Good news everyone!
MPfm 0.6.0.0 has finally been released today, and contains many major changes. Here is a list of the new features:
- Official support for ASIO audio drivers.
- Added support for the BASS MIX plug-in, which enables multiple channel playback and fixes most issues with ASIO.
- Custom controls have been rewritten from scratch to be more scalable, more customizable and ready for theming.
- All windows have been redesigned for a cleaner look and also to have a standard to which apply theming later.
- The Settings window has been redesigned and has a much better interface for the Audio Settings tab.
- Better wave form rendering, now with anti-aliasing and even more precise cursor.
- New tooltips throughout the application for contextual help.
- A new user manual (work in progress) also available on the web.
This is also the first milestone for the new Linux and Mac OS X versions of MPfm. None of these versions are ready for public release. However, if you’re curious, you can take a look at the source code package and build it using MonoDevelop on either platform. The Linux version is functional with a minimal UI. The Mac OS X version is still a prototype.
For more details about the changes in this version, check the MPfm change log.
As usual, you can download the latest MPfm version (including source code) on the MPfm SourceForge home page.
Note: Unfortunately, WASAPI driver support was removed in this version. I’m having issues with audio synchronization with the BASS MIX plugin. It might come back in a later version.
Too many serious and intolerable defects:
1) It is impossible to add markers (at least in Windows XP SP3) as the software returns an error message (or even crashes) at any time you try to set one. Sometimes, when you push the button to create a new marker, even nothing happens;
2) Consequently (with no markers set) the Loop function is non-existent;
3) the Play/Pause/Stop button panel is almost hided and not in the foreground as it should be;
4) The slider “Song Position” is too far away from the “Play” button. This slider should be together with the Play/Pause/Stop button panel;
5) There is not any indication about the last files played. At any time you restart the software, it resets to zero, with no traces of what you have played before. So you have to spend minutes to search for the file again…
6) Many of the setting features do not have the “OK or SAVE” confirmation button, so you never know whether the settings you have done have been properly saved or what;
7) There is no function to compact the interface view;
8) The button “Play selected songs” in the “Song Browser” doesn’t work: to play the song you have to double-click the title;
9) The online help guide doesn’t work. Maybe the developers forgot to update the URL of the web pages to which the help links are addressed;
10) The library does not indicate the nature of the file. Only the file name is displayed without showing whether it is an MP3, or a WAV or whatsoever (that’s fundamental);
11) The Library ignores WAV files if you set the filter in “WV” position. WAV files, although they are inside the chosen directory, do not appear in the library’s list. To have them shown, you must set the filter to “ALL” position, but then you don’t know whch are the WAVE ones and which are not.
In brief: that’s enough for me to look for another one. It’s a pity because this software is named to have been “designed for musicians”, but probably its developers actualy ignore what “being a musician” means or they are still working to debug this software.
Cheers!
Moreovver…
When the “Add Loop” function is active, you cannot have access to the Play/Pause/Stop bar. This means that you ca “punch-in” the loop start and end only in real time. If it happens that you make a mistake, you have to restart the whole procedure (including the loop naming) from the beginning. That will never do…
Hello,
Thanks for your comments, I really do appreciate constructive criticism.
Sorry if you ran into a few bugs, MPfm is still in beta, so you should not expect a completely stable experience.
Not sure why you ran into an issue with markers, I can’t reproduce the issue. It it happening with specific types of audio files?
About the Settings screen, the preferences are actually saved automatically. That’s why there’s no “Save” button.
The “WV” filter is actually for .WV (WavPack) audio files. There should be a “WAV” filter visible in the combo box.
I’ve taken note of your other suggestions, I’ll add them to my backlog for future versions. However, I’m currently rewriting much of the UI to support multiple platforms, so a new version won’t be released until a few months.
I do hope you will eventually find a music player you’ll like, there’s a lot of choices out there!
Thanks
Yanick
Thanks for having replied. I am a musician (not a DJ… a true musician I mean) and your software intensions are exactly what a TRUE musician may expect. So far, I didn’t find anything that can even remotely be compared with yours. Your software has the best concept in the musician point of view. Please, go ahead and keep me informed… I look forward to getting the debugged version,
To reply to your notes:
[Not sure why you ran into an issue with markers, I can’t reproduce the issue. It it happening with specific types of audio files?] It happens on every file, although I only work with MP3 and WAV files. My OS is Windows XP SP3.
[About the Settings screen, the preferences are actually saved automatically. That’s why there’s no “Save” button.] I disagree, it’s wrong and dangerous. For example, I could have made mistakes in the settings, so the request of confirmation is fundamental to avoid wrong settings.
[The “WV” filter is actually for .WV (WavPack) audio files. There should be a “WAV” filter visible in the combo box.] I already unistalled yr software, so I can’t check now (I’ll tell you later). But definitely there was not any WAV option in the pull-down menu as far as I remember.
Please take note of my email address. I’d like to be informed about the next release. Also, I can collaborate for free if you need the Italian language translation (I am Italian).
Rgds
MM