BlueARP VST Arpeggiator development - let's discuss! (Apple M1 ready, 4K)

[graywolf2004]

One other question: As there is sadly no Midifx for PC and I don't want to use more than one track (Console 1 user here) I load up the Bluecat Patchwork plugin into a track and inside patchwork the Arp and the Synth. Now I noticed that in this case the Arp is absolutely sloppy as if there was no sync, the temp is correct but within a bar everything is sloppy, slows down and gets quicker again When I insert it directly into Cubase everything is tight. Is this something I have to discuss with the creator of patchwork ?

Yeah, BlueARP will become sloppy if audio buffer size is 256 or more, ideally to have 128 or even 64. I can say for REAPER at least, it has MIDI FX slot for synth tracks, and BlueARP works fine there. Maybe Patchwork fails to tramsmit fome essential VST calls like get current sample position.

[rasmusklump]

Ok, thanks. I work with 128 samples all the time. Not sure if maybe the asioguard could be the culprit here. Thanks.

[mabian]

Did the vst2 version get a new ID?
My old projects don't find the plugin anymore..

Yes, I changed ID to 'BArp' to make it the same across all versions. FL Studio doesn't care about this, but looks like your DAW does. Which one is it? I don't want to keep separate ID's for different versions, so can you please try - will it work for you if you have both versions together - 2.3.2 for your older orojects and 2.3.5 for newer ones?

You could make a different DLL with old ID available for legacy version. Or call the new dll differently...?

[rasmusklump]

Yeah, BlueARP will become sloppy if audio buffer size is 256 or more, ideally to have 128 or even 64. I can say for REAPER at least, it has MIDI FX slot for synth tracks, and BlueARP works fine there. Maybe Patchwork fails to tramsmit fome essential VST calls like get current sample position.

This behavior can't be solved ?
The problem occurs when the track with the arp isn't in monitor mode. When asioguard is enabled Cubase sets the latency for non monitoring tracks to very high in the background to save CPU.
I have excluded patchwork from asioguard now, but that means that I have a higher system load each time I run a cpu-hungry synth is it.

[graywolf2004]

Yeah, BlueARP will become sloppy if audio buffer size is 256 or more, ideally to have 128 or even 64. I can say for REAPER at least, it has MIDI FX slot for synth tracks, and BlueARP works fine there. Maybe Patchwork fails to tramsmit fome essential VST calls like get current sample position.

This behavior can't be solved ?
The problem occurs when the track with the arp isn't in monitor mode. When asioguard is enabled Cubase sets the latency for non monitoring tracks to very high in the background to save CPU.
I have excluded patchwork from asioguard now, but that means that I have a higher system load each time I run a cpu-hungry synth is it.

I tried several times, no luck still. I wonder how other plugins do it, probably they run sime internal timer and don't rely on process() call from the host. I will hopefully get back to it in the future, but yet have too much other stuff to do.

[rasmusklump]

ok, thanks.

[Christian61KVR]

Hi,

I just want to report that version 2.3.5 for MacOS (Catalina & Big Sur) in combination with Ableton 11 crashes.

VST2, 64-bit / BlueARP_OSX_VST2_v2.3.5.zip (18-Apr-2021)
VST3, 64-bit / BlueARP_OSX_VST3_v2.3.5.zip (18-Apr-2021)


Earlier Mac versions are fine,
but somehow I can’t see/select the different skins (only the default one is available) with these versions:
BlueARP_OSX_VST_v2.3.2.zip (19-Jul-2020)
BlueARP_OSX_VST_v2.3.1.zip (01-May-2020)

anyway great work,
Christian

[graywolf2004]

Update: Bluearp v2.3.6
https://graywolf2004.net/wp/?page_id=35
It is a bugfix update, changes:
1. Fixed crash in Ableton Live11 / Windows, VST3 version
2. Added options to enable/disable dummy audio outputs for VST2 and VST3 versions
(some DAWs can't handle pure MIDI plugins with 0 audio ins and outs)
3. Updated 'ReadMe (How to install).rtf'
4. Fixed crash on OSX, VST2 x64 in Ableton Live 10
5. Likely fixed audio buzz problem in Ableton 11 / OSX / VST3 (can't check myself)

Those who had crashes with 2.3.5, please check this one.
PS. Pay attention to updated 'ReadMe' file, there is a new settings 'dummy audio outs'. Enabled by default, it is safer. But you can check if your DAW can work with a pure MIDI plugin.

