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Mac Noobie - Problems with OSX version of VST

Audio Plugins
#1

I’ve been using Pc’s for ages, and I’m very new to Mac’s and xcode etc.

I think I built the demo vst correctly, but I can’t get it to start under any of the freeware VST Hosts (Kil2.2, Audacity or HostX) :frowning:

I may well be doing something wrong.

After building the vst, I copy the .vst to /Library/Audio/plug-ins/vst
Is this right?

I haven’t mastered debugging VST’s yet under xcode, (is it like under Windows, you start the Host App under the debugger to debug the pluggin?)

All I can tell so far is from the hosts error log, I can see:

vst:JuceVST.vst:plug-in initialization error

Does that mean anything to anyone?

I haven’t started hunting through the classes yet to see if there was anything obvious, because I didn’t think I was doing it right (i.e. didn’t want to distrust Juce!)

#2

Yep.

You can specify the host application for debugging in Xcode IDE. Please find the “Executables” In the files and groups view at the left side of the window. Right-click (or CTRL+click) on the “Executable”, then choose “New Custom Executable…” and the dialog will appear.

Masa

#3

[quote=“hayashi”]…application for debugging in Xcode IDE. Please find the “Executables” In the files and groups view at the left side of the window. Right-click (or CTRL+click) on the “Executable”, then choose “New Custom Executable…” and the dialog will appear.
[/quote]
Thanks, I’ll try that

#4

[quote=“hayashi”]… and the dialog will appear.
[/quote]

I did that, the executable is a copy of a Freeware VST Host called Kil 2.2.osx, and is on my desktop.

When I run the Build and go (debug build) a log page (I now realise this is the gdb console) opens with the current time and date, but nothing else seems to happen - it doesn’t start the executable. I can type stuff into the console, but nothing happens… Time to Google, I think!

I played around with some of the other settings (start executable after starting debugger) but still nothing… :frowning:

Any ideas what I’ve done?

#5

Have you chosen “Build and Run” (command + R)? If so, you should choose “Build and Debug” (command + Y) instead then you should see debugger is appeared and the specified executable application should automatically be started.

In this case the console log is printed in the different log window, which can be opened by clicking “console log” icon at top of the debugger window. You can also type any gdb command as well.

Masa

#6

[quote=“hayashi”]…Have you chosen “Build and Run” (command + R)? If so, you should choose “Build and Debug” (command + Y) instead then you should see debugger is appeared and the specified executable application should automatically be started.
…[/quote]
Thanks for your help. But, I’m sorry, I must be being dim. I get the same thing (and the executable doesn’t start) even when I Build and Debug

I’ve printed off a whole load of manuals from the Apple site (but any advice is still welcome!) - but I’m off to bed now - it’s 0615 in the UK- I’ll have to try again later.

Maybe I’m trying to run before I can walk - I might start off tomorrow trying to debug something I know works, and go from there (e.g. Juce’s demo program or something)

Cheers

#7

hmmm. that’s annoying…

No actual problems debugging the (executable) Juce demo (few things I had to learn about, but that’s normal)

…but it doen’t explain why I’m having such grief with the VST… unless all my freebe VST Hosts aren’t doing what I expect (which is possible, but I doubt, somehow)

Can someone else try the the plug in under kil 2.2 (can’t find a link at the mo) or Ugly, to check I’m not being very silly?

[edit]Right, I just started debugging one of the Steinberg plug-ins… no probs…

[edit]Yippeee! :slight_smile: Phew

#8

I’m not sure what’s going on, and would appreciate a hand:

I’ve built the VST plugin, and can open it (at least the Release version) under Steinberg’s MiniHost (Yippee! - Good News, Steinberg says yeay!) BUT
I can’t find any other (freeware or shareware) Host that will recognise JuceVST.vst! :frowning:

I’ve just tried Bidule (and kil 2.2 / ugly / some others - those that open logs all give the same error - same as above), and although there’re no errors, and JUCE appears ro have been scanned by Bidule (peeking into Bidules VST Cache) but I can’t find Juce in it’s list of collected pluggins…

What are you guys using to open and test the JuceVST?
Am I doing something wrong? Do I have to change something (I’m thinking perhaps I have to declare it a VSTi or somethiing?)

#9

Best thing to try is to run these hosts in the debugger and put breakpoints in the code to trace what happens when the plugin gets scanned. You should be able to see any crashes or odd behaviour.

(And just a thought, but have you tried tracktion…?)

#10

[quote=“jules”]Best thing to try is to run these hosts in the debugger and put breakpoints in the code to trace what happens when the plugin gets scanned. You should be able to see any crashes or odd behaviour.

