Hello.
I hope i'm not posting now something twice but i tried to seach such an artikle and did'nt find anything. Got a lot of PMs at facebook about the same thing. It seems that users are a bit confused about the usage of VSTs so i'll explain a little intro befor you PM me down ^^
First of all, i'm a developer of VSTs since nearly 3 jears. With "Work of C.Hackl" and later "Mainstream Audio" i developed a lot Plugins and Tools, so i may say, i know what i'm talking.
VST Basics
VSTs are Plugins that are be able to load in Music Hosts like Cubase or FL-Studio. The interface (SDK) was developed from Steinberg.
There are three main types of VSTs:
VSTs:
Those Plugins are "Effect" Plugins, that means they basicaly have a Stereo Input and an Stereo output.
VSTis:
VST Instruments are Plugins that act like a Synthesizer. They have a MIDI input and a Stereo output.
Combined VSTs:
Those Plugins are Synthesizers with combined effect section. You are able to play on keyboard (you use the VSTi) while using the effects for the audio of the synthesizer and your input chanal. They have a MIDI in, a Stereo in and also a Stereo out. The Stereo in is linked directly to the effects and then to the stereo out.
Every VST gets Parameter from the Host, like Tempo, actual Position (in VDJ Songpos) or the Timecode.
In VSTs there are 2 different types of codings:
Parametric: Those lines are calculated with the CPU only
Stream: Those lines define the sound of the VST and are calculated in CPU in DX-Mode or in the ASIO-DSP of the soundcard
VDJ loads VST - What is done
In VDJ you are able to load nearly every VST, BUT there are limitations!!!
VDJ tries to find an stereo input and stereo output of the VST. If the VST is multichanel, only the first two inputs are loaded. MIDI in or MIDI out are ignored. And the is the big problem:
VSTis for example provides only MIDI in and no Audio in. So VDJ is not able to send the audiodata of the deck where the effect is activated. So the deck is silent. AND the MIDI is ignored too, so you get no chance to to get sound out of the VSTi!!! The effect doesn't work.
VSTi (VST instruments) are not working in VDJ! You are able to load them, but the don't work!!!
If you load a VST Effect or a combined VST VDJ finds a Audio input so the Audio data is linked through the plugin and the effect is working.
VST Effects and Combined VSTs work in VDJ
I know that it's sometimes possible to load a VSTi but only with that conditions:
* The VSTi hase an own MIDI in selection NOT over the MIDI in provided by the Host
* The VSTi is loaded in an Hooker/Wrapper that links in MIDI Data and the Audio in from VDJ
* The VSTi is loaded in Automap with novationdevices (Instrument works but no Audio from the deck)
Whitch Parameter is whitch Slidernumber in VDJ script?
Well that's not verry easy in bigger plugins... But sorry, you have to try and error with the slidernumber.
Get Freeware VST Effects
This is a link where the search parameters are set (Windows): KVRaudio
http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php?mode=results&st=adv&soft[]=e&type[]=0&f[]=vst&win=1&free=1&sf=0&receptor=&de=0&sort=1&rpp=75
And here for MAC users:
http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php?mode=results&st=adv&soft[]=e&type[]=0&f[]=vst&osx=1&free=1&sf=0&receptor=&de=0&sort=1&rpp=75&compact=1
References by C.Hackl
KRV Search Mainstream Audio: http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php?mode=results&st=f&q=Mainstream+Audio
Sorry VSTs programmed by me got offline because i'm not the owner of Mainstream Audio anymore
C.Hackl at SynthMaker: http://synthmaker.co.uk/forum/search.php?keywords=&terms=all&author=chackl&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search
I hope you got not more confused now.
Please whrite if you have better suggestions
C.Hackl
I hope i'm not posting now something twice but i tried to seach such an artikle and did'nt find anything. Got a lot of PMs at facebook about the same thing. It seems that users are a bit confused about the usage of VSTs so i'll explain a little intro befor you PM me down ^^
First of all, i'm a developer of VSTs since nearly 3 jears. With "Work of C.Hackl" and later "Mainstream Audio" i developed a lot Plugins and Tools, so i may say, i know what i'm talking.
VST Basics
VSTs are Plugins that are be able to load in Music Hosts like Cubase or FL-Studio. The interface (SDK) was developed from Steinberg.
There are three main types of VSTs:
VSTs:
Those Plugins are "Effect" Plugins, that means they basicaly have a Stereo Input and an Stereo output.
VSTis:
VST Instruments are Plugins that act like a Synthesizer. They have a MIDI input and a Stereo output.
Combined VSTs:
Those Plugins are Synthesizers with combined effect section. You are able to play on keyboard (you use the VSTi) while using the effects for the audio of the synthesizer and your input chanal. They have a MIDI in, a Stereo in and also a Stereo out. The Stereo in is linked directly to the effects and then to the stereo out.
Every VST gets Parameter from the Host, like Tempo, actual Position (in VDJ Songpos) or the Timecode.
In VSTs there are 2 different types of codings:
Parametric: Those lines are calculated with the CPU only
Stream: Those lines define the sound of the VST and are calculated in CPU in DX-Mode or in the ASIO-DSP of the soundcard
VDJ loads VST - What is done
In VDJ you are able to load nearly every VST, BUT there are limitations!!!
