<----- SOUNDSHAPER PRO 4.1 / LITE 2.37: KNOWN ISSUES / BUGS --------> ==================================================== Updated: 19th May 2012 ** IF DISPLAYED IN BROWSER CLICK 'BACK' WHEN FINISHED ** THIS FILE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IS REGULARLY UPDATED AT: www.ensemble-software.co.uk\downloads\KnownIssues.txt KNOWN SOUNDSHAPER BUGS (4.1 Beta 2/ LITE 2.37 Beta 2) ===================================================== • LOADING PATCHES WITH OPTION 6 CHECKED ** FIXED IN BETA 2.1 ** ---------------------------------------- A problem has emerged if certain patches are run with Option 6 "Convert Mono sources to Stereo" checked. This option was new in 4.1 and it triggers an automatic conversion of a mono file into a stereo one. In 4.1 Beta-1 and Beta-2.0, this conversion was wrongly applied when re-running a patch with a mono source: it upsets the future expected file-names and the patch crashes. WORKAROUND: This issue has been fixed in Beta 2.1 (hopefully!). Until you have this version, switch the option off when loading a patch, especially if it might have a mono source. • Audio devices in Settings --------------------------- Soundshaper's list uses a standard Windows' function, but CDP uses a different number-order. I've been aware of this difference, and now I realise there's a utility called listaudevs supplied with CDP (I didn't have it), which lists them in the correct order. Soundshaper will therefore be able to use this list in the next release. • STEREO TEXTURE following VIRTUAL COPY ---------------------------------------- Texture, with a stereo input, will not run from a cell that is a Virtual Copy. WORKAROUND: use a full copy in this instance. • TEMP. SUBFOLDERS NOT CLEARING ------------------------------- Subfolders in the temporary sounds folder are not always being deleted on exit. This doesn't affect performance, since CDP overwrites datafiles as necessary, but patches might be saved with spurious extra datafiles. WORKAROUND: delete them manually. • GraphEd Visual Editor ------------------------- Some problems importing a processed column of data from the Data Editor, when it's one of a breakpoint pair, e.g. Y values. Also, single-column textfiles may not load as intended, for example frequencies generated with BankFreqs (Data menu). WORKAROUND: The problems are still being investigated. • Running Batch files as an external program. ---------------------------------------------- It should be possible to run a batch file as a "Favourite" or as the selected "External Program", but this appears not to be working and needs further investigation. • RANDCUTS ** FIXED in PRO 4.1/LITE 2.37 BETA-2 ** ---------- RANDCUTS (XTRA menu - Pro) is not working in Beta 1. The problems have now been fixed and both RANDCUTS and GATE-EXTRACT will appear in the EDIT>MULTI menu in Beta 2. KNOWN ISSUES ============ • DEFAULT DATA FILES -------------------- The current release does NOT come with a set of default data files. The final release of 4.1 will be issued with a set. WORKAROUND: When you click T-V, if the edit-pad box is empty, this is because there's no default file. To make one: - Click EDIT - graph limits should show soundfile length for X and correct range for Y - Click in the graph space to create one or more graph points; edit as required. - Click OK: if a new datafile, it saves to "~.txt" - Click SAVE AS and save to your "User folder" (e.g. cdpr6\txt) WITHOUT the tilde (~) and with a .brk extension (for a breakpoint file). Next time, the default file should be this one. • I/O ERROR 32 and RELATED ISSUES --------------------------------- Soundshaper Beta 2 adds many error and warning messages if a file appears not to have been deleted successfully (cause of Windows I/O Error32). The in-built Player is now closed whenever it's out of use, to minimise the possibility of I/O errors being caused internally. However, users can help to avoid problems by: • closing files after viewing them in an editor, so that conflicts do not occur. • keeping the Temp. Soundfiles-Out folder easily accessible in Explorer (e.g. minimise the folder), so that you can see what temporary files are present (-- the ones starting with ~). • if possible, switching off security software while running Soundshaper, as this slows everything down. • PARAMETER FADER ISSUES ------------------------ The arrow keys tend not to work with a fader until you have moved the actual fader (which puts system focus on the fader instead of the text box). • "Cannot create ...Copy.BAT" message (WIN7) -------------------------------------------- Windows 7 sometimes gives this message when the batch file COPY.BAT is being updated. It claims to be in use but almost never is. WORKAROUND: Click OK and ignore the message. • Spaces in BAT path --------------------- Soundshaper's Batch files (and other vital files) are kept in a \BAT subfolder of \Soundshaper, so that the program can always find them. Unfortunately, it is now clear that if the \BAT path has a space in the name, e.g. C:\Program Files\Soundshaper\BAT, the batch files and hence Soundshaper WILL NOT WORK. WORKAROUND: The Settings page detects such a space and allows you to locate the \BAT folder somewhere else. (But its path still must not have a space!) • Parameter page not displaying (Win7) ------------------------------------- Occasionally [in native and XP mode], the parameter page is not displayed, especially when re-editing the process or re-selecting the same one. The Main Page appears to have hung, but