Release notes

Reference 4.4 Release Notes

Release notes for 4.4.10

Date of release: 17/10/2022

Systemwide

• [Win] Support for Windows 11 implemented

Measure

• [Win] Updated some UI packages that could cause a crash when launching the application

Release notes for 4.4.9

Date of release: 26/07/2021

Systemwide

• Fixed crash on sleep issue (macOS)
• Fixed audio artifacts (clicks and pops) issue with the new Safari update (macOS)
• Fixed issue where switching driver modes would invoke SoundID Reference (Windows)
• Fixed several issues with the feedback sending feature

Plugin

• Added Ableton 11 to the Render Bypass Notification feature

Release notes for 4.4.8

Systemwide

• Fixed loud bursts of volume when opening Systemwide or changing sample rate
• Replaced old web links with the correct links
• Fixed a bug that caused Trial expired message to show up in the main view with a full license present
• [macOS] Fixed an issue of Reference 4 Systemwide not launching on macOS Sierra (10.12)
• [Win] Fixed an issue of the app not launching for some devices

Plugin

• Replaced old web links with the correct links

Measure

• Replaced old web links with the correct links

Release notes for 4.4.7

Date of release: 04/02/2021

Systemwide

• [macOS] Changes in virtual audio device to comply with Big Sur update
• [macOS] Fixed an issue of missing audio driver after the installation or update process
• [Win] Fixed the issue of Systemwide crashing if the output device has Unicode characters in its name
• Changed an outdated link for offline activation feature
• Fixed an issue with the Listening Spot feature being disabled when the user enables it, and vice versa. It now works as advertised
• Fixed an issue of Safe Headroom not being applied after creating a preset
• Fixed the occasional issue of Systemwide not launching unless the configuration file is deleted

Plugin

• [macOS] Fixed an issue of Reference plugin crashing a DAW if Dry/Wet value is modified
• Fixed an issue with the Listening Spot feature being disabled when the user enables it, and vice versa. It now works as advertised

Release notes for 4.4.6

Date of release: 12/11/2020

Systemwide

• [Win] Fixed a bug that made the program freeze on splash screen
• Fixed app crash on extreme sample rate/buffer size settings
• [Win] Added possibility to blacklist specific ASIO drivers in ASIO mode
• [macOS] Fixed missing output channels on inbuilt output during onboarding
• [Win] Fixed missing tray icon
• Fixed tray icon not reflecting current calibration state
• Fixed GUI opening on system start by default
• Fixed safe headroom value not applied on first preset saved after onboarding

Plugin

• Fixed a users not being able to authorize licenses from plugin
• Fixed various plugin internet connection issues

Release notes for 4.4.5

Systemwide

• Architecture changes to improve the core performance and decrease latency
• Improved audio format handling to improve interactions with music players and games
• [macOS] Added sleep handler to avoid a latency spike after computer sleep
• Added a mechanism to drop audio buffers in case of floating latency
• Systemwide ignores other virtual drivers by Sonarworks (True-Fi, SoundID Listen) to avoid double correction
• Fixed unexpected behavior for the Listening Spot adjustment
• Fixed unexpected behavior for Adjust output device gain option
• Fixed some crashes for specific device setups

Plugin

• Fixed unexpected behavior for the Listening Spot adjustment
• Fixes for the plugin slowing down certain DAWs
• Fixed plugin affecting phase while calibration was off

Reference 4.4.4 Release Notes

Date of release: 9/05/2020

Systemwide

• Architecture changes to improve the core performance and decrease latency
• Improved audio format handling to improve interactions with music players and games
• Fixed unexpected behavior for the Listening Spot adjustment

Plugin

• Fixed unexpected behavior for the Listening Spot adjustment
• Fixes for the plugin slowing down certain DAWs
• Fixed plugin affecting phase while calibration was off

Reference 4.4.3 Release Notes

Date of release: 27/02/2020

Systemwide

• Improved architecture that was causing upwards latency drift when the CPU was under heavy load
• [macOS] Increased the audio thread priority
• Fixed a bug that prevented users from saving a preset
• Fixed a bug which displayed the wrong output channels for multi output and named output interfaces

