard'. As the name implies, it will automatically find and set loop points for you!
  


• Added a command 'File → Replace waveforms' that allows you to look for waveforms in a (second) file and replace any existing (already loaded) waveforms of the same name.
  


• Add a 'Crop length' function to the 'MIDI processing wizard'.
  


• Changed how the interpretation of the 'initial attenuation' parameter in SF2 files. Previous versions of Awave Studio interpreted it exactly according to the SoundFont 2.1 specification from Emu. However, real-world measurements on SoundBlaster-series cards give a different picture. Starting with this version of Awave Studio these deviances are now compensated for in order to improve the better translations to and from other formats.
  


• Added the option to save DR8 files with either 'embedded WAVs' (as previous versions did) or with 'external WAVs' (new feature in this version).
  


• Improved Ensoniq EPS (.EFE) file writing by adding support for writing 'copy waves' corresponding to region paramter overrides in Awave Studio.
  


• The 'Merge mono waveform pairs to stereo' function in the 'Instrument processing wizard' has been improved: It now accepts waveforms that are not entirely (but almost) panned full left or right, it now adds ' S' to the names of the new stereo waves (in order to avoid name conflicts and the confusing automatic renaming that could take place otherwise), and it now has an option to 'Delete original mono waveforms if not used anywhere else'.
  


• The filter cut-off frequency can now be specified with 3 decimals.
  


• An improved (external) MPEG layer II encoder is now: tooLameF.dll replaces tooLame.dll.
  Improvements include:
  
  
  • Based on tooLame v0.2l (instead of v0.2i)
    
  
  
  • Some quality optimizations.
    
  
  
  • Fixed several memory leaks.
    
  
  
  The new DLL file is available on our web site in the archive toolamef02l.zip
  


• Improved the Rockwell ADPCM codec.
  


• Bug fix: Reading of .SDS files was broken.
  


• Bug fix: Fixed reading of some strange STS files (not formatted as they normally are).
  


• Bug fix: Corrected Virtual Sampler 2 (.VSB) volume translations.
  


• Bug fix: Worked around a problem with certain audio drivers when the 'Audio Player' was set to use 'Windows Multimedia services' (rather than the default 'DirectSound services').
  

Version 8.6

• Added support for writing the new Windows Media 9 Format files (this requires the Windows Media 9 runtime to be installed - available from the download page on our web site!). You can select between Windows Media Audio 4, Windows Media Audio 9 CBR, Windows Media Audio 9 VBR and Windows Media Audio 9 Voice formats.
  


• Added support for reading the audio portion of any ASF and WMV file (this also requires the Windows Media 9 runtime).
  


• Added support for writing 'Average bit rate' (ABR) and 'Variable bit rate' (VBR) types of MP3 files. NB, this requires the latest version of the Lame encoder add-on.
  


• Added FXpansion DR-008 drumkit (.DR8) read and write support.
  


• Added support for writing NIST SPHERE files (Usually .NIST).
  


• Added support for reading Yamaha A3000 sample files.
  


• Added support for reading Akai S900/S950 sample files (.S).
  


• Added support for reading Broadcast Wave Files (.BWF).
  


• A new option 'Keep the input file sub-directory structure' in the 'Batch Conversion Wizard' let's you copy a desired level of sub-directory names from the input file path to the out file path. It can be specified either as number of lower levels to keep, or number of upper levels to discard. E.g. if you select to keep the 2 lower levels and have the input file 'c:\foo\bar\sounds\myfile.wav' and the output directory 'C:\out' then the output file will be written to 'c:\out\bar\sounds\myfile.au'.
  


• When using the 'Batch Conversion Wizard', the DirectX plug-ins are no longer enumerated by default (which can take a long time if you have many of them) - instead you have to explicitly check an 'Enable DirectX effects' box if you want to use one.
  


• Added a 'File types' tab in the preferences dialog, allowing you to control exactly what file types to associate 'Convert' and 'Play audio' commands with.
  


