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diff --git a/README.effects-rack b/README.effects-rack new file mode 100644 index 00000000..071ba08e --- /dev/null +++ b/README.effects-rack @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ +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. + +
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