VDJ tries to find an stereo input and stereo output of the VST. If the VST is multichanel, only the first two inputs are loaded. MIDI in or MIDI out are ignored. And the is the big problem:
VSTis for example provides only MIDI in and no Audio in. So VDJ is not able to send the audiodata of the deck where the effect is activated. So the deck is silent. AND the MIDI is ignored too, so you get no chance to to get sound out of the VSTi!!! The effect doesn't work.
VSTi (VST instruments) are not working in VDJ! You are able to load them, but the don't work!!!
If you load a VST Effect or a combined VST VDJ finds a Audio input so the Audio data is linked through the plugin and the effect is working.
VST Effects and Combined VSTs work in VDJ
I know that it's sometimes possible to load a VSTi but only with that conditions:
* The VSTi hase an own MIDI in selection NOT over the MIDI in provided by the Host
* The VSTi is loaded in an Hooker/Wrapper that links in MIDI Data and the Audio in from VDJ
* The VSTi is loaded in Automap with novationdevices (Instrument works but no Audio from the deck)
Whitch Parameter is whitch Slidernumber in VDJ script?
Well that's not verry easy in bigger plugins... But sorry, you have to try and error with the slidernumber.
Get Freeware VST Effects
This is a link where the search parameters are set (Windows): KVRaudio
http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php?mode=results&st=adv&soft[]=e&type[]=0&f[]=vst&win=1&free=1&sf=0&receptor=&de=0&sort=1&rpp=75
And here for MAC users:
http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php?mode=results&st=adv&soft[]=e&type[]=0&f[]=vst&osx=1&free=1&sf=0&receptor=&de=0&sort=1&rpp=75&compact=1
References by C.Hackl
KRV Search Mainstream Audio: http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php?mode=results&st=f&q=Mainstream+Audio
Sorry VSTs programmed by me got offline because i'm not the owner of Mainstream Audio anymore
C.Hackl at SynthMaker: http://synthmaker.co.uk/forum/search.php?keywords=&terms=all&author=chackl&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search
I hope you got not more confused now.
Please whrite if you have better suggestions
C.Hackl
geposted Tue 19 Apr 11 @ 3:18 am
Thank you for the detailed explanation (from the inside scope of a VST plugin).
The fact that VDJ cannot use VSTi's is a very well know "limitation" of the software. However since VDJ is not a DAW I find this "limitation" logical...
The only thing that I wish it was a little more different, is combined VST's:
Several VST effects I own provide users the ability to change presets (and other things) via MIDI. With VDJ you can't control this via MIDI and of course you can't access such features with sliders/buttons. Several times you have to actually go to the GUI of the VST to perform such tasks...
Of course that's possible IF the GUI is visible through VDJ interface.
In general there is a very big mess when it comes to GUI's and sliders on VST effects. Different implementations result different parameters visible on VDJ itself.
It seems to me that the best option for VST plugins that work perfectly with VDJ are those effects that don't provide their own GUI but rely on the host to "create" a GUI for them. Such plugins expose their entire range of controls on the host and you are able to access them through VDJ via VDJ script "effect "myVST" slider 12" type commands...
The fact that VDJ cannot use VSTi's is a very well know "limitation" of the software. However since VDJ is not a DAW I find this "limitation" logical...
The only thing that I wish it was a little more different, is combined VST's:
Several VST effects I own provide users the ability to change presets (and other things) via MIDI. With VDJ you can't control this via MIDI and of course you can't access such features with sliders/buttons. Several times you have to actually go to the GUI of the VST to perform such tasks...
Of course that's possible IF the GUI is visible through VDJ interface.
In general there is a very big mess when it comes to GUI's and sliders on VST effects. Different implementations result different parameters visible on VDJ itself.
It seems to me that the best option for VST plugins that work perfectly with VDJ are those effects that don't provide their own GUI but rely on the host to "create" a GUI for them. Such plugins expose their entire range of controls on the host and you are able to access them through VDJ via VDJ script "effect "myVST" slider 12" type commands...
geposted Tue 19 Apr 11 @ 3:48 am
I got Synthmaker. a tool to make your own VSTs
Every Effect i made in SM can be loaded up in VDJ without problems.
Also StylusRMX a groovemodule (VSTi) can be loaded with automap.
Automap is a hooking VST. It adds MIDI from external devices directly to the plugin. So, automap is built out of two parts:
* Server (EXE standalone to controll plugins)
* Hook VST( VST that loads other VST and adds the MIDI data to the VST that is loaded in it)
Maybe we could find such an universal VST loader to link throu the audio (to hear the deck) and to send MIDI Messenges to the VST. This may make it easyer. 'll Try to google something useable.
EDIT:
Maybe this helps... will test it tonight.
http://www.ctaf.free.fr/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=meslogiciels
Every Effect i made in SM can be loaded up in VDJ without problems.
Also StylusRMX a groovemodule (VSTi) can be loaded with automap.
Automap is a hooking VST. It adds MIDI from external devices directly to the plugin. So, automap is built out of two parts:
* Server (EXE standalone to controll plugins)
* Hook VST( VST that loads other VST and adds the MIDI data to the VST that is loaded in it)
Maybe we could find such an universal VST loader to link throu the audio (to hear the deck) and to send MIDI Messenges to the VST. This may make it easyer. 'll Try to google something useable.
EDIT:
Maybe this helps... will test it tonight.
http://www.ctaf.free.fr/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=meslogiciels
geposted Tue 19 Apr 11 @ 4:19 am
Good stuff!...a universal interface? that would be great...
geposted Wed 04 May 11 @ 4:31 am