With today's release of v1.00.8 Pro, the ardent reViSiT enthusiast will notice an enigmatic entry in the version history:

[MOD] New keyboard handler in Sample List.

Now, before you get all excited, let me warn you that this should represent no change in functionality or keyboard support, from the user's perspective. No, you can't turn reViSiT into FT2... not just yet. But this is the first, and possibly the biggest, step towards it. In the last week, I've coded a shiny new keyboard system that will support user-configurable keyboard shortcuts. Now begins the process of converting the actual program code to use this system. So far, with .8, I'm just trying it out in the Sample List. It was a relatively painless exercise for me, and I hope it will be for you - one you won't even notice.

Then, over the coming days and weeks, I'll convert the rest of the program. Once done, all I need to do is code a configuration interface and keyboard map load/save support (XML, naturally).

A few weeks ago, prompted by reports of problems in SONAR and following the generosity of Cakewalk (in providing me with a copy of SONAR PE for testing - many thanks to Alex Westner), I set about trying to improve the compatibility between SONAR and reViSiT. I am happy to say with relative confidence that this effort has been a great success, and will lead to improvements in stability, compatibility, performance and even audio quality for not just SONAR, but also every other host.

Notably, I caught a big bug in the audio engine, which caused a crash when large buffer sizes are used. However, I also discovered that the pattern sequencing engine was not handling tempo, resolution and host time sync. correctly, sometimes failing to trigger the pattern frames/ticks at the correct moments - an important feature when you're about to introduce high-resolution patterns! The anomalies become more audible at these large buffer sizes and less-used pattern resolutions, but still affect audio quality at lower latencies. I have thus completely rewritten the sequencing engine, which not only produces tighter, more faithful renditions of your patterns, but has also allowed me to tweak the audio mixing code for significantly improved audio performance. My tests show that CPU load is up to 50% lighter for songs using the built-in sampler.

I believe the code for MIDI rendering was not affected by these problems, and although the new sequencing / sync. code also controls MIDI, the MIDI performances should be largely unaffected. In the past, I've had reports of miniscule timing fluctuations for MIDI notes, but I'm pretty confident these are down to either the host (for "VST Host" outputs) or due to the limitations of Microsoft's multimedia timers (for external MIDI devices). Microsoft themselves admit that they have their issues, and now recommend an alternative, Timer Queues, which I will give a go when I have some time.

I have also experimented with other performance optimisations, such as those related to using the Intel C++ Compiler, rather than the stock Microsoft one. With a little tweaking, performance does improve, and there is further improvement to be had with specific further tweaks. However, I've yet to be convinced that the advantages are worth it, and will thus stick with the Micorsoft compiler in the next release, v1.1.3. I was hoping to have the release this weekend, but haven't been well this week, so didn't get the chance to do the requisite sanity checks in preparation. We'll see how I feel next weekend!

Following a quiet period on the forum (as I settle back into Blighty), I'm now able to bring you up to speed on the progress towards reViSiT v1.2, a major component of which is high-definition (HD) patterns - previously know as "Pattern Zoom".

  

Here's what you're seeing:

1. Unzoomed, the pattern looks much as it always has done, except for the addition of blue separating bars between the channels. These bars are not only part of a Pattern Editor makeover (see below), but also indicate whether a pattern cell contains any sub-row data, using a white mark.
    
2. Zooming in, the pattern is 'exploded' to reveal the sub-row data, for the current and/or surrounding rows. Depending on the zoom factor, reViSiT displays the sub-row data for the current row, and up to 3 rows above and below it. The farther away from the cursor, the smaller the data is displayed. This prevents the sub-row data from taking up the whole screen, so that you don't lose sight of the rest of your music.
    
3. Zoomed, you have access to the individual tracker frames (or ticks), where you can enter and edit note data in the normal manner, to get fine timing control of your music - you are no longer limited to the cumbersome Note Delay (SDx/SCx) or Retrigger (Qxy) effects. Changing the pattern resolution (e.g. Axx) determines the number of sub-rows (i.e. frames / ticks) that appear at any given point in the piece. In the zoomed view, the cursor steps from sub-row to sub-row, but there are also keyboard shortcuts to speed up stepping between whole rows, and the traditional jump commands are naturally still available for even faster navigation.
    
4. Zooming out, the sub-row data is collapsed and the traditional pattern view returns; but zoom even farther, and the text shrinks so that you can see more data and get an overview of your music - similar to the Pattern Overview (#) feature.

The data, storage and interface development for v1.2 is largely complete. Most of what remains involves hooking it all up to the audio/sequencing engine, which itself shouldn't provide too much of a challenge, and then just a bit more testing and release. I hope to get the audio code all-but-sorted this weekend, so hopefully you won't have to wait too long to take your tracking experience HD...

As the experiment winds down, thus begins the writing-up, and my hectic life as a research student continues. Recently, this has lead to a relatively quiet time on the reViSiT forums - though, happily, for bug reports too. Yet, behind the scenes, reViSiT 1.4 begins to take shape... addressing a couple of niggles... but, more importantly, introducing Sample Library and Instrument Library screens, to provide integrated file management.

reViSiT will no longer rely on the host to provide file dialogs, together with the limited functionality and awkward windowing they typically serve up. Instead, the Sample List (F3) and Instrument List (F4) will get special browsers that not only allow you to seamlessly load samples/instruments from disk, but also "rip" samples and instrument directly out of other tracker songs (.ZIP, .IT, .S3M, .XM and .MOD supported) or file archives (.ZIP), and allow you to audition/preview them before loading them into your song.

Development on this front is proceeding well - a working Sample Library interface is already coded (see actual screenshot, above), with full file and ripping support. From here, it should be a short step to enable the auditioning/previewing of the selected sample. Other features to be added include the ability to tag and load multiple samples at once - previously supported by some hosts - and the ability to export/save samples. Once done, the interface will be adapted for use by the Instrument List, and a simplified version developed for loading/saving modules.

Hopefully, the result will contribute to reViSiT's seamless, keyboard-friendly user experience, so stay tuned!