HighC installation and release notes

Installation

On Mac OS X, HighC is an application that you can place whereever you find it convenient. You may additionally place the sample files next to the application or in your music folder. Note: MIDI support on Mac OS X and Java appears broken. Check MIDI input to see how to make it work.
On PCs, HighC requires a java installation. If you don't have Java or don't know if you have it, simply install it from http://java.com/download. Next, the HighC installer will guide you through the installation process. But normally, if you start the application after having installed it, the application will ask you and provide you instructions.
On UNIX systems, you need to run the command java -jar highc.jar to run the application, and you will want to tie the ".upic" file extension to the highc application.

What's new in version 2.86

Full translation of the user interface and documentation in French and Spanish.

Known Limitations

On Windows, imported sample files are sometimes not retrieved. Check the reference manual on how to fix this.

Feedback

I welcome all feedback on the uses you make of this tool. Please visit and contribute to the HighC forum. Send comments, your own creations and suggestions for improvement to highc@thomas.baudel.name

Planned Evolution

This first version is given away for free. As time permits, I will improve it to add a few features that should make this tool a professional-grade tool. To achieve this, I charge a small amount per licence, that will be entirely directed to the evolution of the tool. The following features are envisioned:

misc. UI improvement
better look and feel
stereo
full spatialization
substractive synthesis (adding filters to a sound or group of sounds
limited effects box (stereo, reverb are a few obvious candidates).
HighC as a VST plugin or interfaced with Rewire or with OSC
import sound samples (wavetable-like synthesis); possible use SoundFonts too.
more default libraries (sound patches)
Annotations: draw shapes in a pattern that replaces the default rendering of a pattern. This is to allow creating one own's music notation.
more examples of use, more tutorials
real time control
programmability: patterns can be dynamically customized. External events can trigger changes in the score that trigger recomputation. (only if real-time control is implemented).

Whenever you buy a license, you obtain votes to cast towards one or more of the above features, as well as the right to post bug reports and feature requests. At some point in time, the initial development phase will be considered over (hopefully), and the source code may be released with an Open Source license. Right now, the code base is too messy to allow traditional open source development methods.

Libraries and File Format

Pieces and Libraries use the same file format. You can open HighC files with any text editor to understand its file format and possibly edit the files directly.

History

2.85, 28/02/2011:

Full translation of the user interface and documentation in French and Spanish.

2.81, 28/02/2010:

Ability to set a background image to serve as template.
On Windows, you can choose to run the standalone version, that does not require an instalation.

2.8, 15/12/2009:

improved look, feedback and interaction in all the waveform and envelope editors.
fix for MIDI capture on MacOSX.

2.75, 03/07/2009:

Printing functionality, enabling export to PDF file format
Overview shows the cursor in all views during playback.
Set the default pitch of imported sound samples (to correct potential pitch detection algorithm errors).
Tune the sampled audio files.
Audio file import in the FLAC format. FLAC is a lossless audio compression format that saves about 2/3rds of the original file size.
Distribution reduced from 16 to 10Mb.

2.7, 10/05/2009:

A new waveform type lets you import an audio file and use its samples as a waveform. This lets you insert and transform complex sounds intuitively to create even richer soundscapes. This is accessible only to registered users.
New library of sampled sounds. 35 samples, including classical instruments and drums...
Shift + Play plays the viewed area only, not the selection. This lets you work on a section of the piece by zooming on it.
Hidden sounds are not exported nor played anymore. This lets you export or here parts of your piece separately. Use in conjunction with tags.
Scales are now stored in the library instead of the preferences, making it easier to handle custom scale definitions.
Export Selection function
Polish localization

2.62, 11/04/2009:

Polish localization
Shift + Play plays the viewed area only, not the selection. This lets you work on a section of the piece by zooming on it.
Hidden sounds are not exported nor played anymore. This lets you export or here parts of your piece separately. Use in conjunction with tags.
Export Selection function

2.61, 11/03/2009:

When inserting a library for a piece that has not yet been saved, the relative path was badly computed.

2.6, 01/03/2009:

A wide variety of filtered noise generators, to use as is or with modulations. Check the Waveform/noises library
French language version. If you want to contribute to a version in your language, please check the forum.
Time Controls toolbar.
MIDI instruments are now slightly closer to the MIDI standard bank.
smart cut and paste: objects are pasted relatively to the location of the current selection, avoiding numerous sequences of move/paste/move/paste...
start time scale at 0.
default quality preference.
color mappings for waveforms follow a new, perceptually consistent, scheme.
View/Show Lead Sound Attribute. lets you see the name of the waveform and envelope associated with a sound.
bug fixes, notably clicks heard on MacOSX, and bad redraws during playback on MacOSX Leopard and Windows Vista, ability to edit composite waveforms.

2.51, 07/01/2009:

Tools/Toolbars/Time Controls: click displays navigator dialog. Group: [ ] Bar: [ ] Beat: [ ] Zoom: [XX] [Groups Bars Beats]
TimeScale: ability to start time scale at 0.
MacOSX: better file chooser for opening and closing files.
Misc bug fixes.

