Bug Fixes
Fixed Disk Mode Preset Persistence: Resolved issue where modified preset parameters were resetting to defaults when closing and reopening the GUI window in disk mode.
User Interface Improvements
Filter Cutoff Tooltip: Added filter cutoff frequency tooltip with accurate DSP mapping.
ADSR Tooltips: Improved ADSR tooltip format to musical/pro style with proper unit spacing.
Volume Tooltip: Added Volume tooltip with dB display and improved precision for all dB values.
Bug Fixes
Fixed Programs > Oversampling Lock Persistence: Resolved critical issue where lock oversampling settings were not persisting across sessions.
Critical Bug Fixes
Fixed State Restoration in DAW Projects: Resolved issue where preset parameters were not being restored when reopening DAW projects.
Fixed Analog Mode Filter Instability: Corrected critical array indexing bug in analog mode filter tolerance loading that caused filter instability.
OB-Xd 3.15 introduces Analog Mode, a feature that adds per-voice component tolerances to simulate the natural imperfections of vintage analog hardware, bringing authentic warmth and character to the filter behavior.
Analog Mode
What It Does: Simulates analog hardware component variance, creating subtle differences between voices just like real analog circuits.
Sonic Character: Creates warmer, thicker, and more chorused sounds when multiple voices play together. Filter sweeps have more variation and "wobble," eliminating the digital perfection for a more organic, vintage sound.
Bank-Level Setting: Analog Mode is stored per-bank, allowing different presets to use different analog characteristics. Toggle via the Programs menu.
Filter & DSP Improvements
Fixed Filter Cutoff Scaling: Resolved issues with filter cutoff frequency scaling when changing oversampling settings, ensuring consistent filter behavior across all oversampling modes.
Preset Management Fixes
Fixed Parameter Reset Bug: Resolved critical issue where parameter values would reset to defaults when reloading the same program, ensuring preset values remain stable across multiple loads.
Disk Mode Preset Loading: Fixed disk mode preset loading and folder selection with native macOS popups for better integration and reliability.
MIDI Stability Improvements
Fixed MIDI CC LSB 32 Bank Change issues: Resolved crashes in DAWs when receiving MIDI program change or bank select messages.
Bank Select Improvements: Fixed bounds checking for MIDI bank changes to properly clamp to available banks instead of wrapping around.
User Interface Improvements
Preset Bar Enhancement: Added subtle top border line to preset bar.
Knob Performance Optimization: Optimized knob rendering performance.
Slider Popup Optimization: Optimized slider popup bubble component performance.
macOS Enhancements
Appearance Menu: Refactored macOS Appearance menu and added configurable Small Popup option for better customization.
OB-Xd 3.14 introduces polyphonic unison mode a enhancement that allows multiple notes to be played simultaneously with stacked voices per note, unlocking more evolving chords and complex textures.
Voice Allocation Architecture
What Changed: Previously OB-Xd enabling unison forced monophonic behavior, allowing only one note to sound at a time with all voices stacked on classic mono synth behavior like vintage Minimoogs.
