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NEWS

JAX Convolutor Pro (Audio Unit)

11/18/2019 - We are happy to announce the release of our new Audio Unit (AUv3) for iOS and macOS:
The JAX Convolutor, a convolution reverberator. This is the first x-platform audio unit convolution reverb of new generation. It allows to import user defined impulse response (IR) files and is specially optimized for touchscreen usage.

JAX Convolutor uses highly optimized DSP up to low level Assembler (machine language), as you may expect from a professional grade convolution processor. Despite the missing multithreading features of AUv3, our unit is able to process even very large files with reasonable performance inside a single thread, multiple instances are supported, of course.

In our stress tests we loaded and processed up to 128 seconds !!! long IR files with ease. Such long files are b.t.w. ‘unreal’, because the physical laws do not allow such large spaces in nature. But users usually are trying to load the entire universe (with all that space) into their mobile devices ^^

"128 Seconds". The Size of a Universe.

Try to play for instance thru our “Universe!” preset, which uses a 32 seconds long IR file with the same name. You will not notice any remarkable difference in performance, compared to usually much shorter IR files.

We will place a pre-order schedule with 50% introductory price soon for the first release. Regular price: 19.99 €.
Release date: (hopefully) December 15. 2019.

JAX Convolutor Pro (preview macOS). Provisional manual.

RELEASED!

11/12/2019 - Release schedule completed. The official macOS (Mac AppStore) version of the JAX Decimator has successfully passed the app store review process and will be released today.

11/11/2019 - iOS version of JAX Decimator was released (as scheduled) today! But the macOS version is in stuck by the Apple app review processing. If the macOS app is not available in the AppStore until tomorrow, we will provide a manual download here for a signed App package to satisfy our users.

You may downlad a signed (notarized) version of the macOS App as a zipped disk image (*.dmg file).

Just unzip the downloaded archive (*.zip file) if not done automatically, open the disk image (.dmg) by clicking on it, drag and drop the app to your applications folder. Open it for testing, the audio unit is registered automatically by the system for usage with all supporting AUv3 apps (GarageBand, Logic Pro X, MainStage and so on).
Note 1: Starting the app directly from the disk image may work but this will not properly register the audio unit for system wide usage.
Note 2: The download will not work from inside the included documentation resources on iOS for security reasons, You must open our website (https://midi.digitster.com) on the mac to perform the download.

GOING 'TRUE UNIVERSAL' !

11/07/2019

We are about to ship a major release with our new audio unit (AUv3), the 'JAX Decimator'!
This release is so important, because it opens a new aera for all of our audio units:

The availability on macOS, iPadOS and iPhoneOS.

Therefore we completely rewrote the AU code base of our audio units to support these 3 different platforms. This was much work, because just recompiling for other platforms with one click does not work for audio units. The core DSP code is shared between the units, so sound is identical with all releases.

The macOS versions will support macOS 10.13 and above ( available in the macOS App Sore ), the iOS versions iOS 12.0 and higher ( available in the iOS App Store ). ( So this is NOT a Catalyst release, which would require macOS Catalina. However, Catalina is fully supported with our units. ).

The audio units will be shipped with their own host app ( distribution envelope ) for testing out of the box. After downloading these are available to all hosts, actively supporting AUv3 on each platform. ( Special 'AUv3 mode' is not required / recommended due to performance reasons on the macOS. ) AUv3 units are sandboxed on all systems an may have limited access to resources and introduce short automation latency in AUv3 mode.

Please note, that AUv3 on the macOS is a relatively new approach ( and in some aspects fundamentally different ) and can be specially configured with Logic Pro X's plugin manager. They also load into latest versions of Apples GarageBand and MainStage 3 without any configuration requirements.

We will now successively update all of our iOS audio units, the JAF and JAX seies, to support the new distribution politics.

Our units remain to be exclusively available on Apple systems!

( Please understand, that despite the sharing compatibility, the macOS versions are completely separate products and must be sold and downloaded independently. Currently and unfortunately the App Store does not provide any X-Platform purchase capability. Possibly this will change in the future. )

Download the manual for JAX Decimator.