• When auditioning is turned on, you can now press down the space bar to audition items.
  


• Added an option called 'Always open new Audio Player dialog'. The default is off, which means that when you open first one, then a second Audio Player, then the first one is replaced with the second. When this is on, you instead get a second windows positioned below the first one.
  


• Reduced the amount of 'flickering' (due to redrawing of the waveform and collection panes) when using the auditioning feature.
  


• Added a 'Split drum kit into multiple melodic instruments' function to the 'Instrument processing wizard'.
  


• Now detects and 'merges' duplicate samples when reading .VSB files.
  


• Added detection of .VAG files missing a proper 'VAGp' header id.
  

Version 8.5

• Added support for reading and writing Korg Triton and Korg Trinity program collection files (.PCG) - Note that this is really two completely different file formats (one for the Triton and one for the Trinity).
  


• Much improved handling of Korg Trition and Trinity files types (KSC, KMP, KSF). E.g.:
  
  
  • Added separate selections for writing Korg Triton and Korg Trinity files reflecting some differences between their file formats.
    
  
  
  • The waveforms are now automatically resampled to a sample rate that the Korg Trinity/Triton supports.
    
  
  
  • You can now also save single layers to Korg .KMP and .KSC files.
    
  
  
  • 'Reference' KSF files saved whenever a sample is used more than once in a multi or in a drum-kit - saving disk space and RAM!
    
  
  
  • Fixed a problem with saving drum kits to Korg .KSC files.
    
  
  
• Added separate selections for saving Akai S1000 and Akai S3000 programs (.P) and samples (.S) reflecting some differences between the files used by the two synths. Also vastly improved the parameter translations - especially for S3000 files.
  


• Added support for reading and writing Sony Playstation/PS2 bank files (.VAB) as well as compressed sound files (.VAG).
  


• Added support for reading and writing Sonic Foundry Wave-64 format files (.W64).
  


• Added support for writing MPEG audio layer II format files (.mp2) using the TooLame encoder (available as a free add-on).
  


• Writing to MPEG audio layer III files (.MP3) now use an external DLL-based encoder (Lame_Enc.dll or BladeEnc.dll) instead of the external EXE-encoders supported by previous versions. The download page on our web site contains a link to where you can download the excellent LAME-encoder.
  


• The final release version 1.0 of theOgg Vorbis codec (.OGG files) is now available - get the separate add-on (vorbis10.zip) from our web site. You now have a larger selection of bit-rates, including low bit-rate modes.
  


• Added support for reading and writing RTTTL, iMelody and EMelody mobile phone melody file types (.TXT, .IMY, .EMY respectively). The way it works when you write a more complicated melody (e.g. from a MIDI file) to one of very simple formats is:
  
  
  • Only the first track containing any notes is used, and from that track notes are only considered if they have the same MIDI channel as the first note encountered. Note that for better control over what is saved, instead of saving the 'song' item, you can select a single track (e.g. containing the lead melody), and save that!
    
  
  
  • When multiple notes falls within the same period of time, only the highest note is used - producing a monophonic output.
    
  
  
  • Notes outside the supported range of the output format are completely ignored.
    
  
  
  • Note and rest lengths are rounded to the nearest supported length.
    
  
  
• Added support for reading MFi/MFi2 songs (.MLD files), i.e. the Melody Format for i-Mode, a.k.a. i-Melody. Please note that ADPCM tracks from MFi2 files are currently ignored.
  


• Added support for reading SMAF songs (.MMF files), i.e. the "Synthetic Music Mobile Application Format". Please note that wave data tracks are only supported in a very limited way - any uncompressed 8 or 16 bit waves will be read into the collection but that's it.
  


• Added support for reading SmdEd songs (.SMD files) used by some J-Phone mobiles.
  


• Improved MIDI SDS dialogs. In the transmission dialog, there's now a much needed waveform selection list, and also a 'wait for request' that puts it in passive mode, waiting for a transfer request coming from the synth.
  


