[linux-audio-user] Your synth wishlist?

[Dave Robillard]

On Fri, 2004-07-30 at 16:13, Steve Harris wrote:
> > > One of the key things in the nord software is the consistency and
> > > compactness of the module UIs though - and thats going to be a lot of work
> > > to get with arbitrary LADSPA plugins as the modules.
> > 
> > Well.. we need a way to have LADSPA plugin GUIs... DSSI is a LADSPA-like
> > plugin format with GUIs.... 2 and 2.  I never understood why you chose
> > to make DSSI "soft synth" specific to be honest.  Can DSSI not solve
> > this problem?
> 
> Hmmm. complex question, complex answer :)
> 
> DSSI isn't softsynth specific, you can have DSSI plugins that aren't
> synths. A generic convolver would be a good example, it needs some way to
> load datasets, but doesnt need to allocate voices or anything synthy.
> 
> The DSSI UI model is basicly just a defined mapping from LADSPA control
> ports to OSC and some service discovery stuff, so it could be applied to
> LADSPA just as well. It was a hidden agenda on my part.
> 
> But... it doesnt solve the modular synth problem, as nothing encourages
> DSSI UI's to be modular synth friendly, and they are all seperate
> processes with toplevel windows, so framing them together modular
> softsynth style is going to be hard.

That's okay, I don't like UI-on-the-module modulars anyway, I just want
to be able to click on a module to get a GUI window, like ams (except
with custom GUIs of course)
 
> > Anyway. on plugin GUIs are alright, but for complicated patches they
> > simply take up too much room.  I admittedly work at a lower level than
> > your average nord user probably does though.  I planned on going the
> > galan build-your-own-custom-control-panel route - I've never actually
> > found the "buncha sliders" LADSPA GUI approach to hinder productivity
> > anyway, sliders work for me.  GUI's would be nice though..
> 
> Hmm... the "buncha sliders" thing is why you havent seen any LADSPA
> plugins that dont work that way, there would be no point writing one, but
> try controlling "hermes filter" with a hostbuilt UI sometime.

Well, that's true.  Anyway, it's a non-problem, because it sounds like
DSSI will suit my needs just fine.  If implemented transparently, the
only difference between LADSPA plugins and DSSI plugins in my synth will
be the fact that LADSPA plugins have crappier generated UI's.

Since DSSI wraps LADSPA, that's quite nice, because if it's annoying
that a certain module's UI sucks, someone somewhere will DSSI wrap the
thing and fix the problem.

-DR-

-DR-