After lots of work, I have just uploaded the first beta version 3.4.0 to Apple. I think it will be approved within 24 hours. I will post here once the version is approved.
Please note I still have some minor features on my todo list, but the changes to the audio engine are so extensive, that I want at least 3 or 4 weeks of beta testing before releasing the final version.
How take part in testing
Anyone can participate in the beta. The beta version is installed as a separate app so that you can use the stable version in parallel. If you already participated in previous beta tests, you will get a notification about the new version in Testflight. New testers can use this link to participate:
https://testflight.apple.com/join/pq4xbzSq
In app purchases will not bill your account. Are only test purchases, so don't be shy activating the full version.
The user manual is not adapted to the new version yet, so please feel free to ask here if you have any questions regarding the new features. Many of the new features need to be enabled in the settings. So please start testing by browsing through the settings menu.
MacOS: Unfortunately Testflight is not available yet for MacOS so there will be no beta test on MacOS. Apple announced Testflight for MacOS recently so I expect that version 3.5.0 will also be available as a beta on MacOS.
Most important new features
Support for AUv3 plugins
You can insert one AUv3 plugin into the main output. This plugin is placed right after the Master Equalizer in the signal chain. Any AUv3 effect plugin available for iOS should work. This means you can now choose from a wide array of effects like compressors, limiters, equalizers ... to enhance the audio output.
Multitrack playback
Stage Traxx has a now song type Multitrack Song. If you create a song of this type. You will find a new dialog "Multitrack Setup" in song details where you will find 6 audio tracks that you can fill with an audio file. Once a file is loaded into a track you have the following options per track:
- Volume
- Pan
- 4 Band Equalizer
You can also select one of the tracks to generate a waveform for this song. Please note, that if your tracks have different lengths, only the longest track can be used as a waveform.
Multitrack songs will behave just like regular songs in Stage Traxx. You can change the song volume (will affect all tracks in the song) and also crossfade in and out. The only limitation is that you can not change pitch and speed of multitrack songs.
Multichannel audio output
In order to be able to route a click track to another output than the playback, Stage Traxx now supports audio output on multiple channels. The way this works in Stage Traxx is that each track of a multitrack file can be routed to the main ouput or an auxiliary output or that track can be disabled. For example if you always place your click on track 6 you can set the audio routing to the auxiliary output in settings and it will affect all multitrack songs.
Another use for this feature is if you play in different constellations where you sometimes have a drummer and sometimes not, you can place the drum track in track 1 for example and disable output for track 1 in settings. All multitrack songs will then play without the drum track.
Main output and auxiliary output can be routed to dedicated output channels if you have a multitrack interface. If you just use your iPad, both main out and aux out will be summed to the stereo output of the iPad.
Please note that only the main output will run through the master equalizer and master effect. The auxiliary output will go directly to a hardware output.
Stage Traxx can combine the outputs of an audio interface with the headphone output on iOS. This means by using a simple stereo usb interface, you can facilitaty 4 outputs by using the headphone out as a seperate pair. Please note that enabling this option will disable the use of AirPlay and Bluetooth for audio output.
I have tested the multichannel functionality with a 2 channel M-Track Hub and 18 channel XR18. Both work fine and you can select all available channels on the XR18.
Complete Changelog
Added
- Multitrack playback
- Support for multichannel audio output
- Insert an AUv3 plugin into the main output
- Song equalizer has now 4 bands with 2 fully parametric mid bands and semiparametric high and low bands.
- Autoplay two songs without crossfade is now seamless
- Network clients will now also display the next 20 queued songs
- MIDI learn in lyrics editor will combine all received midi messages into one tag if playback is stopped and write timecoded tags if playback is running.
- The queue tab is now disabled by default for new users. It can be enabled in the settings.
- Stage Traxx can now play FLAC files. Please note, that lyrics metadata tags are not supported for FLAC files.
- Filter options now allow the exclusion of selected keywords.
- Add songs to playlist dialog will show total duration of selected songs
- New option to enable seeking during playback by swiping in the waveform view
- The active playlist is now highlighted in the playlist tab
- Lyrics can be exported as text files
- Each song counts the number of plays and you can order the song list by play count.
Changed
- Stage Traxx will ask for a destination folder when creating backups
- Autoplay and volume changes from the playlist view will immediately affect playback if this playlist is currently active
- Changing autoplay and volume from the player or queue view will also make these changes in the playlist if the current song was loaded from a playlist. Therefore the "Queue Volume" label is renamed to "Playlist Volume" if the current song was loaded from a playlist. If the current song was loaded from the song list, the label will remain "Queue Volume".
- Autoplay settings will not affect the last song of a playlist. This means if you have your setlist loaded without autoplay and load the background music playlist with autoplay enabled during your last song in the set, this song will not autoplay into the background music. And vice versa back. So if you start the next set, the last song of the background music playlist will not autoplay into the first song of your set.
- You can now also create backups in the demo version. This will ensure you can backup your data in case you loose your license somehow and can't restore your purchase (for example when not connected to the internet).
- Stage Traxx will show a warning when trying to import copy protected songs from media library
- MacOS: You can use right button context menus in table views instead of slide out menus.
Fixed
- Unable to scroll to last line in lyrics editor in certain cases
- Lyrics tag ignored for songs imported from media library
- Timecoded lyrics out of sync when switching back from desktop
- Autoplay switch is not working in player view
- Song crossfaded into does not send MIDI commands
- Seeking to a position before first timestamp will not clear highlighted lyrics lines
- Queue hide/unhide button looses transparency after drag operation
- Incorrect highlighting of current and next song in a playlist containing the same song multiple times