Now: Unison mode maintains polyphonic behavior where:
Polyphony Voices controls the number of simultaneous notes you can play
Unison Voices controls how many voices stack per note (the "thickness")
Classic mono unison is still available by setting polyphony to 1 voice
Musical Benefits
Play Thick Chords with Unison: Stack 2-4 voices per note across 4-8 note chords for massive pads and lush leads
Flexible Voice Budgeting: Balance thickness vs. polyphony based on your part-thick mono leads or thinner polyphonic textures from the same preset
Vintage + Modern Workflow: Keep classic mono unison for solos, switch to polyphonic unison for chord work-all in one synth
Better CPU Efficiency: OB-Xd 3's vectorized engine (AVX/NEON) makes polyphonic unison very efficient per core, even with extreme settings
Practical Examples
8 voices, unison ON, multiply 2: Play 4 notes with 2 stacked voices each = thick chords with moderate detuning
16 voices, unison ON, multiply 4: Play 4 notes with 4 stacked voices each = super-wide stereo pads
8 voices, unison ON, multiply 8: Play 1 note with 8 stacked voices = classic mono unison lead (vintage mode)
32 voices, unison ON, multiply 2: Play 16 notes with 2 voices each = complex polyphonic sequences with movement
Technical Implementation
Simplified voice allocation logic by removing unison/non-unison branch distinction
Always uses polyphonic allocation with calculated voices per note group
Vectorized architecture processes voice groups efficiently through SIMD instructions (AVX2 on Intel/AMD, NEON on ARM)
Makes complex polyphonic unison practical on modern CPUs without performance degradation
User Interface Enhancements
Polyphony Preset Menu: Replaced linear 1-32 voice count menu with musically meaningful preset values (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32) matching classic and modern synthesizer standards
First-Time Unison Dialog: Informational dialog appears once when unison is clicked, explaining the new polyphonic behavior and how to achieve classic mono unison
Performance Improvements
Packed Assets System: Implemented new Theme packed assets format saving up to 50% memory usage for improved performance and reduced plugin footprint.
Build System Updates
Visual Studio 2022: Migrated Windows build system from Visual Studio 2019 to Visual Studio 2022 for improved compiler support and modern C++ standards.
macOS File System Improvements
Application Support Directory: Changed user data storage location on macOS to follow Apple's guidelines, using ~/Library/Application Support/discoDSP/OB-Xd instead of Documents folder.
Eliminates Permission Dialogs: Avoids macOS permission dialogs by using the standard Application Support location for license files, settings, presets, banks, MIDI configs, and themes.
Stability Fixes
Asset Missing Fix: Added null check for overSamplingLabel before adding listener in editor constructor to prevent issues when plugin assets are not found.
Graceful Degradation: Plugin now shows an error dialog instead of shutting down when essential assets are missing from disk.
Fixed popup menu positioning and font scaling issues
Forced all popup menus to always appear below their target components.
Removed conditional upwards positioning logic that caused menus to appear above buttons.
Fixed font scaling for preset popup menus on Windows/Linux by applying CustomLookAndFeel.
Corrected getPopupMenuFont() to multiply base font size by scale factor for proper UI scaling.
Changed DiskBrowser native menu font parameter from small to standard size on macOS.
Updated PopupMenu framework code to latest version with improved HiDPI positioning algorithms.
Fixed Windows HiDPI scaling for license dialogs in plugin builds
Added proper plugin editor reference to DialogWindow LaunchOptions to ensure correct HiDPI scaling on Windows. Dialogs now inherit the scale factor from the plugin editor component and center correctly.
Set componentToCentreAround to plugin editor in both activation and purchase dialogs.
Added fallback search to find editor in plugin wrapper hierarchy.
Replaced centreWithSize with centreAroundComponent for proper positioning.
Dialogs now scale correctly at 200% (2x) on Windows HiDPI displays.
Linux Platform Improvements
Fixed Menu Rendering: Improved text drawing with proper padding calculations and font height constraints for better readability.
Enhanced Font Support: Changed Linux fonts from Ubuntu to DejaVu Sans for better cross-distribution compatibility.
Fixed Tick Mark Positioning: Corrected popup menu checkmark alignment.
macOS Enhancement
Small Font: Enabled small font for MENU popup.
Licensing
Unified Demo/Full Experience: The codebase has been unified, eliminating separate demo and release builds on all platforms. Licensing is now handled at runtime with a new License Checker system.
Runtime Feature Restriction: All demo restrictions (oversampling, AAX/LV2 rendering) are now enforced via runtime license checks, allowing immediate feature unlock without a reinstall after registration.
User Interface & Navigation
Programs Menu Overhaul: The Programs menu is reorganized for better navigation, now featuring clear submenus for:
Bank Presets (the 128 programs).