JAF MODEL ONE - DEMO IMPRESSIONS

( Only the free MODEL ONE is used in this demo and no external or additional sound devices or such.
The screams are completely synthesized by the instructions for the Bionic chip on an iPad Pro 12.9 in realtime ):

Download the manual for JAF MODEL One or for the complete JAF COLLECTION

10/01/2019 - JUST AN IMPORTANT WARNING

iOS/iPpadOS 13 and newer devices are just not ready for professional audio production!
DO NOT UPGRADE, if you have allot of audio projects with samplerates other than 48.000 Hz.

For some unknown reason the systems samplerate is fixed to 48.000 Hz and cannot be changed by DAWs anymore.
Some host may still ignore this and so produce continuous crackle with projects created in other samplerates, especially when audio units are used. This is an unbelievable fault in the latest versions of iOS and Apples devices and just not solved with numerous updates yet !!!

Note: These issues seem to be very device dependent too. While we are for instance able to switch samplerates on an iPad Pro 1st generation (iOS 12) with ease and freely, it is not possible on an iPad Pro 3rd generation (iOS 13) or an iPhone XR. This is finally NOT any EVOLUTION, this is just DEGRADATION.

The only solution would be to buy professional external sound interfaces for the newer generations of iOS devices. This reduces mobile music production experience significantly, again.

09/01/2019 - A small demonstration of a project in progress is on our youtube channel.

The audio units are part of our MIDISWEET series. The units basically allow to load entire MIDI files into audio routing environments and play these back with the multi-channel GM compatible sound module or even routing the MIDI tracks individually to any synthesizer app or other audio unit.

08/29/2019 - The free introductory offers for JAX !Make Louder and JAX Stereo Tool will end with 15. Septemnber 2019. Regular price tags for both Audio Units are 6,99 €. We want to emphasize with this, that these free apps have a certain value and are not just free 'crap'.

We generally will release some of our coming apps for a free introductory period, until issues are discovered and eliminated. This replaces 'beta tests' as these are too much time consuming and ineffective. We guess, that over 80 percent of so-called 'releases' on the iOS platform are 'just in a kind of beta state' and remain that even after years of selling without seeing any update ever.

08/28/2019 - As announced, the introductory price for the JAF Collection ends September 01. 2019. Regular Price tag is 16,99€.

JAF Model One currently is still free but this may change in the future, as the interest for our free Audio Units is far too low. The plugins do not even range in the top 200 music apps anymore and thus, free apps of such high quality are a waste of investment, time and resources, which merely would make any sense, if we had some advertizing ranging them in the top lists of free apps.

08/25/2019 - If you run into problems with expired PROMOTION CODES for the JAF Collection, PLEASE NO PANIC! Just contact us with the expired code, we will send you a new valid code then. Promotion codes generally have a validity of 30 days. This is a limitation by Apple. Once these are accepted, the download is valid for lifetime like any usual purchse with the exception, that you cannot make revieews for the downloaded products in the App Store (another Apple restriction).

08/19/2019 - The latest JAF & JAX updates are available for download in the App Store now.

08/18/2019 - The JAF series updates are (1.4) is on the way. We hope very much, that these are not delayed by App Store review process again. More info can be found in the version history.

08/16/2019 - We are sorry to inform you, that the JAX !Make Louder update 2.0 currently is DELAYED (rejected) by the App Store review staff. Release date: Unknown.

Unfortunately this happens quite often with our releases, as the staff notoriously is asking for videos demonstrating basic iOS features regarding Bluetooth MIDI. We have not the time to endless capture videos on devices, as this distracts us from user support, feature requests and future developments. Such behavior is even more confuse, as the Bluetooth MIDI feature dialogs are not developed by us, but entirely by Apple themself.

It does not make any sense forcing developers to endlessly demonstrate iOS system features, as the developers do not even have access to the code of this nor even any real chance to interact with these closed system processes directly. The feature is also merely an additional (not required) feature of our distribution apps. We will remove the feature from all our apps therefore completely, just to overcome these inacceptable barriers.

