Napo Version History

Features:

• Single view.
• Uses iOS GUI elements (segmented controls) for all buttons.
• Listens to all MIDI channels.
• Listens to wireless MIDI also.
• Three (hard-coded) demo pieces.
• 44100 Hz sample files are included in the application bundle. 22050 Hz files are created by downsampling and saved in the documents folder.
• Four reverb types (None, Short, Long, Real).
• The achievable polyphony depends on the iOS device. Up to about 100 voices with 44100 Hz or 200 voices with 22050 Hz on an iPad 2.
• Tailored to StrandOrgan, but with generalization in mind.

Known issues:

• The Real reverb is cut at repeated notes (because pipes = voices). Fixed in version 2.0.
• The artificial reverbs (Short/Long) are disappointing. Improved in version 3.3.
• Faulty handling of sysex messages that are split to several packets, leading to annoying "Illegal status" errors. Fixed in version 3.3.
• No lowpass filter is applied when the 22050 Hz samples are created. This won't be fixed because using the low-quality settings does not make sense with current devices anyway. Furthermore, artefacts that can be heard in the low sample rate settings are rather because of bad loops than because of the missing filter.

New features:

• Redesigned sound engine, e.g. pipes ≠ voices.
• Shorter startup time (data is loaded by a background process).
• Multiple views: Console, Recorder, Demo, Gallery, Settings, About.
• Authentic and Abstract console style.
• Audio recorder for WAV files which can be accessed by iTunes file sharing.
• Three additional demo pieces.
• Image gallery.
• On-the-fly Pitch shifting.
• MIDI channel selection.
• Wireless MIDI can be deactivated.
• Better detection when MIDI adapters are connected or disconnected.
• Downsampled files are saved to a cache folder and thus can be deleted by iOS in case of SSD space shortage.
• Downsampling is done by a background process.
• German localization.
• Still tailored to StrandOrgan, but with structural changes to prepare for other organs.

Resolved issues:

• No more cutting of Real reverb

Known new issues:

• Pitch shifting does not work well with sample rate 22050 Hz. Improved in version 3.3.
• When the sound is overdriven during a recording, then a click can be heard in the recording. Workaround: Make sure that the volume is not too high before you start the recording. If the damage has happened already, use Audacity's repair function to remove the click. Fixed in version 3.3.
• The recorder does not capture iOS reverb. Fixed in version 3.4
• When a recording is being finished, sometimes the Recorder view displays "0.0s" as the recording's duration. This is because the system was not done with writing the WAV file when the view controller asked for the data. The correct value is displayed when you leave and re-enter the Recorder view. Fixed in version 3.0
• It is assumed that the documents directory is not changed while the Recorder view is open. So please do not manipulate the directory via iTunes filesharing while using the recorder, otherwise strange things may happen. Fixed in version 3.4.
• Changing the sample rate while a recording is selected in the Recorder view can result in an error message "The operation could not be completed". Fixed in version 3.3.

New features:

• Redesigned sound engine, e.g. ranks grouped by windchests to support tremulants and (future) windpressure simulation.
• Shorter startup time (MIDI initialisation is done by a background process).
• Couplers.
• Tremulants.
• Voices display and overload display can be deactivated.
• Converting recordings from WAV to M4A.
• E-mailing recordings (up to 10MB file size).
• Submitting recordings to other apps which have registered to handle WAV/M4A files.
• Background operation (with 15 minutes timeout).
• Virtual MIDI.
• More internal generalization.

Resolved issues:

• The Recorder view now shows the correct time after finishing a recording.

Known new issues:

• The tremulant simulation is anything but euphonic.
• Moving the volume slider while playing can lead to overload and crackling noise. Fixed in version 3.2.
• Stops Off releases tremulant knobs, but it does not turn off tremulants. Fixed in version 3.2.
• Couplers are not transitive, i.e. they don't 'couple through'. This is for some organs not the correct behaviour.
• Using the Stops Off button can lead to internal data corruption, a breakdown of the tone generation and the need to restart the app. Fixed in versions 3.0.1, 3.1.1 and 3.2.
• There is a nasty bug in the Recorder view: Create two recordings, select a recording, tap the cross to deselect the recording, select the other recording, and the app will crash. Fixed in version 3.3. It is shocking that this issue stayed unnoticed for several months.
• The mail compose view does not rotate when an iPhone / iPod touch is used in upside-down mode. Fixed in version 4.0.