Oversampling (licensed users only).
Panning.
Customizable Menu Font Size (Win/Linux): A new "Appearance" menu option allows users to toggle between standard and a smaller, more compact popup font size for better consistency.
macOS Specific Improvements
Native Popup Menus: All custom-rendered popup menus (main menu, preset browsers, voices/unison/legato selectors) have been replaced with native macOS NSMenu, offering better system integration and a native look and feel.
Enhanced Preset Browsing: Native preset and bank browser menus now display checkmarks for the current selection and automatically scroll to center on the active item for a smoother experience.
Dual Clipboard Support: Clipboard operations now support both the native macOS format and a Base64 text format, enabling seamless preset sharing between OB-Xd desktop and OB-Xd iOS.
Fixes & Technical
Bank Loading Fix: Resolved a bug that caused a false "Bank Not Found" error when loading renamed FXB files (e.g., files with numeric prefixes stripped).
Version String Polish: The release version number in the Help menu now omits the trailing .0 for major releases (e.g., "Release 3.12" instead of "Release 3.12.0").
The Linux build is now distributed via a .deb installer package.
License System Updates
Enabled license validation system for Linux platform.
Extended free license dialog reminder interval from 48 to 72 hours.
Improved license validation and logic for consistent cross-platform behavior.
File System Enhancements
Applied case-insensitive resolution to critical files.
Bug Fixes
Fixed GUI stability issues.
Performance & Optimization
Cached getPopupMenuFont Font for improved performance.
Replaced long if-chain with dictionary lookup in loadSkin function for code optimization.
Implemented optimized asset loading system.
MIDI Features
Added Menu > MIDI > Show CC Mappings feature.
CC mappings will automatically refresh whenever a different MIDI mapping file is selected.
Preset Management
Added Reload Preset function.
Fixed preset menu not showing in search mode - allow menu creation when search is active regardless of folder validity.
Fixed preset name label clicks not working after search dialog - removed interfering focus restoration timers.
Bug Fixes
Fixed OSC 2 Detune knob default value.
Added license folder write permissions check.
UI Improvements
Slight file menu item redesign.
User Interface Improvements
Enhanced search mode functionality with clickable Search Mode label.
Menu System
Added "Reload Preset" function.
Bug Fixes
Fixed macOS search dialog focus issue.
Fixed search mode visibility management for proper UI interaction.
Resolved mouse cursor behavior and click handling in search mode.
Stability improvements for search functionality.
Bug Fixes
Fixed text selection issue in preset search dialog on macOS - text is now automatically selected when the dialog appears.
Resolved issue with disk mode button behavior during preset search operations.
Improved preset search functionality to better handle disk mode state transitions.
Advanced Preset Search System
Fixed preset name label click functionality and resolved parameter type mismatch in search mode.
Enhanced search state management to preserve original disk mode settings.
Enhanced Pan Preset System
Added two new dynamic pan presets:
"Random" - Generates completely random pan positions for each voice.
"Random OSC" - Creates sine wave-based panning patterns with random parameters.
User Interface & Technical Improvements
Fixed preset bar bank dropdown not updating after MIDI CC bank change.
More native macOS dialogs for better platform integration.
Performance optimizations for Apple Silicon and Intel processors.
Platform-Specific Updates
Enabled AVX2 optimizations on Intel macOS and Linux with universal binary compatibility.
Improved compiler optimizations with specialized AVX2 targeting.
Critical Bug Fixes
Fixed infinite loop causing Windows DISK mode freeze during preset folder population.
Implemented state tracking to prevent unnecessary folder repopulation when search mode toggles.
Added exception handling and safety checks for directory iteration operations.
Improved search mode state management to avoid redundant UI updates.
Advanced Preset Search System
Added global preset search across all preset folders with duplicate detection.
Implemented index-based navigation for reliable navigation functionality in search mode.
Enhanced Pan Preset System
Added two new dynamic pan presets:
"Random" - Generates completely random pan positions for each voice.