• Added a 'MIDI processing wizard'. Functions available are:
  
  
  • Change Tick Rate
    
  
  
  • Convert MIDI format
    
  
  
  • Filter MIDI messages
    
  
  
  • Transpose notes
    
  
  
• Added a 'Set parameters for all items' command to the instrument processing wizard (lo/hi velocity, root key, fine tune, volume, key-group, reverb mix).
  


• Added an 'Adjust volume' (by dB) function to the 'Audio processing wizard'.
  


• Add a 'Save the removed release sections as new waveforms' option to the 'Trim data after loop end point' function in the 'Audio processing wizard'.
  


• Rendering a MIDI song directly to .MP3 format is no longer supported - you now have to rendering it to WAV first and then convert it to MP3, or any other format, as a second step.
  


• Fixed a problem with mixed-up wave to region assignments when saving to Sample Cell II format.
  

Version 8.2

• Added Native Instruments Battery drum kit file (.KIT) read and write support (the program help file contains some important notes on reading and writing these files).
  


• Added Akai MPC2000 drum set file (.PGM) read and write support.
  


• Added Akai MPC3000 drum set file (.PGM) read and write support.
  


• Added support for reading MPC2000XL style .PGM files with associated .WAV files (instead of the normal associated .SND files).
  


• Added support for writing Creative Nomad Voice Files (.NVF).
  


• You can now save a collection as a .VAP file containing all of the loaded waveforms.
  


• Added a 'Merge all into a single multi-layered instrument' command to the instrument processing wizard.
  


• Added an option to the 'Auto create drum kit' dialog that let's you select how many keys each region should cover.
  

Version 8.1

• When auditioning, the instrument, layers, regions and waves currently being heard are now indicated by a small red marker.
  


• It is now possible to select a 'range' in the audio processing wizard also when processing multiple waveforms for processing commands where it makes any sense. For those that it doesn't the range selection range stuff is now grayed out. Plus, several audio processing commands now work on a wider variety of input waveforms.
  


• Added an 'Add down-sampled waveforms at every octave' function to the instrument processing wizard. It is useful for Kurzweil owners and others with synths that can not transpose up more than one octave.
  


• Added a 'Merge mono waveform pairs to stereo' function to the instrument processing wizard. It creates stereo waveforms from any pair of mono waveforms being mapped to 'left/right' regions in dual layers.
  


• Added a 'Parse root key from waveform name' to the audio processing wizard.
  


• The normal keyboard short-cuts are now suspended when editing text items in the collection and waveform panes - which should mean that all normal Windows text-editing keyboard short-cuts should now be working.
  


• The 'Recent files' and the 'Recent directory' lists are now validated when starting the program and no longer existing items are removed.
  


• Added support for reading GigaSampler/GSImport split files (.GI!).
  


• An updated Vorbis (.OGG) add-on is now available using the Ogg v1.0rc3 DLL's.
  


• Added warning messages when trying to save Kurzweil files (.KRZ) with containing too many 'objects', or using too much 'PRAM'.
  


• Bug fix: Selecting 'Play audio' from the Windows Explorer now launches the 'MIDI player' instead of the 'Audio player' if the select file contains song data.
  


• Bug fix: The keyboard focus is now correctly returned to the waveform or collection pane after closing dialogs.
  

Version 8.0

• Added support for reading and writing Virtual Sampler banks (.VSB) including conversion of almost all articulation parameters.
  


• Added support for writing Kurzweil files (.KRZ) as well as very much improved support for reading them! Not only is the layout and tuning of waveforms, layers and instruments now handled much better, it can also convert amplitude and pitch LFO's, envelopes, and low pass filter settings ('algorithm 4' instruments only), plus many other parameters. Kurzweils VAST system is so much more flexible than the DLS level 2 parameter set (that's used inside the program), so not everything can of course be translated from KRZ files - no FUN's and not the DSP effects for example. But when going the other way, saving to KRZ format, almost all of the parameters should be correctly converted.
  Oh, and what's more, you can now both read and write MIDI songs to KRZ files.
  In addition to a 'big' KRZ file, you also have the option to save 'split' files, named KR1, KR2 et c, where each split-part fits on a 1.44MB floppy disk.
  Finally, it now also recognizes the .K26 extension used by Kurzweil K2600 files.
  


