JS Inflator

JS Inflator is a copy of Sonox Inflator.
Runs in double precision 64-bit internal processing.
Also double precision input / output if supported.

Comes in two GUIs. The alternative GUI is made by Twarch.

Compatibility

VST3, AUv2

System Requirements

Audio Units

• Mac OS X 10.13 or later (Intel or Apple Silicon Native)

VST3

• Mac OS X 10.13 or later (Intel or Apple Silicon Native)
• Windows 10 or later

Supported DAW

Cubase, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Bitwig are tested as working.

How to use

Windows

Unzip Windows version from latest Release and copy to "C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3".

MacOS

Unzip macOS version from latest Release and copy vst3 to "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3" and component to "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components".

If it doesn't go well, CodeSign plugins in console as

sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/JS_Inflator.vst3  
sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/JS_Inflator.component

sudo codesign --force --sign - /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/JS_Inflator.vst3  
sudo codesign --force --sign - /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/JS_Inflator.component  

tested by @jonasborneland here

Version upgrade from v1.x.x to v2.x.x

Just delete old one and use new one!
Any DAW with steinberg standard will automatically replace old plugins while opening project.
Settings are also transfered automatically.

Also, after plugin version change, do not open projects directly.
Please open a blank project first, and let DAW scan plugins and change from v1 to v2, and then we can safely open previous projects.

Tested as working are;

1. Cubase 12(Windows), plugin v1.7.0 -> v2.0.0
2. Cubase 12(macOS), plugin v1.7.0 -> v2.0.0
3. Cubase 12(Windows), plugin v1.7.0 -> Cubase 12(macOS), plugin v2.0.0
4. Logic 10, plugin v1.7.0 -> v2.0.0
5. Ableton 12(Windows), plugin v1.7.0 -> v2.0.0
6. Ableton 12(macOS), plugin v1.7.0 -> v2.0.0
7. Ableton 12(Windows), plugin v1.7.0 -> Ableton 12(macOS), plugin v2.0.0

Licensing

Q: I would like to share the source code of my VST 3 plug-in/host on GitHub or other such platform.

• You can choose the GPLv3 license and feel free to share your plug-ins/host's source code including or referencing the VST 3 SDK's sources on GitHub.
• You are allowed to provide a binary form of your plug-ins/host too, provided that you provide its source code as GPLv3 too.
• Note that you have to follow the Steinberg VST usage guidelines.

https://steinbergmedia.github.io/vst3_dev_portal/pages/FAQ/Licensing.html

VSTSDK 3.7.9 used
VSTGUI 4.12 used

Project Build

Use CMake to build itself or make IDE project file.
Supports Windows, Mac, Linux(same as VSTSDK).

Version logs

v1.0.0: intial try.

v1.1.0: VuPPM meter change(mono -> stereo, continuous to discrete), but not complete!

v1.2.0: VuPPM meter corrected!

v1.2.1: Channel configuration corrected. probably a bug fix for crashing sometimes.

v1.3.0: Curve knob fixed!!! and 32FP dither by airwindows.

v1.4.0: Oversampling up to x8 now works! DPC works.

v1.5.0: Band Split added.

v1.5.1: macOS build added. Intel x86 & Apple silicon tested.

v1.6.0rc: FX meter(Effect Meter) is added. Original GUI is now on high definition.

v1.6.0rc1: Linear phase Oversampling is now added.

v1.6.0: Linear knob mode is now specified, and GUI size flinching fixed.

v1.7.0.beta + beta 2

1. AUv2 build added. VSTSDK update to 3.7.9. Xcode 15.2, OSX 14.2 build.
2. Changed oversampling method from whole buff resample to each sample resample, for less crashes.
3. hiir min-phase resampler is no longer used, and implememted my own FIR resampler with SSE2 optimization.
4. Fir filter is now hardwired.
5. Bypass latency compensated.

v1.7.0: Fir using Kaiser-Bessel window, label change from 'Lin' to 'Max'.

v2.0.0

• Rename 'InflatorPackage' into 'JS Inflator'.
• AUv2: Controller state was overwriting Processor state. Fixed.
• Ctrl-Z: VU meter was using parameter to send data to Controller, and it caued 'undo history' to be filled with meter changes. Fixed.
• Meters are now following envelope detector with time contants.

v2.0.1: Fix for Crash for Ableton, and fix for VU meter in Twarch GUI.

v2.0.2: Two GUIs are now integrated to one plugin.

v2.0.2.1: GUI recall state corrected(Bitwig).

v2.0.2.2: Re-structure how GUI switching works to more safe way.

v2.0.3: Error in Apple Silicon Native build fixed.

v2.0.3.1: Fixed issue with Cubase 13. It was caused by 'DataExchange' method so fixed by reverting to lagacy method(sendMesseage).

v2.0.3.2: Fixed issue with Cakewalk by Bandlab. It was caused by 'setDirty' in VuMeters so deleted it.