"Random OSC" - Creates sine wave-based panning patterns with random parameters.
User Interface & Technical Improvements
Enhanced menu system with search options always visible.
Improved preset navigation with better tracking of current preset position.
Fixed preset bar bank dropdown not updating after MIDI CC bank change.
More native macOS dialogs for better platform integration.
Performance optimizations for Apple Silicon and Intel processors.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with incorrect XML default theme data.
Updated XML with correct control positioning:
<VALUE NAME="filterEnvelopShape" x="844" y="110" w="52" h="21" tooltip="1"/>
<VALUE NAME="loudnessEnvelopShape" x="844" y="234" w="52" h="21" tooltip="1"/>
UI & Usability Improvements
Added numbers to program names for easier navigation.
Fixed popup menu and dropdown font display issues.
Improved popup menu direction and screen boundary handling.
Fixed preset bar and menu sizes for better visibility.
Enhanced support for pre-3.4 presets.
System Improvements
Fixed bank loading on initialization.
Implemented robust handling for missing banks from disk.
Changed default bank for better out-of-box experience.
Platform-Specific Updates
Updated AAX SDK.
Fixed Open Manual functionality on Windows and Linux platforms.
Fixed Check for Updates feature.
Backwards Compatibility Improvements
Enhanced compatibility between OB-Xd versions 3.0-3.3 preset formats.
Implemented program position preservation when loading presets to prevent unwanted resets.
Fixed chunk data handling with proper type casting for reliable preset loading.
Modified load function behavior to maintain the user's selected preset position.
Maintained compatibility with all preset format types (FxBk, FxCk, FBCh, FPCh).
Project Compatibility Improvements
Enhanced backward compatibility by preserving synth settings when loading projects with missing bank files.
Fixed constructor auto-bank loading to properly preserve project states.
Settings Management
Fixed XML settings file handling to prevent duplication issues.
Improved oversampling settings preservation in registered version.
Fixed purchase dialog prompts to ensure consistent 48-hour cycle reminders in the demo version.
Linux Improvements
Upgraded ZIP deployment for enhanced compatibility with unsupported Linux distributions.
UI & Usability Improvements
Added 0.75x GUI Size option for better scaling on various display configurations.
Fixed backward compatibility issues affecting presets when working with projects created in versions 3.5 and 3.6.
MIDI Updates
Fixed MIDI channel filtering for bank select and program change messages.
Resolved an issue where the plugin was processing bank select messages (CC#32) regardless of the configured MIDI channel setting.
Fixed a bug that caused program change messages to be processed from all MIDI channels, even when a specific channel was selected in the plugin settings.
OB-Xd 3.7.2 introduces significant improvements across all platforms, with special focus on Linux compatibility. Our team has completely rewritten the filter mode calculation system for Linux to ensure seamless operation across all environments.
Key Linux improvements include proper handling of floating-point precision differences between platforms, implementation of smooth transitions between all filter modes, and immediate parameter response for controls like the filter mix knob and BP button. We've also added specialized compiler optimizations to guarantee consistent behavior without compromising performance.
These enhancements ensure that OB-Xd now delivers the same high-quality sound and reliable performance on Linux that our users have come to expect on Windows and macOS, while maintaining full compatibility with existing projects across all platforms.
Additional Features
Added Oversampling Lock in Program menu to set different oversampling options in presets and bounce to audio settings.
VST3 is now available on the free version for all platforms. AAX and LV2 are still registered versions only.
Core System Improvements
Enhanced license activation system.
Fixed scale component issue that rendered assets incorrectly.
Refactored dialog components for better usability.
MIDI Updates
Fixed MIDI bindings recall and Custom.xml update after MIDI learn.
Improved MIDI mapping logic for more reliable control.
Refactored Directory Iterator for MIDI menu.
UI & Usability Improvements
Export Preset improvements: now includes preset name and uses Presets location by default.