• Added support for both reading and writing Reaktor .MAP files with linked rather than embedded samples, as well as added support for reading and writing 'un-interleaved stereo data' files.
  


• Improved SoundFont 2.1 support (a few more parameters not supported by SF2.0 is now read and written as SF2.1 modulators). And when loading SF2's containing regions panned full left and full right in 'stereo pairs', the program is now smarter in trying to arrange them into 'left' and 'right' layers even if they are stored in a mixed-up order in the file.
  


• Added support for reading Melody Machine Compressed SoundFonts (.SFARK). This requires a free additional add-on DLL-file available on our web site.
  


• Added support for saving losslessly compressed .GIG and .WA! files. Note that only unlooped stereo waveforms are compressed and that the compression is only effective on very low-amplitude and/or very slowly changing portions of the waveform (where it can achieve up to 2:1 compression).
  


• Added support for reading Doom/Heretic music files (.MUS).
  


• It is now possible to disable reverb when playing or rendering MIDI files (see 'Options → Preferences').
  


• Added 'parameter set' selections for Virtual Sampler, Kurzweil and GigaStudio.
  


• Added a 'Default RPN0' (Pitch bend range) parameter.
  


• Added a 'Remove DC offset' function to the audio processing wizard.
  


• Added an 'Enable/Disable loops' option to the audio processing wizard.
  


• Updated Ogg Vorbis support for the v1.0 rc2 codec - be sure to download vorbis10rc2.zip!
  


• There are now separate choices in the 'Batch Conversion Wizard' for removing silence at the beginning and for removing it at the end.
  


• Changed the vertical scaling of the amplitude envelope graph - it's now logarithmic (as your ear is). The background waveform for this graph has also been improved so that it displays the release portion of the sound if 'sampled release' is enabled.
  


• The layer property dialog now adds the instrument name to its title bar.
  


• Added smart name truncation to the '12 character limit' of Akai S1000 format (when saving to .P, .S as well as the Akai MESA II format, .S3P).
  


• Added support for reading & writing key-groups info for the Akai MESA II format (S2000/S3000 synths) as well as fixed a possible bug when writing them.
  


• When saving to Akai S1000 format, it now avoids saving multiple files if waveforms are shared between more than one region - if the regions do not use conflicting tuning or looping.
  


• The dialog 'background texture' used in previous versions is now an option (see under 'Options → Preferences'). It appears that there are some buggy video drivers that do not agree with it...
  


• Killed a handful of assorted bugs.
  

Version 7.3

• Added much improved support for reading, and now also for writing, GigaSampler files (.GIG). Most of the articulation data is converted although there are a few 'architectural differences' to be aware of - see the help file documentation on file formats for details.
  


• Added Vorbis (.OGG) read and write support (requires free Vorbis 1.0b4 DLL add-on).
  


• When editing envelopes at the regions level, you now see the actual waveform (including repeats if looped) drawn as a faint background to the envelope graph.
  


• In the 'instrument properties → layer' tab the regions in each layer are now draw as boxes in a 'graph' where horizontal extent shows the key-range and vertical extent shows the velocity range. This can be useful for quickly understanding the complete waveform mapping of the instrument.
  


• Added a 'Change volume adjustments' function to the Instrument processing wizard.
  


• Updated the writing of DLS level 2 files to conform to the DLS 2.1 specs for Mod-LFO to gain settings.
  


• Added better support for reading stereo from Sample Cell/II format.
  


• Added support for reading Creative Nomand Voice files (.NVF).
  

