Bitcrust changelog

Release notes for Bitcrust.

v1.1.0 (2026-09-24)

Added

  • 64 new factory presets (179 total) across every category. Each carries the new New tag, so the #New chip in the preset browser shows just the new batch.

Changed

  • Much lower CPU use. The SID chip now only does per-cycle work that has to be per-cycle, and the engine no longer looks up parameters by name on the audio thread. A full factory-preset render with 6-note chords takes well under half the time. Output is bit-identical to earlier versions.
  • macOS 12 (Monterey) is now the minimum, up from macOS 11.
  • Updated to JUCE 8.0.15. The iPad app runs on iPadOS 27.

v1.0.9 (2026-05-23)

Fixed

  • The macOS build runs on macOS 11 and later again. 1.0.8 accidentally required macOS 26, so on older systems the Standalone wouldn’t launch and hosts didn’t list the AU / VST3.

v1.0.8 (2026-05-17)

Added

  • macOS builds are universal binaries: the same Standalone, AU and VST3 run natively on Apple Silicon and Intel.
  • Sustain pedal (MIDI CC 64). Notes held when the pedal goes down keep sounding until it lifts; re-striking a held note cancels its pending release.
  • Sync Ratio and Sync Detune are modulation destinations, per VCO and for all VCOs at once.
  • Modulation sweep on knobs: a modulated knob shows an arc from its current value to where modulation is pushing it, with direction for polarity.
  • Per-step trigger probability in the sequencer (0-100%, default 100%), and the pattern randomizer now varies it too.

v1.0.7 (2026-05-04)

Added

  • Fixed-velocity option for the on-screen keyboard and the grid pads, each with its own on/off and value. External MIDI isn’t affected.
  • Linux arm64 build (Raspberry Pi 4 / 5 and other 64-bit ARM boards), with Standalone, VST3 and LV2 like x64.

Fixed

  • The mod matrix activity glow shows the right row when several slots drive the same destination.
  • Grid mode: sliding across pads keeps the velocity of the first tap instead of turning swipe direction into loudness.
  • Hold: latched keys and pads stay lit after you lift your finger, and clear when the latch releases.
  • iPad: the footer buttons no longer overlap the keyboard strip.

v1.0.6 (2026-05-01)

Added

  • Grid mode: an 8x6 in-key pad grid (Major / Minor / Pentatonic / Blues) with optional triad / tetrad chords, position-based velocity and multi-touch.
  • BigPiano and FullGrid keyboard modes. FullGrid gives the whole window to the grid for distraction-free playing.
  • Scroll arrows on the piano strip that hide when there’s nothing left to scroll.

Changed

  • Long-pressing SYNC or RING switches the effect on before opening its popover.
  • Faster UI on older iPads: hidden displays stop painting, and knobs and text are cached instead of redrawn from scratch.

Fixed

  • Per-voice modulation sources (mod envelope, velocity, poly aftertouch) now actually reach their destinations, including global ones like filter cutoff.
  • SYNC and RING popovers stay open while you play the on-screen keyboard.
  • INIT updates the preset name in the header.
  • iPad: dragging a control on the EFFECTS page no longer scrolls the page.

v1.0.5 (2026-04-28)

Changed

  • VCF resonance and master volume move in 1% steps instead of 16 coarse steps.

Fixed

  • Clicks on non-overlapping notes and on the final note-off with the VCF engaged.
  • INIT always reloads the Init preset, even when Init is already loaded.
  • No more zipper noise when turning or automating filter cutoff, resonance or master volume quickly.

v1.0.4 (2026-04-27)

Added

  • MIDI file player in the Standalone, with eight bundled Bach Well-Tempered Clavier prelude / fugue pairs and support for your own .mid files.
  • INIT button in the preset header, to start a sound from scratch.

Changed

  • SYNC. and RING. labels: the trailing dot marks the long-press (or right-click) popover with the extra controls.
  • Confirmation and save dialogs follow the active theme.
  • Compact layouts for the VCF, Master and VCO panels on small windows, with a collapsible ADSR section.
  • The VCF panel dims when it’s bypassed, and routing a VCO to it with no mode selected now switches on LP automatically.
  • The desktop Standalone remembers its window position and size.
  • Much faster theme switching and lighter monitor displays.

Fixed

  • iPad Standalone: theme, preset, tab, monitor mode and keyboard state survive force-quitting the app.

v1.0.3 (2026-04-25)

Added

  • Hard sync per VCO with selectable source, ratio and detune.
  • Ring mod on every waveform, with depth, ratio and detune.
  • iPad: preset browser redesigned for the AUv3 and the Standalone.