Resolved issues:

• The data corruption bug of the Stops Off function is fixed.

New features:

• New looping algorithm for the downsampled files. (✶)

Resolved issues:

• The data corruption bug of the Stops Off function is fixed.

New features:

• The number of playing voices is displayed in the rightmost segment of the view selection and hence is visible in all views.
• The overload warnings are displayed semi-transparently above the view selection and hence are visible in all views.
• New load display (a colored horizontal bar) above the view selection.
• Reduced memory consumption of the Gallery view, to allow more and larger images.
• Convolution reverb (only a rough approximation).

Resolved issues:

• The data corruption bug of the Stops Off function is fixed.
• No more overload and crackling when moving the volume slider while playing.
• Stops Off releases tremulant knobs and turns off tremulants.

Known new issues.

• Sometimes the Console view is not updated anymore. Supposed cause: Bad thread management and timing problems. Probably also existent, but not showing up, in earlier versions. Workaround: Switch to Abstract view, then return to Authentic view. Fixed in version 3.3.

New features:

• On-the-fly transposing by up to ±6 semitones.
• A slider for controlling the pitch shifting. Because of the new transposing function, pitch shifting is now only up to ±100 cent.
• Volume control via MIDI (controller Bn xx vv), globally and per windchest.
• All notes off via MIDI (controller Bn 7B).
• There are now three instead of just two iOS reverb presets. Furthermore, the user can manipulate all internal parameters of the reverb Audio Unit and save a user preset.
• High-quality convolution reverb (with a set of impulse responses of Fokke van Saane). Needs iPhone 5 or iPad 4 to handle impulse responses longer than 1.5 seconds at 44100 Hz. iPad 4 can handle about 4 seconds.
• User can set buffer duration (23/12/6 milliseconds).
• Adaption for iOS 6: Support for upside-down operation on iPhone.
• Support for improved capabilities of A6 and A6X processors to get higher performance on iPhone 5 and iPad 4.

Resolved issues:

• The presets for the iOS reverb are greatly improved.
• Pitch shifting is now done with cubic instead of linear interpolation, which gives a better sound quality in particular at 22050 Hz.
• Improved thread management.
• Changing the sample rate (as well as the buffer size and reverb type) is prohibited while the Recorder view is in play mode.
• Recorder view crash bug is fixed.
• MIDI sysex message bug is fixed.

Known new issues.

• When the Show Voices and Background Operation options are set and you switch to another app while voices are playing, then when you return to the Napo app it still displays the same number of playing voices even if all voices have stopped to play. The voices display is updated only when you continue to play. Fixed in version 3.4.
• With iOS 6, when you hold the device upside-down, then the WAV-M4A conversion progress bar window is displayed in the wrong orientation. The same is true for the detail window that you get when you tap the accessory button right to an entry in the demo pieces list (in StrandOrgan and Jeux d'orgues Mini). Fixed in version 3.4.
• The new buffer size setting is only half-baked. It configures the time interval used by iOS to request audio data from the app, but the pitch-shifter uses another buffer for getting data from the organ engine. This buffer has the fixed size of 512 samples (12 ms at 44100 Hz, 23 ms at 22050 Hz). Fixed in version 5.18.
• At cold-start of a Napo app, the app does sometimes get stuck in the initialization phase and, after a few seconds, will be terminated by iOS. This is caused by a racing condition in the startup process of Napo's audio system which can lead to a deadlock. The problem maybe existed in earlier versions, too. Fixed in version 3.5.

New features:

• Audio level display.
• User-defined stop combinations.
• Redesigned Audio Recorder view.
• Redesigned Settings view.
• Settings can be saved.
• Recordings can be done with and without iOS reverb.
• Stops, couplers, tremulants and other functions can be controlled via MIDI note-on/off messages.
• Fast organ switching.
• Support for octave couplers.

