[linux-audio-dev] LADSPA Hosting

[Paul Davis]

>I think every plugin should implement every function mandatory. Why?
>When I first started, I executed activate() deactivate() run_adding()
>without checking if they were NULL.

the cost of a function call is significant even when compared to a
branch mis-prediction. its therefore cheaper for hosts to say:

       if (plugin->activate) plugin->activate (plugin);

than
	
       plugin->activate (plugin);

>Particularly, this would be easy, would be a bit mask, that specified if
>it was a synthesis flag, or an effect processor, or something else. One
>boolean comparison and you could determine how a plugin could be used.

there are no booleans for many plugins. its very easy to create
plugins that can be considered many different things.

>Now, I have realized one thing: not all LADSPA plugins are good and will
>initialize themselves. So, I have to make sure I initialize it with the
>default hints, or it will blow up, lock up my system with massive buffer
>under runs because the plugin is making NANs or massive denormals or
>doing something just plain naughty.Some of them will come up in a random
>state and more or less they will lock up my system.

ardour hosts all ladspa plugins, and i have never seen this behaviour
with any of the plugins i've tried (though to be honest, i haven't
tried that many of them).

and more chorus plugins would be cool, yes.

--p