Yet another version of my favourite audio player has been released with many nice improvements, like native support for Replaygain and CD Audio and a kind of media library .
Here's the complete list of changes from xmplay.txt:
3.2 - 13/2/2005
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* New "media library" (replaces "recent tracks" list)
* Native "input" plugin system
* CD Audio support
* Conditional (if..then..else..) title formatting
* Genre, comment and filename elements added to title formatting options
* Title formatting can now also apply with Winamp plugins whenever possible
* Support for APEv2 tags
* ID3 genre tag support
* Optional title updating from CUE sheets
* Undo option (shortcut) for playlist/library modifications
* Plugin-played formats added to integration options
* More efficient WMA file playing with WM9 (and above) modules installed
* Replaygain support
* Improved MOD default amplification level calculations
* Option to automatically write WAV/etc files to same directory as the source file
* Scrolling titles
* Playlist entry scrolling replaced with more detailed help bubbles
* Adjustable info window text wrapping
* OGG "vendor" info shown in "general" info
* Option to shrink columns in MOD pattern display depending on number of channels
* MOD BPM/speed display option
* DSP volume/balance now permanently on, and changes are audible instantly
* Dithering & noise-shaping automatically bypassed when not required
* Folder shell integration option
* Proxy bypass option
* Shortcut to show tray title bubble
* "Device options" shortcut
* Shortcut to select all dead tracks
* Windows mouse wheel scrolling settings used when scrolling playlist and info window
* Support for extended M3U playlists
* Skinning improvements (see skinning kit)
Link:
http://www.un4seen.com (http://www.un4seen.com)
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Wow, now this is becoming interesting in the top-players department. I'll give it a test-drive in the coming week. The main thing - besides of technical stuff - which made this player uninteresting for me, was the per-track based layout approach, which imho is just obsolete and a thing of the past. Playlist and DB-based layouts are the current and will probably stay for quite a while. I know that xmplay had an optional playlist popup window - but it always felt like something which was just added as an afterthought.
But since titleformatting is now possible, i asume that the player is now giving the integrated playlist more room and flexibility. I'll see next week.
- Lyx
edit: added link
I know that xmplay had an optional playlist popup window - but it always felt like something which was just added as an afterthought.
Optional popup window, huh? Well that's just the main playlist window for most users, I'm sure - there has even been some talk about removing the small playlist altogether, since it's so limited. So, I'd say the extended playlist is a little more than just a quick afterthought, and even more so now that the new media library uses it too .
But since titleformatting is now possible, i asume that the player is now giving the integrated playlist more room and flexibility.
Frankly, I don't see how title formatting should affect the small playlist's attributes .. But anyway, optional title formatting has been possible for a long time already - it's just improved further in this version .
Nice to see that Replaygain support is now available, however it doesn't interpret replaygain tag on WMA files correctly like foobar does. Maybe there'll be a fix on the next version?
fb2k's replaygain is different from the behaviour of replaygain.exe on MPC files. I wish there was another tag so that all such files would be uniformly replaygained. Can XMPlay place replaygain information as a tag?
Currently XMP can only read ReplayGain info. Perhaps in the next version...
By the way, the version is now 3.2.0.1 after a small update.
Currently XMP can only read ReplayGain info. Perhaps in the next version...
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=274062"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Wouldn't such features affect it's size...? I know it only gained some 27 kB this time around, but one of the main attractions for me are it's fantastically compact size combined with those wellchosen features and simpicity of use.... I have this icecast2 vorbis stream, and XMPlay are the player I recommend people for casual listening (many of which are so inexperienced computer users that it's hard to explain without sounding like a smug geek) so XMPlay's size and simpicity are huge marketing traits as far as I'm concerned (this time around it got CDDA support, which probably matters more for average Joe than a replaygain scanner). I don't see why it should try to compete with foobar2000, as.... well, there already are a foobar2000....
What i really like about this player is it's built in enqueuing system. You just middle click on a song in your playlist and it gets enqueued. Gets a new number (1, 2, etc) and the colour changes a bit. Very intuitive. I just wished foo_temple would work like this!
I don't see why it should try to compete with foobar2000, as.... well, there already are a foobar2000....
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=274160"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Because there is a market for a "foobar-easy". The clean and wide format-support together with replaygain and the masstagging-abilities are something interesting even for "advanced casual-users" - but the extreme customizability wouldn't be necessary for many of these people. So, a player with the technical advantages of foobar, but with a more easy UI and less geek-options would make sense IMHO.
- Lyx
I don't see why it should try to compete with foobar2000, as.... well, there already are a foobar2000....
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=274160"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Because there is a market for a "foobar-easy". The clean and wide format-support together with replaygain and the masstagging-abilities are something interesting even for "advanced casual-users" - but the extreme customizability wouldn't be necessary for many of these people. So, a player with the technical advantages of foobar, but with a more easy UI and less geek-options would make sense IMHO.
- Lyx
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=277094"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
I absolutely agree with all of this. My only concern was regarding possibilities that adding all kinds of features (like a replaygain scanner, not only replaygain playback) could affect (hurt) it's compact size and simplicity of use, which I consider main attractions with this player, and it's advantages as an
alternative or supplement to foobar2000....