Resolved issues:

• The correct number of voices is displayed when an app returns from the background.
• Upside-down operation does now work for the WAV-M4A progress display and the demo detail view.
• The documents directory is watched for changes.

Known new issues:

• Toggling tremulants via MIDI does not work. Fixed in version 3.6.
• Because of changes in iOS, using the combination system leads to an application crash in iOS 7. Fixed in version 3.6

Jeux d'orgues Mini 2.0 released 2013-05-18

OttOrgan 3.0 released 2013-06-04

New features:

• Display of hardware sample rate and actual I/O buffer duration in the Settings view.
• Audiobus support (Audiobus library version 1.0.1.3).

Resolved issues:

• No more hiccups at cold start of a Napo app.

Known new issues:

• Changing the sample rate while the sound is routed to Audiobus leads to distorted sound. Workaround: Select the sample rate before you connect the app to Audiobus. Fixed in version 3.7.

New features:

• Additional post-amplification for iOS reverb (with overdrive protection).
• Settings view asks for confirmation when user requests to delete all recordings.
• GLYPHICONS for the tab bar.
• Configurable artificial latency (for practising purposes), displayed in time (milliseconds) and distance (meters).
• Audiobus library version 1.0.2 (ready for iOS 7).
• Support for samplesets with sample rates other than 44100 Hz (for using the Kalvträsk Church sampleset beta 2, which has 48000 Hz, in StrandOrgan 5.0).

Resolved issues:

• Toggling tremulants via MIDI does now work.
• Combination system adapted to iOS 7.

Known new issues:

• Crash when the convolution reverb is used while another is running that fixes the sample rate to a value that is not a multiple or factor of the sample rate of the Napo app. Mostly Napo apps that are based on a sample rate different from 44100 Hz are affected (currently only StrandOrgan 5.0). Preliminary fix in version 3.7..

Resolved issues:

• Changing the sample rate while connected to Audiobus does now work.
• Convolution reverb is deactivated in case of sample rate conflicts that lead to buffer sizes which are not a power of 2. This is a preliminary bugfix to prevent crashes.

New features:

• Monophonic bass (for playing pedal stops via the lowest pressed manual key).

Known new issues:

• If the monophonic bass is enabled, you can get stuck notes if you change stops while the organ is playing. Fixed in version 4.0.

New features:

• iOS 7 / 64 bit support, but maintaining compatibility to iOS 5 and iOS 6.
• Reduced RAM requirements and (even) quicker startup (by halving the streaming buffer sizes)
• Simplified editing of combination banks and combinations.
• Improved convolution reverb.
• User can upload impulse responses for the convolution reverb.
• Support for blower noise, keys noise and knobs noise (for sample sets that include this).
• User can restrict the note range of MIDI channels. This allows to set a split point even with a MIDI keyboard which does not have split functionality. This can be used e.g. to play pedal pipes in the lowest manual octave.
• Support for screen keyboards.

Resolved issues:

• Mail compose window rotates when used in upside-down mode on iPhone / iPod touch.
• The sample rate of impulse response files is independent from the app's sample rate.
• No more stuck notes with monophonic bass.

Known new issues:

• When background operation is activated in the app settings, the app ought to get suspended if it is sent to the background and no notes are played for 15 minutes. This does not work if knobs noise is activated in the settings and stops are active, or if the wind noise is active. Fixed in version 4.1.
• The latency setting ought to act only on the pipe sound, but it also affects the keys and knobs noise.
• Internally, virtual keyboards are treated like MIDI keyboards which send on the channels that are configured in the MIDI settings. This means you need to set different MIDI channels to get independent virtual keyboards. Fixed in version 4.5.

New features:

• Audiobus 2 support (Audiobus library version 2.1.3, ready for iOS 8). Dropped Audiobus support for iOS 5/6.
• Volume control for motor noise, keys noise, knobs noise
• MIDI velocity can be used to control volume of keys noise.
• Factory impulse responses can be deleted and reinstalled at any time.
• To prevent accidental view switching, view switching is disabled while keys are pressed in a virtual keyboard.
• Hold function for virtual keyboards.
• Options for overdrive control: Volume reduction (like before), clipping, sigmoid transform.
• Stop settings are saved when the app is terminated, and re-establised at the next start.
• Simplified design of virtual keyboards on iPad 1 (to reduce CPU stress).

