Plans for Orinj version 4

admin: First posted on 2016 11 18

A lot of work was done between Orinj versions 2 and 3, but there is always more. My take on what is important and should be implemented soon is below.

Important functionality that may require sizeable changes

The two things that I consider very important are as follows.

• The multitrack sessions should be able to include and work with drum loop files created with the loop building view. In versions 2 and 3, the user has to modify loop files in the loop building view and mix them to wave files, which can then be imported in the multitrack session. The better thing to do would be to allow the user to include loop files in the multitrack session. In the session, the user could double-click on the loop file to open it in the loop building view, from where any changes would automatically appear in the multitrack session. We managed to add MIDI files to the session with Orinj version 3. We should be able to also add loops with version 4.
• There must be a better way to work with Orinj on tablets. Most of the user work now requires the standard menus at the top of the software. Perhaps it is OK to continue to use these menus, but if there is a way to make user input easier, we should deploy it.

Other functionality

The following are easier items. Some of those may even appear in future versions 3, rather than wait until version 4.

• Orinj needs some additional monitoring tools, such as a phase oscilloscope and a runtime spectrogram. Both can be implemented as part of the Orinj effect pack.
• Other effects may be useful too. Maybe a wah wah? A dither? A gated reverb?
• Some changes should be done to the use of markers. The markers are now manipulated outside of the wave and MIDI files, but should be a part of these files. There are wave chunks and MIDI messages that can handle markers.
• There will be some improvements to the MIDI channel pressure and key pressure controls. Each of these specifies the amount of pressure and a MIDI device needs many such messages to produce the varying pressure that we expect. Orinj should make it easier for the user to create many such controls.
• Java applications still do not look great on high resolution screens as they are not automatically scaled (see Orinj Known issues). Java 9 is supposed to include the relevant functionality, but will only be released after mid-2017. If it is delayed or if it does not include automatic scaling, we may have to revise the Orinj code to allow the scaling of components.
• Orinj should be able to record MIDI.
• Orinj can implement volume and pan envelopes in the MIDI roll view. The volume and pan envelopes in the multitrack session already work for MIDI files.
• It is possible to add VST support to Orinj, although we should review VST licensing requirements first.
• Orinj could implement iXML support, although I see iXML functionality as mostly related to video work.
• There should be support for more languages. I am hoping some of our users will decide to translate the Orinj language XML files.

authors: mic