Re: [LAU] LV2, DSSI and the future of plugins

On 01/14/2011 12:32 PM, Louigi Verona wrote:
> Just to add a bit of an insight as a person who basically gave up
> Linux Audio almost entirely due to the lack of plugins.
>
> The problem, in my opinion, is not in the format itself. The way I see
> it, there are 3 major problems, in no particular order:
> 1. Lack of documentation and tools that would ease development for LV2
> and JACK support.
>
> I could, without being a programmer, put together an audio program or
> even a basic plugin when on Windows. On Linux I couldn't even get
> started - it is very complex programming and even setting up JACK is
> not very simple at all. Of course, these are the words of the
> non-programmer, however, it does say something. Besides, I am not the
> only one pointing out the lack of documentation and tools for rapid
> development. A JACK library that would allow to setup JACK support in
> an application easily, like JACK_Init() would be great, but atm it is
> not even close to that.
>
> Of course, this point is the weakest point I bring up, I am understand
> that as a non-programmer I might not make sense here.
>
> 2. Most good plugins on Win and Mac are not just proprietary, they are
> commercial and their producers offer them for pretty high prices.
>
> It seems to me that most serious VST and VSTi programmers are ready to
> go into audio development only if they are sure they get paid
> handsomely. At least, on Linux we have Zyn and now also Phasex, two
> only serious VSTi-like synths, which get ported all around, while in
> the VSTi world the amount of synths of such quality and options is
> more than 2. In fact, much more. Many serious DAWs come bundled with
> 2-3 of them at the very least and come with a dozen of standard
> effects like Delay, Reverb, Flanger, Chorus, Phaser, Compressor, EQ,
> usually of pretty decent quality. On Linux Audio I have difficulty
> finding a reverb and delay that suit me, CALF being the closest to a
> good delay.
>
> I don't know if money is the only factor, but it is very much on the
> surface, the difference in the offerings.
>
> Also, there is a whole bunch of decent freeware VST plugins, but as
> far as I understand this very much depends on what I said in problem 1
> - I know several people personally who had made pretty cool effects
> and synths of a level that is a rarity on Linux, assisted by plugin
> making tools that ease the development a lot, including GUI development.
>
>
> 3. Not a lot of people in the Linux Audio world seem to care much
> about that particular type of music that requires a lot of synths and
> fancy effects.
>
> On my site I wrote an article which many people have probably read, as
> I referred to it often, which makes a distinction between two types of
> music from a production point of view
> (http://www.louigiverona.ru/?page=projects&s=writings&t=linux&a=linux_types
> <http://www.louigiverona.ru/?page=projects&s=writings&t=linux&a=linux_types>).
>
> It seems to me that this, by far, is the most important reason Linux
> Audio does not have a lot of plugins - most musicians (many of them
> being developers at the same time) here simply do not need them. They
> record their guitars and vocals and are pretty happy. And those people
> that do need lots of fancy plugins, come to Linux, hang around, see
> that nothing is in the store and leave.
>
> Again, I think that this is the main reason. If a lot of people would
> be here who need a delay plugin with many options or a serious reverb
> or whatever - it would pop up. Atm - I don't get a sense of that need.
> And last year when I was very actively researching what Linux Audio
> can offer, it seemed to be I was the only person who talked about
> electronic music and the need for fancy effects. Obviously, I am not
> the only one in question, but I am part of a very minor group, that's
> for sure.
>
@Louigi, People suggested you to learn SuperCollider, which you didn't
like because of the difficulty and time you have to invest to learn it.

But a while ago I came with the suggestion / idea to make plugins out of
Supercollider code. There seems to be some kind of Csound to LADSPA
plugin format / host, and there is SuperCollder to VST iirc.
Faust would be another option for such kind of stuff.

Anyway, here is that discussion
http://lalists.stanford.edu/lau/2009/09/0447.html

Regards,

\r
_______________________________________________
Linux-audio-user mailing list
Linux-audio-user@email-addr-hidden
http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
Received on Fri Jan 14 16:15:03 2011