(And just a thought, but have you tried tracktion…?)[/quote]
Sorry, no I hadn’t tried Tracktion (oops!),

…but in my defence, I couldn’t get MiniHost to open a debug build of the VST (thinks…maybe I’ve broken the project), so I never bothered running another (non-dbug) Host with a debug VST, which didn’t appear to start a non-debug VST! - I’ll try some more.

Cheers

#11

Starting to get more success (not quite there yet, though)…

Now (using Juce 1.35 + latest (1.10) VST wrapper) at least Tracktion (and MiniHost) both see the plugin, and run it… MiniHost even displays the the window correctly (all I can see from Tracktion is a grey empty JuceVST shapped/sized window with no content).

Still… Getting there :slight_smile:

#12

I’m starting to suspect there’s been a change to some libraries (or something) - And I think it’s to do with the graphics class/paint/redraw (on 10.4.6 ONLY) - I haven’t managed to trace what the problem is, but it looks like the WINDOW (with the outer frame and top icon-bar) has separated from the re-draw instance - and this only happens on certain Hosts and on Mac OS - The same pluggin looks (and works) fine under XP - Under OS X sometimes the window content is visible (attached to the Top Left of the screen, under/behind the Tiger’s top icon bar). If the window is hidden/made visible SOMETIMES a blank window appears which is resizable, and when it is re-sized the contents (top left) re-size and redraw in place! - This makes me think that the window and content graphics context have become disconnected, somehow.

Has ANYONE else tried building the same project as me on a new (Tiger) Mac Mini (without the 10.2 libs included)?

#13

[quote=“jules”]Best thing to try is to run these hosts in the debugger and put breakpoints in the code to trace what happens when the plugin gets scanned. You should be able to see any crashes or odd behaviour.

(And just a thought, but have you tried tracktion…?)[/quote]

I place breakpoints at various places (DemoEditorComponent::paint / DemoEditorComponent::resized)

this is what I get:
…snip
Debugger() was called!
Debugger() was called!
Debugger() was called!
2006-07-15 04:29:40.053 tracktion[705]: DebugAssert: HIToolbox: (bounds->bottom != bounds->top) || (bounds->right != boundsDebugger() was called!
->left ) exception_SetWindowBounds_EmptyRect [./Windows/Source/WindowPositioning.cp:2022]
Debugger() was called!
Debugger() was called!
Debugger() was called!
Debugger() was called!
Debugger() was called!
…
Those “Debugger() was called!” messages are annoying - (I assume they’re generated to prevent people “debugging” (hacking) Tracktion) - As they seem to be generated by Tracktion when the debugger’s running (Don’t they have some performance impact?)

#14

Those are assertion failures - sounds like they’re in Apple’s code though, because the debugger should have stopped if they were in your plugin.

#15

Erm, I don’t think they are in my code! They’re there even if I clear all the breakpoints, and only occur when opening the VST in Tracktion (which kinda made me think they’re in Tracktion! - I’ll check again, but I think that’s true) - The asserts and debug messages don’t happen when the VST’s opened by Steinberg’s example MiniHost.
Oh, and the breakpoints I set, never trigger!

#16

Well I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Could be in tracktion, though I don’t think any assertions are left in when it’s compiled for release.

#17

You’re quite right… Sorry about that - I found it EARLY this am… and didn’t post (naughty me) - There was an assert being firing in something of mine, but I’ve no idea why, and why nothing I did could locate it (I eventially removed ALL jassert’s) and that cured it…

I’m still left with the window problem though… I know it sounds a little like crying wolf, but… I’m still stuck

#18

Can I send someone (pref -with an Intel Duo Core Mac, but in theory anyone with OS X 10.4.6) a copy of the VST to test? It’s produced by just building the AudioDemo on my machine to see whether they get the same effect on their machines

I know it’s asking a lot, but I can’t see what’s going on, and getting desperate, now.

The JuceVST.vst reports itself as 3.4 Mb (disk size) on my machine, which seems too large for such a simple plugin - (I guess its because it’s Universal?) - but I don’t have anything to really gauge if this is sensible.

My e-mail’s: dubularity|at|googlemail.com

#19

Ah, Rosetta & Plug-ins, Jules, you were quite right - Using a mix of PPC and Intel(Universal) Plug-in, means that Rosetta runs the PPC version of the plug in (AFAICT) on an Intel box, that includes the plug-in -

Running an Intel/Universal VST Host (e.g. RAW) and things work better - sounds like there’s somekind of Rosetta incompatibility or something (Rosetta isn’t guarenteed to run everything flawlessly)

It would be nnice, though, if Rosetta would use the native plugin if it were available, even if it had to do its stuff on the host.

#20

Yes, I guess there’s no way it could mix-and-match different architectures when they’re dynamically linking. All very messy!