I have started exploring the Zynthian platform & it is super fun ride so far. The interface feels intuitive once you get the hang of it & the sound engine options are just chef’s kiss But I want to know —how flexible is it when it comes to integrating external audio plugins or custom software modules? Are there any go-to methods or unofficial hacks that people here have tried?
I want to expand the setup with a few tools I used during a CSM Online Course I want to see how others are enhancing their rigs. I want to know if there are performance concerns or limitations when trying to push the system a bit beyond the default configurations.
I apriciate any insights, stories or even warnings from folks who have tried similar setups. Bonus points if you have managed to get something unusual working! Also i have check this Zynthian control as a plugin? sill need tips.
In a few words, anything with an open source code and an existing binary compiled in LV2 format, for ARM 64 processors, is theoretically a suitable candidate for Zynthian integration.
But, this is just the beginning of the story, since Oram/Vangelis is a very specific sub-region of Debian Linux and Raspberry OS 64 bit. Therefore, in order to achieve the functional integration of whatever fancy plugin/project you may aim at, you need to include and configure a certain amount of APIs, libraries and dependencies, required by the specific Zynth’s environment. And this is, by the way, where the game might become tough, sometimes very much so.
I suggest that your potential referees in the forum, for fringe projects and unusual edge applications, could be found among experienced members and main devs: @riban, @wyleu, @tunagenes, @ricard, @ToFF (apologies for any honorable mentions unwillingly overlooked) and our own @jofemodo of course!
I’d say the platform is very flexible, but the amount of work to integrate a plugin varies a lot from plugin to plugin. Often a custom .ttl will be needed to adapt the plugin parameters to the Zynthian UI. Sometimes if there are a lot of parameters it’s too cumbersome to use the Zynthian UI and you have to rely on the plugin’s native interface via VNC ( or a combination of the two).
CPU performance can be a concern, because even if the Raspberry Pi is fairly powerful these days, it’s no match for a modern PC, so plugins that are not designed to be lightweight can struggle, sometimes depending on the actual preset.
In my case I went so far as to create a plugin that was specifically designed for the Zynthian UI, so much so that it has no UI of its own, nor preset management. The nice thing about that is that allowed me to focus on the DSP code without having to design an UI and think about how to manage presets. The way I see it, Zynthian is an excellent platform for that type of endeavour, because there is so much infrastructure in place, it works well, and looks good.
