I am thinking of a simple plugin, that lets you load a VST/AU into it. Then you have a choice of adding LFO's, Steppers, etc that you can use to control your hosted plugins controls of choice.
Is there anything like this?
Modular VST host with built-in modulation sources?
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- KVRAF
- 12555 posts since 7 Dec, 2004
Built-in sources don't really make much sense, if any at all.
Why not use plug-ins? At least the "built in" can be VST plug-ins and anything they need which isn't implemented via VST 2.4 could be achieved by extension or via vendor_specific().
I've wished for a host like this for ages but it doesn't seem anyone really wants this. In reality most people are perfectly satisfied with Cubase or the like, while Cubase isn't satisfactory they're happy with minimal work-arounds like VST3's "side-chaining" as opposed to modularity. If not satisfied by that they seem satisfied by Reaper and its many work-arounds... although Reaper does approximate full modularity in many ways it seems most development has been focused for the past years on features completely unrelated to this which demonstrates to me at least that further improvement is not on the menu at all anymore.
Beyond that (full modularity, plug-in sequencers and modulation sources, automation and so on) there seems to be very little demand. I suspect a majority of people aren't capable of dealing with a fully modular host.
My solution would be to provide a "skin", a default configuration with many modules/plug-ins pre-loaded which form the standard Cubase-esque solution within the modular host with the modularity features "locked" making them invisible until the user hacks the configuration to enable them.
Unfortunately it doesn't seem anyone really wants to go to that sort of effort. Understandable as this is identical to simply implementing a Cubase-esque solution without modularity, but on top of this having to deal with all the overhead of implementing modularity for the fraction (tiny?) of users which may actually desire and benefit from such functionality.
I believe an open-source solution will fill this niche and obsolete all other hosts... some day. Someone still needs to breach the threshold on this one though.
Why not use plug-ins? At least the "built in" can be VST plug-ins and anything they need which isn't implemented via VST 2.4 could be achieved by extension or via vendor_specific().
I've wished for a host like this for ages but it doesn't seem anyone really wants this. In reality most people are perfectly satisfied with Cubase or the like, while Cubase isn't satisfactory they're happy with minimal work-arounds like VST3's "side-chaining" as opposed to modularity. If not satisfied by that they seem satisfied by Reaper and its many work-arounds... although Reaper does approximate full modularity in many ways it seems most development has been focused for the past years on features completely unrelated to this which demonstrates to me at least that further improvement is not on the menu at all anymore.
Beyond that (full modularity, plug-in sequencers and modulation sources, automation and so on) there seems to be very little demand. I suspect a majority of people aren't capable of dealing with a fully modular host.
My solution would be to provide a "skin", a default configuration with many modules/plug-ins pre-loaded which form the standard Cubase-esque solution within the modular host with the modularity features "locked" making them invisible until the user hacks the configuration to enable them.
Unfortunately it doesn't seem anyone really wants to go to that sort of effort. Understandable as this is identical to simply implementing a Cubase-esque solution without modularity, but on top of this having to deal with all the overhead of implementing modularity for the fraction (tiny?) of users which may actually desire and benefit from such functionality.
I believe an open-source solution will fill this niche and obsolete all other hosts... some day. Someone still needs to breach the threshold on this one though.
Free plug-ins for Windows, MacOS and Linux. Xhip Synthesizer v8.0 and Xhip Effects Bundle v6.7.
The coder's credo: We believe our work is neither clever nor difficult; it is done because we thought it would be easy.
Work less; get more done.
The coder's credo: We believe our work is neither clever nor difficult; it is done because we thought it would be easy.
Work less; get more done.
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- KVRAF
- 35297 posts since 14 Sep, 2002 from In teh net
Except it's not a plugin
Bidule is great though and has tons of modulation sources
Bidule is great though and has tons of modulation sources
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- KVRAF
- 35297 posts since 14 Sep, 2002 from In teh net
There's also VSTForxx
http://www.vstforx.de/
not really tried it as it's VST only (no AU) but it looks cool
http://www.vstforx.de/
not really tried it as it's VST only (no AU) but it looks cool
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- KVRAF
- 7402 posts since 17 Feb, 2005
I think I misread the question.
IDK if AudioMulch can modulate VST's parameters with such freedom as it allows the audio channels. MUX can modulate parameters, but the features available may be a bit limited.
IDK if AudioMulch can modulate VST's parameters with such freedom as it allows the audio channels. MUX can modulate parameters, but the features available may be a bit limited.
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- Beware the Quoth
- 33177 posts since 4 Sep, 2001 from R'lyeh Oceanic Amusement Park and Funfair
Bidule.
Magma will also do it, though there's only a certain number of modulators built-in. (8 LFOs, 8 MSEGs)
(BTW Im not sure if AudioMulch will handle 64-bit plugin on a Mac, and since its not been updated since 2013, it may have other issues with more recent versions of OSX)
Magma will also do it, though there's only a certain number of modulators built-in. (8 LFOs, 8 MSEGs)
(BTW Im not sure if AudioMulch will handle 64-bit plugin on a Mac, and since its not been updated since 2013, it may have other issues with more recent versions of OSX)
my other modular synth is a bugbrand
