Effect editor that allows some automatic control of parameters

[antic604]

I need to create some audio effect chain, that could process sound in a realtime (near-realtime), consisting of fairly simple effects: pass-filters, vibrato, reverb, etc...

Which DAW you're using? Or does it have to be a stand-alone app?

It sounds like what you're looking for can be built in many of the DAWs using their container & macro devices, but it wouldn't be as flexible as you imagine - you'd rather have to foresee all the possible fx & ways they can be connected (serial, parallel, frequency split, mid/side split, etc.) and program a way to choose between them and tweak - and modulate / automate - the parameters of chosen devices. It's totally doable and depending on how you're going to use it, might be worth the effort.

[pdxindy]

Reads like the OP wants a container plugin, like Patcher in FL Studio.

Yes, but one where the automation of parameters of the hosted plugins can be scripted by his own code, and that can export a new plugin.

The second of those isnt possible. And the first one doesnt really exist the way he seems to want it to.

What about Max? Seems like there are enough ready made FX already there to work with yes?

[Unaspected]

Reads like the OP wants a container plugin, like Patcher in FL Studio.

Yes, but one where the automation of parameters of the hosted plugins can be scripted by his own code, and that can export a new plugin.

The second of those isnt possible. And the first one doesnt really exist the way he seems to want it to. There's no subhost Im aware of with a built-in scripting language. Bidule's the only one I could think of with sufficiently low-level modules that can also drive parameters, and even then not convinced it can be algorithmic enough for what they might want.
Im not convinced by plugin-PureData hosting plugins... my recollection is that its not that great as a plugin.

Also, there's the consideration of parameter (non!) exposure by the subhost (container plugin) to the main host.

Indeed, if you'd be using PureData aside from other sequencer/DAW software. And yeah, I missed the export plugin option - though from the description of operation, I'm thinking that the OP will be content enough with patch files that contain all the automation set up.

Reaper would be an excellent choice if scripting is also a prerequisite - though I am not yet familiar with Bidule - heard of but not used.

FL Studio would allow for use of algorithms in its formula controller - which can accept both control signals and audio via Peak Controller. This way, algorithm variables are also adjustable by control or audio signals.

Reads like the OP wants a container plugin, like Patcher in FL Studio.

Yes, but one where the automation of parameters of the hosted plugins can be scripted by his own code, and that can export a new plugin.

The second of those isnt possible. And the first one doesnt really exist the way he seems to want it to.

What about Max? Seems like there are enough ready made FX already there to work with yes?

Max is another great choice - created by the author of PD. Both environments lend themselves well to generative processing. And, indeed, with text file reader objects, you can create an engine that interprets data in a multitudes of ways.

[whyterabbyt]

What about Max? Seems like there are enough ready made FX already there to work with yes?

Sorta filed that under 'locked to the host.' Would work if he only wanted to work within Live via M4L, or from a standalone application of its own.

Also; Max is viable as a plugin host, but strangely you get remarkably little pre-written audio algorithms shipped with it (unless you dig into the reference and tutorial stuff).

[whyterabbyt]

Reaper would be an excellent choice if scripting is also a prerequisite -

Interesting; I hadnt realised you could script automation data in Reaper.

[Unaspected]

Reaper would be an excellent choice if scripting is also a prerequisite -

Interesting; I hadnt realised you could script automation data in Reaper.

Not something I've looked into but it does have a scripting language that seems to be at the core of the program - and there is a project that addresses generating automation data with ReaScript. Reaper certainly fulfils the requirement of a container that will carry automation assignment with it in presets - so its easy to load a chain and expect the same behaviour - something that was broken in FL Studio until Patcher.

Maybe Cabbage would be of use? In theory you could export VSTs from that.

[whyterabbyt]

Maybe Cabbage would be of use? In theory you could export VSTs from that.

That's definitely another possibility, though the OP seems to lean to using full existing plugins rather than their own effects algorithms. Like Max, I also feel you might have to dig in to the tutorial material to find even basic bread and butter effects examples.

Going in a different direction, though, (and one Ive mentioned before), maybe VCV rack would be a better option than I'd said; I'd forgotten about the Prototype module, which allows js, lua and, I think, PD code to run inside VCV. Or maybe even the FV-1 module, emulates a Spin Audio chip.

[mezmay]

Thank you all for your really constructive answers!

There are 3 main approaches that I can highlight from this topic:

- build a new plugin in visual modular environment from ready-made blocks (SynthEdit, Reaktor, FL Studio's Patcher, Max/MSP - Max for Live, Bidule, Bitwig Grid, ...)

- write new plugin in script-based tools like Cabbage(Csound), Plug'n Script, ...

- use custom built-in automation in a DAW, like Reaper's ReaScript.

I am currently trying the first approach and started with SynthEdit.