[linux-audio-dev] PTAF link and comments

[ian]

On Mon, 3 Feb 2003, Steve Harris wrote:

> On Mon, Feb 03, 2003 at 03:26:26 +0000, ian wrote:
> >
> >
> > On Mon, 3 Feb 2003, Steve Harris wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > > 	* No mix output mode; only replace. More overhead...
> > >
> > > But how many hosts use mix? As a plugin author, having to implement both
> > > is a pain. I use code generation to make both functions.
> > >
> >
> > Mix is very useful for hosts that are running a lot of plugins. Take for
> > example a modular soft synth. You can save a lot of memory by having
> > plugins mix into buffers rather than allocating an output buffer for each
> > plugin. It's not really that much effort to write a mix function as well
> > as a replace function when you compare it to the actual plugin development
> > time. I would be very sorry to see it go, as it would mean people would be
> > able to get less out of their hardware.
>
> Thay can, but do they. Host authors aren't keen on having multiple code
> paths either.
>
> - Steve
>

Mine will use it.
It's such a small amount of effort to write the mix function once you have
done the replace function and it can be so useful in certain situations
that it seems stupid not to include it in a plugin API. And after all, if
a plugin developer doesnt want to write the mix function, the plugin API
doesn't have to force them to write it, as is the case with LADSPA.
Ian