README file for sonic-pi_4.5.0_1_bookworm.arm64.deb

The deb file will only work on the Latest Raspberry Pi (Bookworm) 64 bit OS
Release date: October 10th 2023 

INSTALLATION

In the file manager change to the folder where the .deb file is situated
(probably your download folder)

* Right click the file icon and choose install package from the options
* Click install when it asks if you want to install the package
* You will be asked to authenticate, as the package is not part of the debian repository
* Type in your password, and wait for the process to complete.

RUNNING SONIC PI

After installation you will find an icon to start Sonic Pi in the Programming Section
of the Applications Menu (The RaspberryPi icon top left). Click to launch Sonic Pi

By default the sound output will be connected to HDMI and can be heard in the speakers
in your monitor.

CHANGING THE AUDIO OUTPUT PATH

Unlike for other applications,right clicking the volume control on the Raspberry Pi menu bar will not change the audio destination for Sonic Pi.
Instead, you can use a program qpwgraph which the installer adds to the Audio Section of the Application Menu.

When launched the program produces a graphical display of pipewire audio and midi connections. It is best to use it full screen initially. Each device is represented by a grey rectangle. The GREEN ones are audio devices, and the RED and PINK ones represent midi devices (some virtual). You can drag the GREY part of the device rectangles to move them around the screen to tidy it up. Output Audio devices have connections (in green) whose names end with playback_FL and playback_FR. Sonic Pi is represented with an icon entitled SuperCollider.
It has outputs on the right numbered upwards from 1. (initially it shows no inputs until you allow them from Sonic Pi Audio preference Panel.

There should be two rubberband like "wires" connection its 2 initial outputs to the built-in Audio Digital Stereo (HDMI) output. You can disconnect wires by right clicking the connect and selecting disconnect, or selecting the grey rectangle which will go blue, then right clicking it again and selecting disconnect.

You can drag a wire from each output terminal 1 and 2 to a diffent playback device if you have one to connect: it may be usb or bluetooth or the audio jack on a Pi2 3 or 4. This will switch the audio output for you.

ISSUES

WINDOW TRANSPARENCY

This is NOT working under Wayland, the default windowing system on the Raspberry Pi OS
If this is an issue for you, you can use sudo raspi-config in a terminal, and select option 6 (Advanced) followed by option A6 (Wayland) to change the display to use Onebox windowmanager with an X11 backend. This DOES support the operation of the Transparency slider on the Sonic Pi options panel., but you will lose some nice Wayland additions. You can use the same location to switch back to Wayland.

SPLASH SCREEN

The Sonic Pi splash screen will only appear on the first run following a system reboot. The cause is known, but the resolution of it has not yet been implemented. Sonic Pi will start, but you need to be patient.

VIDEO TO WATCH

Further details on this new version will posted on in_thread.sonic-pi.net to help with queries you may have.

There is also a 30 minute video being uploaded to my youtube site https://youtu.be/d5MhUZHZ1uw which covers the whole installation and setup process.