Version 7.2

• Improved the 'intelligence' of the 'auto tuning' function so that it also some recognizes cases where the fundamental frequency is not actually the strongest frequency peak.
  


• Added a 'Remove duplicate waveforms' command that tests all waveforms bit by bit with all other waveforms and removes any duplicates...
  


• Added support for reading Olympus DSS files (.DSS). You must also have the Olympus DSS Player v3.x installed to be able to read these as it makes use of a DLL file from Olympus.
  


• Added support for reading HotFax/Quicklink Rockwell ADPCM files (.RIF)
  


• Added support for reading GigaSampler compressed wave files (.WA~)
  


• Added support for writing 'Annotated speech' files (.VAP).
  


• Added a 'Fetch from multiple consecutive locations' check-box to the SMDI and SDS receive dialogs. This will start with the sample location specified and receive samples at increasing location numbers until one fails.
  


• Added support for writing 8 and 12-bits/sample SDS files in addition to 16-bits. Same thing added as an option for SDS transmits as it appears that there's one or two samplers around who wont accept 16-bit transmits....
  


• Added a 'Clone layer' command.
  


• Worked around a bug in certain driver versions for SB Live! series cards that made auditioning fail for them.
  

Version 7.1

• Added support for writing RealAudio (.RA) files. To use it, you also have to install a whole bunch external DLL's from RealNetworks (you can download them from our web site as 'awrapack.zip').
  


• The 'Auto tune' button in the waveform property dialog now has a new option - to change the sample rate so that the dominant frequency matches the currently set root key and fine tune. This is the opposite to the previously only choice, i.e. to set the root key and fine tune according to the dominant frequency.
  


• Added an 'Auto tune' command to the Audio processing wizard that does the same as the 'Auto tune' button in the waveform properties - but can work on multiple waveforms in one go!
  


• In the Batch Converter's input dialog there's now an 'Scan dir' button which will scan a directory (and subdirectories) for files to add to the batch job.
  


• Added a 'Save as 8-bit' checkbox in the 'DLS options' box in the waveform properties. This will force a waveform to be saved as 8-bit in a DLS file even though you have selected 16-bit as the output format when saving the file. Note that this is only supported for DLS files - i.e. it wont let you create 'mixed 8 and 16-bit files for instrument formats than DLS.
  


• Added an 'Automatically split stereo waveforms into dual mono when loading' option (set in setup dialog).
  


• Added a 'Format text in names' option to the 'Instrument processing wizard' which you can e.g. use to convert all names to upper case or to replace all characters that can not be used in file names.
  


• Added a 'Set copyright text' command to the 'Audio processing wizard' to allow you to set the copyright notice for a lot of waveforms in one go.
  


• Added support for reading and writing Ensoniq PARIS files (.PAF).
  


• Added MTU/IRCAM SF file export support.
  


• Added support for reading and writing Sony Playstation MIDI Sequences (.SEQ)
  


• Added Cakewalk instrument definition files export (.INS) for collections.
  


• Korg KMP files now are have their associated KSF files in a sub directory with the same name as the KMP file (minus the extension).
  


• Added read support for Korg T-series file images (.KFT).
  


• Added a 'rewind' button (|<<) to the Audio and MIDI Players.
  


• Added the short-cut key Ctrl-A for selecting all waveforms.
  


• Fixed a bug with the 'remove silence' feature not working.
  


• Fixed a bug with property pages sometimes crashing in the unregistered version.
  


• Fixed a few other smaller bugs here and there...
  

Version 7.0

• Added support for true clipboard copy & paste of instruments, layers, regions, and (multiple) waveforms! The great thing with this compared to drag'n'drop (as is also supported since earlier versions) is that you can open multiple instances of Awave Studio and copy and paste things between them! You can also copy something from one file, then close it, open up a new one, and still be able to paste the data.
  


