[linux-audio-dev] processing plugin standard wrapper

[Stefano D'Angelo]

> If you meant a wrapper to handle the plugin formats on Linux in general
> and transparent way, its a tough goal too. One tricky part is different
> UI handling. I remember being annoyed by Apple and their constant change
> of the UI handling of their AudioUnits so I gave up on the end. I expect
> they change everything for OSX 10.5 again. It was a  lot of trouble in
> one (socalled) standard/format so I guess it quadruples by throwing in
> several ones.

I think that's their fault, since other formats (LADSPA, DSSI, VST)
tend to change very slowly over time. However UI handling would be
done only after the actual processing part.

> Why don't you just choose one of them (e.g. LV2) and write a 'bridge'
> plugin to convert the others into that one format?

Well, this in fact something that could easily be done (and has also
been done), but I don't think that all of these standard have "logical
compatiblity" as I say... that means the metaphor they present is not
always compatible, also if their functionality is the same.
Then a format wrapper would also mean that you would use all of your
plugin with all applications, that you can create a standard and all
your applications can use it and that a format version update would be
much less painful.

> Well, that's our intent in CLAM[1]. The goal is that CLAM should be able to
> run a given processing algorithm transparently under several backends.
> Currently we support, to some extend, PortAudio, Jack, Alsa, and VST. The
> first three backends can be used with a Qt Designer interface. We still have
> to face several fronts: Unifying the interface to fit all the backends,
> incorporating more backends (some work on Ladspa has been done), and enabling
> Qt GUI's to more backends (notably VST).

Well, I think I've not understood what you mean: Jack, Alsa and
PortAudio are not sound processing plugin formats... can you explain
it easier please? (I'm sorry, I'm not a native English speaker)