[LAU] ZynAddSubFX Usability Survey

[Joel Roth]

Paul Davis wrote:
> On Sun, May 1, 2016 at 8:44 AM, Joel Roth <joelz at pobox.com> wrote:
> 
> > Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> > > Presets are also useful as basis for sound designers and a must have
> > > for musicians who just want to make music.
> >
> > As far as this is true, it is not an issue of ZynAddSubFX
> > specifically, but Linux audio in general.
> >
> > We have an abundance of great software, but no portable
> > standard for sharing presets among DAWs and other plugin
> > hosts.
> >
> 
> This isn't really true.
> 
> LADSPA has had a preset default system from day one that was host-neutral.

Do you mean the defaults that are displayed by analyseplugin?
If so, I wouldn't call that a preset, in that it is a single
set of default parameters provided exclusively by the
author.

> LV2 presets are also part of the LV2 API/namespace, and are host-neutral.
> 
> Load a plugin. Create a preset. Save the preset. The result should be
> portable across all LADSPA or LV2 hosts (as appropriate).

You may be correct in theory, but the top search hits suggest
that practice is otherwise:

In this third hit on Google, titled "LADSPA Vocal Effect Presets"
the author is distributing his parameter settings as screen shots.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwjPn5zw_rjMAhVD32MKHXpmDpUQFggpMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Flinuxaudioblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D262&usg=AFQjCNH_rrbcFwo7EdO-62gjvfpeIp7ttg&sig2=Ns7qj1KsjsZwkUgxclMO1Q&cad=rja

Another hit is Guitarix documention, describing differences
of Guitarix and LADSPA plugins.

https://sourceforge.net/p/guitarix/wiki/How_to_use_the_new_ladspa_plugins/

	Simple LADSPA plugins can just be added to a track, maybe
	some parameters adjusted, and you are done. In contrast, the
	Guitarix plugins need a preset file which is generated and
	modified by Guitarix, and the meaning of the 5 assignable
	LADSPA parameters depend on the settings in the preset. 

The audacity docs also rank high. This is important because
Audacity is so widely used.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/effect_menu.html

	LADSPA effects support real-time preview. They do not
	support import/export of presets but do support saving
	presets for use in Audacity only.

Another part of the Audacity manual says:

	Many VST effects support import and export of named factory
	presets in a single FXB file, but LADSPA and LV2 effects do
	not support import and export of presets at all. 

So if there is a standard for exchanging plugin parameter
sets, I haven't seen it, and it is invisible to Google
(invisible == not appearing on the first page.)

Almost everyone who uses a DAW for audio production has
their own sets of preferred plugins and parameter settings.
Where are these being shared?

Can we do better?


-- 

Joel Roth