What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Programming applications for making music on Linux.

Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz

Post Reply
User avatar
peter.semiletov
Established Member
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu May 11, 2023 1:09 pm
Has thanked: 25 times
Been thanked: 80 times
Contact:

What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by peter.semiletov »

Hello! What is the best way to run and debug LV2 plugins? I'm really scared to write my own LV2 host, but I need some small (not Ardour or Reaper) standalone program to run/test LV2 quickly.

tavasti
Established Member
Posts: 2047
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 6:56 am
Location: Kangasala, Finland
Has thanked: 369 times
Been thanked: 208 times
Contact:

Re: What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by tavasti »

I personally would try running those with carla-single

Linux veteran & Novice musician

Latest track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycVrgGtrBmM

j_e_f_f_g
Established Member
Posts: 2032
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2012 10:48 pm
Been thanked: 357 times

Re: What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by j_e_f_f_g »

Use jalv, and compile your own debug version of it.

warning: lv2 docs are so incomprehensible that noone understands how it works. As a result, just because your plugin runs in 1 host, doesn't mean it won't crash and burn in every other host.

Author of BackupBand at https://sourceforge.net/projects/backupband/files/
My fans show their support by mentioning my name in their signature.

User avatar
peter.semiletov
Established Member
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu May 11, 2023 1:09 pm
Has thanked: 25 times
Been thanked: 80 times
Contact:

Re: What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by peter.semiletov »

Thanks for the advices, I've started to use jalv! And I'll try Carla soon.

User avatar
sadko4u
Established Member
Posts: 986
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:03 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 359 times

Re: What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by sadko4u »

I use JACK standalone wrapper to run my plugins as a standalone application from the IDE.
Then I just compile them with other wrappers for VST2, LV2, LADSPA and CLAP.

LSP (Linux Studio Plugins) Developer and Maintainer.
User avatar
peter.semiletov
Established Member
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu May 11, 2023 1:09 pm
Has thanked: 25 times
Been thanked: 80 times
Contact:

Re: What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by peter.semiletov »

sadko4u wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 6:21 pm

I use JACK standalone wrapper to run my plugins as a standalone application from the IDE.
Then I just compile them with other wrappers for VST2, LV2, LADSPA and CLAP.

From your point of view, what API is simplier for a novice in sound plugin developer - VST2, LV2 or CLAP?

j_e_f_f_g
Established Member
Posts: 2032
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2012 10:48 pm
Been thanked: 357 times

Re: What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by j_e_f_f_g »

Personally, I'd recommend Clap. It has the momentum right now. LV2 is going to always be linux-only, and never well-supported. VST3 has lousy midi support, and is very strictly controlled by one music vendor.

Author of BackupBand at https://sourceforge.net/projects/backupband/files/
My fans show their support by mentioning my name in their signature.

User avatar
sadko4u
Established Member
Posts: 986
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:03 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 359 times

Re: What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by sadko4u »

If you get familiar with LV2, then no one other format won't be a problem for you.
The simpliest ones are LADSPA (very simple but outdated and very restricted), VST2, CLAP.

LSP (Linux Studio Plugins) Developer and Maintainer.
sjaehn
Established Member
Posts: 138
Joined: Fri May 03, 2019 6:05 pm
Has thanked: 29 times
Been thanked: 61 times

Re: What is the best way to debug LV2 plugins?

Post by sjaehn »

j_e_f_f_g wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 10:21 am

warning: lv2 docs are so incomprehensible that noone understands how it works.

LV2 docs are challenging to read and understand. But "noone understands" is not right. Once you understand the way of documentation by drobilla, then its feasible. But without, you are lost. The Bitwig guys completely failed (and complained about the docs), but Justin Frankel (Reaper) wrote a complete LV2 implementation from scratch in just a few weeks. Thus the docs were OK for him.

j_e_f_f_g wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 8:22 am

Personally, I'd recommend Clap. It has the momentum right now.

+1

j_e_f_f_g wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 8:22 am

LV2 is going to always be linux-only, and never well-supported.

I had some hope after reaper implemented LV2, but I'm afraid you are right.

j_e_f_f_g wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 8:22 am

VST3 [...] is very strictly controlled by one music vendor.

This is my main point against VST(3). Although there is a GPL3 option. But I lost (my little remaining) confidence in Steinberg just a few years ago when they stopped VST2.

Post Reply