Reference 4.4.2 Release Notes

Date of release: 02/01/2020

Systemwide

• Fixed a bug in DSP core that caused issues with audio calibration (Fixed in Build 92)
• Added support for assigning MIDI controls to bypass button, preset selection and Mono mode
• Systemwide backs up the configuration file if it fails to migrate the old settings to a new version of the application
• Added an audio logging feature in Settings – Audio
• Added a “Provide feedback” option in Systemwide
• Added a dialogue when switching between ASIO and WASAPI modes. This can be disabled in Settings – Notifications
• More information added during onboarding regarding XREF 20 microphones
• Added a description for the Safety buffer feature in Audio Settings
• Added units to selectable values in Settings – Audio
• Headphone profile list now includes all profiles for headphones with multiple modes
• [Win] When clicking on taskbar icon, Systemwide window is minimized, if already opened
• Fixed the low resolution SW icon in tray menu
• Fixed visual issues with various curves represented in Systemwide UI
• Fixed the default channels selected for an output device when creating new presets
• [macOS] Fixed Systemwide not launching on startup in some cases
• Fixed an issue with gain control once Safe Headroom is enabled
• Fixed some buggy behaviour of the onboarding survey that appears after listening to some audio
• Fixed the automatic channel population when creating a new preset
• [macOS] Fixed an issue that caused Systemwide to not recognize a previously connected device
• Removed “Reference 4 Trial” text from UI if a valid Headphone Edition of Reference is activated
• Some minor fixes in design, texts and functionality

Plugin

• Fixed a bug in DSP core that caused issues with audio calibration (Fixed in Build 92)
• Added a “Provide feedback” option in Reference Plugin
• Fixed an issue which caused Studio One 4 to freeze when transforming several tracks to audio
• Minor fixes in texts

Measure

• More information added during onboarding regarding XREF 20 microphones
• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused debug mode to crash the application

Reference 4.4.1 Release Notes

Date of release: 22/10/2019

Systemwide

• Headphone profile list now batches the headphone profiles by manufacturer instead of showing all profiles in a single alphabetical list
• Added links to Privacy Policy in several views
• Added an optional Safety Buffer in Settings – Audio. Selecting this can solve minor sound artefacts present in some setups
• Buttons in New update available alerts now lead to Reference Downloads page instead of serving an offline installer
• Several minor design tweaks, including title bar appearance and visual element alignment
• Opening a SWPROJ or SWHP file now opens the Add Preset dialogue with the specific file already loaded in place
• Educational licenses displayed correctly in UI and license views
• Preset names are generated automatically when copying an existing preset. User can still edit the name if necessary
• If no devices are available, correct disabled states are presented in Settings
• When adding Individually Calibrated headphones, type cursor placed in the input field as the view is opened
• When adding new Average correction profiles, preset names are generated automatically. User can still edit the name if necessary
• Added a Restart audio playback engine in the set-up guide of Systemwide which can solve some audio issues occurring the set-up
• In-app survey for new users now appears later and only after some audio has passed through Systemwide
• Fixed a bug that prevented changing volume if no preset was selected
• Fixed a bug which caused channel names to be displayed incorrectly in Settings view
• Fixed a bug that caused onboarding tooltips to appear incorrectly
• Fixed a bug that caused Systemwide to crash when quitting the app
• Fixed a bug that caused Systemwide to display the wrong output channel name
• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Systemwide to crash on startup
• Fixed a bug that caused Systemwide to show Your trial has ended alert for new users
• Fixed a bug that prevented Systemwide showing all available buffer sizes in ASIO mode for some devices
• Other minor minor visual and performance fixes

Plugin

• Fixed a bug which prevented Individually Calibrated headphone profiles to be loaded in the plugin
• Added links to Privacy Policy in several views

