With dssi-host

From JackLab UserWiki

Jump to: navigation, search

The Disposable Soft Synth Interface or DSSI is a plugin architecture for software synthesizers to be run under Linux. There are currently a few software synthesizers designed for DSSI including:

  • FluidSynth-DSSI, a FluidSynth soundfont-playing plugin.
  • Xsynth-DSSI, an analogue-style (VCAs-VCF-VCO) synth plugin.
  • hexter, a Yamaha DX7 modelling plugin.
  • ll-scope, a GTK+ oscilloscope plugin.
  • Sineshaper, a waveshaping synth plugin.
  • dssi_convolve, a DSSI wrapper around libconvolve, providing a friendly convolution plugin for reverb effects (among other uses).
  • xy-controller-dssi, a GUI controller plugin which translates mouse input into X-Y control outputs.
  • WhySynth, a synth plugin featuring four oscillators per voice, multiple oscillator, filter, and envelope modes, effects, and more.
  • Wsynth-DSSI, a wavetable synth written with the PPG Wave and Prophet VS in mind.
  • nekobee, a synth plugin that emulates the sound of the TB-303 Bassline.

These synths can be used directly within the Rosegarden or MusE sequencers without having to patch them via JACK (although you can run them as seperate applications and patch then with JACK if you want). One of the most attractive benefits of the DSSI package is that Linux musicians can use many Windows VST instruments and effects using Wine. The huge benefit to Linux musicians is that because DSSI uses the LGPL licence, it can be distributed as a binary compared to fst-vst which has to be compiled by every user because of the GPL.

Contents

How to use Windows VST instruments and effects in JAD using dssi-vst

Installing dssi-vst

  1. You need to make sure that you have certain repositories installed. Please follow the instructions for adding YaST2 installation sources in the Getting Started guide
  2. Open YaST2 and go to 'Software Management'
  3. Search for 'dssi-vst' in the filter box - without the quotation marks
  4. Select 'dssi-vst' in the results that show
  5. Click 'Accept' to install the software. This will also install Wine as a dependency.

Setting up Wine

  1. In xterm/konsole type: 
 winecfg
  1. In the Windows-style configuration box that opens, click on the 'Audio' tab.
  2. Select the 'JACK' driver
  3. Click 'OK' to close the configuration box

Setting up a VST folder

In your home folder (/home/yourname), create a folder called 'VST'- without the quotation marks. This is where the vst.dll files will be stored so that DSSI can easily find them.

Note: When you install wine, a .wine folder will be created in your home folder. A folder called 'drive_c' will be in there. This is your 'virtual C drive' for wine where you will find Program Files and windows folders. All your windows programs will be installed in the 'Program Files' folder.

Installing Windows VST instruments and effects

Installing Windows programs in Linux is very easy.

In KDE

  1. In Konqueror, navigate to the installation file
  2. Right click on the file and choose 'Open With.."
  3. Type 'wine' into the text field - without the quotation marks

The program installation should start.

In Enlightenment

  1. Open xterm, navigate to the installation file
  2. Type: 
 wine install.exe

The program installation should start.

If the installation file uses the .msi extension (a cabinet file) then use this command: 

 wine msiexec install.msi

Note: Both xterm and Konsole cannot understand spaces in filenames. If there are spaces, use speech marks around the filename. e.g. 

 wine "install this file.exe"

Most software plugin programs allow you to choose where you want to install the vst plugin. Choose the VST folder you created earlier. e.g. /home/yourname/VST/

Build the VST cache

In order for Rosegarden to use the windows VST instruments you need to fulfill an extra step to build the VST cache.

  1. Open Konsole (KDE) or xterm (Enlightenment)
  2. Navigate to the DSSI folder. 
 cd /usr/lib/dssi/dssi-vst
  1. Export the path to the VST folder. 
 export VST_PATH=/home/yourusername/VST/
  1. Run the scanner script 
 ./dssi-vst-scanner

You should see a lot of text scrolling down the screen as it is building the VST cache. You know it has finished when it has returned to the standard prompt: 

 jack@LAB:/usr/lib/dssi/dssi-vst>

Your VST instruments and effects are now ready to be used.

Using the Windows VST plugins

In Rosegarden

Your Windows plugins should appear in the dropdown list with the other DSSI softsynths.

Standalone

If you wish to run the Windows plugins standalone which allows you to patch them with JACK,

  1. Open a terminal (Konsole for KDE or xterm for Enlightenment)
  2. Type: 
 vsthost winplugin.dll

You plugin should now open allowing you to patch it to any other inputs and outputs with JACK.

Note: don't forget that any spaces in the name of the plugin will confuse the terminal, use speech marks: 

 vsthost "incredible synth.dll"

DISCLAIMER: Not all Windows VST instruments work in Linux. The best policy is to simply try. We have found problems with plugins that send or receive MIDI clock, this crashes KDE or Enlightenment.

Retrieved from "http://wiki.jacklab.net/index.php/With_dssi-host"
Personal tools