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CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2020 8:18 pm
by jotape1960
Hi! :D

I use Ubuntu Studio 19.10 and JACK Audio Connection Kit with CALF Audio Plug-ins.

I have two question about this:

1) Is there some plan to make a new version of all these awesome plug-ins, thinking to use them with surround sound (more than 2 audio channels at the same time)? ???

2) Why since a while we cannot to use these wonderful plug-ins inside Audacity? ??? Is there some way to fix this? ???

Blessings and Greetings from Chile!!!

JUAN :D

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 3:24 pm
by AlexTheBassist
jotape1960 wrote:1) Is there some plan to make a new version of all these awesome plug-ins, thinking to use them with surround sound (more than 2 audio channels at the same time)? ???
Why don't you ask developers themselves? They don't hide under an obscure company name. All the names, emails and links to resources are on their site.
jotape1960 wrote:2) Why since a while we cannot to use these wonderful plug-ins inside Audacity? ??? Is there some way to fix this? ???
There surely are ways. One of them is turning Audacity into a DAW instead of what it is and always was: an audio editor. The other would be enabling it to use LV2 plugins, which nobody has any interest in, because it's an editor, not a DAW.

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 3:34 pm
by sysrqer
Lots of people would be interested in LV2 inside audacity, probably many of the same who regularly make use of the ladspa plugins it allows. Whether the devs are interested in implementing it is another story.

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 3:57 pm
by Openmastering
Hey there,

There might be some confusion about how you use which software. Audacity is a destructive audio editor. Calf plugins are not designed for this but for digital audio workstation.


Ardour allows you to work on multiple files with as many or as few channels as you want. Just patch the plugins there and you'll be able to use them with surround sound.

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 8:44 pm
by Baggypants

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2020 11:27 am
by thebutant
jotape1960 wrote: 2) Why since a while we cannot to use these wonderful plug-ins inside Audacity? ??? Is there some way to fix this? ???
I think I read this question a bit differently than the other repliants here. Am I right to read it as "why aren't Calf plugins in Audacity anymore"?
'Cause they used to be there. In Effect, down at the bottom with the other external effects, after Wahwah.
I've used Calf in Audacity a lot. But several years ago. And with no GUI, simply generic parameters.

I initially thought the solution would be to install calf-ladspa.
But it isn't. Calf plugins don't show up anyway. Well, hardly any external effects show up there, even though LV2 and LADSPA and VST and all options are enabled.
I don't know why, unfortunately.
But I don't think the answer has much to do with Audacity not being a DAW. Because I'm also sure that Calf plugins used to be there, and now they aren't.

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 12:45 am
by Baggypants
That’s got to be down to how your Audacity was packaged. On Fedora I installed the calf lv2 plug-ins and used the add effect to add them to the list of effects.

Instant segfault after that though.

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 6:09 am
by Plug&Play
I'm running the latest version of Ubuntu Studio on a very capable Dell quad core i5 system.
I was exploring effects processing today, and after having rakarrack crash over and over and generally sounding cheesy, I tried the "calf plugin pack for Jack" and I am really excited about what i could do with calf ring modulator and calf reverb with my mic'd thumb piano - it was ethereal.
So I fired up Audacity to record it, an I could not make a connection in Jack.
Eventually , I dug up our Demirol recorder, found a cable to connect headphone out on my amp to line in of the recorder, and captured something I made without the benefit of monitoring the sound while recording.

Audacity could not connect to jack, or the "system" in jack or the defaultsys or Pulse Audio. I was very disappointed.

I have been working for months to learn how to get through the tech stuff and start focusing on making music (superlooper ! ) but find there are obstacles at every turn.

just call me Sisaphus

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:06 am
by uns4ph3
Rob this is why most people use Ardour or Qtractor for most things recording in Linux. Yeah Audacity can but as said above it isn't a DAW, it's a destructive audio editor.

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:00 pm
by Plug&Play
uns4ph3 -

I had to google Destructive vs. Non-Destructive editing , and I still do not understand what that has to do with the available input connections.

I wanted to make a recording of the sound produced by the calf plugin set. I expected Audacity to be JACK friendly, or take input from the Pulse Audio stream directly, but neither was available.

I have not yet gotten to the point where I have developed a favorite work flow. I am trying to get familiar with various tools, ultimately for use with Sooper Looper.

Oh, duh, I probably could have used sooperllooper to record, but I just not thought of it!

Thanks for the comment, I will go look at qtractor https://opensource.com/article/17/6/qtractor-audio

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:04 am
by Plug&Play
Qtractor worked where Audacity did not. It even worked with rakarrack. I do not think the interface of Qtractor is at all intuitive, but I do know "it is a poor workman who blames his tools".
Thanks for the advice.

Re: CALF Audio plug-in

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2021 5:01 am
by uns4ph3
Having worked with both Qtractor and Ardour, I think Ardour has an easier workflow for me, but to each their own.

Have you looked at Carla yet?