V5.2-5.2c New Features, Updates and Bug Fixes

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5.2c New Features (no 5.2b new features)

[LI]InstallShield Program - The Install program has been upgraded to use InstallShield to install directly under Windows 95, 98. This will be upgraded in Microeditor V5.3 to install under Windows NT 4.0.

[LI]AddOn Interface Code Structure - This new structure allows linking major features into Microeditor without modifying the core code. This is how Karaoke Pro is linked in. In V5.3 the Video window and Direct-X plug-in structure will use this interface.

[LI]Remove Skip Zone Warning Dialog Box - The Unable to adjust one or both ends of marking warning dialog box when adding skip zones has been removed. It usually appeared in silent areas where it doesn\\\'t matter at all, and in true stereo segments where there is no clear zero crossing on both tracks where the user could do no better.

[LI]Change Flag Entry Default State - The Flag field in the Project Screen now defaults to leave the state the user has selected when closing and opening Microeditor. Segment or project flag inserting is the same as before.

[LI]Make Tab and Shift-Tab Stop Waveform Drawing - These now behave the same as the + and - keys. Pressing Tab in any waveform view will stop the waveform drawing, move the view window to the new indicated postion to the left or right and start re-drawing the waveform at the new location. Pressing Tab multiple times will move the view window without showing the waveform until Tab is not pressed again.

[LI]Version 5.2c is not tested to install under Windows NT.


5.2a New Features

Display Defaults dialog box - This command has 3 changes within:
[LI]Show Skip Zone dialog box after zone insertion check box enables the dialog box to appear when the Skip Z icon or the Insert Skip Zone command execute. The default is to not show the dialog box.
[LI]Show Amp Zone dialog box after zone insertion check box enables the dialog box to appear when the Amp Z icon or the Insert Amp Zone command execute. The default is to show this dialog box.
[LI]Keep marking after zone insertion check box replaced the prior Keep/Erase marking on center mouse button radio buttons. The default is to remove the marking after either zone is inserted. Clicking this on does not erase the marking after the zone is inserted.


5.2 New Features

[LI]The Help System has been massively upgraded to include;
[LI]The Contents structure is totally redone including what\'s new and changed
[LI]The Main Help context sensitive pages that use the Help engine are massively upgraded
[LI]A totally new Dialog Help system is now available in each dialog box using the upper right corner \"?\" or right clicking any field

[LI]24-Bit Projects - The selection for a project is set in the File menu New command. In a 24-bit project, left-clicking the Rec A or Rec AB Icon automatically creates 24-bit default sound files regardless of the digital or analog port being recorded. When playing a 24-bit project, the I/O Options command sets whether digital outputs are 16- or 24-bit resolution. Segments from both 16- and 24-bit sample files can be in a 24-bit project. 24-bit projects store 24-bits sound blocks to retain the full sonic resolution. All effects (EQ, Compressor/Limiter, Invert Phase, Burn Edits to Segment) and Group Combining compute 24-bit resolution effect layers.

[LI]16-Bit Projects - Since 1989, Microeditor has done all math calculations with 24 bit registers and 56-bit ac***ulators, but dither-rounded back to 16-bits for mixing. Now, all segments in 16-bit projects compute and dither-round to 24-bits for dynamic (on-the-fly) mixing and output, retaining the full sonic range and clarity of 24-bit precision math. The I/O Options command sets whether AES/EBU or S/PDIF digital outputs are 16- or 24-bit resolution. Segments from both 16- and 24-bit sample files can be in a 16-bit project. All effects and Group Combining compute 16-bit resolution effects layers. When static mixing (usually beyond 12-15 stereo segments overlapped) is required, it dither-rounds and stores16-bit layers to disk.

[LI]24-Bit Static Mixing and Effects Layers - Overlapping segments in 16- or 24-bit projects can be from 16- and 24-bit sound and wave files. 16-bit projects compute and store 16-bit sound blocks on the hard drive for static mix and effect layers.

[LI]24-Bit Effects Send - This EFX menu command now supports 24-bit samples using the Krystal DSP Engine AES/EBU and SPDIF I/O ports.

[LI]32-bit Floating Point Sound Files - Sound files now support IEEE 32-bits floating-point format for storing 24-bit sample data. These require double the hard drive storage as 16-bit integer format sound or wave files. 32-bit Wave files are not supported.

[LI]The View Window has a new look.

[LI]Open Command Uses Explorer Dialog Box - This allows opening any drive and folder, deleting files and creating folders. A new Bit Resolution field shows this for a selected project.

[LI]New Command Uses Explorer Dialog Box - This allows creating a new project on any drive or folder, deleting files and creating folders. A Bit Resolution field now sets this parameter for the project being created. A Save as default settings check box allows changing the defaults that this dialog box shows. A Set Mix default directory check-box allows changing the default folder.

[LI]Sample Rate/Tracks Command Removed - The defaults are now set in the Files menu New command.

[LI]Long Filenames - Microeditor fully supports filenames up to 128 characters in all appropriate fields.

[LI]Record and Files Dialog Boxes Handle 24-bits - The Record New Segments dialog box (right click the record icon) is now titled Record. The Files Dialog Box that appears when the Files button is clicked now uses the new Windows Explorer open dialog for access to any drive and folder, deleting files and creating new folders. It allows recording 16-bit sound and wave files in a 16-bit project, and 24-bit sound files in a 24-bit project.

[LI]Keep Marking After Zone Inserts - This new check box in the Display Defaults command enables the marking to remain after a zone is inserted with marking. The marking can then be used to create zones in overlapping segments at the identical location and duration. When enabled, the mouse center-button inserts skip zones and the marking remains.

