Audio plugin
Encyclopedia
An audio plugin is a dynamically linked library
containing digital signal processing
or sound synthesis
functionality, which can be loaded by a computer program
at runtime. Audio plugins usually provide their own user interface
, which often contains GUI widgets that can be used to control and visualise the plugin's audio parameters.
The program used to dynamically load
audio plugins is called a plugin host. Example hosts include Mainstage
, Bidule
, REAPER
and Sonic Visualiser
. It has also been shown that plugins can be used to host other plugins.
and those which analyse existing audio samples. Although all plugin types can technically perform audio analysis, only specific formats provide a mechanism for analysis data to be returned to the host.
s that the plugin must define in order to be usable by a plugin host. Additionally a functional specification
may be provided, which defines how the plugin should respond to function calls, and how the host should expect to handle function calls to the plugin. The specification may also include documentation about the meaning of variables and data structures declared in the API. The API header file
s, specification, shared libraries, license and documentation are sometimes bundled together in an SDK.
Dynamic linker
In computing, a dynamic linker is the part of an operating system that loads and links the shared libraries for an executable when it is executed. The specific operating system and executable format determine how the dynamic linker functions and how it is implemented...
containing digital signal processing
Digital signal processing
Digital signal processing is concerned with the representation of discrete time signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals. Digital signal processing and analog signal processing are subfields of signal processing...
or sound synthesis
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
functionality, which can be loaded by a computer program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
at runtime. Audio plugins usually provide their own user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
, which often contains GUI widgets that can be used to control and visualise the plugin's audio parameters.
The program used to dynamically load
Dynamic loading
Dynamic loading is a mechanism by which a computer program can, at run time, load a library into memory, retrieve the addresses of functions and variables contained in the library, execute those functions or access those variables, and unload the library from memory...
audio plugins is called a plugin host. Example hosts include Mainstage
Mainstage (software)
MainStage is a software developed by Apple Inc. Its primary purpose is to serve as a method of centralizing any virtual instruments that users might have installed on their computers that are normally used in Apple's DAW software Logic Pro for use in live performance.The instruments can then be...
, Bidule
Bidule
Bidule is a commercial software application for the creation of interactive computer music and multimedia produced by the Canadian company Plogue Arts and Technology. It runs on both Windows and Mac computers....
, REAPER
REAPER
REAPER is a digital audio workstation created by Cockos. It is distributed with an uncrippled evaluation license with a nag screen explaining the license cost. It is currently available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X...
and Sonic Visualiser
Sonic Visualiser
Sonic Visualiser is a free software system distributed under the GNU General Public License which allows you to visualise, analyse and annotate sound files. It is used in musical as well as scientific work, its most outstanding feature is the ability to use highly specialised third-party plugins ...
. It has also been shown that plugins can be used to host other plugins.
Plugin types
There are three broad classes of audio plugin: those which transform existing audio samples, those which generate new audio samples through sound synthesisSynthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and those which analyse existing audio samples. Although all plugin types can technically perform audio analysis, only specific formats provide a mechanism for analysis data to be returned to the host.
Software architecture
Communication between host and plugin(s) is determined by a plugin API. The API declares functions and data structureData structure
In computer science, a data structure is a particular way of storing and organizing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently.Different kinds of data structures are suited to different kinds of applications, and some are highly specialized to specific tasks...
s that the plugin must define in order to be usable by a plugin host. Additionally a functional specification
Functional specification
A functional specification in systems engineering and software development is the documentation that describes the requested behavior of an engineering system...
may be provided, which defines how the plugin should respond to function calls, and how the host should expect to handle function calls to the plugin. The specification may also include documentation about the meaning of variables and data structures declared in the API. The API header file
Header file
Some programming languages use header files. These files allow programmers to separate certain elements of a program's source code into reusable files. Header files commonly contain forward declarations of classes, subroutines, variables, and other identifiers...
s, specification, shared libraries, license and documentation are sometimes bundled together in an SDK.