• The file open/merge/save toolbar buttons looks a little bit different now, plus there's a new 'Save collection' entry in the file menu and a corresponding tool bar button. This will save the currently loaded collection to the file it was opened from without asking for a file name or output format - i.e. if that file format is supported for saving collections. Else it will prompt for a new file type but present a default name (and save directory) that matches the file it was opened from.
  


• Added a slight 'texture' to all windows.
  


• Added a splash screen and new logo (check it out in the About dialog too!).
  


• Added recording support in the form of a 'Waveform recording wizard'.
  


• Added SMDI transfer protocol support for transferring samples over a SCSI connection. To use it, you need to have an 'ASPI for Win32' driver installed (WNASPI32.DLL) as well as a SMDI capable synthesizer hooked up to your SCSI chain. The new 'SMDI receive' and 'SMDI transmit' commands on the new Tool menu works much like the corresponding MIDI SDS commands.
  


• Added an 'Instrument processing wizard'. It is accessed by right clicking on a region, layer, instrument, or a collection and selecting 'Process...' from the context menu. You can also select it from the Tools menu - if no instrument item is selected then it will default to the entire collection.
  Here are the functions that it currently provides (not all available for all item types):
  
  
  • Modify region velocity ranges.
    
  
  
  • Move articulation level.
    
  
  
  • Move instruments between banks.
    
  
  
  • Move region waveform overrides to waveform.
    
  
  
  • Merge non-colliding layers.
    
  
  
  • Remove items not used by any midi song.
    
  
  
  • Search and replace text in names.
    
  
  
  • Split multi-layered instruments.
    
  
  
  • Split stereo waveforms to dual layers.
    
  
  
  • Transpose region key ranges.
    
  
  
• The 'Remove items not used by any midi song' is worth special mention. It removes all instruments, regions, and/or waveforms that is not used by the loaded midi song(s). This can be a great way to 'minimize' the size of RMI file (that contains a midi song plus a DLS collection to play it with) that you want to distribute!
  


• The 'Audio processing wizard' can now work on multiple waveforms at once!
  Not all the functions are available in this mode - but many are! To use it select the waveforms you want in the waveforms pane, then right click on them and select 'Process...'. You can also select it from the 'Tools' menu. In case no waveform is selected (and in focus), then it will default to all loaded waveforms!
  


• Added a 'Search and replace text in names' function to the Audio Processing Wizard (multi waveform mode only).
  


• Added a 'Trim data after loop end point' function to the Audio processing wizard.
  


• The old 'Process all wizard' has been retired since it is in it's entirety superceded by the new and improved instrument and audio processing wizards.
  


• Added a 'midi editor' helper app. You launch it from the midi song context menu or by 'Tools → Run midi editor'. This allows you to use your favorite midi editor to edit midi songs while Awave Studio 'freezes' until you exit the midi editor, and then 'unfreezes' and reloads the edited song.
  


• Added Akai S5000/S6000 .AKP program file read and write support.
  


• Added 'Old VOC format' write support.
  


• Added an 'Auto create' button to the drum kit editor tab. Clicking on this will very quickly let you assign all waveforms to keys in a drum kit either based on their root keys, or consecutively starting with a key of your choice.
  


• In the envelope editor, you now edit the absolute decay and release times rater than 'decay and release rates' as was the case before. Plus, the part of the envelope currently selected for editing is now drawn in a different color for 'visual feedback'.
  


• Added a small blue 'w' to the region symbols when 'override waveforms parameters is turned on.
  


• Added a 'transfer' drop down menu to the tool-bar for quickly initiating clipboard, SDS, or SMDI transfers.
  


• Instruments now always show up in bank-program-number sorted order after loading a collection file (previously they just turned up in the order that they were read from the file).
  


• Added a small button to the loop editor that attempts to 're-center' the fine position sliders by moving the coarse position sliders (which usually will not exactly 'center' them but at least help you out in the situation where you want to move a fine position slider 'further' in any given direction and have already reached the end of the slider).
  


• There is now a small button in the region properties dialog for copying the value of the low key to the high key, i.e. setting a single key range.
  


• You can now save DLS level 1 files with more regions/instrument than what the standard allows - but you'll have to click OK in a warning dialog first.
  


• It is now possible to save a midi song directly to MP3 format and not only WAV - though you still need an external MP3 encoder helper application.
  


• Added a 'File → Statistics' command that shows how many instruments, waveforms, et c that are loaded.
  


• Fixed problem with stereo data in MAT files - which are now handled as 2 column matrices.
  


• Fixed a bug with DirectSound playback not working with pre-v7 DirectX.
  


• Fixed a few minor bugs and/or annoyances.
  

Version 6.2

• We have finally added one of the top-three requested features: A 'Midi to Wav' converter. This uses a software synthesizer to render a midi song to a wave file. You use it by 'saving' the midi song and selecting .WAV as output format (8, 11, 22 and 44 kHz mono or stereo output is selectable). There's no longer any need for a separate program to do this, or for recording the output of a sound card et c. As it uses the Microsoft Software Synth from DirectX v7 or later (v8 req. for DLS level 2 support) it will not only let you use your own custom DLS instruments, but also give you access to the standard Roland GM set that is installed with DirectX.
  An obvious example of a use for this new feature is if you have made a song that you want to distribute in MPEG format (and keep the 'midi source' to yourself).
  


• Added a 'Calculate tuning' option to the audio processing wizard. Also added an 'Auto-tune' button the waveform properties 'general' tab - just hit it to set the root key and fine tune values! Note that there's no guarantee that this always gets it right (especially the octave can be difficult to determine correctly for instruments with funny 'overtones' or 'undertones'). But it works surprisingly well!
  


• Added support for reading and writing Native Instruments Reaktor format (.MAP).
  


• Added support for reading and writing Aureal bank files (.ARL).
  


• Added Rockwell 2, 3, and 4 bit ADPCM audio format support (you need to give the files the extensions .rockwell for Awave Studio to recognize them - there is no standard extension and no way to 'auto-detect' them).
  


• Added support for reading Dialogic ADPCM and Rockwell ADPCM data format WAV files.
  


• When running the Batch Converter Wizard in midi mode and selecting RMI or MSS as output format, you will now be asked if you'd like Awave Studio to check for DLS and SF2 files with the same names as the input files and automatically merge them with the input midi songs during the conversion.
  This is great if you have a lot of MID's making use of e.g. custom SF2 instruments that you want to convert to RMI format!
  


• When operating the batch converter in 'instrument mode', you can now open not only instrument and collection files, but also waveform files. An instrument (with a single layer, region and waveform) will then automatically be created from the waveform and saved.
  


• Instrument name labels in the collection pane can now displayed as "bbb:ppp : name" where bbb is the midi CC0 bank number, ppp the program number, and name the actual instrument name. When editing a label, you can easily change the bank and program number as easily as the name! Or if you want to retain the number but enter a completely new name, then just type over the whole text (incl. the numbers) with the new name and the old numbers will be retained. This feature can be turned off in the 'Options → program setup' dialog.
  


• Property windows are now automatically closed when opening a new file - avoiding the situation that they 'lock' the old data and preventing the load.
  


• Added a 'LFO ramp time' parameter for formats that supports that.
  


• Added a 'zoom to selected' button in the waveform edit page.
  


• Fixed a bug that could cause MIDI SDS transmissions to hang.
  


• Fixed a bug with reading WavMaker .PRG files.
  


• Fixed a bug with 'native auditioning' not working for several older synthesizer options (because they didn't handle long file names).
  


• Fixed a bug with saving DLS level 2 files with really many regions and articulation settings.
  


• Fixed reading of stereo instruments in .GIG files.
  

Version 6.0

• This is the first version of Awave Studio. However, it inherits all of the functionality of our earlier product Awave v5.4. Here is what has been added to make Awave Studio v6.0:
  


• Added support for two new data types: 'midi song' representing a midi composition consisting of one or more 'midi tracks'.
  


