Re: [linux-audio-dev] All things LADSPA, your input please

On Mon, Jun 27, 2005 at 12:06:10PM +0200, Tim Goetze wrote: I use the great modular synth Om (http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/) that comes with a small numer of internal modules for i/o, but realies on ladspa and dssi plugins for everything else. Currentyl it's all about sound synthesis for me, but later on I might try doing modular effects. For simple things like just a reverb I prefer to use a fx slot in MusE. Using Om as engine, there's Lachlan 'Loki' Davison's Smack drum synthesizer (http://smack.berlios.de/). He's working on LADSPAs for physical modeling handdrums. I guess you don't find something like that as VST. Having installed almost all plugins I could get, plugin selection dialogs tend to be bothersome to use becuase of the long lists. So I worked with Dave Robillard on the conception of a better selection dialog, which he has implemented in part by now. But the most important feature is present: incremental filtering of the plugin list for a string in the name, type (ladspa, dssi, internal) library or label. So for example, i start typing and with each letter the list shortens, until "prod" result in 3 entries for Signal Product with its variants. Every host developer should take a look at and consider to copy this functionality. In the context of modular synthesis, it's a bit bothersome to have the same plugins in different versions for being equipped with audio or control rate ports. It would be so great to just switch between the rates. With oscillators one never knows before trying, if an audio frequency port works with v/oct or not. With DSSi the only problem coming to my mind now is the GUIs taking ages to appear on screen. While ladspa control dialogs tend to be ugly, and things like having sliders for boolean values sucks, I can't say i miss plugin GUIs like I got to know while using Cubase VST much. Inconsistent eye-candy nonsense and useless big marketing labels everywhere ... Cheers, Thorsten Wilms