Resolved issues:

• Motor noise, keys noise and knobs noise are no more counted as "voices". Motor noise and knobs noise do not prevent the app from being suspended when it is running in the background and not used for 15 minutes.

New known issues:

• Windchest-dependent volume control does not work. Only PiteaMini 7.0 is affected. Fixed in version 4.2.
• Locked keys in a virtual keyboard are released when the keyboard is being scrolled, the device rotates or the console mode is changed. Fixed in version 4.3
• There is no visual response of the keys of a virtual keyboard A when A is coupled to keyboard B and you press a virtual key of B. This is not really a bug because not at all real organs the keys of a coupled keyboard are moved by the coupling, but a visual response is nice to have. Fixed in version 4.5
• On iOS 8, installed factory impulse responses disappear when an app is updated. This is because iOS 8 breaks symbolic links. Workaround: Reinstall the factory impulse responses. Fixed in version 4.5.

Resolved issues:

• Windchest-dependent volume control works.

Resolved issues:

• Locked virtual keys stay locked until released by user.

New features:

• Direct combination buttons A,B,C,D,E as alternative to bank / combination selection.

New known issues:

• When saved settings are loaded in the Saved Settings view and the app returns to the Settings view, the Settings view still show the old values. This bug may have been there in earlier versions also. Workaround: Switch the tabs in the Settings view to update the display. Fixed in version 4.5.

Jeux d'orgues 5.0 released 2014-10-03

BureaMini 1.0 released 2014-10-11

New features:

• Audio: Improved overdrive protection for iOS reverb.
• Audio Recorder: Can be started immediately or with first sound.
• Audio Recorder: User can specify file name when finishing the recording.
• Audiobus: Updated to v2.1.6.1
• Demo player: Can now operate several manuals and pedal.
• GUI: Switch to fullscreen keyboard mode by long-pressing the console tab bar icon.
• GUI: Menu entries for saving / loading ABCDE combinations to / from combination banks.
• GUI: Background operation is displayed by green color of organ switching tab bar icon and can be toggled by long-pressing this icon.
• GUI: Updated Glyphicons to v1.9.
• iCloud: Support for saving combination banks, recordings and saved settings to iCloud (iOS 7+).
• MIDI: Multiple channels for each keyboard / pedal with configurable note ranges (e.g. for splitting or combining MIDI keyboards).
• MIDI: Stops etc. can be controlled by program change messages.
• MIDI: Support for MIDI over Bluetooth (iOS 8+ on devices that support Bluetooth LE).
• Monophonic Bass: Changed behaviour. Releasing the lowest key doesn't anymore trigger the bass for the second lowest key.
• Monophonic Bass: Is now independent from MIDI settings.
• Settings: Saved settings can be displayed and loaded directly by long-pressing the settings tab bar icon.

Resolved issues:

• Settings view controller shows correct values after loading saved settings.
• For factory IRs, no symbolic links are used anymore.
• Virtual keyboards operate independently of MIDI settings.
• Virtual keyboards visualise keys that are activated by coupling. (A small flaw remains: When a virtual key that was activated by a coupler is being tapped directly, it ought not be released, but it is.)

New known issues:

• The list of saved settings that you get after long-pressing the settings icon is populated only if the Saved Settings view was previously opened. Fixed in version 4.6.
• Under certain cirumstances, the app may crash when saved settings are loaded (for example, when the reverb settings differ and the reverb section of the Settings view is selected). Fixed in version 4.6.
• The changed overdrive handling for iOS reverb does not work as expected. Workaround: Reduce the app's volume if you hear distortions. Fixed in version 4.6.
• On iPhone and iPod touch, the ABCDE combination buttons are arranged like "ACBDE" instead of "ABCDE". Fixed in version 4.7.

Resolved issues:

• Bugfixes in the handling of saved settings.
• Bugfix in iOS reverb overdrive protection.