• Added support for reading and writing midi songs to and from .MID and .RMID files. The .RMID files can also contain some extra text information plus (optionally) a DLS level 1 or level 2 collection! This means that there is finally a way for you to bundle a midi song with a custom instrument set in one single file! (just like the old Amiga Tracker Modules but for midi!). These files can be played by anyone that has installed DirectX v7 or later using our free 'dmAmp' WinAmp plug-in.
  


• Added an internal Midi Player that uses DirectMusic to play back midi songs complete with custom instruments (or the default DirectMusic Roland GM set, for instruments which do not have an instrument defined in the currently loaded collection).
  


• Added support for reading song data from MOD tracker files and converting it into MIDI format! Together with the translation of the samples this means that you can now play the modules using a midi synth!
  


• Added .XMI song data (Miles Sound Studio Extended Midi IFF) as well as .MSS (XMI + DLS level 1 in the same file) read and write support.
  


• Added support for up to 4 DirectShow 'effect' filters (a.k.a. DirectX plug-ins) to be applied to waveforms in the Batch Conversion Wizard.
  


• The Batch Conversion Wizard now both reads and writes all supported file types, not just 'single waveform' files. There is a new 'first step' where you select if you want to convert waveforms, instruments, collections or midi songs.
  


• An 'Awave Studio Batch Converter' selection are now added to Windows Start menu to launch the Batch Conversion Wizard directly.
  


• Added a 'Create Instrument' wizard.
  


• Added Windows Media Audio (.WMA) read and write support. To use this you must also install the WMA 4.0 encoder/decoder runtime (wmaudsdk.dll).
  


• Added limited SoundFont 2.1 support. More specifically those modulation routings that are also supported by DLS level 2 are now supported for SF 2.1 files. The only card that currently supports SF 2.1 is the Emu APS card, but it should be followed by the SB Live! cards in the future. Note that SF 2.0 capable cards is not affected - they should still be able to load the new SF 2.1 files written by Awave Studio (they just ignore the new parameters). Also added a SoundFont 2.1 selection to the synthesizer parameter set quick select list in the program setup dialog.
  


• Added support for reading and writing 'phase link' information for stereo support in SoundFont 2.x files.
  


• Most dialogs now have icons indicating what 'item type' that they relate to (e.g. waveform, instrument, et c).
  


• The Process all wizard's 'split stereo' function now also sets phase group and phase master settings for the 'split' regions and layers that it creates.
  


• Added DLS level 2 auditioning support for DirectMusic. Note that the DirectX 7 version of the Microsoft software synth currently only supports level 1. So you need to wait for DirectX 8 (which it is said will update it to level 2) or for some 3rd party to release a DirectMusic compatible synth with DLS level 2 support to be able to actually use this...
  


• Added support for several Akai S1000 articulation parameters.
  


• Added support for reading and writing the .s3p Akai program files used by Mesa II/PC.
  


• Added a simple 'Time stretch' algorithm to the Audio processing wizard.
  


• Added exponential fade in / logarithmic fade out options to the Audio processing wizard.
  


• Added an 'Append/Combine waveforms' function to the Audio processing wizard which lets you append up to 4 waveforms to make a new longer waveform.
  


• When creating new instruments, they now gets assigned a 'new' program number, i.e. they no longer can 'steal' already occupied numbers.
  


• The comment fields now supports up to 400 characters of multi-line text.
  


• Added 'sorting buttons' on top of the instrument pane - this let's you sort instruments by: name, bank:program, or program
  


• Added a 'recent' list to the open file and file save file dialogs for quick selection of recently used directories.
  


• Added a 'New collection' command to the File menu.
  


• Added a toggle to the tool-bar for that 'Auto Property sheet' option.
  


• Added 'Clone instrument' and 'Clone waveform' commands to the appropriate context menus.
  


• Improved the 'recent files' list operation.