Changed

  • ADSR knobs are continuous instead of stepping through 16 fixed rates, so there are no more jumps in decay and release times.

Fixed

  • No stuck notes after the host’s transport stop or a MIDI panic.
  • Long release tails are no longer cut short on small audio buffers.
  • Editing a VCO while a note is held takes effect immediately.
  • A repeated note-on releases the previous voice instead of leaving it stuck.
  • iPad: held on-screen keys survive focus changes, and AUv3 menus and dialogs appear inside the plugin window.

v1.0.0 (2026-04-22)

Added

  • First release on the Mac App Store and the iPad App Store, plus Windows and Linux (VST3, Standalone, and LV2 on Linux).
  • Vintage / Modern oscillator mode, preset preview, dirty-preset marker, Hold (note latch), master mute and a click-free output stage.
  • AU / VST3 hosts see the full preset list.
  • QWERTY note typing from any tab, and global keyboard shortcuts.
  • Seven new Drum Kit presets and the Cryptogram theme.

Changed

  • Presets export as plain .xml files.
  • Randomize moved to Shift+R (presets) and Shift+S (sequencer), so plain R and S play notes.
  • The VCF is bypassed when no filter mode is selected, instead of going silent.

Fixed

  • Monitor displays no longer starve the audio thread under heavy polyphony.
  • Stuck notes in Mono voice mode.

v0.1.0 (2026-04-16)

Initial release.

Synth engine

  • In-house MOS 6581 / 8580 DSP core (bitcrust::sid) — clean-room implementation from public datasheets, not a reSIDfp wrapper.
  • 12-voice polyphony with oldest-voice stealing, 3 oscillators per voice, each running its own chip instance for true per-oscillator volume, pan, and tuning.
  • Multi-mode TPT state-variable filter with simultaneous LP / BP / HP outputs and per-chip-model drive character (6581 tanh / 8580 clean).
  • Voice modes: Poly, Mono (retrig), Legato. Unison 1–8 voices with detune and stereo spread. Glide: Off / Always / Legato, 0–2000 ms.
  • 64-bit internal processing with peak-reading soft limiter, per-voice DC blocker, and anti-click voice fade-in.

Modulation

  • 8-slot modulation matrix with bipolar depth and per-slot bypass.
  • 3 global LFOs (7 shapes, free-run or tempo-sync, retrigger toggle).
  • Dedicated per-voice modulation envelope (ADSR).
  • MIDI sources: velocity, poly aftertouch, mod wheel, channel aftertouch, pitch bend.
  • 40+ destinations including per-VCO and global parameters.

Effects

  • 6-slot post-synth effects rack, freely reorderable.
  • Effect types: Drive (5 shapes), Bitcrusher, Delay (tempo-sync), Chorus, Reverb, Compressor, Limiter.
  • Per-slot bypass and dry/wet mix.

Performance & MIDI

  • Tempo-synced arpeggiator: Up / Down / UpDown / Random, 6 rate divisions, gate, 1–4 octave range.
  • 16-step sequencer with per-step pitch, gate, velocity, and slide.
  • MIDI-learn on every parameter. MIDI panic button.
  • Velocity curves: Linear, Soft, Hard, S-Curve, Fixed.
  • A4 reference tuning: 415–465 Hz. Master transpose: ±24 st.

Presets

  • 100+ factory presets across 10 categories (Low End, Keys, Lead, Pad & Atmosphere, Chord Memory, Pluck & Arp, FX & Texture, Sequenced, Drum Kit, Init).
  • Full preset browser with search, category sidebar, tag filters, favourites.
  • User preset save with metadata (name, group, author, description, tags).
  • Import / export individual preset XML files.
  • A/B compare snapshot slots for live tone comparison.

UI & visualization

  • 6-tab navigation: Presets, Synth, Modulation, Effects, Seq/Arp, Setup.
  • Stereo oscilloscope, vectorscope, spectrum analyser, 3D spectrogram, stereo field monitor.
  • Per-VCO inline mix meters, ADSR envelope visualisers, LFO scope.
  • Master L/R VU meter with peak-hold. 12-voice activity LED strip.
  • 11 bundled themes (Breadbin, Synthwave, Workbench, Driftwood, Rabbit, Phosphor, Sleek Dark/Light/Graphite/Paper/Midnight Blue).
  • Global keyboard shortcuts (18 bindings) with help overlay.

Platforms & formats

  • macOS: VST3, AU, Standalone.
  • Windows: VST3, Standalone.
  • Linux: VST3, Standalone.
  • iPadOS: AUv3, Standalone (with on-device Audio/MIDI settings). macOS and iPadOS ship as a single Apple Universal Purchase on the App Store.