JAX !Make Louder 2.0 got new UI, parameters and DSP extensions.

08/15/2019 - We are about to upload the JAX !Make Louder major update 2.0 today. There will be a couple of significant extensions with this release, for the user interface, as for the DSP.

JAX !Make Louder is also still free currently, but this will change. The acceptance of free audio units by the users is quite not as we expected. Some of them may even think, these are worth nothing. But the development and maintenance of such audio units requires a significant amount of time, resources and expertice. The algorithms are mostly based on years of research and continuous evolution of algorithms. We want to point that out, by setting a regular *value* (in form of a price tag) for this plugin to 3.99€, becoming effective with September 2019. Excisting users will have it for free and for lifetime.

08/15/2019 - The JAX Stereo Tool got its third maintenance update today. It is available for download and installation. The version history can be seen here. Please note, that JAX ST. will be still free for an introductory period. This will change, as the effort to maintain such a tool is significant amount of work. We want to thank all users, actively reporting issues and transmitting whishes for improvements within the free introductory period. The regular price tag for JAX Stereo Tool will be 3.99€, entering effective state September, the 01. 2019. Excisting users will have it for free and for lifetime.

08/09/2019 - We are about to build a combi update 1.4 / 1.5 for the JAF series. 1.4 fixes some remaining user interface quirks and provides moveable modal boxes now. Update 1.5 concentrates to sound issues with some filters and also newly integrated DSP stuff. The reason for the update combination is, that regular App Store updates are so slowly proceeding that we mostly have a new update ready while the previous one is not even released by the review process.

08/08/2019 - We are just not satisfied with out JAF series. There are still some user interface quirks. Our UI design is based on pure scalable vector drawing. We developed our own complex library of controls based on hotspot detection, everything was developed from the scratch and with SWIFT 5. This makes all so complicated, as we do not want to use any third party controls or libraries. So we have to go the hard way, the long way...

The next update will hopefully fix most of these obvious quirks, so that we can concentrate more to the audio code. The core of the audio code is of course Objective C, C++ and much C. So yes, one needs to know at least 3 fundamentally different programming languages, to code Audio Units! And this is everything but easy.

08/07/2019 - We are working on the update for JAX !Make Louder. The released Audio Unit will get 2 new hot tube amplifier models and transform into a true vintage booster this way. The resizable user interface will be extended to cover new parameters with control.

08/05/2019 - JAF maintainance updates 1.3 are out now! You can update via App Store. Please read the version notes, because there are some changes, that may require to reconfigure existing projects.

08/04/2019 - Maintenance updates 1.3 for JAF series are transmitted to the App Store for review. The version changes can already be seen in the version history.

08/03/2019 - The MIDI SWEET series will start soon. The first released tools are MIDI Clock Sync and MIDI Monitor2, two useful Audio Units for MIDI Clock impulse generation and MIDI data stream analysis.

07/31/2019 - JAX !Make Louder was released yesterday. It's available in the App Store now.

07/29/2019 - We shipped a new free Audio Unit today. The app must go thru the App Store review process first, as always. It usally needs more than 24 hours to get an app into the App Store for distribution. More information can be found on the JAX product page.

But I just need a change,
Again.

"Stuck underwater.
I'm stuck underwater.
I just need some space,
My friend.
It's not what you wanted.
It's not what you wanted.
But I just need a change,
Again.
Help me out before I drown!
Save me now before I give up."

AUM parameter exposing will now (finally) come with the maintenance updates 3.

( We (too) love AUM. It surely was not our intention to blame someone or something. We just pointed out, that some implementations (as for instance requiering exotic code flags) will probably lead to unexpected disfunctionality, however, we found the problem out now.
We also have to deal with really harsh and unpolite criticisms by useres. All the time. )

NEW FEATURES, NEW BUGS

The second maintenace update is out! Due to the highspeed coding for the W:T:F! extension, of course there came new bugs too. Sometimes the model selector disappears unexpectedly, for instance when one wants to zoom into while the selector is open. Sometimes the selector is still 'silently' active after it even disappeared... well that's really all kind of W.T.F!

