Release of Orinj v2.0.0 beta

Submitted by mic on Mon, 03/26/2018 - 13:24

admin: First posted on 2009 02 04

I have not been blogging for a while, but it was all for a good cause – the development and release of a recording and mixing piece of software. Creating this software took a while, but it was worth doing. I learned a lot and I can finally "put my money where my mouth is". Orinj is not yet released. Hopefully it will be by the time you read this post.

The name

I originally planned on "Orange", but it seems that the name is already trademarked. Thus, we have "Orinj".

The platform

The software was developed in Java and contains almost nothing platform specific (the Mac was a challenge). I have so far successfully used it on Windows (XP and Vista), Linux (Fedora Core 10), and Mac (Tiger, if I remember correctly) under Java Runtime Environment 1.5 and 1.6. All of this was done without software modifications. Thus, the same software will run on various operating systems. Recording sessions and other files can similarly be moved from one system to the other without changes. I have obviously also tested Orinj on various hardware including computers and soundcards with no major issues so far.

Functionality

I wanted a piece of software that will take care of common recording needs: 1) recording on separate tracks and mixing with appropriate effects; 2) building audio loops from audio samples; 3) working with and recording MIDI files; and 4) working with single wave audio files.

Without going into too much detail on functionality and specifications I can say that Orinj is organized in four views along the lines described above. A multi- track recorder allows the user to record audio data in standard pulse code modulation (PCM) wave files, adjust the mix volume and pan, add track specific effects such as delays, compressors, and equalizers, and mix the resulting composition into a single file. A loop building view allows the use of small drum wave samples distributed with the software to build various drum loops. The Orinj installation already provides about 70 or so examples of drum loops built with the software. The user can mix these into wave files for use in the multi- track recorder. A MIDI roll view allows composing MIDI files and recording them into waves. The idea is that there are instruments that the user may not possess or may not know how to play; he or she can use those here. I have already built and used a piano piece for one of my songs. I have provided a few examples within the Orinj installation. The last view of Orinj allows the user to play and modify single PCM files.

Prices and licenses

At this point the plan is to release Orinj as a demo version, which can be unlocked with the purchase of a single user license sold for about 15 USD. The plan may change. On one hand Orinj was developed and tested by a single person, which is never a good thing. The software has not yet been "validated" by numerous potential users. Also, other similar – and good – software already exists. On the other hand, the sum is symbolic. Developing, licensing, and selling a full-blown application takes a lot of effort.

Version 2

Version 1 was never released. It was too simplistic and is currently lost somewhere in infinite backups. Version 2 will be released first as a "beta" version with demo capabilities. Following additional testing and, perhaps, user comments, the "final" version 2 will be released later. I expect that there will be at least three-four months between the final and the beta versions.

Version 2 already has several known issues. For example, some icons do not work on Macs and some sliders do not move fast on Windows (the latter turned out to be an issue with the current Java release, and cannot be fixed through Orinj). A better listing of known issues will be provided on the Orinj download page, which is…

Where?

Orinj will be released on this site (RecordingBlogs.com). The web site page that will provide the download and licensing information is already under construction and may or may not be ready by the time you read this post. Stay tuned.

Blogs and discussions

I am starting a new blog group and I have similarly finally structured the discussion forums for Orinj separately. It is unfortunate that you cannot post anonymously to the Orinj discussions. The software used to develop this web site does not seem to allow you to do so. If you are registered with RecordingBlogs though, you can point to bugs, ask questions, and so on. If you really do not want to register, perhaps you can post initial questions or comments as comments to this post.

authors: mic

Add new comment

Filtered HTML

  • Freelinking helps you easily create HTML links. Links take the form of [[indicator:target|Title]]. By default (no indicator): Click to view a local node.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.