HI all, we have a big new beta for you all to try: 2.8.0-beta5
v2.8 is our biggest update yet. It brings a global tempo and built-in metronome, new e-kit and drum trigger inputs, dual portal capability, and the MIDI kit module for driving samplers like Superior Drummer 3. Instruments, favorites, and session checkpoints also make it easier to build kits and keep your work safe.
Read on for the (very long) changelog below.
Please give the beta a try and use the Beta Feedback button in the app to send us your thoughts.
If you aren’t a part of the Beta channel and would like to be, please send us a message at support@sunhou.se and we’ll add you!
WHAT'S NEW
Tempo
- Session-wide tempo, tap tempo, and MIDI clock in/out
- A built-in metronome on every session
- Tempo sync for the Metro module and the Stereo Delay and Modeled Delay effects
New Input Types
- E-kit input: a flexible hardware input for using an electronic drum kit with Sensory Percussion
- Drum trigger input: single- and dual-zone drum triggers as hardware inputs
Module Improvements
- MIDI kit module: a new all-in-one MIDI module for sending MIDI out of Sensory Percussion. Comes with presets for popular samplers like SD3
- A new info panel with an image and notes for every module
- A new "Block all input" option on input filters, and a "Mute hits" option that keeps hits from reaching a controller's child modules
- Hit and Note Controllers can now use all modulator types for input control
- Module power buttons now fully bypass processing instead of just muting
- Assignment target labels now use the parameters' full display names
- Narrowed the soft clipper's default softness
- Centered the sampler sustain slider at -20 dB
- Improved hi-hat tension handling with semi-open hits
Library
- Favorites: heart any library entry and find it in the new favorites tab
- Instruments: save any module as an instrument under a drum role
- Add instruments in place: a new + button when you hover over an empty drum in the Play View lets you directly add instruments
- New sets start empty instead of getting pads and inserts for each hardware input. Use the + Add Module button to add instruments
- Separate keyboard shortcuts to search the library (⌘F) and the set tree (⌘⌥F)
I/O Improvements
- Sensor expansion: run a second Portal as extra sensor inputs alongside any main interface
- I/O environments: save the hardware input, output, MIDI and OSC setup under a name and switch environments from the settings panel or the footer
- Left-hand drum layout: a new settings toggle mirrors the Play View kit for left-handed setups
- Updated the Windows Portal driver to 6.16.0
Saving your work
- Session folders: "Save as Session Folder..." wraps a session in its own folder without collecting its samples, so any session can keep a version history
- Checkpoints: "Create Checkpoint" saves a dated copy of the session in the session folder's checkpoints folder
- The session name menu in the header gains "Revert to Saved". This undoes any unsaved changes to the session
- Access the Workspace session in the Library in the Sessions tab
- Each version now keeps its own settings: upgrading copies yours forward and leaves the previous version's untouched, so you can safely go back
Everything Else
- Cleaned up the File menu
- Sample-accurate event timing: hits, chokes, metro ticks and MIDI clock land at their exact sample inside the audio block
- Saving large sessions no longer freezes the app
- Lower CPU use, especially in large sessions. Idle modules no longer use processing power
- A redesigned CPU peak meter in the footer with a dropout indicator and a live peak tooltip
- Updated the hi-hat hit detection model
FIXES
- Fixed an issue where new sessions weren't named after their file when first saved
- Fixed an issue where parameters you set were lost when hotswapping between compatible modules
- Fixed an issue where an assignment lost its mode when its source changed
- Fixed an issue where trigger macros fired when a session or preset loaded
- Fixed an issue where velocity and speed assignments from MIDI pad inputs could trigger twice or ignore zone selection
- Fixed an issue where MIDI notes could hang on controllers using absolute transpose
- Fixed a possible hang when the audio device changes
- Fixed a rare issue where an effect could silence all audio after it until the session was reloaded
- Fixed an issue where the Global stop button didn't stop the global set or neighboring sets still playing out
- Fixed an issue where Compressor auto gain could boost the signal when External sidechain was switched on before picking a source
- Fixed an issue where pad hit fades stuttered while the sensor training window was open
Looks amazing. Looking forward to testing. Quick heads up - when I try and open the presets menu you mention in the new MIDI kit module there are no presets showing up.
@MNDMTH the different midi kit presets are actually tagged as “Instruments,” so that they show up in the library. There’s a new “MIDI kit” folder in the Instruments pane. If you load a blank MIDI Kit module, you can access them from the Preset button under the Instruments folder.
Hi All, we just pushed out an updated beta: 2.8.0-beta14
You can find the release notes below for changes since beta5 (see above for the rest). Lots of fixed and polish in this release. This beta also includes a bunch of presets for the new eKit Input type. These presets were mostly built from published manuals, so if you have one of these eKits at home please give it a try and let us know how it goes!
Please keep the feedback coming!