We will fix that with the next update. The way to a 'polished' and perfect audio unit is quite long and stoney. But in sum, all the hints from users, reports and reviews give us an idea for improvements and further extensions.

We really like AUM. For its clearness and scalability and all. But we have no clue, why our units do not work there. We tried everything. Currently the parameter automation and iteration does work correctly with other flagship host applications. If someone has a technical hint for us, why AUM refuses to work with us, so please tell us!

UPDATES

07/27/2019 - Our second maintenance updates are currently in review by the App Store Staff. The release should proceed today. We apologize for these delays, as this entire process is always very slow. The updates are ready since 2 days, merely waiting for being shipped.

W.T.F!

07/26/2019 - We are introducing the brand new W.T.F! button.

Now, that our audio units are really bad is well known in the meantime.^^ But many things that we've implemented to be 'features' are actually understood as 'bugs' ... uuuhgh!... by some users. The contrast adjustment overlay for instance, the touch slider menus for instance... it seems, that users are not even able to see the new horizonts of our intuitive 'pinch2zoom&move' technology too and so on...

The fact, that host plugin 'windows' can just be resized with nearly any flagship host app now and our audio unit interfaces additionally can be freely resized inside them, seems to be autside of the deep-frozen horizon of many, many, well, ...some users.

However, we react now - with a certain subsonic sarcasm - to that and have invented the W.T.F! button. Just to overcome at least one of these artificial 'issues' and so-called 'bugs' or 'design flaws', that were intended to be ,,, eerrmmm .. features!

So we still do not understand some rants that users are firing up into the universe. So we probably will also remove the entire 'contrast overlay adjustment technology' (scheduled for Nobel innovation price) next from our plugins, merely, that the users actually give us a break with that!

UPDATE 2 WILL BE TRANSMITTED

07/25/2019 - the second maintenance update for the JAF Collection, the JAF Model One and the JAX Stereo Tool will be transmitted to the App Store for review today. A preview of the changes can be seen in the version history and here.

JAF & JAX MAINTENANCE UPDATES 2

07/24/2019 - We are working with highspeed on second maintenance update for all of our released products. We actually have around 40° celsius temperature here in Germany, so dreamly splashing in the water falls out!

[ The maintenance update is planned for transmission to the App Store in the next 48 hours. After this, it may last another 48 hours to be processed by the app review staff. ]

THE PROOOOVES

07/24/2019 - (srcsm wrn) There are actually several 'trolls' active, seriously claiming, we do ship and sell 'SCAMS' to the folks. Those also do post App Store reviews then, with zero points and massive frustrative bashing.
So we have uploaded 2 short videos, where we simply just open randomly some flagship host application and DO load our Audio Units ( THE 'SCAMS') into for operation. Just for the sake of demonstration of these our "SCAMS" in realtime... By the way, more of such our 'SCAMS' are shipped soon. The released 'SCAMS' also will be updated with the second maintenance update shortly, that's actually then a free 'SCAM Support Deluxe' (2 major updates inside 72 hours) from 'SCAM' INC. LIMITED.

THE 'SCAMS'

... well ... perhaps we will also consider to change the name of our series to ... ermm ...
'SCAM' and 'SCAM PRO' soon. ^^ But now, at first, we will purchase some caribic islands from all the millions, we have earned with or 'SCAMS' so far...

We (too) are deprecating IAA...

The [JAX] Stereo Tool released!

07/23/2019 - The JAX Stereo Tool, our visual stereo processing Audio Unit from the JAX [ Just An Extension ] series was released to the App Store. The technical reviewing process unfortunately lasted so long, that in the meantime we have built a first maintenance update for this audio processor. The update fixes usability issues and activates the "recover mono" and the "test mono" modi. These were disabled by accident in the initial release. We apologize for that !

[ The priority update is scheduled: 2019/07/23/24:00 for transmission to the App Store ] - Transmission proceeded - Released!

