[linux-audio-dev] Project: modular synth editor

[Steve Harris]

On Fri, Jan 16, 2004 at 03:32:17 -0500, Dave Robillard wrote:
> On Thu, 2004-01-15 at 14:46, Mike Rawes wrote:
> 
> > It's when you have several connected plugins forming a single module
> > (I'll roll out my old example of an ADSR, a few DCOs, DCA etc) that GUI
> > generation really falls down. An alternative is that used in gAlan
> > (http://galan.sourceforge.net), where you build up your UI and hook it
> > up to whatever ports you like. Or PD - which lets you do ... just about
> > anything.
> 
> I suppose you have a point, nice UIs for a subpatch would be a nice
> thing.   Not a very complicated thing to implement in a host though,
> especially in something like AMS which already has the ability to
> control pretty much any parameter (right now from MIDI).  Literally
> defining in the subpatch "these things should be on the master subpatch
> GUI" (just a big list of params) and letting the app draw them as it
> pleases, as with current normal LADSPA plugins.

There more to it than that, take a look at the nord modular UI (it has the
best modular synth UI IMNSHO):
http://www.clavia.com/pictures/nordmodular/patchwindowlarge.jpg
I dont think you are going to get that quality of module layout and space
efficiency and ease of use with automatic GUIs.
 
> The GUI code need not be anywhere remotely close to the engine code,
> it's not necessary to have some message-passing interface to accomplish
> this.

I keep coming back to this, but I dont think I've made the point well
enough - the external UI control data has to be routed to the host -
the host needs to keep a (sample accurate) log of all the control data
that is sent to the plugin so that it can have reproducability.

If you use OSC-like systems that doesnt require that the data flow through
the host, but its much easier if it does.

- Steve