# Airwindows lv2 ports

**URL:** <https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686>\
**Category:** Software\
**Created:** [September 21, 2026, 8:11pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686 "2026-09-21T20:11:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 17\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 8:11pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/1 "2026-09-21T20:11:27Z")

</div>

I just considered telling you that you can find lv2 ports of many of the very excellent and lightweight Airwindows plugins (MIT licensed) here:

> **[Building - ~hannes/airwindows-lv2 -

Airwindows plugins (ported to LV2)...](https://git.sr.ht/~hannes/airwindows-lv2#building)**
>
> This is an LV2 port of the Airwindows plugins originally created by Chris Johnson.

and that you can easily build them like that (from a suitable location, I do it from ~/Dev:

```auto
git clone --recursive https://git.sr.ht/~hannes/airwindows-lv2
cd airwindows-lv2/
meson setup build
meson compile -C build
meson install -C build

```

and then maybe copy them to a more suitable location

```auto
cd /usr/local/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/lv2/
mv Airwindows.lv2/ /usr/lib/lv2/

```

but then I thought I better keep this little secret.

(Disclosure: That “hannes” is not me)

Worth noting it compiles and installs them all into one “Airwindows.lv2”-directory, maybe this is not intented, but works for now.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/2 "2026-09-21T20:26:38Z")

</div>

What the fog, I’m freaking out.

Here, for the equally lazy people among us to drop into your /usr/lib/lv2 folder or where you prefer:

[Airwindows-lv2.tar](https://discourse.zynthian.org/uploads/short-url/8xKtnqO80BI2h1EBj514uNXWqHz.tar) (13.4 MB)

@jofemodo should these go into seperate .lv2 folders or is this fine?

Wow, they’re perfect. ~4 controls per plugin, fast and all.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/3 "2026-09-21T22:26:09Z")

</div>

I played around with them quite a bit and I must say, while most of them are pretty awesome, some of them seem to be not as robust as the originals. E.g. Baxandall just cuts heights if you raise the treble knob.

However, there are quite some additions which work great. If you’re overwhelmed by the number of plugins, try these first:

- To Tape (Tape)
- Tube (Tube)
- Any Reverb, i.e. Galactic, kPlate etc.
- Vibrato (!, Vibrato with FM)
- Buss Colors/Channel (Console Drive emulation)
- X\*/Y\*-Filters
- Spiral (some distortion)
- The stereo widener Plugins

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 10:59am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/4 "2026-09-22T10:59:07Z")

</div>

Hi @hannesmenzel and others!

I’ve added the airwindows plugin collection to zynthian vangelis.  
I have re-categorized a bunch of them, but still not sure of having every plugin in the right category.

Perhaps we need to extend the category tree. I’m open to proposals.  
Also, you can contribute adjustments to the engines DB:

> /zynthian/config/engine\_config.json

Re-categorization, description improvement, ranking scores, or “enable-by default” proposals.

@hannesmenzel , i’m still testing the huge amount of plugins that compose this collection. Some of them are really sutile and some are quite esoteric,

But it’s a really amazing collection and the best is they have very few parameters, what is perfect for zynthian.

Enjoy!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 11:05am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/5 "2026-09-22T11:05:39Z")

</div>

Thanks, I’ll look into the engine list.

There are a few plugins we may not want to include or at least not enable by default. We can definitely leave out the “Console” (and PurestConsole) range completely as they are an esoteric (but good) channel-bus summing plugin not so suitable for zynthian (at least if we don’t want to include it under the hood). Then there are dithers, nice but not so suitable for zynthian maybe. Then we might consider keeping one version per plugin, since Chris from Airwindows tends to not update plugins, but add newer versions next to the old ones.

I’m actually searching for a way to script a vst to lv2 conversion that we can have theoretically every airwindows plugin and then chose the right ones (there are +500 at the moment).

Do you think I should delete my compiled plugins before performing an update?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 11:35am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/6 "2026-09-22T11:35:39Z")

</div>

> [@hannesmenzel](#):
>
> Do you think I should delete my compiled plugins before performing an update?

Yes, you should.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/7 "2026-09-22T11:36:40Z")

</div>

> [@hannesmenzel](#):
>
> There are a few plugins we may not want to include or at least not enable by default.