New known issues:

• Renaming combinations does not work. Workaround: Duplicate the combination, giving it the new name, then delete the old combination. Fixed in version 4.8.

Resolved issues:

• Correct arrangement of ABCDE combination buttons on iPhone and iPod touch.

Resolved issues:

• Combinations can be renamed without going the duplicate/delete detour.
• Volume changes via MIDI create less noise.
• Audiobus updated to v2.2.1 to resolve an Audiobus issue with iOS 9.

New known issues:

• Does not work on iOS 5 when built like previous versions. This was caused by a change in the Audiobus library. The following are bugfix updates specifically for this issue. Napo is unchanged. Only the build options of the apps are adapted:

New features:

• Audiobus updated to v2.2.2.
• Internal reorganisation of the project structure. (Previous: One project per app. Now: One umbrella project, one target per app.)

New known issues:

• When the currents settings specify a MIDI switch for a stop (coupler, ...), and you load saved settings which do not specify a MIDI switch for this stop (coupler, ...), then the current mapping for this stop (coupler, ...) ought to be removed, but it is not. The user has to manually delete the mapping if he wishes so. Fixed in version 4.10.

New or improved features:

• Audiobus updated to v2.3.1.
• MIDI velocity can be used to control the volume of the pipe sound. (For those who like it.)
• The app icon now shows a countdown badge when the app is running in the background.
• Performance optimisations for the screen keyboard.
• New, less intrusive log mechanism for MIDI connection / disconnection messages and the like.

Resolved issues:

• Fixed the behaviour when settings are loaded or reset. MIDI switch definitions are now correctly removed.
• Fixed a bug that led to annoying error messages when a combination bank was deleted that was currently selected in the Console view.

New features:

• The behaviour when starting and ending an audio recording can be configured (ask for file name or save automatically, with standard file name).
• 24 bit support for the audio recorder.
• Volumes of ranks can be configured ('intontation').
• Suspend/resume for demo pieces.
• When doing "Learn" for a MIDI button, the default mode is now "Toggle On", as this is the most common case.
• Support for sustain pedals. (For those who like it.)
• As this seems to be more common, we now use the range 1,...,16 instead of 0,...,15 when presenting MIDI channel numbers to the user.
• Recording can be started and stopped via MIDI.
• Support for Novation Launchpad MK2. The Launchpad could be used in previous versions also, but now Napo can control its button lights.
• Support for the Files app of iOS 11.
• Improvements in the memory management of the tone generator.
• Audiobus updated to v2.3.3.

New known issues:

• MIDI button definitions created with previous versions do not work. Fixed in version 4.12.
• Unsatisfying performance on older devices. Fixed in version 4.13.
• Unreliable Launchpad initialisation at startup and when returning from background. Fixed in version 4.13.
• Sometimes an error message appears when a combination bank is moved from the device to iCloud or vice versa. This can be safely ignored. Fixed in version 4.13.
• In the list of saved settings that is displayed after long-tapping the settings icon, the settings names are unnecessarily prefixed by "Setting.". Furthermore, the list is displayed only after the Saved Settings view was opened at least once. Fixed in version 4.13.
• Combination banks table view: When a combination bank is long-tapped the first time, then the app does not show the action menu but opens the combination editor. Fixed in version 4.13.
• The combination banks list that is shown after long-tapping the combinations icon is not sorted alphabetically (like in the Combinations view). This also affects the selection of combination banks via MIDI. Fixed in version 4.13.
• 24 bit recordings have a very low volume (and are in fact not really 24 bit). Fixed in version 4.13.

Resolved issues:

• MIDI button definitions created with previous versions work again.

Resolved issues:

• All remaining issues listed for version 4.11.

New known issues:

• The "Bank" button of the Console view does not work correctly on iOS versions prior to 10 without iCloud Drive. Workaround on iOS 8,9: Enable iCloud Drive. On iOS 5,6,7 there is no good workaround, and the button works only after a change in the combination system (e.g. an insertion of a bank or combination) has happened. Fixed in version 4.17.
• In the Settings view, the Show Load entry does not display the Show Load state but the Show Level state. This bug went unnoticed for a long time. Fixed in version 4.17.
• A change of the sample rate is not processed correctly. Workaround: After changing the sample rate, change the reverb setting (and undo this change afterwards). Fixed in version 4.17.

