[LAU] ZynAddSubFX Usability Survey

Paul Davis paul at linuxaudiosystems.com
Sun May 1 14:05:27 UTC 2016


(1) LADSPA as a "standard" doesn't define a preset API, but the first hosts
agreed to use LRDF as a preset format, and to store presets in a
host-neutral location (which is more or less what AudioUnits do). The
plugin itself has no API to set its state, but any LADSPA's plugin state
was intended to be representable solely in terms of its input control
ports, so the host just loads the LRDF preset and sets the control ports.

(2) LV2 has the State extension (don't balk at "extension" - almost
everything in LV2 is an "extension) which is designed for saving plugin
state in a host and platform neutral way.


On Sun, May 1, 2016 at 9:56 AM, Joel Roth <joelz at pobox.com> wrote:

> 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
>
>
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> Linux-audio-user mailing list
> Linux-audio-user at lists.linuxaudio.org
> http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
>
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