[linux-audio-dev] Re: The Image (usablity) problem from a Musicians point of view

[Paul Davis]

>> I don't know if the 3 points I've made have already been done, I'm new
>> to LAD, but they are important. Especially 3 as it gives a "migration
>> path" to existing windoze users. I know, I know, DirectX plugins are
>> written against Microsoft libraries, but how come mplayer on Linux can
>> use windows binaries (codecs) in it's system? Could the same not be
>>done
>>for audio? Surely it's the same principle? (Media data input, process,
>>media data ouput).
>
>Yes this should be possibile since both DirectX and VST are documented
>APIs.

VST is a C++ API, and thus its easy for plugins to end up having
dependencies on MSVCRT.dll or its equivalent with other compilers,
which is not available under linux, even with wine.

DirectX is more of a possibility, since its C API (though i am not
sure if this avoid dependencies on unavailable MS system calls - i
don't know what state wine is in). But there are not very many "pro
audio" plugins under DirectX - lots of instruments and wierdo
enthusiast FX, but not the sort of stuff that ProTools, Nuendo and
Logic users are inclined towards. 

the reason mplayer works is either:

    * they are using wine to help them out
    * the codecs are free of all MS system calls

i'd think that the second one was likely. unfortunately for plugins,
especially DirectX ones that come with a GUI, this is not likely to be
the case there. plugins are at least an order of magnitude more
complex than most codec modules.

--p