[linux-audio-dev] [ANN] DSSI 0.9.1 release

[Sean Bolton]

Announcing the DSSI Soft Synth Interface version 0.9.1 release:

   http://dssi.sourceforge.net/

DSSI is an audio plugin API for software instruments and effects,
based on LADSPA, the ALSA sequencer event types, and OSC (Open
Sound Control) communications.

This release does _not_ contain any changes to the DSSI API itself,
which has been stable now since the 0.4 release fifteen months ago
(with minor additions at 0.9).  Instead, it contains numerous
clarifications to the specification and documentation, and the
included reference host and example programs have become
significantly more robust.  Specific changes in 0.9.1 include:

- The distribution now has a full autoconf/automake/libtool build
     system.

- FluidSynth-DSSI has been moved into its own package, and no longer
     depends upon the FluidSynth source.

- The reference host, jack-dssi-host, now supports plugins with
     audio inputs, as well as LADSPA-only plugins (with or without
     custom DSSI GUIs.)

Available hosts and plugins
---------------------------
More exciting than the changes in this release, is the recent growth
in DSSI implementations.  Items marked with '*' are new since the
DSSI 0.9 release.

Available hosts are:
     - jack-dssi-host, included in the DSSI distribution
     - the Rosegarden 4 sequencer
     * Om, a modular synthesizer
     * ghostess, a lightweight GTK+ host
     * dssi~, a Pure Data external

Efforts are underway to add DSSI hosting to:
     - the MusE sequencer
     * Csound5
     * GNU Classpath

Available plugins include:
     - the simple synths and sampler in the DSSI distribution
     - FluidSynth-DSSI, a soundfont-playing plugin
     - Xsynth-DSSI, an analog-style synth
     - dssi-vst, a wrapper plugin enabling the use of many
         Windows VST plugins
     - hexter, a Yamaha DX7 modeling plugin
     * ll-scope, an oscilliscope plugin
     * Sineshaper, a waveshaping soft synth
     * dssi_convolve, a DSSI wrapper around libconvolve
     * xy-controller-dssi, a GUI controller plugin which
         translates mouse input into X-Y control outputs
     * WhySynth, which offers a number of synthesis methods

The Future
----------
In the year and a half since its initial introduction, DSSI has met
a number of challenges to its adoption: the continued (perpetual?)
forthcomingness of GMPI, apprehension about adopting a standard with
'Disposable' in its name, some "wait and see if takes off" attitude,
and numerous gripes that it won't do this or can't do that.  Even
so, the creative potential available through DSSI today is great.

In part due to this success, there has been a noticable commitment
voiced in recent discussions on the DSSI email list to keeping any
future enhancements backward-compatible with the existing DSSI API.
In the author's opinion, this indicates DSSI will continue to be a
stable API, at least until such time as a '2.0' version is considered.

With regard to possible future enhancements, interest has been
highest in two areas: providing plugins with transport position and
tempo information, and allowing plugins to send MIDI data.  If
you're interested in helping shape these or other developments,
please join us on the DSSI discussion list.