NO Sound from my wrapped VSTi Binary or Source methods

[CK]

Hi,

I hope someone here can help me solve this problem.

 

I have tried wrapping my VSTi with the Symbiosis Binary and with the Source .cpp files methods.

Both methods create an AU loadable version (which seems to operate ok and passes the 'auval' test) but does not produce any sound.

I use POSIX threads to load and stream samples - dont know if this affects anything.

The AU Type is set to kAudioUnitType_MusicDevice

My VSTi has one Midi Input and 2 Audio Outputs (Stereo) - a standard 'Synth'

 

The VSTi works OK in MuLab, Reaper and HostX

 

Maybe i am missing setting something in the VST that the AU side requires.

Anyone have any ideas what's going wrong?

 

Cheers...........Chris

 

[Magnus Lidström]

Odd. I don't recall any particular settings that could make the entire plug-in silent. Which AU hosts have you tried it with?

/ Magnus

[CK]

I tried using Reaper and MultitrackStudio

 

Where in the Symbiosis.cpp(.mm) file should i look for a possible cause for this problem?

Cheers....Chris

[Tom Erbe]

did you run auval on it? (from the terminal). this sometimes will show problems.

[CK]

I found 2 problems with the Symbiosis system:

 

A) Symbiosis expects a number to be returned from 'GetParameterDisplay' on the VST side.

This is not always the case - for Option Lists etc.

So, under Auval some 'parameter-mapping' was being ignored - because i was returned the 'option text' for option boxes etc.

I changed the MAC version so that only Values are returned and now all Parameters (154) are mapped OK.

But this is not ideal on MAC when people look at the automation window and see a number instead of an option for option choices etc :(

 

B) (More Serious) Symbiosis does not handle ProgramChunks properly - i use ProgramChunks.

The VST system only dumps Whole Chunks on loading and closing. NOT on program changes.

I altered the Symbiosis.cpp file to replace the Chunk Send to a program send - and now my VST operates correctly.

 

Another problem though, is that i can't see where Symbiosis pulls in the new Patch data/chunks before it closes

A music host should keep the modified patches for that session when the project is closed.

This is correctly handled with my VST, BUT only the current patch is kept using the 'AU' synth. Is this correct for AU synths - i dont think it is, but i have not used AU synths before.

 

Comments and suggestions to fix the Program Patches 'memory' for saved projects welcomed....

Thanks.......Chris

[Magnus Lidström]

> I found 2 problems with the Symbiosis system:
>
> A) Symbiosis expects a number to be returned from 'GetParameterDisplay' on the VST side.
> This is not always the case - for Option Lists etc.
> So, under Auval some 'parameter-mapping' was being ignored - because i was returned the 'option text' for option boxes etc.
> I changed the MAC version so that only Values are returned and now all Parameters (154) are mapped OK.
> But this is not ideal on MAC when people look at the automation window and see a number instead of an option for option choices etc :(

I'm not entirely sure what you mean when you say that Symbiosis expect numbers? Are you talking about the auto-configuration of SYParameters.txt? You should edit this file after you have first run your wrapped plug-in and then include the file in your project. In this file you will be able to define strings for switched parameters and more.

>
> B) (More Serious) Symbiosis does not handle ProgramChunks properly - i use ProgramChunks.
> The VST system only dumps Whole Chunks on loading and closing. NOT on program changes.
> I altered the Symbiosis.cpp file to replace the Chunk Send to a program send - and now my VST operates correctly.
>
> Another problem though, is that i can't see where Symbiosis pulls in the new Patch data/chunks before it closes
> A music host should keep the modified patches for that session when the project is closed.
> This is correctly handled with my VST, BUT only the current patch is kept using the 'AU' synth. Is this correct for AU synths - i dont think it is, but i have not used AU synths before.

Again I am not sure, but I *think* maybe you are misunderstanding how presets are managed in AudioUnits. As stated in the Symbiosis documentation, there is no concept like the VST "program slots" in AU, but AUs may provide a list of read-only factory presets.

There is an option in your info.plist that lets Symbiosis know if an .aupreset should represent a single VST program or the full bank. In either case, you will not be able to switch between program numbers in your VST from the AU preset menu in the host. This is simply not how Audio Units work. The user can usually choose between read-only factory .aupresets and save and load their own custom .aupresets. If you want to support "program changes" you need to implement the user interface for this yourself, like we have done in MicroTonic for example.

How did it go otherwise? Do you have sound from your plug-in now?

/ Magnus

[Admiral Quality]

I agree. I'm using symbiosis au wrapper on a chunk based vst with all kinds of funky strings returned by getparameterdisplay, no problem.

You can try it yourself, http://www.admiralquality.com/products/Poly-Ana/

- Mike/AQ