Zrythm v2.0.0-alpha.3 Released
We’re happy to release Zrythm v2.0.0-alpha.3! This release brings native VST3 plugin hosting, new Windows ARM64EC builds, a rework of multi-channel audio routing, and a long list of fixes.
This is an alpha release intended for testing and feedback. Many features are still missing or incomplete.
What’s new
Native VST3 hosting:
- VST3 plugins are now hosted natively, with resizable embedded editor windows featuring a header strip, bypass and A/B state comparison
- Durable preset selection with VST3 program tracking, a prev/next preset selector in plugin windows, and a searchable preset browser with group filtering and keyboard auditioning
- Parameter groups (e.g. VST3 units) shown as sections in the generic plugin parameter editor
- Diagnostics row in plugin windows showing DSP load and latency (#4526)
- Host transport (play state, tempo, time signature and musical position) delivered to VST3 and CLAP plugins, so tempo-synced plugins follow the project
- Parallel polyphonic voice rendering for bundled synths on a realtime-safe worker pool, and hosting of the CLAP thread-pool extension for plugins that parallelize their processing
Windows on ARM:
- Windows on ARM installers are now built as ARM64EC: Zrythm runs natively on ARM64 while loading x64 plugins in-process
- These builds are made possible by a Surface Pro build machine sponsored by Microsoft — thank you!
Audio routing:
- Multi-channel routing reworked around speaker arrangements: audio folds between layouts per ITU-R BS.775 instead of silencing unmatched buses, port connections carry explicit channel routings, and plugin bus changes at runtime detach and revive ports without losing connections
- Sidechain buses are excluded from automatic track chain wiring and connect through explicit user connections
- The playhead keeps its musical position across tempo changes, and engine-internal pauses (e.g. for undo) no longer trigger return-to-cue moves
Workflow & polish:
- Drag and wheel scrubbing on the transport bar BPM, time signature and position readouts (Shift/Ctrl for fine steps)
- Pinned-cursor dragging with Shift fine mode for knobs, faders and balance controls, so values can be edited indefinitely without the cursor hitting screen edges
- Type and format filters with persisted search in the plugin browser
- Per-stage progress reporting for project load and save, and a modal dialog that blocks concurrent project loads
- System information and a Copy System Info button in the About dialog
Notable fixes:
- Plugin parameters being zeroed on the first processing cycle, resetting patches of plugins like Surge XT
- Crash when removing a MIDI device while its processor is part of the processing graph (#5284)
- Backups cloning their pool files over the main project’s pool files
- Crash on port connections referencing nonexistent endpoints; such connections are now dropped with a warning at load
- Data races between the main and audio threads on transport state and playhead processing state (ThreadSanitizer)
- Deadlocks when graph recalculation or engine pausing was requested while already in progress
- Count-in metronome clicks continuing to play after pausing during the count-in
- Faders and balance controls resetting to hardcoded values instead of the parameter default, and the fader hover label showing -2.1 dB at unity gain (#5307)
- Faders ramping to new volumes faster than real time during playback
- Generic plugin editor windows opening without a title bar on Windows
- Unstyled platform scrollbars and fallback controls on Windows (#5312)
- Arrangers setting drag cursors when the pointer is elsewhere in the window
- DSP load indicator rendering an empty meter as a solid block
Carla plugin hosting support has been removed (it was already disabled).
Downloads
Source tarballs with GPG signatures are available at zrythm.org/releases.
Prebuilt installers — including, for the first time, Windows ARM64EC builds — are available on the GitHub release page.
Building from source
See the build instructions in the README. You’ll need CMake, Qt, and an internet connection for dependency fetching.
Reporting issues
Please report bugs here.
Thanks
The project is currently funded through NGI0 Commons Fund, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet program.
Thanks to Microsoft for sponsoring the Surface Pro build machine that powers the new ARM64EC builds.
If you’d like to support Zrythm’s development, consider purchasing a plan from zrythm.org or donating.
