Wren latest version - 2025.4.10.0

[Le DJ Abstrait]

Thanks a million! I just installed it, runs fine!
I was waiting for a reply notification, but decided to just drop by...
now listening to "2021-01-14-01-26 is we plant".

[Le DJ Abstrait]

[blue hell]

No need to run the installer .. it will try to get things from the internet.

[Le DJ Abstrait]

I was wondering if the installer installs needed bits somewhere... I have been having error messages, all about .dll s that although present in the Wren folder, seem to go missing...

[blue hell]

Windows should search in the exe folder for DLL's .. the wren log file may tell more ...

Alternatively DLLs could be copied to one of the windows folders .. the log will tell where here is searched

The install thing does nothing with registration or anything ...

[Le DJ Abstrait]

I have checked the log: my Wren folder appears in the list of searched folders, it can find Portaudio, which is in that folder, but it says FFTW dll is not found, even though it is in the folder. Same thing for eSpeak.
Another great mystery...

[blue hell]

eSpeak needs be installed seperately .. and then the DLL can be used to communicate with it .. otherwise it will not work.

FFTW should be able to work on itself .. can you attach the log here?

[Le DJ Abstrait]

the log:

---

wren.log
Description:		Download (listen)
Filename:	wren.log
Filesize:	16.2 KB
Downloaded:	15 Time(s)

---

[blue hell]

Ok, thanks.

Looks like eSpeak is not installed .. or not installed as expected by Wren - proper detection is a bit nasty ...

The FFTW .. it really just is not found according to the log ... what you can try is to explicitly add the wren exe folder to your windows search path.

The folder seems to be : "C:\Musique et Son\wren_2023280_install_201\"

And to add it to the search path: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-add-edit-a-path-variable-in-windows .. but eh .. then in French

It should not matter if you use the "user variables" or the "system variables" - setting in the system variables will make it work for all users.

[Le DJ Abstrait]

I'm running windows 7

[blue hell]

[Le DJ Abstrait]

Merci beaucoup!
FFTW not causing anymore trouble.
I just recently started using windows 7, because of Wren... before that I was content to use XP on the hand-me-down computers I had.

[blue hell]

Great that it works now .. would be good to remember that path trick .. i should have done that before .. o well :)

I'm running a win7 computer stiil too .. not for wren, but my streaming computer .. this is also handy because i can still run cool edit there - probably the most brilliant wave editing tool ever made ... adobe later bought it and killed it .. basically .. although they prbably would not agree .. silly fools.

[Le DJ Abstrait]

How about Xaudio 2.8?
some patches complain that it's not present...
Is it a package that I need to install, or just a dll in the Wren folder will do?

[blue hell]

xaudio ..hmm no idea .. seems to be a µsoft thing?

ah .. ok ... https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/xaudio2/xaudio2-introduction

It can be that rb8bsrc.dll is using it for sample rate conversion on the wave player modules - looks like portaudio is not using it.

Seems part of win8 and win10, oh and xbox lol, maybe https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/xaudio2/xaudio2-versions helps?

Anyway,a microsoft thing, and it looks like win7 can have it ...

[blue hell]

Hmm .. or is it espeak ... https://github.com/rhdunn/espeak/issues/98

[Le DJ Abstrait]

I'm in a sort of dead-end: Xaudio_2.8 not supposed to be for windows 7, but for windows 8...

[blue hell]

Dead end .. must then Better try to find out what the actual issue is .. what module(s) is/are causing the problem.

And then try to find a solution for that issue .. do not assume blindly that the solution lies in getting the 2.8 version of xaudio .. such may be the case or it may not be the case - error messages not always tell what they (should) say.

So .. what is actually causing the problem .. you said that some patches do .. so there must be something specific in such patches.

Wren files can be loaded into a text editor such as notepad so you can see what modules are in them - for in case the patch will not load in wren.

Try to make a patch as simple as possible which causes the issue - the patch does not have to be functional - it should cause the failure.

My guess is that it will be something with espeak or with wave playing ... but I can easily be wrong, it is just a guess .. so test it

In wren you can use ctrl+F to search for modules that have espeak or wave or whatever in the name [or in their help text .. but that must be enabled first in the settings [F3]].

Good luck

[Le DJ Abstrait]

One patch that systematically crashes Wren is "2022-02-09-01-16 czar powder". All the "gun powder mixer" patches do that, and there are others that I have not taken note of the name.
I get the message: "The program can't start becaus Xaudio 2_8 is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem."

I don't know if they're talking about Wren or something else.

I'll start my investigation following your counsel, but I'm coming from far...

[blue hell]

I can not find the patch you mention .. but I do have :

2022-02-09-01-16 the gun powder mixers.wren
2022-02-09-01-17 czar powder.wren

Both are using the eSpeak module and are not using any wave players ... so I guess it is eSpeak related.

Do you have eSpeak installed?

[Le DJ Abstrait]

my mistake, the file in question is 2022-02-09-01-19.
But it seem I have fixed the problem: I downloaded xaudio2_9redist.dll, and put it in Wren's folder. At first it did not change anything. I renamed it xaudio2_8.dll and it does not crash anymore. Talk about computer maintenance by the seat of the pants!

[blue hell]

[cappy2112]

Jan

This is just amazing- how much functionality (let alone the development time) you've put into this. I'm just amazed, and I haven't even played with any modules yet.

3 minor suggestions for first-time users:

1. https://bluehell.nl/wren/wiki/doku.php?id=installation
Please add- Select Output Device" before the "Press F9" par of the installation help.

When I pressed F9 to hear the audio the editor screen disappeared, only the console screen (log screen ?) was showing.
The user needs to select an Output Device first, before pressing F9, or the Run button. Selecting the output device "fixed" the Editor screen from disappearing when I pressed F9.

2. Is there an "over 60 mode" ?
(An option to make the screen text larger for those who are over 60)

3. Display a progress bar (or an actveily-updated help window) which shows that code is being downloaded, while it's being downloaded. Once I started the download, I wasn't sure if installation hung, or if it was proceeding.

[blue hell]

Hah, ow Tony .. I am over 60

Yes, it is small and not scalable ... i've in fact made it as small as possible .. so i could just about see it .. and as many modules would fit the screen as possible .. without any scrolling ... I've counted soo many pixels

Curremtly though I'll adapt my reading glasses to it .. +3.0 works for me .. highest I can cheaply buy at the gas station or super .. or whatever .. is +3.5 .. sooo I still have a tad of a margin before I need a complete redo

Another design consideration BTW was that scalable images were too slow at the time - nowadays it is just a design error I guess.

[Le DJ Abstrait]

You could somehow tune the appearance by going to the "general setup" and tweak the font type/size/features. I have recently embarked on such an adventure, mainly to make the module title stand out a little more. Underlining the title did the trick, and you can enable that. but it doesn't get recorded, so the next time you start Wren you're still at the same place... So I went on a quest, downloaded dozens of fonts that have minimal descenders, condensed, and are still readable in 8 point, and spent hours tweaking away. I got not so bad results with a font named "Bergins blur"...
It does take a lot of patience. Good Luck.