Hi there everyone, a release candidate for a new major release is here - v1.10.0-RC1 aka “We live in a twilight world”.
This release brings many new features, including file handling, actuator addressing improvements, and a more complete lv2 support.
It is a culmination of many months of work from the MOD team and friends.
Please note that this is a release candidate.
That means it might be stable, but needs widespread testing first to make sure.
If no issues are found in around 2 weeks we’ll release it as stable, otherwise we’ll do a RC2.
So, what’s new?
File Manager
One of the most user requested features is finally here!
We took some time to research the best possible solution for you, between compatibility, ease of use and future-proofing.
What we ended up implementing is a web-based file manager UI inside the web interface you are so familiar with by now.
While it is not in a state deemed 100% complete (for example, needs a progress-bar for uploads), it is already fully functional.
You can find a new button on the bottom-left of the MOD web interface for the file manager, which will open a screen where you can upload files to be loaded by plugins.
We arranged the folders into categories that we see are going to be most useful in the short and mid-term.
While we do not have many plugins that make use of these features currently in the store, quite a few are already in progress and will be released soon.
This is a start for many great things yet to come.
Actuators addressing improvements
A lot of improvements for the addressing of the actuators both on the Duo and the Duo X.
From now on you can use the buttons on the Duo X or the footswitches of the Duo as momentary switches. They can be set to either “momentary on” (where hold=on, release=off) or “momentary off” (hold=off, release=on).
This also applies to the MOD Footswitch Control Chain device, after updating its firmware to v0.4.
You can find this function if you open the advanced settings for your assignments, under the “Mode" menu.
Similarly you can now set the buttons of the Duo X or the footswitches of the Duo and Footswitch controller to cycle through different colors with list-style parameters.
On the Advanced settings for the assignment, you can set the LED color to be static or to cycle. In cycle mode, the LEDs will change the colors helping you identify the position in the list that you have currently selected.
You will also notice that now you can assign toggle parameters - such as the effects on/off switch - to your knobs.
And the addressing dialog got a small redesign for better readability.
PS: Yes, the Duo X can now have up to 6 pages of addressings instead of 3 
Redesigned Duo screen layout
In this update, the Duo received the most visible cosmetic changes.
These include:
- new fonts
- cleaner look for assigned parameters
- pedalboard and snapshot names in the header of the displays
- foot navigation mode showing names of previous and next pedalboard (since the active pedalboard name is already shown in the header)
- blinking LED in foot navigation mode - you know the pedalboard is loaded when the led stops blinking
More complete LV2 implementation
In this release we added supported for the following official LV2 extensions:
- log
- parameter
- patch
- state
Plus custom control-input-port-change-request extension.
For developers, this means now being able to “print” statements from within the plugin and have its output be sent to the browser, facilitating debugging.
The patch/parameter support allows for allowing arbitrary messages to be sent and received by the plugin or modgui.
With state support plugins can save non-parameter data with a pedalboard, like text and files.
And finally, plugins with control input ports can now request a value change, breaking this old restriction coming back from LADSPA days.
For users, this means we will slowly start to see plugins which can load files. (uploaded using File Manager interface)
Not just files, but more expressive UIs are now possible, like a waveform preview of a file.
Plugins that generate some internal data can have their state saved as part of the pedalboard.
So, for example, loopers will now be able to save their audio on disk for later use on a different day.
All this requires support from plugins so that you get to see the new features, but this is already an ongoing development.
We need to first get the host features in place, opening the gates for new types of plugins to be made possible.
Most of the features mentioned here have already been tested with real plugins, it is only a matter of time until you start to see them in the MOD store.
There’s also quite a few more changes and tweaks.
You can read the full changelog below.
Because this release is still under testing, it won’t appear as an update in the web interface just yet.
You’ll have to manually download and apply the update file if you wish to try it out.
(Release testers, also known as ‘group 1’, will receive this update as usual)
Here’s the manual download link:
Duo: http://download.moddevices.com/releases/testing/modduo-v1.10.0.2050-RC1.tar
Duo X: http://download.moddevices.com/releases/testing/modduox-v1.10.0.2051-RC1.tar
The upgrade procedure is explained at the top of our releases page, here:
http://wiki.moddevices.com/wiki/Releases
Dwarf units are already on v1.10 
Here’s the full changelog:
- NEW: Dangerous section in web gui settings (for deleting user data or reflashing controller firmware)
- NEW: Device buttons/footswitches “momentary” mode
- NEW: File Manager interface and plugin file loading support
- NEW: List-type addressings on buttons/footswitches can colorize the LED, so it is easier to know the current “index”/position
- NEW: Support for Control Chain “value set”, “coloured” and “momentary” properties
- NEW: Toggle-type parameters addressable on knobs
- NEW: WiFi support (experimental, for advanced users only for now)
- LV2 control-input-port-change-request extension support (plugin can request change of its own input control ports)
- LV2 log extension support (plugin logs get sent to the browser window for easy debugging)
- LV2 parameter extension support (boolean, integer, long, float, double, URI and vector types)
- LV2 patch extension support (get and set)
- LV2 state extension support (plugin can save and load arbitrary chunks/data, plus create paths)
- Add non-installed plugin store filter
- Broadcast plugin position to all open sessions when moved
- General fixing to addressing dialog
- Improve loading of bank pedalboards in quick succession
- Never cache plugin-related information for local plugin builds
- Remove old hacky behaviour for 100% CPU usage on xrun
- Rework device/controller protocol messages, in preparation for more complex types that will be used for the Dwarf
- Rework preset loading and transport behaviour, more robust now
- Safer pedalboard screenshot generation, now with precautions against corrupt data
- Safer use of save and reset pedalboard through device menus, now unblocked while web interface is open
- Set pedalboard modified flag when a parameter changes or plugin moves
- Show build environment tag in plugin store (can be none/“prod”, “dev”, “labs” or “local”)
- Special rawMIDIClockAccess port property support
- General UI improvements
Duo specific changes:
- New device screen layout
- New font
- Blink LED when loading pedalboard through bank navigation, stops when pedalboard finishes loading
Duo X specific changes:
- Add 2 button actuator page mode (left button is down, right button is up)
- Increase number of parameter pages from 3 to 6
- Fix sporadic boot issues
We hope you’re enjoying your MOD Duo and/or MOD Duo X.
Let us know if you find any issues.
