Release Notes
Version 1.6.3
Version 1.6.3 is a bit of a general update under the hood. Other fixes include several layout optimizations on iPad, a fix for a issue when live stepping through a composition, and more.
Version 1.6.2
New version with several graphic fixes and some performance tweaks.
Version 1.6.1
This update improves the way Quincy renders in Dark Mode.
Version 1.6.0
This version add some minor bugfixes and also addresses several layout issues.
Version 1.5.8
This version improves iOS 12 support and fixes some minor layout issues.
Version 1.5.5
This version fixes a small sound allocation issue and improves Ableton Link performance.
Version 1.5.4
Version 1.5.4 adds Audiobus 3 compatibility as Audio or MIDI source and a new sample composition called Gypt.
Version 1.5.2
Version 1.5.2 adds Ableton Link integration and significant performance improvements.
Version 1.5.0
Quincy 1.5.0 comes with a redesigned and much more compact document list. In addition each title now shows a variety of metadata per composition including module name, speed and base key. Title highlighting is a bit more pronounced and scroll speeds are now much faster.
A lot of attention was also spent on the experience of running Quincy in landscape view. We added new statusbar animations, several new status announcements and moved the button for Quincy's store window to the bottom toolbar to have it available in either viewing mode. A couple of issues surrounding the renaming of compositions in landscape view have been addressed as well.
Another bunch of fixes address issues surrounding sample compositions. Version 1.5.0 features updated default and add-on sample compositions with current thumbnails and settings. An issue where add-on sample docs may have been overwritten on app launch could occur in some configurations has been fixed. Other improvements include improved sound generation and faster document reading speeds.
Version 1.2.5
This version add much improved support for iOS 10 and also fixes several minor draw issues.
Version 1.2.2
The main issue addressed in version 1.2.2 is background performance. CPU demands have been drastically reduced to avoid forceful termination of the app by the OS in some configurations.
Version 1.2.1
Version 1.2.1 fixes an issue with localized versions of Quincy (i.e. French) that could lead to crashes when opening documents associated with specific add-on modules. The problem was caused by faulty translations of scale names and has been fixed.
Version 1.2.0
In version 1.2.0 we incorporated a whole bunch of performance optimizations and updated Audiobus and IAA compatibility on iOS. But the major news item in this release are 10 brand-spanking new modules. Yes - count them - 10! We call them 2nd gen modules internally because they are quite a bit more intricate than the original 3 modules Chroma, Gregorian and Pentrix. Please expect a small performance hit with very intricate compositions in some as Quincy does an incredible amount of calculations under the hood. But - iOS devices have gotten quite a bit faster since the original release and there are now many optimization techniques available should one decide to run the app on an iPad 2 for example.
Our new modules are called Bebop, Blue, Ethnos, Gupta, Hepta, Hexa, Lydia, Nona, Octo and Spain.The naming convention gives a hint about the available tone material (i.e. scales) for these modules. Bebop for Bebop scales, Blue for Blues scales and Hexa, Hepta, Octo and Nona feature scales with 6, 7, 8 and nine notes. Ethnos takes ethnic scales of all kinds, Spain a smattering of Spanish themed scales and Gupta over 30 Ragas. We put together a playlist of short excerpts from the accompanying sample docs on SoundCloud which nicely illustrate the difference between these new modules.
Version 1.1.0
In version 1.1.0 we have several UI changes. The main toolbars for play, edit and draw modes have been updated with new graphics and highlighting labels plus the color coding of transport UI elements has been refactored to better indicate state. The BPM indicator is now animated in a metronome style and the main draw pattern view has been inverted for better contrast. There were also some moves to keep the iOS version of Quincy in line with the Mac OS version and to present a more logical association as well. The 'use syllables' switch has been moved to the settings window and audio instruments were moved to the module settings window. The latter now fill the entire window instead of using the system picker. Tool slider view animations have been refactored for a snappier feel and the scope of undoable parameters has been widened.
There were also some bugfixes. Notably stepping through a composition now works immediately with newly opened documents. Also, color changes are now immediately reflected in the live draw cursor. Also, module setting headers for Voices and Rhythm now appear consistently.
Version 1.0.6
After six long weeks in Apple's review queue Quincy 1.0.6 is now available on the App Store. While there were some small bug fixes and graphic fixes here and there the main focus of this release was to add undo/redo functionality. Due to space limitations this functionality is limited to the iPad - there simply wasn't room to add another 2 buttons on the iPhone interface. Undo is implemented as document wide and limitless, meaning that the undo chain gets released when closing a file (which happens when opening a new document) and also that there is no upper limit of the number of undo steps. The two new toolbar buttons (undo and redo) are located in the center of the iPad's main toolbar and only available in edit mode (iPad is in portrait orientation). In this release all draw and edit operations are undoable as well as a number of document settings. This will be expanded even further in the next release.
Version 1.0.5
Most of the changes in this release are 'under the hood' and mainly boost performance and stability under iOS 8, but there are also several visual updates in Quincy 1.0.5. The document list on iPads has been tightened, graphics have been updated with 3x resolution (for iPhone 6 Plus and future devices with this resolution). Grid cells can now be displayed as circles via the new 'round' option in Settings. Draw pattern selection is now available while playing back scenes and the max tempo has been upped to 220. There are also some fixes. The live draw cursor for drawing cells while playing now correctly updates to the current color and Quincy Lite now supports file sharing via iTunes.
Version 1.0.4
Version 1.0.4 adds improved performance on iOS 8. Also of note in this release is support for Audiobus 2.
Version 1.0.3
Version 1.0.3 adds virtual MIDI which can be used by compatible external synth and MIDI recording apps. The settings window has been refactored with flyout sections for Audio instrument and reverb sections. A dedicated "play in background" option has been added as well.
Version 1.0.2
Version 1.0.2 is a small update with an important bugfix. It addresses an intermittent crash occurring on some iPhones when exiting the Modules window after changing the module's scale.
Version 1.0.1
There are many changes in version 1.0.1 resulting mainly from the added support for Audiobus. A lot of these are "under the hood", but some will affect the way you work with Quincy.
1. Audiobus Support
Audiobus integration was not in the original spec for Quincy or even the near implementation schedule. There were, however, so many requests for this feature that we decided to give it a go. Quincy is a very different animal than the typical audiobus enabled app. A good analogy would be to think of it as an advanced interactive graphic calculator with a synthesizer or drum machine component added on top. In some cases it will perform several millions of calculations per second before even getting to the sound part. So for the longest time it wasn't clear if enough performance gains were achievable to make Quincy an acceptable application in this context. In the end we did manage to increase performance by over 800% (compared to version 1.0.0). There are several things to keep in mind when working with Audiobus. These have been summarized in the "working with audiobus" chapter in the Performance section.
Basic information about Audiobus can be found in the new Audiobus chapter in the documentation.
2. Inter-App Audio Support
Inter-App audio was another frequently requested feature that has been implemented in version 1.0.1. Quincy now displays and additional transport toolbar when in IAA mode. More information about this feature can be found in the new Inter-App Audio chapter in the documentation.
3. Refactored Settings
Settings and the settings window differ quite a bit from version 1.0.0. Notably absent is the Play Mode setting which is now automated. A new parameter called "Local Audio" has been added which allows to silence all on-device playback when MIDI is engaged.
4. Refactored HUD
The HUD (heads up display) has been refactored to include additional parameters like BPM, Loop status and Key. This information is now also available in Performance view on iPads. Additionally there are indicators for Audio Local and MIDI connection. Another new feature in the HUD is the activity indicator. This indicator is layed out like a VU meter and gauges the processor load.
5. Live Draw Improvements
Live Draw happens when you "finger-paint" new shapes into Quincy's display area during playback. This feature has been rewritten from the ground up in version 1.0.1 and now displays even complicated and larger shapes seamlessly.
6. Support for iTunes File Sharing
7. Individual Volume Settings for Module Voices
8. Miscellaneous
Windows like Settings, Modules, etc. now auto-resize and also have a direct link to this documentation in the top right corner, sliders were updated with smaller custom versions.