Windows VST in 2020?

[GMaq]

Hi,

Thanks @jonetsu for the mention

AV Linux does come pre-configured to support WinVST's on Linux using LinVST and Carla wine bridging, on top of that it comes with a small collection of common (but useful) free Windows VST's to try out as proof of concept.

There is no need to install anything or make changes to your system to see if it does what you want, you can simply download the AV Linux ISO image, copy it on to a USB Key with Unetbootin (recommended) and boot your computer from the USB drive and kick the tires.

The AV Linux manual covers most common questions including how to use WindowsVST plugins..

AV Linux Manual: http://bandshed.net/pdf/AVL2019UserManual.pdf
AV Linux Website: http://www.bandshed.net/avlinux/

[glowrak guy]

Which wine version is inside? And is wineasio installed?
Congrats on your project longevity, I've got some pretty old
AVL discs among the spindles
Keep that firewood dry

edit: yes, the nice manual has the answers on page 100, wineasio is installed
Cheers

[glowrak guy]

Google searches should provide many specifcs

I use wine-staging 4.5 with linvst from git circa January 2019. I value a stable system and do not update much regarding audio. No adventures in upgrading. All adventures are in music creation.
Cheers.

Extremely well said! I have two installs that stopped at wine-staging 4.2, with Native Instruments staples
in working order, and zero motivation to upgrade anything except the fingerprints
on the record button.
Cheers

[glowrak guy]

linux reaper 5x or 6x with linvst wrapper doing what airwave did

Is linux reaper stable and 100% functional?

In my experience, it is stable, but not 100% of the accessory apps
and plugins have been ported. The linux-reaper forum has a topic
to report errors encountered, and the dev treats the linux version well.
Most windows plugins wrapped by LinVst will work, although some of the monster plugins,
or poorly coded plugins, or shoddy registration apps, may fail on one point or another.
Not likely that day-to-day recording and effecting sounds will be a problem that can't be
remedied. Reaper linux forum:

https://forum.cockos.com/forumdisplay.php?f=52

[francoisphils]

Either in AVL , or Linux Lite , Carla scan my win plugins , but they do not appear in the list after scanning...

[GMaq]

Either in AVL , or Linux Lite , Carla scan my win plugins , but they do not appear in the list after scanning...

Do you have the plugin path set properly in Carla's settings? Also do you have the "experimental" features enabled in Carla's settings as well?

[mt12345]

I think any well-known distro would basically do [...] I use Xubuntu 18.04

Do I have to use specific kernel (realtime/low-latency) ? I don't care much about latency as I don't usually record 'live', I rather program the sequencer. I want o use linux for everything: game dev, web dev, virtualization and music production. I think I will start with Ubuntu-Mate 19.10 then upgrade to 20.04

[jonetsu]

Do I have to use specific kernel (realtime/low-latency) ?

I always use the low-latency version of the kernel that's part of the Ubuntu repo. I also use the jack sink for pulse audio which allows all audio apps to use the jack transparently. Usefull for web browsers, media players, no need to fiddle with audio configuration depending on DAW/apps.

[mt12345]

I did quick test on spare laptop. Lubuntu 20.04, jack with 128 buffer, low-latency kernel, wine from repos, linvstconverter, renoise and old novation midi controller. I tried handful of old free vst plugins, some of them won't load, but the whole thing seems to be working fine.

[tavasti]

Either in AVL , or Linux Lite , Carla scan my win plugins , but they do not appear in the list after scanning...

With carla you can also load single plugin on command line, like this:

Code: Select all

carla-single win64 vst vst64/Riot\ Drums\ 64bit.dll

[glowrak guy]

I did quick test on spare laptop. Lubuntu 20.04, jack with 128 buffer, low-latency kernel, wine from repos, linvstconverter, renoise and old novation midi controller. I tried handful of old free vst plugins, some of them won't load, but the whole thing seems to be working fine.

Check your wine version, if it's 1.x, it's ancient. Wine-staging from
wineHQ is at 5.3, I think, and a huge number of plugins work now,
without over-rides, that didn't a few years ago.

And of those, a lot more will be successfully wrapped by LinVst to appear
as linux native vsts, and used in linux Reaper, Bitwig, Mixbus,
and other linux daws.
Cheers

[tavasti]

I use wine-staging 4.5 with linvst from git circa January 2019. I value a stable system and do not update much regarding audio. No adventures in upgrading. All adventures are in music creation. My list on Windows VSTs is short I believe and with those plugins, plus the native Linux ones, I have enough to learn for years to come. Sometimes I'm tempted to get something new, but it has to be damn useful. The latest I got is a Linux native plugin: Panagement, which is great for the stereo field at the mixing stage.

Hi Jonetsu!

I digged up Fathom from my archives, upgraded it, and tried to run it, and no luck, empty window. When I got it, I had airwaves, but since that I have moved to LinVST. Unfortunately, Fathom does not work for me with it. Does Fathom work for you in Mixbus 5? And which fathom version?

Edit: With LinVST + Mixbus, plugin window empty, no UI. With carla, no window at all. With Airwave and LMMS vestige, fathom works.

[tavasti]

I digged up Fathom from my archives, upgraded it, and tried to run it, and no luck, empty window. When I got it, I had airwaves, but since that I have moved to LinVST. Unfortunately, Fathom does not work for me with it. Does Fathom work for you in Mixbus 5? And which fathom version?

Edit: With LinVST + Mixbus, plugin window empty, no UI. With carla, no window at all. With Airwave and LMMS vestige, fathom works.

Found out the reason for problem: I have plugin in directory ~/vst64, which is really symlink to ~/.wine/drive_c/VST/. DAW finding plugin from ~/vst64 and all the other softwares work ok with that, but fathom not. When putting it to real directory where daw uses it, works ok. And same thing with carla.

[kulnova]

I am mostly using Airwave, and seems to work for me.

I used to use Airwave too, as I haven't been able to get LinVST working, because the LinVST's instruction seemed to be not so clear for me 1 year ago. I had a belief that Airwave is doing a great job for me until I decided to put more hours in LinVST installation. Airwave works fine, but with LinVST, I can get more Win Vsts running on my Archlinux, that didn't work on Airwave.