Support Audio Units

[ReleaseCandidate]

Oh, CLAP.

So now we have (had)
CLAP
VST 2
VST3
AU
AAX
LV2
And the obsolete
DX
MAS
DSSI
[APIs I forgot]

In 32 and 64 bit versions, Intel and ARM64 (oder ones for Power) and one for each OS (Linux, Mac OS and Windows) or OS Version (Catalina), if applicable.

[Tj Shredder]

The most interesting AUs cannot be supported anyway (Sculpture, Alchemy etc) because Apple doesn‘t allow it. There are a handful au only plugins I could load into Kushviev Elements or VM. In case I want the Apple instruments, I load up Mainstage and connect with Blue Cats Connector…
After all devs switched to Clap, it won‘t be an issue anymore…; - )
It would be nice to have, but I can live with how it is now…

[krazzmann]

I’m an IT professional. I started out with Windows, switched to Linux in 2000 and 2014 to MacOS. Windows and Linux always have the problem that they need to run on several thousands of different hardware configurations while MacOS has to deal with less than 50. From the system design Windows is an absolute mess. Linux is a solid OS, much more stable but is too exotic for most audio software but was excellent for software development. Mac has it all. The OS is rock solid, based on the Unix design. It is beautifully designed and super convenient to use. The hardware is top notch and since the advent of the M1 beats any other laptop out of the water - performance wise and regarding battery life. I don’t know why there are so many Apple haters. There are so many good reasons to buy a Mac. Yeah, it’s expensive but it’s also a great value. If you work professionally it’s worth every penny to buy a good and expensive laptop.

I would welcome AUv3 support for Bitwig. Many DAWs support at least AUv2. Do you think they did that just for fun? I know a lot of producers using a Mac. It’s not just a niche. Since the advent of M1 iPads a lot of great iPad synths appear on the Mac App Store, for instance the Moog synth plugins. There is quite an interesting scene of indie developers making really creative iOS music apps. I would so much like to use them with Bitwig.

Anyway, in the long run I also have high hopes in CLAP to be the one format to rule them all and end the plugin madness on all our computers - regardless of the OS. It’s the right thing that the plugin technology is an open standard that is not owned by a big player in the market. Let’s use our power as consumers. Let’s buy and use CLAP plugins whenever possible.

[Fleer]

Come on, Bitwig, it can't be that hard to support Audio Units.
I'd love to delete the VST folder on my tiny MacBook Air and gain 12GB of space.

[simmo75]

Yeah agreed, it’s frustrating.
Also AU3 would be nice like Live 11 does.
I love being able to use iPad instruments in Live 11.

[machinesworking]

I go back and forth on this. I love that Live and DP11 use all three formats, but I respect and admire the idea of making cross platform compatibility possible.

That said the wrapped VST3 Moog Model 15 randomly loses audio, making it near unusable currently, and some developers release only AU versions on Mac, it's rare but it happens.

Mostly I wish CLAP had come around a decade ago and we were talking about if any plug ins didn't make it to CLAP from VST.

[petedako]

This is not how Bitwig responded when I asked about Touch Screen support.
Where have you got this information about Bitwig supporting touch screens under OSX?

touch screens will eventually come to all platforms

ps: apple had touch screens before microsoft, and that has nothing to do with bitwig

[pdxindy]

I find the CLAP support much more interesting than AU(v3) support. AU offers nothing different from VST. CLAP offers something new I didn't have before (PolyMod).

From my point of view, there are far more plugin synths and FX that already work with Bitwig than I will ever use, so I don't care if they ever add AU support (which I suspect they have no plan to do)

[krazzmann]

I find the CLAP support much more interesting than AU(v3) support. AU offers nothing different from VST. CLAP offers something new I didn't have before (PolyMod).

From my point of view, there are far more plugin synths and FX that already work with Bitwig than I will ever use, so I don't care if they ever add AU support (which I suspect they have no plan to do)

This depends on your perspective. There are actually many users who would love AU support. Do you think Ableton did it just for fun? I‘m also making music on the iPad and there are really many innovative AUv3 plugins for iOS that are not available on other platforms, with AUv3 support it’s possible to use them on a Mac. I own some iPad synths that are also available as VST and it’s really nice to do sound design with a touch UI on the iPad and then share the patches to the desktop. MacOS hasn’t got any official touch monitor support.

[pdxindy]

I find the CLAP support much more interesting than AU(v3) support. AU offers nothing different from VST. CLAP offers something new I didn't have before (PolyMod).

From my point of view, there are far more plugin synths and FX that already work with Bitwig than I will ever use, so I don't care if they ever add AU support (which I suspect they have no plan to do)

This depends on your perspective. There are actually many users who would love AU support. Do you think Ableton did it just for fun? I‘m also making music on the iPad and there are really many innovative AUv3 plugins for iOS that are not available on other platforms, with AUv3 support it’s possible to use them on a Mac. I own some iPad synths that are also available as VST and it’s really nice to do sound design with a touch UI on the iPad and then share the patches to the desktop. MacOS hasn’t got any official touch monitor support.

Of course it depends on perspective... I was giving mine. You are welcome to yours. It's okay we have different views on the subject.

[machinesworking]

I go back and forth on this one. You see AU's advantage with it's Rosetta 2 ability to run intel plug ins, in native DAWs. There's also a very small handful of developers who release an AU version only of their plug ins.
Specifically Absynth and Aly James OB Xtreme have to be used in wrappers like Unify etc. it's not an ideal situation.

OTOH I respect Bitwig's adherence to cross platform compatibility. Even if it involves reliance on a standard like VST that gets developed by an interested third party that screws the pooch so heavily with VST3 that it takes 15 years and strong arm tactics from Steinberg to finally start to replace VST2.

In other words I wish CLAP had been developed 15 years ago in response to VST3, then at this point all DAWs would support it and all plug in manufacturers would happily be developing for it.

[Jac459]

I think it's obvious now with Bitwig's advocating of CLAP that they're going to concentrate on that in the future if they can. Steinberg are where they laid their eggs and they aren't righteously feeling that great about that decision. I'm rooting for CLAP, it's about time there was a truly agnostic plug in format.

Of course part of me is still hoping for some AU support, specifically AU3, but even then Moog released Model 15 iOS as VST3 as well. The main thing though right now on an M1 Mac, you get full VST3i support for devices like the Reason Rack plug in, meaning a plethora of new MIDI tools at your disposal compared to AU

Does AU3 support external polyphonic modulators like CLAP does? Voice stacking?

[simmo75]

CLAP is awesome, but hardly anyone has adopted it. I mean it’s only a handful of devs/DAWs. I hope it succeeds, but it’s hardly made a flying start.

[machinesworking]

CLAP is awesome, but hardly anyone has adopted it. I mean it’s only a handful of devs/DAWs. I hope it succeeds, but it’s hardly made a flying start.

It's a subtle change, VST3 and AU do most of what people want and have been around forever.
DAWs will eventually come around, but IMO the big adoption would have been 15 years ago when VST3 was introduced and required complete rewrites of support from developers. That coupled with AU being one platform only would have given enough impetus to developers to support an unaffiliated format.

As it stands it's up against AU which developers are comfortable with at this point, and the transition to VST3 which is finally happening. So it will take longer. Best thing that could happen is Steinberg to introduce VST4.

[pdxindy]

CLAP is awesome, but hardly anyone has adopted it. I mean it’s only a handful of devs/DAWs. I hope it succeeds, but it’s hardly made a flying start.

CLAP is off to a great start.