Software for testing skins

[Viridescence]

So I've spent the last 2 months designing a skin for Diva and was lucky enough to have an old version of Gig performer to test the ongoing alterations. It was that or use Cubase which took ages to reload and refresh when needed. Gig performer runs the VST without any extras and was so much easier to refresh or even reboot with major changes but is there another option for GUI testing?

[Viktor [TUC]]

There are free plug-in hosts for Win or Mac.
NanoHost by Tone2 on Windows would be one, and AU Hosting for Mac. There are more, probably, but these two I know.
Reaper would be a complete DAW but comes with a "do what you want" demo mode, the download is only a few MB in size and it loads up lightning fast (it has a nag screen so that takes an extra few seconds to disappear, but there's a cheap 60$ license).

[Viridescence]

Thanks for the info - I did have a look for Mac but I was searching for Vst not AU.
Forgot about the other formats

[runagate]

I'd long forgotten this, but I once had a friend make a VST host which did nothing but scan a folder, load each VST and take a screenshot of the GUI. I was attempting to make something that would document what one had installed to make a visual database. As I recall it was based on the VST host sample code from the SDK, and at the time there were many such tiny hosts offered to developers for testing purposes so I suspect you'll find something which was made to do precisely what you're looking for.

[whyterabbyt]

Bidule allows you replace a plugin 'in situ' with the same plugin, which completely re-instantiates it...

[Viridescence]

Bidule looks to be great option. Gig Performer has similar connection methods with representations of the interface and computer. It’s been really useful to test the GUI and play it to see if it feels right. It’s pricey though to get the latest version and does more than I need if not using it for it’s main purpose which is playing live.

[gainstage]

Do you need to test only VSTs or VST3 plugins as well? I had a quick look, NanoHost doesn't seem to support the VST3 format.

What features do you need from a host to help you with your skin testing?

[Viridescence]

I guess the ability to test for as many real situations as possible. For the moment Gig Performer does the job. It basically runs like a DAW but without all the long winded startup issues of Cubase etc which was my other option. I currently test it on both. the version of Gig Performer i have was a Plug-in Alliance special from a couple of years back so I’m not sure how compatible it will remain. The upgrade path is no longer available as Plug-in Alliance and GP parted ways so it’s around £170.00 for the new version if needed - hence looking to see if there is a cheaper alternative. Having said that the fact that Gig Performer acts like a DAW means you can play the GUI and test it live and after all that’s really what matters - seeing if the GUI distracts or could be improved with all the distractions of playing.

[bartok2112]

Cantabile:

https://www.cantabilesoftware.com/

There is a free version of it.

[Fannon]

Btw. in Reaper you can CTRL+SHIFT click a plugin and it will take it offline or online again.
So holding the two keys and clicking twice will also re-initialize the plugin.

[gainstage]

Yes, I was wondering what "Many real situations" for a GUI/skin developer means.
I imagine that you could use the Probabilistic Sound Designer in Gig Performer to move all your knobs/switches in your plugin's editor window at the same time, for example.

Or use automations through bar/beat, audio file, MIDI file, widget groups, radio buttons, Timeline actions, etc. to change various parameters.

Do you use a single rackspace or multiple rackspaces? There are tricks that can make your startup times even faster. For example, you can turn off the plugin scanning on startup to load faster, or use predictive loading, or you can use multiple instances of Gig Performer for specific testing scenarios/environments. Every instance can be a separate testing environment and can be run independently.

It shouldn't be £170.00, a single license is $169 and there are cross-grade options available for Plugin Alliance users. Basically, you get the discount based on what you initially paid. I bet the most people got it for $99.

Anyway, skin testing is probably a somewhat expected use case for a fast VST host - the most peculiar thing I saw are plants having gigs.
https://community.gigperformer.com/t/rich-thomsen/15487

[deepspacevision]

vPlayer3 might be a good option, I'm occasionally using it for exactly that usecase. Supports vst3 as well.

https://www.digitalbrain-instruments.com/freebies

https://youtu.be/fAQLSIy7RnM