[LAU] LV2, DSSI and the future of plugins

[Louigi Verona]

Just to add a bit of an insight as a person who basically gave up Linux
Audio almost entirely due to the lack of plugins.

The problem, in my opinion, is not in the format itself. The way I see it,
there are 3 major problems, in no particular order:
1. Lack of documentation and tools that would ease development for LV2 and
JACK support.

I could, without being a programmer, put together an audio program or even a
basic plugin when on Windows. On Linux I couldn't even get started - it is
very complex programming and even setting up JACK is not very simple at all.
Of course, these are the words of the non-programmer, however, it does say
something. Besides, I am not the only one pointing out the lack of
documentation and tools for rapid development. A JACK library that would
allow to setup JACK support in an application easily, like JACK_Init() would
be great, but atm it is not even close to that.

Of course, this point is the weakest point I bring up, I am understand that
as a non-programmer I might not make sense here.

2. Most good plugins on Win and Mac are not just proprietary, they are
commercial and their producers offer them for pretty high prices.

It seems to me that most serious VST and VSTi programmers are ready to go
into audio development only if they are sure they get paid handsomely. At
least, on Linux we have Zyn and now also Phasex, two only serious VSTi-like
synths, which get ported all around, while in the VSTi world the amount of
synths of such quality and options is more than 2. In fact, much more. Many
serious DAWs come bundled with 2-3 of them at the very least and come with a
dozen of standard effects like Delay, Reverb, Flanger, Chorus, Phaser,
Compressor, EQ, usually of pretty decent quality. On Linux Audio I have
difficulty finding a reverb and delay that suit me, CALF being the closest
to a good delay.

I don't know if money is the only factor, but it is very much on the
surface, the difference in the offerings.

Also, there is a whole bunch of decent freeware VST plugins, but as far as I
understand this very much depends on what I said in problem 1 - I know
several people personally who had made pretty cool effects and synths of a
level that is a rarity on Linux, assisted by plugin making tools that ease
the development a lot, including GUI development.


3. Not a lot of people in the Linux Audio world seem to care much about that
particular type of music that requires a lot of synths and fancy effects.

On my site I wrote an article which many people have probably read, as I
referred to it often, which makes a distinction between two types of music
from a production point of view (
http://www.louigiverona.ru/?page=projects&s=writings&t=linux&a=linux_types).

It seems to me that this, by far, is the most important reason Linux Audio
does not have a lot of plugins - most musicians (many of them being
developers at the same time) here simply do not need them. They record their
guitars and vocals and are pretty happy. And those people that do need lots
of fancy plugins, come to Linux, hang around, see that nothing is in the
store and leave.

Again, I think that this is the main reason. If a lot of people would be
here who need a delay plugin with many options or a serious reverb or
whatever - it would pop up. Atm - I don't get a sense of that need. And last
year when I was very actively researching what Linux Audio can offer, it
seemed to be I was the only person who talked about electronic music and the
need for fancy effects. Obviously, I am not the only one in question, but I
am part of a very minor group, that's for sure.


Cheers!

-- 
Louigi Verona
http://www.louigiverona.ru/
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