Audio interfaces with VST plugin processing on their control panel

[barbaroja]

Do they exist? If not, why? It seems so useful to insert let's say your room correction VST or an analyzer plug or whatever in the outputs... Obviosly you have to pay with latency, but I do not see a reason not to have that in the audio interface mixer/control panel.

I have done it using other cantabile, vsthost and others but I would be very happy with a native way.

[chk071]

I have done it using other cantabile, vsthost and others but I would be very happy with a native way.

Why? What hinders you to simply add the effect on the DAW's output?

I'm not even sure if what you ask is technically possible TBH.

[Telematix]

You can use https://ddmf.eu/virtual-audio-stream/

Also, there is a free solution - https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/

[barbaroja]

I have done it using other cantabile, vsthost and others but I would be very happy with a native way.

Why? What hinders you to simply add the effect on the DAW's output?

I'm not even sure if what you ask is technically possible TBH.

Obviously because that only processes the DAWs output.

Why not possible technically? I have had audio interfaces that have DSP.

[barbaroja]

You can use https://ddmf.eu/virtual-audio-stream/

Also, there is a free solution - https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/

Also Cantabile, VSThost, etc.

But it would be so much easy to have it run in your outputs so it processes your ASIO out and your WDM out as well (if in windows). Remember ASIO just bypasses windows processing. Equalizer APO only touches that.

Definitely an awesome feature if you ask me. If it is about stability for third party content, that would not be much different from any DAW out there. If you use third-party plugins that are buggy, blame on you. Still wondering what is stopping them from doing so.

[sin night]

In order to have a vst plugin on the audio interface output, your audio interface drivers would need to incorporate a vst host running all the time. For example you close the panel, it must keep on processing the audio through the plugin... and what if you kill the panel/host app from the task manager? Also, if a plugin crashes you’ll likely crash the whole audio system (maybe they can implement some additional controls to manage crashes?) and you would probably blame the soundcard brand instead of the plugin developer.
Also, what if you change the sample rate of the soundcard but the plugin doesn’t support it (these days most plugins support high sample rates, but as a developer you can’t be 100% sure of what your customers are going to do)? Sure, you can automatically disable/bypass it, but then you’ll have some users asking what happened... with a little bit of immagination, you can easily find how a user can make such feature go very wrong...

In my opinion, there are good reasons to avoid developing this feature or to limit it to proprietary effects running on a dsp built into the soundcard.

A better approach, in my opinion, would be adding some “listening only” effects slots in the daw (perhaps in a sort of control room); but having vst effects processing the whole audio system is asking for dangers in my opinion.

Also, as a user, I prefer to have drivers that just control the device. If a os update requires a driver update, they can just focus on that task. If there’s a buit in vst host, they should also perform tests on the host, again (which takes time, so you have to wait more time before a release). And if Steinberg releases a new version of the vst sdk (it doesn’t happen that often, but it happens), they must upgrade the host...
Also, how much will this cost? Which business model would they need to adopt? Because the development time has to be paid, you know...

[fmr]

Obviously because that only processes the DAWs output.

You can have plug-ins processing the DAW audio input (at least in some DAWs I know). But I never used that feature.

Why not possible technically? I have had audio interfaces that have DSP.

Technically, it is possible, but as others pointed out, you will need a control panel that's also a VST host and that means asking for problems, besides adding latency, etc.

Giving that the feature you want can be add to the DAW, I don't think it's necessary, or even desirable. I wouldn't want it.

But there are audio interfaces that incorporate "mixers" with DSP processing, like RME audio interfaces, for example. These are NOT VST plug-in, they run in the hardware DSP, and don't add latency, etc.

[Tj Shredder]

Technically impossible! Your interface would need to run a common OS like windows/linux/macOS or iOS, and have a intel or arm architecture. Just add the cost of a computer to the cost of the interface and expect a crashing interface...
It would be a nightmare for devs to support such a fast aging system...
Just look out for interfaces with onboard dsp like in the previous post mentioned. RME, MotU, maybe UAD (which can load their native fx as vst in your host btw...)
Usually the built-in fx covers all you need...

[the.new.me]

Yes it is possible, im using that way IK Multimedia ARC 3

incredibly stable, never crashed in 4 months since i started using in this way, not once, not even a hang. Very low CPU footprint. Pedalboard with ARC are using 1-2% of my 6 year old CPU. Im using this with Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 (old soundcard), but instead of virtual cable im using Voicemeeter Bananna, i works with audio interface ASIO drivers.

here is detailed guide

https://www.ikmultimedia.com/faq/index. ... N0ZW0tMw==

[barbaroja]

I understand. Quite sad if you ask me, that would be a killer feature.

[Ploki]

A better approach, in my opinion, would be adding some “listening only” effects slots in the daw (perhaps in a sort of control room); but having vst effects processing the whole audio system is asking for dangers in my opinion.

Studio One has that.