Measure

• Added links to Privacy Policy in several views

Reference 4.4.0 Release Notes

Date of release: 26/09/2019

Systemwide

• New Presets sidebar allows easier management of user output devices and calibration profiles. More info regarding this can be found here.
• [Win] Users can now launch Systemwide in ASIO mode if their output device does not support WASAPI. You can find the option to do so in Settings – Audio.
• Starting from this release onwards Systemwide will detect if a new version is released and notify the user. User can also manually check for updates from Systemwide GUI. Disable the notifications from Settings – Notifications.
• [macOS] Support for macOS 10.15 Catalina added
• Output channels can be selected separately, as opposed to having them in pairs. Useful for switching the Left/Right channels or configuring more complex setups.
• Retry button now available if license activation fails due to network issues.
• Systemwide starts in Dark Theme for new users if their operating system is set to dark mode too.
• User has the option to disable the GPU process, which can decrease energy consumption but might introduce visual artifacts. Find the option in Settings – General.
• Setup guide flow slightly improved to provide more clarity for new users.
• [macOS] Fixed a bug that caused multiple notifications to appear at the same time.
• [Win] Fixed a bug that prompted users to calibrate unsupported devices, crashing the playback engine.
• [Win] Fixed an issue with a white border for the title bar in the Dark Theme.
• [Win] Added the missing title for Systemwide in the taskbar.
• Added the version and build numbers to the license information view.
• Minor design and performance updates.

Plugin

Starting from this release onwards Reference Plugin will detect if a new version is released and notify the user. User can also manually check for updates from the Plugin.

Reference 4.3 Release Notes

Reference 4.3.5 release notes

Date of release: 14/08/2019

Systemwide:

• [Win] Fixed a bug that caused playback engine failure when launching Systemwide.
• [macOS] Fixed a bug that caused playback engine failure when selecting aggregate devices

Measure:

• [Win] Added support for Avid HDX devices
• [macOS] Fixed a bug that prevented Measure from requesting Microphone access.

Reference 4.3.4 release notes

Systemwide:

• [MacOS] Fixed a bug that disabled the DSP if a full license and an expired HP edition trial are present
• [Win] Fixed an issue that caused installation failure on Windows 8.1 due to driver signature

Reference 4.3.3 release notes

Date of release: 08/08/2019

Systemwide:

• Default output device take-over logic updated. Systemwide will stay the default system output device by default. When new system output device is selected, Systemwide will take-over and calibrate the new device. This can be disabled in Systemwide Settings -> Audio. When feature disabled, a new alert is implemented when system output device is changed. This too can be disabled from Systemwide Settings -> Notifications. For more info regarding this feature please see this article.
• New alert when other apps take exclusive access to the audio device that is currently active in Systemwide. Alert can be disabled from the alert itself or by visiting Systemwide Settings -> Notifications
• Alerts in dark theme have been updated with the dark theme colors as well
• Latency menu expanded further, showing Internal Buffer, Internal Processing and Output Device latency
• Test tones normalized between left and right channels
• Added alert that informs user that the audio playback engine can’t be started and a new button in Systemwide Settings -> Audio t
• hat restarts the engine
• [Win] Added support for Windows 1903 update
• [Win] Added support for multi-channel format devices (configured with more than 2 channels)
• Peak indicators added for the level meters
• Added a new view in the setup guide that prompts users to return to Systemwide after launching Measure
• Log files older than 7 days are now automatically deleted on Systemwide launch
• Removed the timer for “New device found” alert – now it will be open indefinitely, until the user acts on it. Alert can be disabled by using the checkbox in the alert itself or by visiting Systemwide Settings -> Notifications
• Safe headroom now turns on by default when loading a profile in an empty state
• Some scaling issues fixed for multiple display setups
• Some missing hover states for buttons implemented
• [OSX] Target curve switching performance updated
• [OSX] Fixed a bug that caused Systemwide to close very slowly
• [Win] Fixed a bug which caused Systemwide to misbehave when unsupported devices are connected. Problem was caused by devices that have a Mono Audio Channel setup in Windows Speaker Setup.
• [OSX] Fixed a bug that caused HDMI and Thunderbolt devices to appear by their connection type instead of device name
• [OSX] Fixed a random volume spike when launching on boot
• [OSX] Fixed a bug regarding clock sources for some audio devices that caused audio artifacts
• [OSX] Fixed volume logic in cases when switching to a device with a different sample rate
• [OSX] Fixed a rare bug that crashed Systemwide when tray icon clicked
• Fixed a crash that occurred when updating to 4.3 and migrating settings