actually it's just waiting for something to happen on the [invisible] Parameter page. (Bizarrely, mousing over the menus displays the Parameter Page's menus.) WORKAROUND: Hit Carriage Return to run the process and as necessary double-click the cell to re-edit the parameters. • Over-writing a patch (Win 7) ---------------------- This tends to fail: it can't erase the old folder because it's apparently still in use. WORKAROUND: save to a different name and change the names after exiting Soundshaper OR: run Soundshaper in XP mode (but see below). • Soundshaper run in XP mode (Win 7) ------------------------------------- As Soundshaper is compiled in Win7, it should not be necessary to run it in XP mode. If it is run in XP mode, the windows have a light-blue band at the top of the page which obscures the Windows Minimize / Maximize /Close (X) buttons, unless you mouse over them. • DATA EDITOR page ------------------- For some reason, this page takes a long time to come up first time. Subsequent openings are generally OK. PAPLAY / PVPLAY / PLAY24X ------------------------- The CDP player program is used whenever the Windows Player is not able to play the soundfile; for example, this can happen with multi-channel files. PVPLAY is now the preferred option to play soundfiles via CDP, as PAPLAY currently plays a mono file out of one speaker only (at least in XP). PVPLAY can play soundfiles as well as .ana files. It also plays mono sounds out of both speakers. PLAY24X has been "deprecated" by CDP, so is no longer called if PVPLAY or PAPLAY are available. All three programs are displayed in a console window, because they're command-line programs. It would technically be possible to hide them; however, the CTRL-C command to stop playing has to be available. • Corrupted batch files ----------------------- If the supplied batch files get corrupted for some reason, Soundshaper cannot run properly. This happened to a user recently, and could be a sign of a bug. WORKAROUND: A replacement set of .BATs will be placed on the website for download. If you ever have to resort to this solution, please e-mail a bug report, giving any details you think may be relevant. WINDOWS 7 64-BIT EDITION ------------------------- Soundshaper/CDP has been run on a Win 7 64-bit (Home Premium) system with no apparent problems. The folowing advice provided by user Julian Thomas is probably not necessary, but is reproduced here in case it's needed. Running CDP/Soundshaper in XP Mode: • Install the CDP exes into the x86 folder. • Change the permissions of the installation folder, and that of Soundshaper's Temp. 'Sounds' folder, and therefore all the contents of both, to 777 or ‘Total Control’ for all users: right click on the folder, 'properties', 'security' then set 'system' and all the 'users', including administrator,' to 'Total Control'. • Turn off User Account Control. • Set all the exe files in the 'BIN' folder to run under 'xpmode': right click on each exe, click on 'troubleshoot compatibility', try 'recommended settings', accept the suggestion to run in XP mode, then save that. Do this for each exe. CDP 6 ISSUES ============ • NEWMIX --------- CDP's new mix pregram NEWMIX (Edit/Mix > Mix > MultichMix) consistently crashes within Soundshaper, even when the commandline and mixfile are correct. The problem is under investigation. WORKAROUNDS • Copy the file to a number of cells (e.g. 4 for 4-channel); give each a level and interleave the result. • Pre-processed N-channel files can be mixed using MIXMANY. For example: make a number of stereo files incorporating panning and level. Interleave these to make 4- or 8-channel files. Mix the 4 or 8-channel files using MIXMANY. • ENVELOPE > TIMEGRID ---------------------- CDP usage has changed in CDP 6 (Dec. 2010) and this is reflected in Soundshaper 4. The CDP5 version will no longer work with Soundshaper 4, but this should not affect patches made with it. • ANALJOIN (not supported) ----------- This program has been included in CDP6, but is unlikely ever to work properly, due to phasing issues which can arise when spectral files are arbitrarily strung together. • TOPANTAIL2 -------------- Seems to produce no output. WORKAROUND: Use TRIM (Topntail 1) and set the parameters to edit beginning, end, or both. • SAUSAGE ----------- Not working in 2-11-10 21:00 version. • STRANS (2/11/10) --------- The m-c version of SPEED. This sometimes leaves a "trail" at the end of the file. Soundshaper 4.1 uses SPEED, adapted for m-c use. • WRAPPAGE (19/11/10) ---------- With 2 mono or stereo input files, Command-line, Pro and Soundloom all fail with the following error message regardless of grain size: ERROR: INCORRECT USE ERROR: Parameter[9] Value (50.000000) out of range (2.000000 to 0.000000) Works OK with one input. • OVERWRITE (CDP: sfedit replace) ---------------------------------- Was giving timing problems, now "cannot read mode of program". This function has never been known to work! WORKAROUND: PASTE (sfedit insert 1) has an overwrite mode. The original is not, of course, overwritten. • HILTE BAND ------------- Works with only one band -- maybe this is the idea? If not already dumped, it soon will be. Pity, because it did work originally. • FREEZE Mode 2 - frequencies --------------- Seems to produce nothing but white noise after the freeze point. Same in Rel5 and Rel4 versions. PLEASE report bugs: it's the quickest way to have them fixed! ============================================================= Robert Fraser, Ensemble Software May 2012