Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] Plugin APIs (again)
From: David Olofson (david_AT_olofson.net)
Date: Wed Dec 04 2002 - 19:29:44 EET
On Wednesday 04 December 2002 10.35, Steve Harris wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 04, 2002 at 03:04:18 +0100, David Olofson wrote:
> > IMHO, plugins should not worry about whether or not their outputs
> > are connected. (In fact, there are reasons why you'd want to
> > always guarantee that all ports are connected before you let a
> > plugin run. Open inputs would be connected to a dummy silent
> > output, and open outputs would be connected to a /dev/null
> > equivalent.)
>
> In modular synth systems there are good reasons why you want to
> know whether things are connected (and good reasons why they
> wouldn't be), but this spec so far is not useful to a modular
> synth, so in this case I agree.
Well, I actually agree with disconnected outputs making sense - but I
think plugins should have a chance of deciding how to deal with it,
preferably before/during instantiation. (See my previous post.)
[...]
> I'm not sure what peoples opinions on numbers of outputs are,
> obviously the number needs to be variable per instrument at
> development time, but I dont think it should be variable at
> instantiation time, that doesn't sound useful, and it would be hell
> to optimise.
I don't see why a mixer plugin would have serious trouble supporting
1+ strips. Basic mixers strips could indeed be implemented as
separate plugins, but if you want PFL, busses and stuff, I think
you're much better off implementing and optimizing that within a
single plugin.
Besides, I bet someone can come up with something with much more
intricate inter-channel relations than a mixer...
[...]
> On controls:
>
> It seems like you need two sets, per instrument and per voice, they
> should share the same interface, and the per voice ones definatly
> should not be limited to modulation,chorus,whatever.
>
> My feeling is that just float+"arbitrary opaque binary data" is
> enough. The float can be augmented with hints, enumerations,
> whatever.
I agree.
//David Olofson - Programmer, Composer, Open Source Advocate
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