After a long period of no official updates, the December update is finally out! It has now been moved to be the default version on Steam. Here's what's new:

Controls Improvements

• Reworked Controls Window: The controls window has been reworked into a multi-tabbed window, to separate out some of the different input methods like controllers, keyboard buttons and Rock Band pedal settings into their own views.
  
• Keyboard Key Binding: You can now rebind the Space and Ctrl keys used by default by the app to use any key you want! On the Keyboard tab of the Controls menu, click the "Rebind" button under the key you'd like to rebind, and then press on the key you'd like to rebind to. The settings will be saved and loaded back automatically, and you can always reset them to their defaults if you'd like to. For anyone purchasing a new USB pedal, this effectively means that you don't necessarily have to remap your pedal to the Space or Ctrl key - you can instead have Paradiddle accept whatever key the pedal is mapped to by default.
  
• Touch Controller Menu Button: The Oculus Touch controller menu button on the left controller now also works as the menu/stick toggle button for Oculus users, in addition to the thumbstick press.
  

Audio Improvements

• Master Volume Slider Past 100: The master volume level slider in the audio settings can now be moved past 100 to get your audio to be even louder. You might still want to be careful with this, as it's more likely to run into issues like audio distortion as you bump this value closer to 200.
  
• Louder Drum Samples: Audio samples have been made louder across the board for all drums. The levels of the hi-hat were bumped even higher on top of these changes.
  
• Audio Distortion Fixes: Got rid of distortion and hissing type sounds affecting the kick, snare and toms, that were especially audible in higher volumes. If you're still hearing weird trailing distortions after hitting a single drum, post on the Steam Forums or the Discord, and let me know what headset you're on!
  

A huge thanks to our very own ElNeax from the Paradiddle community for all his hard work and dedication on improving the audio quality of the app!

New Guides & Existing Guide Updates

2 new guides were added to the Paradiddle website: the MIDI Guide and Latency Guide.

• MIDI Guide (paradiddleapp.com/midi-guide): The MIDI guide serves as the central resource that goes over how to use the MIDI input/output features of Paradiddle to connect audio peripherals to the app, or connect the app to other audio software. As the app moves into platforms other than Steam, there was a larger need to keep this information in a central place, and this guide now replaces and expands upon the MIDI integration notes that were on Steam. The Default MIDI Info section in particular was a new addition for those who'd like to better understand the internals of the MIDI support, such as what MIDI notes or MIDI events are used for which drums by default.
  
• Latency Guide (paradiddleapp.com/latency-guide): The latency guide is meant to ensure that every Paradiddle user can troubleshoot latency issues and get the desired low latency they want when using the app. It includes instructions on how to use ASIO and ASIO4ALL to gain maximum control over the app's audio latency.
  
• Updated Pedal Guide (paradiddleapp.com/pedal-guide): The Pedal Guide was updated with a DIY (do-it-yourself) Pedal section for those seeking to build their own pedals that can be used in Paradiddle. The Rock Band Pedal section was also updated to include a section on troubleshooting RB Pedals plugged in via the microphone jack, offering some tips on how to fix certain common issues.
  

Other Changes and Fixes

• Delete Button in Drum Options: A delete button was added to the drum options menu, currently denoted by the trash can icon. Keep in mind that in addition to the button, you can also grab the drum with both hands, and scale it all the way down to delete it. As you scale it down, it'll turn red past the delete threshold, at which point you can let go to delete the drum.
  
• Updated the version of Unreal Engine used for the app from 4.21 to 4.23, bringing some major performance improvements in scenes with lots of drums.
  
• Updated the version of LIV being used in the app, leading to performance improvements during mixed reality recording sessions.
  
• Fixed a bug where the camera view positions in the Camera tool weren't where they were supposed to be.
  

Quest Beta Update

As some of you might already know, I'm working on a Quest version of Paradiddle alongside the PC version, and there's currently a public beta out that you can try out for yourself. If you or someone you know has a Quest, let them know! There are still some major improvements to be made, but I'm incredibly excited about being able to use a standalone headset to make Paradiddle and VR drumming a truly portable experience. The latest update to the Quest version brings the Quest port closer to the PC version, and adds USB pedal support! You can find the latest release notes and grab the .apk file to install on your Quest here.

Other Updates, What's Next

Part of the reason why it's been so long since the last update is that much of the work that went into this particular update ended up being behind the scenes, where a lot of the UI components and application internals were refactored to allow faster iteration in the future. This was especially important for maintaining both the PC and Quest versions side by side.

In addition, I recently also got to showcase Paradiddle at the 2019 Kaleidoscope Quest Showcase, where 12 of the most promising upcoming Oculus Quest projects were selected by a panel of judges, and given the opportunity to present their pitches and Quest plans. Soon after the showcase, Paradiddle was also selected to the First Look XR Market, which will be done in VR in the Museum of Other Realities as some of the leading XR artists in the world present their projects. I'm excited to use both of these opportunities to get the word out about the app a bit more, and potentially secure some more resources that I can use for future development.

In terms of what's coming up next moving into 2020, the 3 major features that are going to be implemented the soonest will be better drum kit management, new percussion instruments, and an alpha release of the note highway system. We're hard at work on these - stay tuned for updates!

If you're enjoying your VR jam sessions in Paradiddle and excited about upcoming features and improvements, I would really appreciate it if you wrote a review on Steam. It doesn't have to be long - any review helps in showing that Paradiddle is trying to be the most flexible, responsive and user-friendly VR drumming app out there. The more we can get the word out, the more support I'll be able to get in realizing that goal.

- Emre
emre@paradiddleapp.com
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