Roland VST3 query and tip...

[sl23]

Jo, I was just curious and wondering why is it these don't work in MuLab but seem fine in every other host? Is it fixable?

I have found out about a software called Element by Kushview. This can host different plugin formats and be used as a kind of bridge by being used as a plugin within MuLab. Essentially, I can host Roland VST3 plugin in Element and then use the Element plugin in MuLab. Although I need time to test more, it seems to work ok with JD800 demo. Maybe most of you already know this. I know there's also Patchwork by BlueCat, but I didn't like that one and it's not free, which is always a bonus!

[mutools]

Jo, I was just curious and wondering why is it these don't work in MuLab but seem fine in everything other host?

I really have no idea. If i would know what causes it i would implement a workaround because Roland is that important.
I asked Roland for the reason but up to now the only response i got is "It's been forwarded to the developers". I did a follow up some time later but it only resulted in "No news yet, we'll let you know as soon as there is." That was end of october last year. No other update since then

Note that it has been confirmed by Steinberg that the issue is on Roland's side.
You can doublecheck that yourself by trying the Roland plugins in Steinberg's official VST3 Validator app.

It's odd indeed that the Roland plugs work fine in most other hosts AND that almost all VST3 plugins work fine in MuLab. Some unfortunate incompatibility, but definitely on Roland's side.

Is it fixable?

I wish it was.
But i have no clue at all why the Roland plugins fail.
If Roland would give me that info i could implement a workaround without Roland having to update their plugins.

Everyone suffering from this issue please do send requests to Roland to handle this issue so they give it real attention.

The only thing i need is to know is WHY the Roland plugins crash. I'll add a workaround then.

[mutools]

PS: I've sent another follow up to Roland.

[sl23]

Thanks for the info and being completely honest about it. I'll send them a message complaining about the issue. Hopefully it might help.

Are there many MuLab users that own Roland plugins? Perhaps they could do the same.

Trouble with big companies is that they think they are beholden to no one!

[TorresBob88]

It may just be a Japanese style IMO. They program oddly. If you play around with a lot of videogames, Japanese games often have trouble recognizing a controller, for no good reason. Everybody else programs a game to recognize a controller effortlessly all the time, while a strangely notable amount of Japanese games cant seem to do it. Among other design choice quirks and hurdles. I find modern Akai software unnecessarily difficult and klunky. They have a different computer history. They had NEC's and stuff instead of IBM clones. Have you tried the Korg stuff? Its actually better then the Roland stuff IMO. It works in MuLab, despite an arbitrarily bizarre file structure.

[sl23]

I find akai hardware easy to use, just very buggy! Software impossible though! Can't even suss out how to add plugins! Something that unintuitive doesn't deserve my limited time so I gave up. Tried korg vsts and they're good. But I also would like some Roland plugins that aren't available elsewhere. Yeah you can get very good clones of some, but stuff like the jv-1080 isn't available anywhere else, that I know of. Still, Element works so far, but need to test it more.

[sl23]

Messaged Roland. Fingers crossed.

[TorresBob88]

Something that unintuitive doesn't deserve my limited time so I gave up.

Thats one of my little tests too!
Is this thing going to fight me every step of the way?
Do I need by own instrument being belligerent to me, who's the master here!

But I also would like some Roland plugins that aren't available elsewhere. ...stuff like the jv-1080 isn't available anywhere else, that I know of. ...

JD-800 looks interesting too. The old version works of JV-1080 works. Version 1.10. Old versions that they made before the switch to VST3 exclusive, do work. Even the VST3 versions of the old ones work. I understand that some old versions of VST3 are mostly just a relabeled VST2. You can actually change the extension on some of them to VST2 and load it. The Zenology stuff doesn't work. And the new 1080 doesn't work. Its something that they're doing recently, that they've perceived as an "improvement".

[sl23]

Interesting!