For the moment, any of these plugins is enabled by default.  
I wait for your proposals 😉

Regards,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 11:38am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/8 "2026-09-22T11:38:38Z")

</div>

> **Growing list of plugins I'd activate/not activate, while nothing means unsure/untested**
>
> Acceleration 🔄  
> Acceleration2  
> ADClip7 🔄  
> ADClip8  
> ADT  
> Air 🔄  
> Air2 🔄  
> Air3 🔄  
> Air4 ☑  
> Balanced  
> BassAmp  
> BassDrive  
> BassKit  
> Baxandall ☑  
> BigAmp  
> BitShiftGain ⛔  
> BitShiftPan ⛔  
> BrightAmbience 🔄  
> BrightAmbience2 🔄  
> BrightAmbience3  
> BussColors4 ✅  
> Cabs  
> Capacitor 🔄  
> Capacitor2 ✅  
> Channel8 🔄  
> Channel9 ✅  
> ClipOnly 🔄  
> ClipOnly2 ☑  
> ClipSoftly  
> Compresaturator  
> Console0Buss ⛔  
> Console0Channel ⛔  
> Console6Buss ⛔  
> Console6Channel ⛔  
> Console7Buss ⛔  
> Console7Cascade ⛔  
> Console7Channel ⛔  
> Console7Crunch ⛔  
> Console8BussHype ⛔  
> Console8BussIn ⛔  
> Console8BussOut ⛔  
> Console8ChannelHype ⛔  
> Console8ChannelIn ⛔  
> Console8ChannelOut ⛔  
> Console8LiteBuss ⛔  
> Console8LiteChannel ⛔  
> Console8SubHype ⛔  
> Console8SubIn ⛔  
> Console8SubOut ⛔  
> ConsoleLABuss ⛔  
> ConsoleLAChannel ⛔  
> Creature  
> CrunchyGrooveWear  
> curve  
> DCVoltage  
> DeBess ✅  
> Desk  
> Dirt  
> Distance2  
> Ditherbox ⛔  
> DitherMeDiskers ⛔  
> DitherMeTimbers ⛔  
> Doublelay ✅  
> DoublePaul  
> Drive ☑  
> DrumSlam  
> Dyno  
> EdIsDim  
> ElectroHat  
> EQ  
> EverySlew  
> EveryTrim ☑  
> Facet  
> FinalClip  
> FireAmp  
> Flipity  
> Focus ☑  
> Fracture  
> Galactic ✅  
> GlitchShifter  
> GoldenSlew  
> Golem  
> GrindAmp  
> HermeTrim  
> HighGlossDither ⛔  
> Hull2  
> Hypersoft  
> Hypersonic  
> Infinity 🔄  
> Infinity2 ✅  
> Inflamer  
> Infrasonic  
> Interstage  
> IronOxideClassic2 ✅  
> kCosmos ✅  
> kCyberCity ✅  
> kGuitarHall2  
> kPlateA ✅  
> kPlateB ✅  
> kPlateC ✅  
> kPlateD ✅  
> LeadAmp  
> LeftoMono  
> LilAmp  
> LRConvolve  
> Luxor  
> Mackity  
> Mastering  
> MatrixVerb  
> MidAmp  
> MidSide  
> Mojo  
> Monitoring ☑  
> MoNoam  
> MV ✅  
> NC-17  
> Nikola  
> OrbitKick  
> Overheads  
> PaulDither  
> PaulWide  
> PhaseNudge  
> PitchNasty  
> PlatinumSlew  
> PocketVerbs  
> Point  
> PointyGuitar  
> Pop 🔄  
> Pop2  
> PowerSag 🔄  
> PowerSag2  
> Pressure5 🔄  
> Pressure6 ☑  
> PurestConsole2Buss ⛔  
> PurestConsole2Channel ⛔  
> PurestConsole3Buss ⛔  
> PurestConsole3Channel ⛔  
> PurestConsoleBuss ⛔  
> PurestConsoleChannel ⛔  
> PurestDrive ✅  
> PurestFade  
> PurestGain  
> PurestWarm2 ☑  
> RawGlitters  
> RawTimbers  
> Recurve  
> ResEQ 🔄  
> ResEQ2  
> Reverb ☑  
> RightoMono  
> SampleDelay ✅  
> ShortBuss  
> SideDull  
> Sidepass  
> Sinew  
> Slew  
> SlewOnly  
> Spiral 🔄  
> Spiral2 ✅  
> Srsly2 ✅  
> StarChild ☑  
> SubsOnly  
> SweetWide  
> TapeHack ✅  
> ToTape5 🔄  
> ToTape6 ✅ ✅ ✅  
> TPDFDither ⛔  
> TransDesk  
> Tube 🔄  
> Tube2 ✅  
> TubeDesk  
> Ultrasonic  
> UltrasonicLite  
> UltrasonicMed  
> Verbity ☑  
> Vibrato ✅ ✅ ✅  
> Wolfbot  
> XBandpass ☑  
> XHighpass ☑  
> XLowpass ☑  
> XNotch ☑  
> XRegion  
> YBandpass  
> YHighpass  
> YLowpass  
> YNotch  
> ZOutputStage

