Month: March 2024

JAX Dynamics : Gate (super universal release and update)

We released JAX Gate, the third item in our Dynamics Series and the first update (version 3.6) is already integrated. The update fixes preset naming and integrates a new preset management dialog.

Super universal releases are available on iOS, iPadOS, visionOS and macOS (Apple Silicon).

A note to our new JAX preset management: 

A host app cannot surely assume, where the presets of a plugin / app extension (AudioUnit AUv3) are stored. Each audio unit can define and manage its own private space for handling and storing user presets. The host does not know and also has no possibility to call up the correct location of the user presets from the audio unit, as these presets are handled as pure data inside the AudioUnit framework, with no path information at all.

Some hosts do a guessing game here or assume the user presets are saved in a certain (predefined) directory on disk, inside a local private space of the audio unit. However, this assumption is wrong. 

Our audio units have to ensure correct preset handling on all supported platforms (macOS, visionOS, iOS, iPadOS and tvOS) and therefore this storage location is private and only known and accessible by our audio units. In our opinion this is a critical savety concern. So we will not allow any host application wildly accessing and modifying our audio units private storage spaces (i.e. for saving user presets).

( For instance the app AUM on iOS obviously tries to save user presets of any 3rd party audio unit by accessing it’s private storage space directly. This is not supported by our audio units and ( besides being a private storage space access violation ) will result in having no effect. )

We implemented a preset sharing option inside the new preset management dialogs, which makes it possible to share user presets manually across all supported platforms with explicit import and export functions.

JAX AudioVisualizer (update)

We submitted update 1.3 to the Apple AppStore today. This update adds 8 new shaders as promised.

Some thoughts for extension

I think, we will overwork the entire concept.

At the beginning we merely had the simple idea to provide an easy to use audio visualizer based on the AudioUnit framework, which can select different prepared shaders and apply several audio analysis results to the rendering of visuals via parametric control in realtime…

But now I can see the huge potential of this and want to apply a more complex concept. So we probably will introduce a second dynamic texture layer, which can blend with the first. This significantly will increase the possibilities. Both shaders will be independently in their parameters and computation.

But this will require to specialise the shaders even more. These must support true alpha transparency and additionally all commonly used graphics composition blend modi on the shader level. This all will increase the current parameter set significantly, of course.

The performance of the Metal framework is excellent and 2 layers should work without any problems according the GPU/CPU usage. ( You may have recognized already, that the audio unit is using CPU around 1 percent at current state and so outperforms any other realtime visualizer we have seen yet. )

A later extension ( PRO version? ) also could integrate a shader coder environment, meaning a text editor and just in time (JIT) compiler, where the user can put in own code, which then is validated and compiled in realtime to a new user created Metal shader. This shader coder, of course would user Apples shader language consequently, which is somewhat different than the commonly used GLSL language and also more strict regarding memory sharing and usage.

The significantly increased parameter set probably also would require a new parameter editor and so on. So maybe this all is for a “PRO” version of the JAX AudioVisualizer.

A third step could be a MIDI based parameter sequencer, which allows to create a complete timeline driven storyboard with the entire system for controlled playback.

JAX Dynamics : Compressor (super universal release and update)

( Update note: ) We released the first item of our Dynamics Series, the JAX Compressor today. Super universal releases are available on iOS, iPadOS, visionOS and macOS (Apple Silicon).

There was an issue reported with version 3.5, where the preset saving is broken on some platforms. We are now about updating all 4 items in the Dynamics Series for fixing that issue.

The items are release-scheduled one by one the next days and the upcoming update should migrate automatically into this.

NEW: JAX AudioVisualizer (super universal release)

Our latest release, the JAX AudioVisualizer (AudioUnit AUv3) is FINALLY now available as super universal release (iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, macOS) on the Apple AppStore.

It was delayed for the typical unacceptable reasons that are picked up regularly by the anonymous app store review people for just showing you their master power. The users always will suffer from such. There are 2 updates now pending in the meantime, version 1.2 (which adds a file load button to the standalone app) and version 1.3. (which adds 8 more shader Metal models) and a set of new parameters. Release schedule: unknown. ^^

The manual is available too.

NEW : JAX Concert Grands : Xperior (universal release)

JAX Xperior Concert Grand features 4 new international piano models with a distinctive sound character, timbres possibly missing in our Concert Grands Collection until now.

Existing customers, who purchased one of our JAX Concert Grands in the past are entitled for getting a free promo code for the purchased JAX Xperior Concert Grand. Please contact us.