Maestro and AbcPlayer with upgrades by Aifel, Elamond and Karloman

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro 3.1.8 released

Version 3.1.8
- Shrink abctools icon to mitigate antivirus false positive

Version 3.1.7
- Fixed exporting to ABC would change histogram
- Fixed delays were accounted for twice when making histogram

Version 3.1.6
- Added fade-in and fade-out to tune-editor to allow fading all parts together.
 

MerryBear Roarer

Active member
Thanks for all your work. I have two questions. First do you have a Patreon account or something where we that use this can support you. And can you tell me what mix timing and swing actually does. (edit) I downloaded the latest version and see you added hover descriptions. Thanks. Is it possible that not having mix timing checked is better for some songs. I have 2 jazz songs that just wouldn't play right until I accidentally unchecked mix timing. Until those songs mix timing has always helped them play smoother. I'm serious about the Patreon account for you and your mates if you can work that out.
 
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Aifel

Laurelin
Unless there have snuck some bug into mix timings, the only time you should want to uncheck it, is if you plan to hand-edit the abc file in a text editor after exporting.
As for swing timing, for jazz or jigs you want to have it on, even if mix timing is on. That is to help it choose rhythm better across tempo changes.
 

Elamond

Member
The only instance I've noticed where mix timings sounds off is if the midi file doesn't honor its bar/bpm timing, e.g. the midi file reports the bpm being 95, but all the notes are free-placed to follow a bpm of 120 and don't line up with bars in the midi file. In this case, usually both mixed enabled or disabled will sound pretty bad, since the quantization Maestro does will make no sense either way, but I notice it sounds a bit worse with mixed timing enabled. The solution is to fix the midi by stretching the notes so they align with the bars, and then change the bpm to be correct, but this requires a bit of midi editing kung fu and can't be done in Maestro alone.

Here's a screenshot with an example of what I mean, you can see that the notes (each note is supposed to be two bars long) don't line up with the thin grey vertical bar marker lines in Maestro.
E1SWI1H.png
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro 3.1.9 released
  • Tweaked histogram colors. Green is for polyphony count under 45 notes, yellow is 45 to 64, and red is 64+.
  • Added horizontal lines to histogram to show where the two color thresholds are.
  • Maestro won't complain about a missing midi/abc file if Maestro can find the file in the MSX directory.
    Added option for deleting notes quantized to zero duration to prevent dissonance from unintended overlapping of fast notes.
  • Adjustment for how histogram count very long notes that are being broken up.
  • Added option for Ignore expression messages. This is mostly useful for people that commonly use self made MIDIs output from Musescore, and want a 1:1 relationship between note velocities. If in doubt, leave it unchecked.
  • Fix ABC triplet parsing bug, which caused some ABC files to have parsing errors.
  • Add support for parsing ABC files with bar repeat symbols. Maestro/AbcPlayer will play repeating sections only once, just as Lotro does.
 

Aifel

Laurelin
As some of you might have noticed, there is a bug in 3.1.9 and 3.1.10 if you got that one.
The bug is that some notes might not get exported.
A new release should be released soon. It's being tested. In the meantime, 3.1.8 is the latest release you will be able to download.
Sorry.
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Btw. there is a new version, I forgot to announce it here.

Maestro 3.2.1 Released
- Improved the visual updating of auto exporter.
- Abc Tools auto exporter no longer save a new abc export filename to msx.
- Fix for Abc Tools UI freeze or slows down when using auto exporter.
- More strict parsing of zero duration notes in midi sequence.
- Abc Tools auto exporter can now export into a folder-tree recursively.
- Fix for Maestro exporting to wav would ignore skip silence option.
- Separate LAME or FFmpeg downloads are no longer needed to export MP3s from Maestro or AbcPlayer.
- Fix that if the MIDI has any invalid tempo messages of zero MPQ, those messages will now be ignored.
- Fix source playback volume for GS MIDIs would change when assigning 2+ tracks to a part.
- Enable font sizes up to 36 pt which will help scale the app on 4K monitors.
- Installer will now allow downgrading
- Fix output to abc and preview could be missing notes. This bug was introduced in 3.1.9

Recommended to re-export ALL song made with 3.1.9 or 3.1.10 as there was a bug that meant notes could be missing.
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro Version 3.2.6 and 3.2.8 Released
  • Polyphony histogram now reacts to muting or soloing parts.
  • Minimum and maximum note used can now be set in section editor. Note that for bended notes of small range (as set in settings), it will be the lowest pitch that will decide if the note is in range. Both note names like 'C4' can be entered (case sensitive), or a number like 60.
  • Fix for 2 identical parts would make 1 of them not counted in histogram.
  • No longer have to reopen the section-editor if changing between percussion and non-percussion instruments for a part.
  • Retired Maestro default theme. Flatlaf light is now default.
  • Add button to increase number of sections in section-editor. Default is now 8.
  • Section-editor inputs are now organized in tabs.
  • Added ability to set the max number of concurrent notes in a part. From 1 to 6 notes. Note that this won't be shown visually.