BETA TESTING & Apple TestFlight :

07/23/2019 - We are continuously looking for new beta testers. This gives anyone the chance to use our new apps actively before these are released. Active beta testers may profit from a limited amount of commercial app promotion codes, which enables them to use the released apps for free. You just need to download Apples TestFlight App from the App Store and contact us for beta test registration with a supplied email address. As soon a new beta release is available you will be informed by Apple and by us.

JAF Maintenance Update :

07/22/2019 - Dear User! We are currently working with highspeed on the first maintenance update for the JAF Collection and JAF MODEL ONE (mainly reported user interface issues and usability improvements). We apologize for these issues as we did not see these!
[ The priority update was scheduled: 2019/07/22/24:00 for transmission to the App Store] - Transmission proceeded - Released!

RELEASED!

THE JAF COLLECTION & JAF MODEL ONE

Exclusively available on iOS : Analog Modeled Synthesizer Filters.
Transforming your iOS Device into a Vintage Audio Filter.

" Droning, roaring, screaming, soaring.
It cuts through stuff as a razor or, likely, such as jackhammer.
Shakes your ears like wildest cattle.
Catch it! Tame it! "

We are very excited to announce the release of our JAF [ Just A Filter ] Collection series.

The JAF MODEL ONE is a free app that deliveres an analog modelled filter module as an universal app and an Audo Unit. (These are Apple exclusive audio connection technologies on their mobile devices platform as on the Mac OS.) The JAF COLLECTION is the commercial release and includes over 30 different unique sounding filter models inside one interface, including the legendary classic synthesizer-filter models of the golden age of analog sounding.

The app is now available in the App Store.

DEAR USER, A NOTE ...

Please, prior doing a rating or review : If you have found issues, plesase contact us for SUPPORT. We usually will reply to your mails inside 24 hours, we'll look at the problem and possibly do update the current version immediately.

PENDING RELEASE:

We are awaiting the release of the JAX Stereo Tool soon. Currently the app is reviewed by the App Store Staff. A first maintainance uptate is underway.

HOWTOS

How to use the included oscillators with JAF MODEL ONE & JAF COLLECTION ?

JAF MODEL ONE and JAF Collection include its own powerfull analog modeled oscillator section with unison. This simple fact transforms the filters into a unique and powerful sounding synthesizer, which can be remote controlled via MIDI note and control messages. The following video demonstrates the activation of the unison oscillators:

How to connect JAF COLLECTION to MIDI via Bluetooth ?

Establisching Bluetooth connections with the JAF MODEL ONE and/or the JAF COLLECTION is easy. Our apps can (optionally) publish and receive via Bluetooth MIDI connections. After a bluetooth connection was made, there will be a new MIDI port available on the receiving device, which can handle these MIDI messages. In the following videos we will use an iPad Pro 12.9 as the receiver and an iPhone XR as the Bluetooth MIDI publisher.

NOTE: JAF COLLECTION and JAF MODEL ONE are not limited to use Bluetooth MIDI or even MIDI at all, but these are additional options to exchange realtime MIDI data wireless between divices. So Bluetooth and network MIDI can make sense but we recomment to use wired MIDI connections for best timing and production stability.

1: Publish as a Bluetooth sender:

2. Connect to the sender and activate the newly created MIDI port:

The supported MIDI controllers are documented with the MIDI Implementation Chart inside the manuals.

Note: Our app releases are always 'universal', that means, you may install and use them on any mobile iOS device. But for productivity reasons, we surely recommend to use it on an iPad Pro in landscape mode.

Who we are and where we come from?
We are a small development team, sitting in Germany, Our goal is to release unique and useful audio tools with passion for the iOS and Mac OS oerating systems. If you need help or have offers and ideas, so please contact us per email. NOTE: We are continuously looking for BETA TESTERS, who have an whole battery of audio apps installed on their iOS systems. If you are interested, so please contact us! Public app reviewers who are interested in our developments can get our commercial releases from a limited promotion contingent.

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