On 01/14/2011 12:32 PM, Louigi Verona wrote:
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
<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.
@Louigi, People suggested you to learn SuperCollider, which you didn't
like because of the difficulty and time you have to invest to learn it.
But a while ago I came with the suggestion / idea to make plugins out of
Supercollider code. There seems to be some kind of Csound to LADSPA
plugin format / host, and there is SuperCollder to VST iirc.
Faust would be another option for such kind of stuff.
Anyway, here is that discussion
http://lalists.stanford.edu/lau/2009/09/0447.html
Regards,
\r
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