2.5, 20/12/2008:

View - Show Pitch with Color: maps sound pitch to the hue, repeated for every octave. This lets one spot consonances, dissonances, and also find the tune in which you piece is played, as well as chord changes.
allow scale labels to be placed at the left, right, both sides of the score or none: go to Tools - View Inspector - Background - Label Position (set it to 0,1,2 or 3).
random waveform: an experimental noise waveform whose randomness is tied to the frequency of the sound.
3 preferences to let you adjust the calibration of the rendering algorithms to avoid skips on slow machines and setup of the maximal gain
Select from Duration..., Select from Level... actions
Paint tool allows moving backwards to reduce the duration of the drawn sound.

2.41, 14/10/2008:
v 2.41 fixes some major bugs v2.4:

Piece Overview on multiple lines: see menu Tools - Overview
The keyboard view shows the current position (in groups:bars:beats:ms)
Snapping to precise time boundaries is much easier, this allows entering rhythms easily. (see the Alphabet sample in the forum)
Current window configuration and settings are fully preserved from one session to the next.

2.4, 10/10/2008:

Piece Overview on multiple lines: see menu Tools - Overview
The keyboard view shows the current position (in groups:bars:beats:ms)
Snapping to precise time boundaries is much easier, this allows entering rhythms easily. (see the Alphabet sample in the forum)
Current window configuration and settings are fully preserved from one session to the next.

2.3, 30/08/2008:

spectrum and waveshape viewers in the waveform full screen editors.
improved edition of all kinds of waveforms.

2.25, 02/07/2008:

The main new feature is the ability to edit patterns and composite waveform after they have been created.
A library of composite waveforms examples has been added.
The rendering of glissandi sounds is made more faithful to what is actually heard.
Edition of waveshape waveforms and envelopes has been improved, allowing very precise tunings.

2.2, 16/05/2008:
There are a number of bug fixes, notably the View - Show Tooltips function now ensures that you can see the Hz and Time in seconds under the cursor at all times: this is particularly useful to enter curves that require a high precision. The most important new features are a new set of samples, and the "Make As Waveform" function that lets you turn a set of sounds into a composite waveform... more samples with this feature to come soon...

2.1, 16/05/2008:
It features mostly an extended default library, with many examples of loops, granular, FM and additive synthesis. Numerous bugs, notably with envelopes, have been fixed. Performance is about 10% faster.

2.06, 20/03/2008:
This time, the Leopard bug should be fixed. If you are on MacOSX and have a license, there is a small possibility that I have to regenerate a license key for you with this version. If suddenly, your programs does not give you the pro features, send me an email.

2.05, 16/03/2008:
New default library including examples of granular, FM and additive synthesis. A Pink Noise waveform, much better representation of the modulations, and a "Export as Picture" action.

2, 17/02/2008:
The major technical improvement is a generalized scheme to handle modulation. Both low frequency (vibrato and tremolo) and high frequency (FM synthesis and ring modulation) amplitude and frequency modulations are available with a single unified approach. Other improvements include:

ability to set precise attack and release times for envelopes
patterns are a powerful mean to create rhythms, chord lines or to perform granular synthesis.
more guidance when starting highc
reworked documentation

1.52, 26/10/2007:

compatibility issues with java 1.4 fixed.
pitch scale with 0 reference fixed.
Error while writing [rissetloop, prop, visualization] fixed.
time scale: allow several colors for the bars and bar groups.
adjust and warn about bad calibration of the renderer's time.
reopen Piece reuses the last view settings.
click on '-' in envelope or waveform editor to remove a library.
edit FunctionalWaveform now operational.
waveforms and envelopes can be edited in a separate full view pane.

1.5, 02/10/2007:

computation sped up by 20%
export piece as .wav, .aiff, .snd (or any other format supported by the platform)
move to front/send to back sounds to help you manage large pieces as multiple layers.
full tag management: help you structure your piece, organizing it in voices, parts, tracks...
live MIDI import: play on your keyboard to enter phrases or short sequences in HighC.
some more fixes in time and pitch scales management
waveform expressions: specify a mathematical expression to define a waveform. This lets you implement Frequency modulation, Amplitude modulation, and many other weird effects to your sounds. Requires some notion of the mathematical aspects of audio synthesis.
patterns/sound templates (first draft): select some sounds, turn them into a pattern that you can instantiate at many places in your piece, transpose or scale, and edit, propagating the changes to all the instances accross your piece. patterns can embed other patterns. Patterns allow some kind of granular synthesis in HighC.

1.4, 01/07/2007:

fixes in time scale dialog
ability to define your own pitch scale, including non-octave based scales
Hz pitch scale
Tooltips (in View-Show Tooltips) give precise information (Hz, s) of the location of the pointer.
ability to resize block of sounds to create a "mirror" image (reversed image of a part in time and/or pitch)
edit pure additive sound waveform (specify the relative values of the harmonics of the sound)
edit "noise band" waveforms (specify the spread and density of noise bands)
numerous small bug fixes, including visibility filters

1.3, 25/04/2007:

includes a new completely new tutorial: "create your interpretation of the "waves" sample
reads MIDI files. The current reader is a bit coarse, but sufficient to enter a melody or some chords easily.
better handling of move selection
real time playback
added a pure additive waveform "Piano"

1.2, 07/04/2007:

resize selections, to expand the pitch range or change the tempo of a set of sounds. This is an extension of the select tool
Add or remove individual points. Extension of the Edit tool.
Edit and create new time scales. See the View > TimeScale menus.
jdk 1.4 is now supported.
many envelopes and waveforms have been added, included a noise waveform.
some performance improvements.
new samples are integrated in the documentation and on the website.

1.1, 20/03/2007:

1.0, 31/12/2006: