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Beat Kitchen at-a-glance

Most synths start with a waveform and carve it down. This one starts with the secret chord that lives inside every note.

v0.3.6 (2026-04-17)

Audio

  • Per-sample envelope processing (smoother note-on/off transitions)
  • Voice steal cleanup (no more amplitude burst on reused voices)
  • Fold and converge drag smoothing (per-sample layer weight interpolation)

Scanner

  • Scale mode fixed: filters partials by actual played note pitch class
  • Mode button shows ALL / NOTES / SCALE with distinct colors

v0.3.5 (2026-04-09)

Critical Fix

  • Eliminated speaker-damaging gain spike during overtone scan (uninitialized partial gain array caused 10^16 amplitude spikes when scanner re-spotlighted a previously muted partial)

v0.3.4 (2026-04-09)

Audio

  • Envelope clicks eliminated (per-sample interpolation at all ADSR breakpoints)
  • Fold/open zipper eliminated (per-sample partial gain interpolation)
  • Voice stealing picks the quietest voice instead of round-robin
  • Auto-gain snaps correctly on first note from silence

New

  • JI Root Lock: LOCK button pins just intonation tuning to the selected scale root
  • Single-click scale selection
  • Drive always active regardless of FX bypass setting

Help

  • Per-button help for GIN, TONIC, LOCK, hover mode, scale browser
  • Partials Advanced controls (converge, phase, re-excite) fully documented
  • Help bar wraps to multiple lines, brighter text

Architecture

  • ADSRState shared struct replaces three copy-pasted envelope blocks
  • Speculative fixes from debugging cleaned up

v0.3.3 (2026-04-07)

Fixes

  • Voice retrigger click eliminated (stale gain state was causing pop on repeated notes)
  • Same-note retrigger preserves envelope (no longer cuts release tail)
  • Releasing voices no longer stolen (release tails play out naturally)
  • Onset ramp changed from linear to exponential (removes zipper on note attack)
  • Gain staging: velocity normalized to 0-1 range (volume slider usable across full range)
  • Scanner shape smoothing extended (click only in top 10% of slider)

UI

  • “PARTIALS: SOLO” label on hover mode button
  • Vodka and Sub controls removed (pending redesign)

v0.3.2 (2026-04-07)

Fixes

  • Envelope timing restored (attack, decay, release were too fast in v0.3.0)
  • Phase coherence restored (sawtooth displays correctly in oscilloscope)
  • Decay-to-sustain transition smoothed on all three envelopes (no click at breakpoint)
  • Debug file access removed (no more Desktop/Downloads permission prompts)

New

  • Per-slider help text (hover any control for a description of what it does)
  • Noise ADSR envelope with curve display and draggable handles (same UI as Env 1/2)
  • Windows VST3 updated to current codebase

v0.3.0 (2026-04-05)

First signed and notarized release. macOS 11.0+ (Big Sur and later).

New

  • Pluck — per-voice filter bypass transient. Bypasses the lowpass filter for a configurable duration on each noteOn, creating a bright harmonic attack that settles into the filtered tone. Lives in the Noise section, routable via mod matrix.
  • Noise ADSR — dedicated per-voice envelope for the noise generator, independent from Env 1. Full ADSR with curve display and draggable handles. Enables breath attacks, percussive noise bursts, and sustained noise textures.
  • LFO2 delay — paraphonic fade-in for LFO2 modulation. Resets on the first note of a phrase, cubic ramp curve, 50ms to 10s range.
  • VCA intensity — bipolar envelope depth control. Below 75% flattens the contour, above 75% exaggerates it. Default 75% = normal envelope.
  • 4 new presets: Koto Guitar, Spooky Drops, Strange Sitar, Brashness

Sound

  • Envelope timing matched to web version (attack, decay, release all use correct formula)
  • Envelope applied per-sample (preserves exponential release curve)
  • Zero attack = instant onset at noteOn
  • Filter cutoff resets on preset switch (eliminates first-note brightness bug)
  • Reverb and delay buffers cleared on preset switch (no bleed between presets)
  • Limiter lookahead prevents first-note overshoot
  • Random phase initialization prevents constructive interference transient
  • Converge and stretch smoothed to prevent zipper noise
  • Scanner shape slider scales smoothing: click at max isolate, smooth crossfade when backed off

UI

  • Gear fill arc centered at 12 o’clock (was offset)
  • Off-default dots positioned left of track (clear of gear icons)
  • Help text rewritten with actual explanations
  • Scan mode help shows current mode description
  • Wave buttons: saw+/saw- labels
  • Fold/partials gear drag-to-adjust in matrix HUD
  • Panic button hard-kills all voices
  • Window size persists across launches
  • Default window height increased (no scrolling needed)
  • Keyboard and display block fixed height (only controls stretch on resize)
  • Auto-deploy to Desktop on every build