Plugin

• When pressing “Add headphones” in Plugin, Systemwide is opened in the HP selection screen. Selected headphone profile is automatically loaded in the Plugin.
• Fixed a bug that prevented Reference license activation from Plugin in Avid Pro Tools

Measure

• 3 new alerts implemented in the speaker distance measurement stage in the following cases:
  • Mono signal detected from speakers
  • User is standing at the wrong speaker or speakers are set up in reverse
  • No signal from left or right speaker
• When Measure crashes a link to the log file is displayed, making it more convenient for the user to report the issue to Sonarworks support team
• Fixed a bug during activation that caused incorrect email address processing if special characters included
• Fixed a bug that allowed multiple instances of Measure to be opened when launching from Plugin or Systemwide
• Fixed a bug that caused microphone calibration data to appear incorrectly

Reference 4.3.2

Date of release: 25/06/2019

Systemwide

• Fixed the issue of clicks and pops on Windows.
• OSX: fixed a bug that only played audio to the first channel pair for multichannel devices.
• Windows: fixed the issue of installation files missing.
• OSX: fixed the issue of System sample rate not synchronizing with Systemwide sample rate, causing deadlocks and loss of audio when changing settings in Audio MIDI Settings or when opening DAWs with different sample rates.
• Fixed the issue of Systemwide freezing when trying to close the app.
• Fixed a bug in “Test output” button which froze the Settings view.
• Sliders improved – Dry/Wet slider, Gain slider and Bass Tilt/Boost sliders can be set to a precise value by dragging them, clicking on them or scrolling with the mouse wheel.
• Implemented a simple survey for new users.
• New and improved alerts when attaching new devices and other warnings. OSX: users informed about Microphone Access before the system asks for the permission.
• Small improvements in new user onboarding process.
• Shortcuts implemented:
  • Alt+Left click on Systemwide icon in Menu Bar / Tray Menu turns calibration on/off
  • Spacebar turns calibration on/off when Systemwide UI is open
  • Ctrl+, (Win) or Command+, (OSX) opens Settings when Systemwide UI is open
  • Escape closes Settings or License information views
• Notifications and tray icon context menu supports Unicode characters
• Other minor improvements in design and functionality

Plugin

• Fixed a bug that crashed DAWs when Reference Plugin is in a project and the internet connection is lost.
• When launching Systemwide from Plugin, Systemwide will appear in front

Reference 4.3.0

Date of release: 11/06/2019

Systemwide

• A new onboarding experience helping users to set up Systemwide properly.
• On-demand headphone profile download speeds up set-up significantly and ensures that only necessary files are saved on users’ systems.
• Users can now download profiles for their individually measured headphones directly in the app.
• Menubar / tray menu that is both simplified and offers quicker access to essential features like changing Systemwide’s output device.
• Dark theme for making the UI easier on the eyes for those of you working in the dark.
• Improved virtual sound device performance and behavior.
• Several minor improvements to make the UI more easily usable and informative.

Systemwide and Plugin

• Mixed filter mode. An improved version of our previous ‘Optimum’ filter mode providing low latency with low phase distortion and much less noticeable pre-ringing artifacts. A great middle ground between the zero latency and linear phase modes!
• Room measurement can now be launched directly from Systemwide as well as the DAW plugin.

Plugin

• The DAW plugin can now launch Reference Systemwide in cases where new headphone profiles must be downloaded to the system.

Reference 4.2 Release Notes

Reference 4.2.2

Date of release: 10/04/2019

General

• Fix for a bug that did not allow to resume downloading after a connection error. (Windows)
• Fix for a scenario when user or third party software removes the cached MSI files from “C:\Windows\Installer” folder and prevents uninstall or updates. (Windows)

Systemwide

• Fix for a bug that prevented control of system volume when using certain output devices.
• Drag and drop functionality added for a quick correction profile selection.
• Fix for a bug that launched main UI to show after every reboot. (Windows)

Measure

• Some ASIO drivers that were causing a crash in I/O selection step have been blacklisted. (Windows)
• Fix for a bug that sometimes caused a Debug Mode crash or prevented the creation of log files. (Windows)
• Fix for a bug that did not allow to select output channels other than the first pair (1-2) for some devices. (OSX)

Plugin 

• Render Bypass notification design upgrade (text and option to turn off from the notification).
• Added Render Bypass notification support for Ableton Live 10 Standard. (Windows)
• Drag and drop functionality added for a quick correction profile selection.