New features:

• The action menu of the Settings view has an entry for opening the Napo online user manual.

New features:

• Layered Console view, for making the large organs usable on iPhone and iPod touch.
• Increased stop button sizes on later iPhone models.

New known issues:

• The virtual keyboard mode of the Console view is faulty. On iPhone, the stop buttons do not work in this mode. Fixed in version 4.16.

New features:

• The labels A,B,C,D,E of the ABCDE combination mode can be replaced by PP,P,M,F,FF

Resolved issues:

• The virtual keyboard mode of the Console view is repaired.

New features:

• Support for the Launchpad Mini.
• Changed Launchpad handling. Must use channel 1 (because of Launchpad Mini). A keyboard at the same channel is allowed.
• Status bar visibility can be configured.
• Increased width and hittable area of black keys and reduced hittable area of white keys of the virtual keyboard, to make it easier to use.
• Performance optimisations for the virtual keyboard.
• Improved connection handling of MIDI source devices.
• Bank and combination indexes in status messages are shown starting with 0 instead of 1.
• Increased size of the "+" add bank button in the combinations editor.

Resolved issues:

• The Bank button of the Console view works fine again in all iOS versions and without the need to have iCloud Drive enabled.
• Sample rate changing is repaired.
• The Show Load button in the Settings view shows the correct state.
• The ordering of the labels of the PP,...,FF combination buttons in landscape mode is corrected. Button M is renamed to MF.

New known issues:

• Settings view: When Launchpad Configuration – Load Defaults is done while the MIDI tab is visible, then the table view does not update itself. Workaround: Switch to another settings tab, then return to the MIDI tab. Fixed in version 4.18.
• Changing the transposition while notes are sounding leaves stuck notes. Workaround: Tap "Notes Off". Fixed in version 4.20.

New features:

• Launchpad button lamps of bank and combination buttons stay lighted instead of just flashing.
• Support for button lamps in Hoffrichter and Pausch-e consoles and other button lamps that can be controlled by note on/off messages.
• Support for percussive instruments (harpsichord, piano).
• Adaptions for iPhone X.

Resolved issues:

• Automatic screen update after Launchpad Configuration – Load Defaults.
• Engine now uses a buffer length of 256 samples (previously 512). But as this did not give a perceptible improvement, we returned to 512 in version 5.20.

New known issues:

• Notes can get stuck when a sustain pedal sends two "on" messages without an "off" message in between. Workaround: Tap "Notes Off". Fixed in version 4.19.

New features:

• Support for Slide Over and Split View (on suitable devices).
• Option to disable sustain pedals.
• Adapted the layout of the stop buttons in the portrait mode of the virtual keyboard view to the layout in the landscape mode.

Resolved issues:

• No more stuck notes with sustain pedals.

New features:

• Option to disable warnings about unexpected note-on/off messages.

Resolved issues:

• No more stuck notes at change of transposition.
• Corrected the ordering of the buttons Prev Bank/Next Bank and Prev Comb/Next Comb in the Launchpad default setting.
• Returned to an internal buffer length of 512 samples to maintain better performance on older devices.

New known issues:

• When the screen keyboard is used in portrait view, then the stop buttons cannot be scrolled. Fixed in version 4.21.

New features:

• Automatic notes off at the transition from suspended to foreground.
• Support for split couplers.

Resolved issues:

• Stop buttons can be scrolled when the screen keyboard is used in portrait mode.

New features:

• Status bar always hidden on iPhone / iPod touch in landscape mode.
• Bluetooth MIDI: Scanning for peripheral devices.
• Configuration by a URL scheme to allow other apps using a Napo app for playing music via Virtual MIDI without the user needing to configure anything.

Planned new features:

• Redesigned combination system.
• Compressed sample files.
• Improved tone generator.

Planned new features:

• Container app for managing arbitrarily many instruments and letting the user create instruments with uploaded samplesets.