Build

  • JUCE 8.0.9
  • macOS 11.0 deployment target (runs on Big Sur through Sequoia)
  • Apple Developer ID signed and notarized
  • .pkg installer (AU + VST3 + Standalone)

v0.2.1-beta (2026-04-02)

Modulation

  • Mod matrix routes fully reflected in DSP
  • Mod wheel → LFO2 Depth → Temperament chain for expressive JI vibrato
  • Live modulation visualization on every routed slider
  • LFO2 depth slider shows live bipolar sweep at LFO rate

New

  • Tonic button, mono legato, chord label above keyboard
  • LFO2 waveform preview canvas
  • Sync rate shows musical divisions
  • FFT 2048 resolution with C note markers

v0.2.0-beta (2026-04-01)

New

  • Dual-thumb Clamp slider in Partials Advanced (harmonic floor/ceiling)
  • Dual-thumb Range slider in Scanner
  • Sculpt phase toggle row (24 per-partial phase inversion buttons)
  • Scale matching with percentage scores and color coding
  • Harmonic gate capture mode (freeze chord, click button to re-capture)
  • Green scale indicators on keyboard
  • Draggable fold/partials HUD values on matrix with gear icons
  • Tonic button fully wired (ducks non-root intervals, boosts root overtones)
  • LFO2 waveform preview canvas with shape selector inside
  • LFO2 Depth is a mod destination (mod wheel → LFO2 → temperament chain)
  • Morph is a mod destination with gear icon
  • Mono legato with glide return to held note

Sound

  • Mod matrix actually works — all routes now affect DSP (was computed but never applied)
  • Stretch, converge, fold, temperament all respond to mod routes
  • Scanner spotlight smoothing (no clicking on step transitions)
  • Harmonic gate matches web binary pitch-class matching
  • Per-sample volume interpolation (no zippering)
  • Cubic volume taper (better low-end resolution)
  • Converge crash fix (divide-by-zero guard, Windows/Ableton)
  • NaN output safety net at final stage
  • JI temperament modulatable by LFO/expression for unique vibrato effects

UI

  • Output section reorganized: Width, Drive, Output, Pan + SUM/AUTO toggles
  • Gear icons: web-matched rendering, drag to adjust amount, shift-click to zero, double-click to zero
  • Matrix display reflects GIN (no-sub) and clamp (floor/ceiling)
  • Keyboard display reflects sculpt gains (square wave hides even partials)
  • LFO rate extended to 500 (nonlinear curve, useful range preserved)
  • Scope waveform: normalized to peak, cross-correlation trigger lock
  • Brighter Lissajous (direct screen draw + phosphor trail)
  • Mod matrix collapsible with visible chevron (moved to center column)
  • Default layout: Filter, Gate, Noise, Matrix, Settings, Effects, Modulation collapsed
  • Slider tracks wider (more throw for fine adjustments)
  • Scale selector with manual double-click detection
  • Partials list shows up to 24 (was 15)
  • Help bar font larger

Coming next: Column spacing polish, standalone preset save, scope waveform view improvements


v0.1.9-beta (2026-03-31)

Sound Quality

  • Drive at zero = clean passthrough (was always distorting)
  • Volume/gain taper matches web version
  • Per-sample envelope interpolation eliminates zippering
  • Single-knob limiter/compressor with draggable threshold on scope meter
  • Same-note retrigger preserves oscillator continuity (no click)
  • Instant release at zero (percussive cutoff)
  • Hard attack at zero (no onset softening)

Envelope

  • Zone-based ADSR canvas: 25% attack, 25% decay, 50% sustain+release
  • Zero values = true vertical lines (right angles)
  • 3 draggable handles with large hit targets
  • Horizontal ADSR sliders (2×2 compact grid)
  • Blue curve + dots matching web

UI

  • Slider reorganization: Output = Width + Gain, Settings = Drive/Pan/Detune/Glide/Mono
  • RAND button in preset bar
  • Scope: analog glow, brighter traces, cleaner info text
  • Phase slider now bipolar (fills from center)
  • Tab switching fixed (can return to Partials from Scale)
  • Slider tracks visible against background
  • Solo doesn’t activate on held notes

v0.1.8-beta (2026-03-30)

Fixes

  • Sustain pedal: notes now release when pedal comes up
  • Smoother envelope release (exponential, tighter cutoff)

New

  • Draggable ADSR handles — click and drag breakpoints on the envelope canvas
  • Horizontal ADSR sliders (A+D / S+R in compact 2×2 grid)
  • VCA and VCF are mod matrix targets with gear icons
  • Envelope curve and dots are blue (matching web)

v0.1.7-beta (2026-03-30)

Fixes

  • Universal binary (Intel + Apple Silicon) — fixes “incompatible” in Logic on M-series Macs
  • License key works in either activation field
  • Residents auto-provisioned on first activation (no setup needed)
  • All license types accepted (was rejecting purchasers in 2FA flow)