Improved MTS-ESP protocol status handling in Help menu.
Framework & SDK Updates
Major core framework update with standalone code improvements and Windows-specific fixes.
AAX SDK update for improved DAW compatibility.
Plugin State and build system refactoring for better reliability.
Core System Improvements
Fixed state handling in OB-Xd to resolve preset reset issues when loading older projects.
Fixed MIDI mapping chain for improved output control.
Resolved overlap between Bend Range and Level Difference MIDI CC parameters.
Optimized getScaledImageFromCache and resized functions for better performance.
MIDI Updates
New XML MIDI mappings menu implementation.
Refactored Directory Iterator for MIDI menu and Export Preset functionality.
Added default MIDI CC mappings for critical parameters:
Voice Multiply (CC 120)
Filter/Amp envelope shapes (CC 121/122)
Filter Falloff (CC 123)
Fixed Korg MS2000 MIDI compatibility issues.
UI & Usability Improvements
Implemented new MENU > Program > Panning presets feature with 8 predefined stereo control configurations.
Enhanced Export Preset functionality to include preset name and Presets location by default.
Fixed Preset Bar menu item display issues.
Widened Bank dropdown for better visibility.
MIDI Control Enhancements
Expanded MIDI control capabilities with new default CC mappings.
Improved MIDI mapping system for better real-time control.
Enhanced parameter accessibility through MIDI controllers.
User Interface Improvements
Enhanced user interface functionality for better workflow.
Streamlined control mapping and parameter access.
Improved overall user experience and interface responsiveness.
Visual Enhancements
Introduced the stunning Ilkka Rosma Blue theme for a fresh visual experience.
Enhanced GUI aesthetics and user interface design.
Improved visual consistency across all interface elements.
Core Improvements
Significant updates for synth enthusiasts and audio producers.
Performance optimizations and stability enhancements.
Enhanced audio processing capabilities.
iOS-Specific Enhancements
Comprehensive suite of enhancements for iOS platform.
Significantly improved functionality and user experience on mobile devices.
New High-Quality audio processing optimized for iOS hardware.
Mobile User Interface
Touch-optimized interface controls for better mobile interaction.
Enhanced performance on iPhone and iPad devices.
MIDI System Fixes
Corrected issue where MIDI CC XML default mappings retained CC values after switching to different XML maps.
Overhauled MIDI mapping system for more reliable operation.
Improved MIDI parameter routing and control accuracy.
Platform Compatibility
Enhanced stability across Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.
Improved cross-platform consistency and performance.
Modulation System Fixes
Resolved issue where modulation lever did not affect global vibrato amount/depth.
Fixed modulation routing and parameter control.
Improved modulation wheel responsiveness and accuracy.
System Stability
General bug fixes and performance improvements.
Enhanced overall system reliability.
New Unison Voices Feature
Added multiple voice layers to each note for fuller, richer sound textures.
Enhanced polyphonic capabilities and voice management.
Configurable unison settings for customizable sound thickness.
Audio Engine Improvements
Expanded voice architecture for more complex soundscapes.
Improved audio processing efficiency with unison voices.
macOS Performance Optimization
Fixed GFX GUI CPU issues with significant reduction in CPU usage, especially for ARM systems.
Optimized performance to operate at about 50% less CPU consumption on macOS.
Enhanced Apple Silicon compatibility and performance.
System Stability
Enhanced graphics rendering efficiency across all macOS devices.
Improved overall system stability and reliability.
Major Version Release
Significant update with advanced features and improvements for audio enthusiasts.
Complete overhaul of the synthesizer architecture and capabilities.
Foundation for all subsequent 3.x series improvements.
Enhanced Audio Processing
Improved sound engine with better audio quality and performance.
New synthesis capabilities and expanded parameter control.
Advanced DSP algorithms for superior sound generation.
Platform Support
Multi-platform availability for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Cross-platform preset compatibility and consistent behavior.