What I've learned

• Volumefader

For someone like me, wondering how to use volume fader;
Use a RangeParameter!
param as normalized parameter[0.0, 1.0],
dB as Plain value,
gain as multiplier of each samples.
For normParam to gain, check ~process.cpp

ex)	param	dB	gain
0.0	-12	0.25
0.5	0	1
1.0	+12	4

param	dB	gain
0.0	-12	0.25
0.5	-6	0.5
1.0	0	1

• Resampling

Generally, the process goes as:

1. doubling samples
2. LP Filtering
3. ProcessAudio
4. LP Filtering
5. reducing samples

• Linear Phase

HIIR resampling is Min-phase resampler, meaning phase disorder at high freqs.
For more natural high frequency hearing, Linear resampling such as r8brain-free-src designed by Aleksey Vaneev of Voxengo is recomanded.
About weird choices for x4 and x8 - these resamplers have asynchronous latencies so downsampling starts little before upsampling starts.
To fix it, I just changed Transition band for x4 and 24-bit for x8.
Now it is free of Phase issuses.

• Comparisons
  1x

2x Min-phase

2x Lin-phase

4x Min-phase

4x Lin-phase

8x Min-phase

8x Lin-phase

• SIMD optimization

To my surprise, manual SSE2 SIMD optimization was slower then compiler's O3 maximum optimization.
The compiler's vectorization was more efficient than mine... Anyone trying to do so, check and compare!

• Latency change reporting

Restarting plugin should be from Contorller side.
One example would be using 'sendTextMessage' and 'receiveText' pair, so when Processor detects parameter change related to latency, it sends textMessage and Controller receives it and restarts.

However, In AUv2, the restartComponent should call setupProcess, but it does not...
Due to this, we should move any initializing into new custom function, and call it in setupProcess and process both, with checking if that new function is called.

https://forums.steinberg.net/t/reporting-latency-change/201601
https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-use-restartcomponent-and-which-flags-are-the-right-one-when-changing-all-characteristics-parameters-except-size/202031
https://steinbergmedia.github.io/vst3_dev_portal/pages/Technical+Documentation/Workflow+Diagrams/Audio+Processor+Call+Sequence.html

• Knob Modes

Specifying knob modes at 'createView' in 'controller.cpp' makes knobs work in selected mode.

setKnobMode(Steinberg::Vst::KnobModes::kLinearMode);

https://github.com/Kiriki-liszt/JS_Inflator_to_VST2_VST3/blob/v1.6.0/source/InflatorPackagecontroller.cpp#L339

• How VSTSDK identifies each plugins

It uses "Steinberg::FUID kProcessorUID" in cid header to identify plugin.
So, if ProcessorUID is kept same, host will see it as same plugin.
In example, project using v1.7.0 'InflatorPackage' will automatically replace it with v2.0.0 'JS Inflator', with same settings.

However, ParamIDs should be same as before while replacing old plugin with new one.
If else, one should use Vst::IRemapParamID introduced in VSTSDK v3.7.11.

• About AUv2

While using AUv2 wrapper of VSTSDK, one should save Controller state also.
IDK why, but in AUv2 wrapper overwrites values set from state to default UI values.

The version number in plist is converted from hex to decimal.
For example, v1.7.2 -> 0x010702 -> 67330.

• VSTSDK with apple ARM Release setting

By default, VSTSDK sets Release setting with -O3 and -ffast-math.
It caused std::sqrt(1.0 - (i*i)/(n*n)) to return NaN instead of 0.0, when i == n.

references

1. RC Inflator
   https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=256286
   https://github.com/ReaTeam/JSFX/tree/master/Distortion

2. HIIR resampling codes by 'Laurent De Soras'.
   http://ldesoras.free.fr/index.html

3. r8brain-free-src - Sample rate converter designed by Aleksey Vaneev of Voxengo
   https://github.com/avaneev/r8brain-free-src
   Modified for my need: Fractional resampling, Interpolation parts are deleted.

Todo

• [ ] GUI : double click to enter value.
• [ ] Double click to reset to default.
• [ ] Bypass automation flag.