New

  • Copy Diagnostics button — copies crash logs + system info to clipboard for support
  • Admin tools: /plugin-license, /plugin-deactivate in Discord
  • Harmonic Synth role auto-provisions licenses for residents and instructors
  • Spreadsheet tracks active machines, IPs, and check-in times

v0.1.6-beta (2026-03-30)

Visual Refresh

  • Colored left accent borders on all modules matching the web version
  • Section headers: accent-colored uppercase text with chevron fold + ON button
  • Near-transparent module backgrounds (glass effect, not solid grey)
  • Thinner slider tracks (3px) with full-opacity accent fills
  • Consistent internal padding across all sections
  • Gear icons properly spaced from labels
  • Uppercase slider labels matching web typography

New

  • Tempo sync for scanner rate and delay time (locks to DAW BPM)
  • 9 mod sources: added Aftertouch, Expression, Pitch Bend
  • Scale search in partials/scale panel (type to filter)
  • Report Issue button in Settings opens Discord
  • /plugin-license Discord command for admin key generation

Layout

  • Partials Advanced section: blue accent, Re-Excite first
  • Module spacing increased for readability

v0.1.5-beta (2026-03-29)

New

  • Mod matrix with gear icons on every routable parameter (9 sources: LFO 1/2, Env 1/2, Velocity, Mod Wheel, Aftertouch, Expression, Pitch Bend)
  • Click any gear icon to assign a mod source — no need to find it in the grid
  • Scale search — type to filter all 39 scales by name, including world music aliases
  • Scanner highlights current partial in real-time (sculpt bars, matrix XY pad, partials list)
  • Partials Advanced section (Converge, Phase, Re-Excite) separated from Tuning
  • Tempo sync for scanner rate and delay time — locks to DAW BPM with musical divisions
  • Support button in Settings — opens Discord from inside the plugin
  • Windows VST3 build (untested)

Improved

  • Note-on transient eliminated (5ms onset ramp per voice)
  • Effects bus no longer distorts (delay buffer clamping, reverb gain compensation)
  • Limiter only catches true peaks (-1dB threshold, was over-compressing at -12dB)
  • Slider values show on hover instead of always visible
  • More vertical space between sliders
  • Wider column gaps prevent sections from overlapping

Fixed

  • Activation UI renders reliably on all launches (rewrote as paint-based, not JUCE components)
  • Discord verification codes delivered via private threads (not public forum)
  • Username resolution — enter Discord display name, not just snowflake ID
  • Purchase flow returns to correct page with working download links

Known Issues

  • Note-on still has slight compressor character on some patches
  • Scanner partial transitions can click
  • Fundamental may ring after note release on certain sounds
  • Visual layout differs from web version (accent borders, header styling, proportions)
  • Scale/root selectors still use arrows in Tuning (dropdown planned)
  • Not code-signed — macOS users need to right-click → Open on first launch

v0.1.4-beta (2026-03-29)

New

  • Keyboard scale clamping — notes snap to selected scale
  • Keyboard pitch glide — drag across keys for smooth pitch slides
  • Scale detection persists after notes release
  • Help text bar below the display panels
  • Paste button loads presets from clipboard (copy URL from web synth)
  • Share button exports current sound as web URL

Improved

  • Harmonic levels tuned to match the web synth
  • Smoother note release
  • Scanner wave order corrected (saw/tri/saw-/rnd)
  • Better visual contrast and brighter scope traces
  • FFT display uses line graph matching the web
  • Slider values always visible

Fixed

  • Fold crossfade sub-bass energy
  • Filter tracking follows scanner position
  • Effects bypass passthrough
  • Drive parameter controls saturation amount
  • Keyboard harmonics display on MIDI input

v0.1.3-beta (2026-03-28)

New

  • Mod matrix (6 sources × 26 destinations)
  • Chord detection in partials panel
  • Scale matching with ranked results
  • Settings section (transpose, pitch bend range, BPM, randomizer)
  • Info scope mode with help text
  • Harmonic gate capture/follow/split modes
  • LFO 2 delay, sync, shape controls
  • Envelope 2 one-shot and invert

Improved

  • Per-voice polyphonic filter with VCF envelope
  • Keyboard range extended to A0–C9
  • 13 factory presets from web synth
  • Scan step highlighting in sculpt bars
  • Gin/Tonic buttons on matrix display

v0.1.0-beta (2026-03-28)

Initial beta release.

  • Additive synthesis with 24 partials, 8 octave layers
  • Fold crossfade, overtone scanner, harmonic gate
  • Sculpt morph (saw/square/triangle/pulse)
  • AU + VST3 for macOS

Beat Kitchen residents

The plugin is included at no extra cost for the duration of your residency. Your resident license key is in Discord.

Learn about residency →

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