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diff --git a/plugin~.txt b/plugin~.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d345ea3 --- /dev/null +++ b/plugin~.txt @@ -0,0 +1,144 @@ +plugin~: LADSPA and VST plug-in hosting for Pd +============================================== + +This is a Pd [1] tilde object for hosting LADSPA [2] and VST [3] audio +plug-ins on Linux and Windows systems, respectively. The LADSPA +plug-in interface is supported completely on Linux, while the VST 1.0 +audio processing plug-in interface (without plug-in graphics) is +supported on Windows. + +This text corresponds to release 0.2 of plugin~ as of 4th April, 2001. +This release of plugin~ has been tested with Pd 0.32P1. + +plugin~ is distributed under the GNU General Public License. For more +information, please read the accompanying file "COPYING". + +Loading the plug-in +------------------- +The plug-ins are located using the environment variable LADSPA_PATH or +VST_PATH. You need to set the corresponding variable to specify the +directories where you have the plug-in files. For example, on Linux +(bash) you should use something like + + $ export LADSPA_PATH=/usr/local/lib/ladspa:$HOME/myplugins + +and on Windows something like + + C:\>set VST_PATH=C:\Program Files\Steinberg\Vstplugins;D:\myplugins + +Note that Linux and Windows use different delimiters within +paths and directories. + +LADSPA. You can load a LADSPA plug-in in two ways: (1) Create the +plug-in by label: "plugin~ lpf". Here, "lpf" is the label of the +plug-in that is to be searched for. All LADSPA plug-in libraries in +your LADSPA_PATH are searched; (2) Create a plug-in by label and +library name: "plugin~ lpf filter.so". Here, "lpf" is the label as +before, and "filter.so" is the name of the plug-in library, which +contains the plug-in. Only the selected LADSPA plug-in library is +searched. + +VST. There is always only one VST plug-in within one DLL and thus you +only need to create the plug-in by library name: "plugin~ northpole". +This will search through your VST_PATH for the plug-in library named +"northpole.dll". + +After loading the plug-in successfully, the number of inlets and +outlets of the corresponding plugin~ object should represent the +number of audio inputs and outputs to/from the plug-in (plus one inlet +and one outlet for control information, see below). + +In- and outlet functionality +---------------------------- +The audio inputs and outputs ports of LADSPA and VST plug-ins are +represented as separate signal inlets and outlets. The control input +and output ports (LADSPA) or the parameter inputs (VST), however, are +all represented together with one inlet and one outlet. + +The first inlet and the first outlet are for control input and output +messages, respectively. Control messages are messages, which start +with the text "control". Second should come the name of the +corresponding control port (called parameter in VST parlance), and +third the value. The first inlet accepts and the first outlet sends +this kinds of messages. Additionally, you can use port/parameter +number (like this: #1, #2, ...) instead of the name to send control +changes. You should note, however, that the port numbering is not +necessarily the same between different versions of a plug-in, so you +should use port/parameter names where possible. + +The first inlet and outlet are always there, even if the plug-in +doesn't have control ports. The rest of the in- and outlets are for +audio input and output signals, respectively. + +The first inlet accepts other messages in addition to "control". You +can investigate the plug-in inputs and outputs by sending a "print" +message to the first inlet. You can reset the plug-in internal state +(clear delay lines etc.) by sending a "reset" message. + +Loading the plugin~ object +-------------------------- +In order to be able to use the plugin~ object with Pd, you need to +start Pd with the "-lib" command line parameter. On Linux, the +plugin~ object resides in a library called "plugin~.pd_linux", while +on Windows the library is called "winplugintilde.dll". Thus, you need +to say either "pd -lib plugin~" (on Linux) or "pd -lib winplugintilde" +(on Windows) to start Pd with the plugin~ object loaded. + +You probably need to give the "-path" parameter to Pd as well in order +to specify the exact location of the "plugin~.pd_linux" (on Linux) or +"winplugintilde.dll" (on Windows) library file. By default, the +library file is installed to the "extra/plugin~" directory under your +Pd installation directory. + +Compiling the plugin~ object +---------------------------- +Linux. All the necessary files for compilation under Linux are +included in the distribution. Just type "./configure" and "make all +install" and you should be done. The plugin~ object file will be +installed in your Pd directory tree, in "extra/plugin~". You may +specify the path to your Pd directory with the "--with-pddir" argument +to configure, eg. like this: "./configure --with-pddir=/usr/local/pd". + +Windows. The winplugintilde.dll library is included in the plugin~ +distribution, in the directory "win", so it is not necessary to +compile plugin~. Anyhow, in order to compile plugin~ for VST plug-ins +yourself, you need to download the VST SDK from Steinberg and agree to +the Steinberg SDK license. The SDK and the license are available from +http://www.steinberg.net/developers/VST2SDKAbout.html. After +downloading you need to copy the files from the SDK subdirectory +"source/common" to the "vst" subdirectory of the plugin~ distribution. +You can then compile plugin~ using the ready-made project and +workspace files for Microsoft Visual C 6.0, found in the "win" +subdirectory. You will need to modify the MSVC project settings by +hand to point to your Pd directory. + +Remaining problems +------------------ +Pd. There is a problem with Pd which makes it really hard to send +"control" messages to parameters with a space character in the +parameter name such as "filter freq" or "filter q". When you +send a `control "filter freq" 440' message, Pd will (incorrectly) not +handle "filter freq" as one symbol. You can currently circumvent this +by addressing problematic control parameters by number instead of +name. + +LADSPA. No known issues. + +VST. plugin~ doesn't support VST 2.0 synthesizer plug-ins. +Additionally, the VST 1.0 plug-ins are required to implement the +processReplacing() interface in order for them to work with plugin~. +You will get an error message if this is not the case. Furthermore, +no graphics is displayed for the plug-ins; I am helplessly waiting for +someone to volunteer to add VST GUI support. Also, plugin~ should +observe the Windows registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\VST\VSTPluginsPath) +for the VST plug-in path. + +For more information, see: +-------------------------- +[1] Pd: http://iem.kug.ac.at/pd/ +[2] LADSPA: http://www.ladspa.org/ +[3] VST: http://www.steinberg.net/ + +All trademarks are acknowledged. + +Jarno Seppänen, jams@cs.tut.fi |