Reference 4.2.1

Date of release: 10/04/2019

General

• Fix for a bug that did not allow to resume downloading after a connection error. (Windows)
• Fix for a scenario when user or third party software removes the cached MSI files from “C:\Windows\Installer” folder and prevents uninstall or updates. (Windows)

Systemwide

• Fix for a bug that prevented control of system volume when using certain output devices.
• Drag and drop functionality added for a quick correction profile selection.
• Fix for a bug that launched main UI to show after every reboot. (Windows)

Measure

• Some ASIO drivers that were causing a crash in I/O selection step have been blacklisted. (Windows)
• Fix for a bug that sometimes caused a Debug Mode crash or prevented the creation of log files. (Windows)
• Fix for a bug that did not allow to select output channels other than the first pair (1-2) for some devices. (OSX)

Plugin

• Render Bypass notification design upgrade (text and option to turn off from the notification).
• Added Render Bypass notification support for Ableton Live 10 Standard. (Windows)
• Drag and drop functionality added for a quick correction profile selection.

Reference 4.1 Release Notes

Reference 4.1.11.4

Date of release: 12/2/2019

Systemwide

• No longer loads a headphone profile instead of a speaker profile upon launch

Measure

• Fixed timing related crashes

Reference 4.1.10.2

Date of release: 4/1/2019

Systemwide

• Fixed Systemwide window popping up on boot.

Measure

• Fixed the bug that caused Measure to show empty curves when opening an existing measurement
• Fixed issues when saving the project in measure

Reference 4.1.9.1

Date of release: 31/10/2018

General

• Added the option for users to activate trial from Plugin and Systemwide.
• Fixed a bug where client did not receive IHP profile when authorising.
• Fixed a bug where Windows installer rebooted computer during install.
• Added a feature to update/download profiles from either Plugin, Systemwide or Measure
• Added 60 new supported headphone models.

Systemwide

• Fixed a bug on OSX when Systemwide was consuming too much CPU power.

Measure

• Fixed bug where Measure showed incorrect graph for microphone frequency response

Plugin 

• Plugin now supports 32-bit AAX and VST
• Fixed a bug where Reference 4 might conflict with other vendor plugins causing a crash.

Reference 4.1.7

Date of release: 22/08/2018

Key updates in in the 4.1.7 version include a 32-bit plugin in addition to the existing 64-bit one, enabling users with older DAW platforms to take advantage of Reference’s robust measurement and calibration capabilities. Additionally, users are now able to download the latest headphone profiles directly from the software itself, either through the DAW plug-in or in systemwide mode. Newly supported headphone models include offerings from AKG, Audio Technica, Beats, Behringer, Focal, Fostex, Meze, Pioneer, Sennheiser, and many more.

In addition to standard feature upgrades, version 4.1.7 also fixes routine bugs including systemwide over-power consumption, installer malfunctions and other miscellaneous functionality refinements.

Reference 4.1.5

Date of release: 21/08/2018

Systemwide

•  Fixed a crash in OSX Systemwide when user closed main UI during on-boarding, then opened Systemwide menu-tray and clicked “Got it”.
•  Fixed a bug when on-boarding tooltip was shown to load a profile, but profile was already loaded.

Measure

•  Measure now supports rare microphone IDs which consist of 7-digits instead of 6.

Plugin 

• AAX plugin was showing that it is a VST plugin, when in fact, it is an AAX plugin.
• A Linux VST of Reference plugin is now available. It is not included in the install package. Can be received upon an individual request

Reference 4.1.4

Date of release: 23/07/2018

Systemwide:

• Fixed a one time crash when updating to new version during the install process.