  • You can now hold shift while clicking a solo/mute button to deselect all the other buttons of that type. Works in Maestro and AbcPlayer.
  • Flat light and dark themes are added for AbcPlayer, and the old default theme is removed.
  • Fixed a bug where Maestro would report incorrect song lengths for arrangements where the main tempo was changed.
  • Add options to tune-editor to start late or stop early at certain bar.
  • More reliable white color change for currently playing notes.
  • Added an option to hide edits in tracks.
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro Version 3.2.11 and 3.3.3 Released
  • Support 128 ports in GM+ midi files instead of 16.
  • Track view now uses custom layout managers to layout the tracks and controls.
  • Fixed the zoom issues in v3.2.11
  • Added same kind of border to tempo/histogram control panels as track control panels.
  • Fixed zoom would reset when doing certain operations.
  • Zoom is now fixed at x6,x2 for now. Drum/studentFx tracks wont be zoomed vertically, same with tempo and histogram.
  • Moved student FX checkbox to under the volume slider.
  • Added option in Abc Player to countdown time instead of up.
  • Merge Student and Student FX fiddles into one. There will be a FX checkbox in the tracks to control which type of sounds is wanted.
  • Fix drum/cowbell/studentFX notes sometimes were grayed out when active.
  • Added two more Xtra drums.
  • Song duration display is now rounded up to nearest second.
  • Look also recursively in midi folder in ABC Auto export tool if recursive is checked.
  • Add cancel option to auto-exporter.
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro Version 3.3.6 released
  • Fix that track tooltips would say zero bad notes before selecting a track.
  • Tune-editor and section-editor now accept bar numbers with decimal point.
  • Note graph tooltip now show bar number with 2 decimals.
  • Fix that "Hide edits" checkbox would also hide natural instrument octave transposing.
  • Add zoom slider controls for horizontal and vertical zoom
  • Add a "follow" checkbox, the sequencer head will stay centered while Maestro is zoomed and playing if selected
  • Support for horizontal and vertical zooming with ctrl + scroll and shift + scroll
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro Version 3.3.8 released
  • Fix tune-editor late start and early ending got broken in v3.3.6 (it would always export full song)
  • Make tune-editor late start and early ending allow decimal points.
  • Fix missing notes
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro Version 3.3.14 released
  • When using HZoom slider, and song position is in view, then keep it centered in view.
  • When zooming using ctrl-mousewheel, target what mousepointer is aiming at. Known issue: When doing this the note graphs will flicker while being zoomed.
  • Added accelerando/ritardando to tune-editor.
  • When tempo-events are so closely clustered that some have to be removed, its now done smarter.
  • Tune-editor: Added sort button. Added add button. Added tabs to columns. Reduced default tunelines to 8 from 20.
  • Tempopanel will now indicate actual BPM when in abc preview mode. So tune-editors changes will be shown unless "Hide Edits" is active.
  • Fix histogram label could show wrong count at song position when tune-editor had changed song tempos.
  • Fix for Java process not exiting when Maestro is quit using File -> Exit
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro version 3.3.17 released
  • Added a new Xtra Clap drum sound
  • Fix that cowbells would count as 1.0s duration in histogram. They are 0.247s and 0.291s.
  • Fix that at some specific bpms lotro wont accept 0.06 second notes or rests.
  • Made abc player also complain when note or rest is 0.06s at one of those bpm.
 

Elamond

Member
Maestro 3.4.0 released
  • Add a playlist feature to AbcPlayer!
    • Access the playlist panel by pressing the new button added next to the stop button
    • Browse and add songs to the playlist in the file explorer on the left side
      • Drag and drop songs to the playlist on the right side, or use the Add Selected button
      • Play songs directly from the ABC browser by double-clicking, or right-clicking
      • Customize which folders show up in the browser using the Directories button
    • Drag and drop songs within the playlist to reorder them
    • Play the playlist and move forward and backward with the playlist control buttons under the playlist panel
      • if the Autoplay checkbox is selected, the playlist will automatically start playing the next song until the end of the playlist
      • You can also double-click on songs in the playlist to start playing from that song
    • Save and load playlist files with the .abcp extension
    • Use the playlist to plan your sets
      • The song switch delay feature lets you simulate part switch delay between songs for your band, and calculates the total runtime of the playlist including switches
Please let me know if you have any feedback!

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Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro 3.4.1 Released
  • Section and tune editor windows are positioned better relative to the Maestro window, and will always appear fully on screen
  • AbcPlayer playlist fixes and changes
    • Moved several playlist controls to a new playlist menu at the top of the window
    • Added a sort-by option for files in the abc browser, accessible through the playlist menu
    • Files and folders are now grouped separately in the abc browser
    • Folder contents can be added recursively to a playlist, by dragging or adding a folder to the playlist table
    • Fix a bug where AbcPlayer would crash if a directory pinned to the ABC browser does not exist
    • Fixed the order of songs being reversed when dragging songs to the playlist
    • Double clicking on folders in the ABC browser will expand or collapse them
    • ABC playlist files (.abcp) can now be loaded from the ABC browser or the Open menu in AbcPlayer
    • AbcPlayer installed through the MSX will set an icon for abc playlist files, and you can open by double-clicking in windows explorer
 

Aifel

Laurelin
Maestro 3.4.3 Released

AbcPlayer Playlist changes:
  • Add close song option to AbcPlayer similar to Maestro's close project.
  • Playlist switching will close the open song if it's played from the playlist.
  • Add option to sleep in between songs based on part switch delay to playlist menu.
  • Move playlist autoplay checkbox to playlist menu.
  • Add showing/hiding playlist columns using right-click menu on playlist column header.
  • Persist playlist table column sizes.

Maestro changes:
  • Fix max part notes window had title from delay part window.
  • Added legato option to section-editor. Will max extend notes 1 second.
  • Added possibility to add a conclusion fermata up to 5 second on a part.
This can be used to extend final note(s) of a part.
If a lotro note sample runs out during the fermata, it might not be broken up and renewed,
then the result will be a shorter fermata than specified, for that note.​
 
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