[LI]Totally New Zones Dialog Box - The Amp Zone and Skip Zone dialog boxes are now combined as one modeless dialog. Modeless allows this dialog to be visible, and still click into the project to mark or do other operations. Next and Prior buttons in the dialog instantly jump to adjacent zones to see or modify them. Defaults are set in the dialog and can be applied instantly to the selected zone or a new inserted one. The mouse center button still inserts skip zones.

[LI]Zone Defaults Command Deleted - The new Zones dialog box no longer needs this separate command.

[LI]Project Backup MBK File Use Streamlined - Whenever a change is made in the open project, it backs up in the MBK file. Exiting the project deletes the MBK file. However, if power is lost or the computer locks up, the MBK file remains safe on disk. When opening a project MIX file, if its MBK file exists, it opens instead. The warning-selection dialog box no longer appears. The original MIX file is renamed to OLD.

[LI]DAT Backup/Restore Commands Handle 24-Bit Files - The DAT archiving commands will upgrade to archive and restore all files for 24-bit projects. Standard CDROM backup programs also handle 24-bit files and projects.

[LI]Help System Upgraded with Dialog Help - All dialog boxes now have a ? at the upper right corner. Clicking this and any field, button, clickbox, etc. in that dialog box presents a pop-up help message. All details of using dialog boxes are removed from the main Help pages, making this information available when you discover you need it. The primary Help system now gives a better overview and includes a Table of Contents with books and topics.

[LI]Hot Keys - New keys have been added to make working easier:
[LI]C=Display Create Segment open dialog box
[LI]E=Display Edit view (pressing E in Edit returns to the Project view)
[LI]G=sets the captured group number into the selected segment
[LI]Ctrl-G captures the group number of the selected segment and programs it for the G key
[LI]L=Lock selected segment
[LI]M=Mute selected segment
[LI]Ctrl-M=Mute selected group
[LI]P=Play selected group segments only, starting at the play cursor
[LI]S=Split selected segment at the play cursor

[LI]Disk Free Field in Project Screen - This field now factors the open project 16- or 24-bit resolution status when computing the remaining time available on the active hard drive.

[LI]Group Icon Renamed - The GRP DIS icon title was confusing as labled. Now it shows GRP ENAB when gray and groups are enabled. When depressed, it changes to GRP DIS with a red background, and disables grouping to process the segments individually.

[LI]Undo Renamed to Undo Last - This now reflects its true operation.

[LI]Utilities Menu Renamed to Tools Menu - This was done in the Project and Create screens to follow the Windows standards.

[LI]Play Menu I/O Options Command Deleted - This redundant command is now only in the Defaults menu.

[LI]Microeditor Compatibility with Other Programs - Microeditor\'s VXD virtual device driver was incompatible with some programs from Macromedia; notably Director, Freehand, and Painter. This has been upgraded. If you find other programs Microeditor will not work with, please let us know.


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5.2b Bug Fixes

[LI]The Help Icon would not link to the Help file when any other item was clicked on the display. It is now fixed.


5.2a Bug Fixes
[LI]The Compressor/Limitor Command second channel fader did not work. It is now fixed.

[LI]Split Segment, Amp and Skip Zones - These operations now work properly in 24-bit segments. In 5.2 a variable amount of square wave distortion appeared before the edit. This is now fixed.

[LI]Split Segment, Amp and Skip Zones now work properly in 24-bit segments. In V5.2 a variable amount of square wave distortion appeared before the edit.

[LI]Normalize Command and Skip Zone Could randomly lock the Computer. There was a conflict with the Multimedia Device Driver that would Lock up with Normalize, and when entering a Skip zone under certain conditions with Auto-Adjust enabled. This has been fixed.

[LI]Shift+Left or Right Arrow Keys - This locates skip or amp zones. Under certain conditions, this would not work properly. This is now fixed.

[LI]Compressor/Limitor Command - This command did not work in V5.2, but is now fixed.

[LI]Mark Icon Color - This icon now turns yellow when the Keep marking after zone insertion check box is enabled. Before, marking remained active, but the icon color remained gray, which was confusing.

[LI]Split Segment, Amp and Skip Zones - These operations now work properly in 24-bit segments. In V5.2 a variable amount of square wave distortion appeared before the edit.

[LI]Normalize Command and Skip Zone Could Randomly Lock the Computer - There was a conflict with the Multimedia Device Driver that would Lock up with Normalize, and when entering a Skip zone with Auto-Adjust enabled under certain conditions. This has been fixed.

[LI]Mix Defaults Set to Zero - MicroEditor no longer crashes during audition play when high and low mix defaults are both set to zero.

[LI]Fixed Shift-left Arrow Key - This zone search function no longer freezes under certain conditions.

[LI]Fixed occasional noise occurring in 24-bit projects - This could occur when inserting skip and amp zones.


5.2 Bug Fixes
[LI]Record Dialog Box File Flags Did Not Insert - When file flags are enabled in the record dialog box, they now correctly store in the sound file header.

[LI]Audition and Spacebar Play Would Pop - Audition or Spacebar play under some conditions could play a pop whether playing through the analog or digital port I/O output on the Krystal or external I/O module. This did not exist in V2.7b. The pop occurs immediately if playing from the analog port, then selecting and playing through the digital port.

[LI]Overdub with Marking Would Lockup - Using a Pentium or Pentium II computer at 233MHz or faster, Microeditor exhibited random lockups when overdub with marking was terminated early with the Spacebar. This is fixed.

[LI]Overdub in Mono Project Didn\'t Work - Overdub now performs correctly in a mono project.

[LI]Split Segment Deletes Flags Bug - If a segment flag is at the very first or last sample in a segment, executing the Split Segment command would delete the flag(s). The flags now remain after the segment is split.