Reference 4.1.3

Date of release: 18/07/2018

Systemwide / Plugin:

• Pop-up window shadows are thinner, therefore easier to not click them since mouse clicks on them are not registered.
• Before if the user closed UI in the middle of onboarding, then onboarding started from the beginning the next time the user opened the UI. Now the onboarding will continue from the step the user closed UI.
• Systemwide UI was broken after closing the licensing window.
  Information tooltips are now displayed in the correct positions.
• Fixed bug where if a trial key is activated over HP permanent license, then all products are shown as studio trial.

Measure:

• The measured speaker profile is automatically loaded in Plugin and Systemwide as the active profile.

Reference 4.1.2

Date of release: 07/07/2018

Measure:

• Removed “Hardware Setup info” step
• Metric or Imperial is now set to OS default
• Gain knob animation only moves one way
• Changed “in” to “inches”

Plugin:

• Bass/Tilt is disabled if set to 0/0 values
• SR onboarding tooltip is hidden if the plugin and systemwide is bypassed

Systemwide:

• Level meters are glitchy

Reference 4.1.1

Date of release: 28/06/2018

Plugin:

• Fixed issue with Cubase 9.5.3 not working with Sonarworks plugin
• Random DAW crashes with Sonarworks plugin (if Acoustica plugins were present)

Measure:

• Fixed random crashes during measurements
• Crash on OSX when using devices which don’t support channel names (software crash after mic selection)
• Crash during mic profile handling
• Measurements are taking too long error bug
• Improved ASIO device handling

Systemwide:

• Systemwide now shows the full version number

Reference 4.1.0

Date of release: 05/06/2018

Measure:

• Revised instructions. We have revised the instructions about a hardware setup and measuring process.
• Calibration microphone profile can be downloaded directly from the software. Download the Sonarworks XREF 20 Measurement Microphone calibration profile automatically in the software by entering a mic ID number.
• View microphone frequency response graph. You can visually explore a measurement microphone frequency response curve for Sonarworks measurement microphone as well as other calibration microphones that come with an individual calibration profile.
• Revised feature set. We have removed features that were unnecessary and added new ones because of the streamlined measuring process.
  Voice feedback for the speaker distance measuring phase added. The voice feedback informs you about the state of the measuring process. It is useful if you have a studio where speakers are placed behind a computer screen and you’re not able to see the screen while standing by the speakers during the measuring process.
• Revise dimensions more easily. Now you can revise the dimensions measured between the listening spot and the speakers more easily — just measure the distance in straight line from your listening spot to each speaker.
• Revised representation of measuring points in a schematic setup (speakers and a listening area). The schematic representation of your setup allows you to locate the microphone and reminds you to aim between speakers.
  Explore your speaker frequency response curve. The legend of the graph displays a value of each point in the graph when you hover a mouse cursor on it.
• More explicit warning and error messages. We’re trying to guide you through the measuring process by providing as much useful information at the right time as possible.

Systemwide and Plugin:

• Sonarworks Studio Reference. It is the most neutral and balanced target. It will ensure that the energy throughout the whole frequency spectrum remains the same.
• A revised set of features and their labels. We have reorganized the UI for several reasons: 1) removal of the simulations, 2) importance of the features and the order of their use. Also, we have renamed some of the features: we’re searching for labels for features that you could recognize or learn in a moment.
• Switching between headphone and speaker profiles from the main UI of Systemwide. Now also Systemwide (identically to the plugin) enables switching between the profiles from the main UI. The switch on the main UI and the Systemwide’s widget work in sync.
• Revised onboarding. Now we’re onboarding you contextually: the software displays few tooltips that are relevant for quick-start and getting to hearing the calibrated sound faster.
• Revised frequency response curve graph. Now you can learn about each frequency response curve from descriptions next to the menu. The graph also gives a visual feedback regarding what’s being changed when you change the settings (e.g., Bass Boost, Limit Controls, etc.)
• Warning when the calibration is turned off by changing Dry/Wet control settings. You can adjust the Dry/Wet control to adjust the level of correction applied. But when you turn it to 0, the correction is turned off. So you would know it, the software informs you by displaying a warning icon and a tooltip.