Gsoc2010 Effects Units

Effects Units based on existing LADSPA integration (GSoC 2010 project)

• Student: Bruno Buccolo

    * Email: bruno.buccolo.gmail.com
    * Freenode: Buccolo
    * Skype: bruno.buccolo
* Mentor: **Russell Ryan**

Abstract

Sometimes playing the right tracks at the right time in a perfect mix is not enough. Users like to use effects/filters in their mix to squeeze every bit of energy of a track, make creative mixes using filters, delay beats to get funky, use reverb on vocals to fill the room and so on. Mixxx can already host LADSPA plugins, however it lacks a user interface for proper configuration since there must be a mapping between Mixxx controls and LADSPA plugins.

I'm proposing not only designing a user interface for configuration of LADSPA plugins, but also taking the effects on Mixxx to a whole new level. I'll create Effects Units, that will have standard controls, so we only have to map MIDI once, and then plug-in the desired effect in the effect unit to use them. The user will also have the flexibility to choose how he's going to use these 2 effects units, being able to use both on a channel, a unit per channel or even both on master.

More

• Check out the LADSPA page.
• See this project's code: features_ladspa
• See diagrams, specificacions and screenies: My Picasa
• Read my Activity Log: Buccolo's Mixxx Diary
• Read my GSoC posts here: My Blog
• Read the complete proposal: Effects Units based on existing LADSPA integration

Requirements

Effects Units

• Two independent Effects Units for Mixxx
• An Effect Unit will be loaded with the desired LADSPA Plugin
• The input of a Effect Unit will be Channel 1, Channel 2 or Both
• Effects Chaining should be possible (One Channel as input for two Effects Units)
• An Effect Unit will have 4 Parameters and Wet&Dry that will correpond to the mapped ports of the LADSPA Plugin
• All controls for the Effects Units can be MIDI Mapped
• Abstraction of effects backend (ladspa only, for now)

Configuration Dialog

• Mapping of LADSPA Plugin's control ports to Effects Units parameters
• Selection of plugin's Wet/Dry control port
• Value range for control ports (Min ~ Max, Default)
• Adding custom plugins downloaded from the internet (place on LADSPA_PATH?)
• Save/Load Configuration

To-Do

Effects Units

• Code: Define code architecture
• Code: Think about data structures to use
• Code: Design uml diagram for the code architecture
• Code: Backend abstraction layer
• Code: Ladspa <--> Effects Unit connector
• Code: Enabling MIDI Mapping of Effects Units
• Code: Study how to choose input for effects
• GUI: Basic tab view for development only.
• GUI: Display combobox with available effects
• GUI: Load port names for the selected effect
• GUI: RFC on Mockup Effects Units

Configuration Dialog

• Code: Think about xml structure to save the presets
• Code: Implement Load/Save xml
• Code: Adding custom paths to plugins (really necessary?)
• GUI: Basic preferences panel dialog
• GUI: Load available LADSA Plugins into list
• GUI: Load LADSPA Plugin's port names into combo boxes
• GUI: Min, Max, Default values for each control port
• GUI: RFC on Mockup Configuration Dialog

Deployment

• Select standard Plugins to be shipped
• Create good presets for them
• Carefully study how to give instructions for the

Extra

• See LADSPA page.