Legend:  
✅ - Yes! Activate by default.  
☑ - Probably yes, but not (fully) tested  
⛔ - Don’t activate - Bad, to esoteric or not suitable for zynthian workflow  
🔄 - More recent version available (what must at Airwindows not always mean it’s better but sometimes different)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 11:42am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/9 "2026-09-22T11:42:12Z")

</div>

I will wait until you finish your tests.  
Please, confirm the categories and re-categorize if needed.

Regards,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 12:37pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/10 "2026-09-22T12:37:37Z")

</div>

> [@jofemodo](#):
>
> Re-categorization, description improvement, ranking scores, or “enable-by default” proposals.

Any problems with line endings when I edit the engine config on a windows machine?

@jofemodo I looked over all the categories, see PR.

By the way, I had some problems with the categories, so we might want do define, what a simulator is, diverse the category of distortion (add saturation?) and ask if spatial and panning might be merged into one.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 3:39pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/11 "2026-09-22T15:39:49Z")

</div>

> [@hannesmenzel](#):
>
> Any problems with line endings when I edit the engine config on a windows machine?

It shouldn’t, but it’s always better avoid.

Regards,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/12 "2026-09-22T15:51:48Z")

</div>

> [@hannesmenzel](#):
>
> simulator

Well, in theory it would be any plugin that simulate a real device, but it’s confusing, also for me.  
The problem is that the criteria is not unique. Most categories are defined by the “functionality” or the “type of process” the plugin does, but simulator doesn’t.  
In practice, we normally use it for amp simulators, reverb / cabinet simulators (IR convolvers) and things like that. Anyway, a bunch of airwindows use this category.

> [@hannesmenzel](#):
>
> diverse the category of distortion (add saturation?)

The line between distortion and saturation could be really blur. Perhaps it’s better to change the name to “Distortion & Saturation”.

> [@hannesmenzel](#):
>
> spatial and panning

Well, conceptually, panning is part of spatial. Merging both categories seems logic.  
Let’s see what other zynthianers think about it.

Regards

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/13 "2026-09-22T16:34:22Z")

</div>

I think we would have plenty of guitar amp and pedal related, which could form another category. Well, more for the amps, the pedals might fall in functional ones (like distortion perhaps).

I agree about the blurryness of distortion and saturation, but a tape simulation or a mixer input stage in distortion seems odd. I think we recognize a distortion when we see it, which might be ProCo Rat clones as well as hard clipping waveshapers.

I’d put Convolution to an extra category, because it can do cabs and reverbs alike, and you might want to find it explicitly if you want to load a reverb IR against an algorithmic.

By the way, wouldn’t it be fine if the UI just generated the categories from the present one in the engine list?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LFO](https://discourse.zynthian.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/3ab097/32.png) [@LFO](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/LFO)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 2:03pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/14 "2026-09-23T14:03:04Z")

</div>

kCybercity, Infinity2 (like frozen reverb, very long decay), kCosmos all sound like very nice large/space reverbs to me.

Doublelay is delay with separate control for left and right with some kind of pitch modulation. It also sounds great and fun to play with.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/15 "2026-09-23T15:11:56Z")

</div>

> [@LFO](#):
>
> Doublelay is delay

Is Doublelay really a delay or a super short modulated delay which is more a douber effect?

Ps. I added your suggestions to the list above. Feel free to suggest more.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LFO](https://discourse.zynthian.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/3ab097/32.png) [@LFO](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/LFO)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 10:40am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/16 "2026-09-25T10:40:27Z")

</div>

The delay can go fairly long with feedback. Feels more like playing with a ping pong delay to me. I really like this one!

MV is another interesting reverb. Next to try is matrixverb.

Btw, I found this handy site where you can search the full set of plugins and get the description straight from the horse’s mouth!

> **[Airwindows cheatsheet](https://airwindowscheatsheet.aboni.dev/)**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 10:59am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/airwindows-lv2-ports/13686/17 "2026-09-25T10:59:21Z")

</div>

Amazing table!!