[Christian61KVR]

Update: Bluearp v2.3.6
https://graywolf2004.net/wp/?page_id=35
It is a bugfix update, changes:
1. Fixed crash in Ableton Live11 / Windows, VST3 version
2. Added options to enable/disable dummy audio outputs for VST2 and VST3 versions
(some DAWs can't handle pure MIDI plugins with 0 audio ins and outs)
3. Updated 'ReadMe (How to install).rtf'
4. Fixed crash on OSX, VST2 x64 in Ableton Live 10
5. Likely fixed audio buzz problem in Ableton 11 / OSX / VST3 (can't check myself)

Those who had crashes with 2.3.5, please check this one.
PS. Pay attention to updated 'ReadMe' file, there is a new settings 'dummy audio outs'. On be default, it is safer. But you can check if your DAW can work with a pure MIDI plugin.

Great!
2.3.6. VST2 works now for me on Ableton 11 / Mac.

However the skin dropdown still shows only one entry ('default blue"). There are no other skins available for selection.

One other issue: when trying to save a bank the Plugin stopped in the file dialog window (see attached) and crashed Ableton.

ScreenShot.jpg

have fun,
Christian

[graywolf2004]

Great!
2.3.6. VST2 works now for me on Ableton 11 / Mac.

However the skin dropdown still shows only one entry ('default blue"). There are no other skins available for selection.

One other issue: when trying to save a bank the Plugin stopped in the file dialog window (see attached) and crashed Ableton.

have fun,
Christian

At least it is getting closer. I can't test in Ableton 11, cause I'm on El Capitan and there Ableton 10 is the highest that works. And in Ableton 10 saving bank from both VST2 and VST3 is fine. Skins are switching too.
Can you save the crash report to txt and attach it here? Maybe it will give me some clues.

[AJYoung]

I tried several times, no luck still. I wonder how other plugins do it, probably they run sime internal timer and don't rely on process() call from the host. I will hopefully get back to it in the future, but yet have too much other stuff to do.

From what I can find, other plugins don't do it. I haven't found a single external Arp plugin that doesn't suffer from being off-time at high buffer settings. In Reaper, what I have to do is set the "Block size to use when rendering" as low as it will go, then render the passage to audio if I want accurate arp sounds.

I've taken to using synths with built-in arps now, since they don't suffer the same issue. I assume because they have an internal clock that isn't reliant on the DAW's buffer settings.

[Christian61KVR]

Great!
2.3.6. VST2 works now for me on Ableton 11 / Mac.

However the skin dropdown still shows only one entry ('default blue"). There are no other skins available for selection.

One other issue: when trying to save a bank the Plugin stopped in the file dialog window (see attached) and crashed Ableton.

have fun,
Christian

At least it is getting closer. I can't test in Ableton 11, cause I'm on El Capitan and there Ableton 10 is the highest that works. And in Ableton 10 saving bank from both VST2 and VST3 is fine. Skins are switching too.
Can you save the crash report to txt and attach it here? Maybe it will give me some clues.

It works now, skins and saving banks are fine. I reinstalled, rebooted and then it worked. Not sure why, but anyway great stuff...

[graywolf2004]

- double post, deleted -

[graywolf2004]

...
It works now, skins and saving banks are fine. I reinstalled, rebooted and then it worked. Not sure why, but anyway great stuff...

Maybe a file permission issue. As I saw on your screenshot, it didn't load fonts from fonts folder (it was default Arial insted of Oxanium font). BTW - which version of OSX do you have?
PS. Oh, I see in your earlier post, it is Catalina and Big Sur. Since Catalina OSX is notorious for problems with plugins, if they are not signed via app store. I can't yet sign as app developer to do this, cause I have an older mac hardware and I have to get newer mac mini and install newer OSX. Have to do this some day, but not in the near future...

[Christian61KVR]

...
It works now, skins and saving banks are fine. I reinstalled, rebooted and then it worked. Not sure why, but anyway great stuff...

Maybe a file permission issue. As I saw on your screenshot, it didn't load fonts from fonts folder (it was default Arial insted of Oxanium font). BTW - which version of OSX do you have?
PS. Oh, I see in your earlier post, it is Catalina and Big Sur. Since Catalina OSX is notorious for problems with plugins, if they are not signed via app store. I can't yet sign as app developer to do this, cause I have an older mac hardware and I have to get newer mac mini and install newer OSX. Have to do this some day, but not in the near future...

I had the same idea that there was problem with permission, as skins where not read (from within the VST file package). Did not noticed the default font, but after reinstall/reboot etc VST2 works now on Catalina and Big Sur.