WHAT'S NEW (since beta5)
TEMPO
- The Ableton Plugin can now follow the host: play, stop and tempo changes drive the session's clock
- Added a delay offset for the Stereo Delay and Modeled Delay effects in tempo mode
- Setting a Metro's Clock Sync to global or MIDI now hands start and stop to that clock
- MIDI clock out now sends clock while the transport runs on its own tempo. Before, only start and stop were sent
- A new session now stops the global transport
- A metro synced to MIDI clock no longer comes in a pulse early
- Picking a preset on a synced Metro no longer stops it or moves it off the clock's tempo
- Sessions saved after using the built-in metronome no longer reload with an invalid subdivision
- The built-in metronome sound no longer shows as a missing sample
ENVIRONMENTS & I/O
- Auto remap: extra drums your set doesn't use now play through the closest matching drum. It's on by default, and you can choose which input types remap in Settings > General
- Hardware remap: after a device change or when opening a session from another computer, a bar offers to reconnect your inputs and outputs
- I/O environments now save like sessions
- Updated the selector for environments and I/O devices in the footer
- 'Save as environment...' with a name already in use no longer overwrites the existing environment
- Drum trigger inputs now pad the signal at the input: input gain defaults to -16 dB and output gain to 0 dB, so solid hits no longer max out the velocity
- Fixed the main and expansion Portals swapping roles after a replug or relaunch, and changing the main buffer size no longer reopens the expansion Portal
MIDI STUFF
- 22 factory eKit presets for Roland TD and SPD, Alesis, Yamaha DTX, EFNOTE, 2Box, Pearl Mimic Pro, Simmons, Nord Drum 3P and more, plus General MIDI and Keyboard Input maps for keyboards, DAW tracks and pad controllers
- More MIDI Kit presets, plus a classic click Metro preset
- Hi-hat MIDI notes can now be set to open or closed, for drum machines and sampler plugins without a pedal input
- Zones without their own MIDI note now play the nearest mapped zone (for example, edge plays center)
- Reduced timing jitter on MIDI out notes
- The e-kit input is now named 'eKit', and its position menu lists every position for the drum's type
- A new eKit input, or an eKit preset loaded onto one, keeps its positions instead of moving to ones your set may not use
UI IMPROVEMENTS
- 'Block all input' is now a button in the module header and can be assigned like the power button. 'Mute hits' is back to being a Metro-only switch, shown as 'Block hits'
- Updated the design of the input routing table on the Play View
- Cleaned up the icons in the module header
- Updated the design of alert and dialog prompt windows
EVERYTHING ELSE
- 61 instrument presets retuned and 10 new effect presets
- Lower CPU use on Windows and Intel Macs
- The 'Group into...' action on a module now lets you pick a target by letter
- The Checkpoints menu on a session saved outside a folder now offers 'Save as Session Folder'
- Fixed an issue where clicking a drum in the Play View selected the whole set instead of the drum
- Fixed a stopped sequencer picking up from its last step after a set switch instead of starting from the first
- Fixed scrolling issues on the edit page
- Fixed a crash when opening a session or preset containing an effect from a newer version
- Fixed a crash that could follow deleting a module, effect, modulator or macro
- Failed sign-ins now always show a message
Hey all, we have a new beta for you: 2.8.0-beta15. Here’s what’s changed since beta14.
CHANGED
Auto remap has been pulled from 2.8.0 for now. It will return in a later release
Cleaned up the Drum Trigger input’s UI a bit
FIXES
Modulators and assignments on a module no longer react to hits that its input filter, ‘Block all input’ or power button rejected. For example, a rand or step modulator on a filtered MIDI CC controller fired on every input
Fixed a crash when deleting hi-hat pads or a MIDI notes generator, or switching sets, while the hi-hat pedal was moving
Fixed a crash when changing a MIDI notes generator’s output or channel while it was playing
Please give the beta a try and use the Beta Feedback button in the app to send us your thoughts.
If you aren’t a part of the Beta channel and would like to be, please send us a message at support@sunhou.se and we’ll add you!
What are the constraints on the main and expansion interfaces? And does the output interface have to be the same as the main? I have a full set of sensors plugged into a Portal and am trying to add one more V1 sensor input via another interface. It appears that the Portal has to be the expansion interface, not the main one. As in the popup will not allow selecting the other interface as the expansion. This should not matter but I’m not getting out[ut through the Portal even though it is selected as the output interface. (And in the main UI, the output boxes have a “disconnected” next to the Portal label.)
I guess I can try using MacOS’ interface aggregation instead though it there’s a requirement to have a Portal as one of the interfaces, that likely won’t work.
Also, is there any way to route the system audio into the mix going to the output? This is to be able to play along to something playing from another application.
Hi @Zalman The main interface slot works just like it does today – you can choose a portal or something else for input and output. The new Sensor Expansion interface has to be a portal and can only be used for sensors. You can use any of the inputs, but you can only create sensor input types (snare, tom, kick, ride, crash, hi-hat). You can’t use any of the inputs on the expansion for analog inputs and you can’t use any of the outputs.
So you can’t really add more than 7 without a second portal. Eventually, we hope to release an adapter that would let you connect sensors to XLR inputs, but until then you need another portal for more sensors.
I think the expansion is great for a couple use cases. 1) You want more than 7 inputs and you get a second portal. That’s easy. 2) You have a really nice big interface with a lot of mic pres that you use as your main and your portal for just sensor inputs for a killer hybrid setup.
In theory you can use a portal with another interface using Apple’s aggregation system. It can sometimes be complicated and a little unstable, but it should work fine. But it’s not something we use or has been “officially” tested and supported. And you’ll likely need a pretty powerful computer.
To route audio into SP, you need to use virtual routing software like Loopback. That definitely works, but does add a pretty significant layer of complexity and can add latency. You can also use cables to connect your computer’s audio output to the line-ins on the back of the portal to get audio into SP that way.
Are portals available to purchase separately to add sensors? Or is it something that Evans/Sunhouse plans to do in the future once 2.8.0 is out of beta and available to the public?
I originally purchased a system mainly to use all seven inputs as cymbals on a DWe Kit but wouldn’t mind being able to use the included drum sensors along with my DWe and mix in both platforms on my digital console.
Hey all, we have a new beta for you: 2.8.0-beta16. This is a small update and hopefully the release candidate for 2.8.0. Here’s what’s changed since beta15. Please continue to send us your feedback. Have a great weekend!
CHANGED
The Portal’s link light (the Sunhouse logo in the top left) now pulses for the sensor expansion
The MIDI router card is now wider, with a two-column layout and its input filters in the header
FIXES
Fixed a bug where MIDI devices plugged in while the app is running would not show without a restart
