[linux-audio-dev] Sound processing objects architecture, is it possible?

Stefano D'Angelo zanga.mail at gmail.com
Tue Jan 23 12:17:08 UTC 2007


2007/1/23, Steve Harris <steve at plugin.org.uk>:
> On 22 Jan 2007, at 22:15, Stefano D'Angelo wrote:
>
> > 2007/1/22, Dmitry Baikov <dsbaikov at gmail.com>:
> >> On 1/23/07, Stefano D'Angelo <zanga.mail at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > Good point! This is true, but there are lots of sound processing
> >> > plugins around, so maybe instead of creating a new API and then
> >> apply
> >> > some "compatibility layer", it should be better to create a
> >> wrapping
> >> > tool natively. I think it should be also easier to expand.
> >>
> >> Then, embrase LV2 and create LV2 plugins that will load VSTs, LADSPA
> >> and anything you want.
> >> Or if you want something not possible with LV2, write an extension
> >> proposal.
> >>
> >> I think LV2 was designed as a very extendable API.
> >> If it is not, in your opinion, then help the guys to improve it.
> >
> > That could be a very wise solution, but there's one big problem with
> > it: when you load a LV2 plugin, you load only one plugin!
> > To be clearer I make an example: I have 10 VST plugin, and I want to
> > write a LV2 plugin which loads VST plugins. When the LV2-aware
> > application asks me which plugin I want to load I should specify the
> > VST plugin loader... but then? There's no way for my LV2 plugin to
> > determine which VST plugin it should load.
>
> This works fine, and was in the design brief for LV2. When asked what
> effects your LV2 plugin supports, you can return a list.
>
> > But also if this is an overcomeable problem, for each VST plugin I
> > load I have to waste memory space with a new instance of the LV2 VST
> > loader plugin.
>
> No you don't. A LV2 VST loader would be a single shared object, so
> the OS would only load one instance of it.
>
> > Then, it is quite absurde from the user point of view to open a plugin
> > which lets you open other plugins... it's just illogical!
>
> It doesn't look like that to the user, they will just see a list of
> plugins, some of which will be VST and some will not be. Have you
> tried the DSSI VST reflector? It would work the same as that.
>
> > Don't misunderstand me, LV2 is great, I think that it's the best
> > processing architecture out there, but it's designed with a 1:1
> > relationship in mind (one plugin = one effect). That's absolutely not
> > an LV2 weakness, it just does its job and nothing else (as it should
> > be).
>
> You need to read the spec again.
>
> The terminology is confused, not least in the spec documents, but a
> single .lv2 "plugin" can host multiple effects with different ports
> and so on.
>
> - Steve
>

Oops... seems like I'm a bit confused! Well, I'm going to reread the
LV2 spec and try to figure out how to manage this kind of situations.
Sorry for wasting your time!

Sincerely,
Stefano



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