Plugin formats
| Name | Vendor | License | GUI support | Supported types | Supported platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Studio Technology Virtual Studio Technology Steinberg's Virtual Studio Technology is an interface for integrating software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware with software... |
Steinberg Steinberg Steinberg GmbH is a German musical software and equipment company based in Hamburg. It mainly produces music recording, arranging and editing software as used in digital audio workstations and VSTi software synthesizers.- History :... |
Proprietary Proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary... |
Transformation | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux (via WINE Wine (software) Wine is a free software application that aims to allow computer programs written for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems. Wine also provides a software library, known as Winelib, against which developers can compile Windows applications to help port them to Unix-like... ) |
|
| VSTi Virtual Studio Technology Steinberg's Virtual Studio Technology is an interface for integrating software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware with software... |
Steinberg Steinberg Steinberg GmbH is a German musical software and equipment company based in Hamburg. It mainly produces music recording, arranging and editing software as used in digital audio workstations and VSTi software synthesizers.- History :... |
Proprietary Proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary... |
Synthesis | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux (via WINE Wine (software) Wine is a free software application that aims to allow computer programs written for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems. Wine also provides a software library, known as Winelib, against which developers can compile Windows applications to help port them to Unix-like... ) |
|
| Audio Units Audio Units Audio Units are a system-level plug-in architecture provided by Core Audio in Mac OS X developed by Apple Computer. Audio Units are a set of application programming interface services provided by the operating system to generate, process, receive, or otherwise manipulate streams of audio in... |
Apple Apple The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring... |
Proprietary Proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary... |
Transformation, Synthesis | Mac OS X | |
| Real Time AudioSuite Real Time AudioSuite Real-Time AudioSuite is a format of audio plug-in developed by Digidesign, currently Avid Technology for their Pro Tools LE, and Pro Tools M-Powered systems, although they can be run on Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools TDM systems. RTAS plug-ins use the processing power of the host computer rather than... |
Avid AVID AVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S.... |
Proprietary Proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary... |
Transformation, Synthesis | Mac OS X, Windows | |
| Avid Audio eXtension | Avid AVID AVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S.... |
Proprietary Proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary... |
Transformation, Synthesis | Mac OS X, Windows | |
| TDM AVID AVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S.... |
Avid AVID AVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S.... |
Proprietary Proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary... |
Transformation, Synthesis | Mac OS X, Windows | |
| LADSPA LADSPA LADSPA is an acronym for Linux Audio Developers Simple Plugin API. It is a standard for handling filters and effects, licensed under the GNU LGPL. It was originally designed for Linux through consensus on the Linux Audio Developers Mailing List, but works on a variety of other platforms... |
ladspa.org | LGPL | Transformation | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux | |
| DSSI DSSI DSSI is a virtual instrument plugin architecture for use by music sequencer applications. It was designed for applications running under Linux, although there is nothing specific to Linux in the interface itself... |
dssi.sourceforge.net | LGPL, BSD | Transformation, Synthesis | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux | |
| LV2 LV2 LV2 is an open standard for plugins and matching host applications, mainly targeted at audio processing and generation.LV2 is a simple but extensible successor of LADSPA, intended to address the limitations of LADSPA which many applications have outgrown.Currently there is support for LV2 in... |
lv2plug.in | LGPL | Transformation, Synthesis | Linux | |
| DirectX DirectX plugin In computer music and professional audio creation, a DirectX plugin is a software processing component that can be loaded as a plugin into host applications to allow real-time processing, audio effects, mixing audio or act as virtual synthesizers... |
Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions... |
Proprietary Proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary... |
Transformation | Windows | |
| DXi DirectX plugin In computer music and professional audio creation, a DirectX plugin is a software processing component that can be loaded as a plugin into host applications to allow real-time processing, audio effects, mixing audio or act as virtual synthesizers... |
Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions... |
Proprietary Proprietary software Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary... |
Synthesis | Windows | |
| VAMP VAMP Vesicle associated membrane proteins are a family of SNARE proteins with similar structure, and are mostly involved in vesicle fusion.* VAMP1 and VAMP2 proteins known as synaptobrevins are expressed in brain and are constituents of the synaptic vesicles, where they participate in neuromediator... |
vamp-plugins.org | BSD-style | Analysis | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux |