[linux-audio-dev] LADSPA proposal ...

Marcus Andersson marcus.t.andersson at spray.se
Sat May 15 05:10:30 UTC 2004


Fons Adriaensen wrote:

>On Fri, May 14, 2004 at 05:55:07PM +0200, Marcus Andersson wrote:
>  
>
>>Alfons Adriaensen wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Another point. I've defended the adoption of simple integer enumerations
>>>
>>>(corresponding to a C switch) using the argument that it is the single
>>>missing essential feature in the port information. At the Karlsruhe BOF
>>>it was said that this is not true, as the LOGARITHMIC hint does not
>>>specify the log base. Indeed it doesn't, nor is there any reason why
>>>it should. The LOG hint means that the user would expect a widget, e.g.
>>>a slider, that maps a certain displacement to a certain ratio (as opposed
>>>to difference) of the controlled parameter. So the host has to do a linear
>>>to exponential conversion, but it is completely irrelevant to what base
>>>this calculation is done.
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>I thought the idea with the LOGARITHMIC hint was to maximize the 
>>controllability of the parameter and make use of the entire slider range 
>>better. If the base is left out, the host will have to guess, and most 
>>often miss the optimal slider mapping.
>>    
>>
> 
>Sorry but this is wrong. For example, if the range is 1 to 1000, then it's
>clear that 10 will be at 1/3 and 100 at 2/3 of the slider range. This does
>not depend on the log base at all.
>
>  
>

Interesting interpretation. This means that the mapping between the 
slider and the parameter will be

f(x) = k*a^x

with k=f(0) and a = f(1) if the slider goes form 0 to 1.

In the example above, k=1 and a=1000.

This also means that it is illegal to include 0 in the parameter range.

If this is what we want LOGARITHMIC to mean, it should be documented to 
this detail in the LADSPA specification. Otherwise, host and plugin 
writers might get it wrong.

Marcus





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