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authorFlorian Jung <flo@windfisch.org>2013-09-18 22:40:48 +0200
committerFlorian Jung <flo@windfisch.org>2013-09-18 22:40:48 +0200
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treed50afd9a2a176846dd6c5b19d734ed9108e44aad /README.effects-rack
parentaf09b4f881888b97903cda57907cda571be83b18 (diff)
parent48a93993cfce160fb7d4cf0b67b4b77e22db19e5 (diff)
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+Sept 1, 2011 v0.0.3 by Tim.
+
+Understanding the Effects Rack
+------------------------------
+
+All audio track types (Input, Output, Group, Wave, Synth, and Aux) have
+ an effects rack into which audio plugins can be inserted in a chain.
+Currently each rack can accomodate up to four plugins.
+
+MusE currently supports LADSPA plugins and DSSI effects plugins.
+
+One must carefully consider how many audio inputs and outputs a plugin has,
+ and how may channels the particular audio track has (1 mono or 2 stereo),
+ and how MusE uses the plugins in the rack.
+
+MusE will try to internally create as many independent copies (instances) of
+ a plugin as necessary, to satisfy the number of channels in the audio track.
+Basically it divides the number of track channels by the number of
+ plugin audio inputs or outputs to determine how many copies to make.
+First it examines the number of plugin audio outputs, and if there are none,
+ it will examine the number of audio inputs, and if there are none,
+ it will simply use just one plugin copy.
+
+For mono tracks with plugins having more than one audio input or output,
+ MusE uses the first input or output and ignores the rest.
+
+For stereo tracks:
+
+ Plugin Plugin Independent Real number Real number
+ audio audio plugin of track of track
+ inputs: outputs: copies: input route output route
+ channels used: channels used:
+ -------------------------------------------------------------------
+ 0 0 1 0 0
+ 0 1 2 0 2
+ 0 >= 2 1 0 2
+ 1 0 2 2 0
+ 1 1 2 2 2
+ 1 >= 2 1 1 L only! 2
+ >= 2 0 1 2 0
+ >= 2 1 2 2 2
+ >= 2 >= 2 1 2 2
+
+Notice that on a stereo track with a plugin having one audio input and two
+ audio outputs, only the first track input route channel is used (left only).
+
+These same rules apply to inter-plugin audio when more than one plugin
+ is in the rack chain. Extra audio outputs of one plugin may be ignored
+ by the next plugin if not used.
+
+Currently specialized plugins with many inputs and/or outputs are not
+ really useful in MusE.
+
+Nor are so-called 'realtime' control plugins which use audio inputs
+ and outputs for control signals.
+Loud noise alert! Beware of using such plugins in an audio effects rack.
+
+
+Example: Consider a stereo Audio Input track with these effect rack
+ LADSPA plugins:
+
+ comb_splitter Comb Splitter by Steve Harris, and
+ tap_stereo_echo Tap Stereo Echo by Tom Szilagyi
+
+The Comb Splitter has one audio input and two audio outputs.
+The Stereo Echo has two audio inputs and two audio outputs.
+
+The stereo Audio Input track will therefore ignore its second
+ input route connection. It will process the left input only,
+ separating it into stereo with the Comb Splitter, passing the
+ split stereo signal into the Stereo Echo, finally producing
+ stereo output available at the Audio Input track's output routes.
+
+
+One improvement would be not creating unused redundant plugin copies
+ between plugins in stereo tracks.
+For example, for a plugin having one audio input and one audio output,
+ feeding a plugin having one audio input and two audio outputs,
+ the extra copy of the first plugin is redundant and not required,
+ but currently it is created anyway.
+
+ \ No newline at end of file