Linux MultiMedia Studio (LMMS) by LMMS is a Virtual Instrument Audio Plugin and an Audio Plugin Host for macOS, Windows and Linux. It functions as a DSSI Plugin and a LADSPA Plugin. It can host VST Plugins, DSSI Plugins and LADSPA Plugins. By default, the mp3 file will be saved in the same folder where your LMMS project file is. But you can select a different location. We have created a full song using just LMMS as it is, with no other plug-ins or instruments. LMMS is a free option that you can start experimenting with and that you can use to create your first beats. Hi, I seem to have a problem using vst plugins. I downloaded a free plugin for a reverb effect. I load it into Lmms using vestige plugin. The plugin loads fine, I can use plugin controls, everything seems to work fine. But my question is how do I 'apply' the effect that the plugin provides to my instrument.
I am using LMMS, through an appimage file. I installed Carla from an official opensuse source.The good news when I start LMMS, Calra does shows up in LMMS.
Lmms Vst Plugins
When I try to add a VST ( a windows .dll ) into Carla, I am getting an error about a invalid elf header.
This VST works through Vestige in LMMS, so I know on my system wine is not the problem.
( both LMMS and Carla do not need wine to run on Linux, but they do need it if you want to load (window) vst)
Because I have some experience with LMMS and Carla, I might know what wrong.
Carla not compiled with wine support.
I did find my old topic about this: https://forums.opensuse.org/showthre...ighlight=carla
But then I was still on leap, right now I am on Tumbleweed.
I will probably have to compile Carla myself.
Questions:
How hard is to compile on the obs ? Is it much different from compiling on you're own pc?
Do I need to install git on the obs? Like I would need to on my own pc?
I remember something about a git clone command, to copy the source code.
Were I got confused the last time, I can't install wine on the obs ?
On you own pc, you install wine and then also all the dev files, does it work like this on the obs?
I am not sure if I am up to it, but since I probably have to compile it myself anyway, it would be nice if I can spare others some work.
Can somebody confirm, that wine is the problem, with this Carla version ?
Looking at the dependencies from within YAST, wine is not listed.
This worries me, but I am also confused about something:
Next text is copied pasted from YAST:
| carla - An audio plugin host |
With that text, it seem odd to me, they did not compile it with wine support ?
Looking in YAST, I could not find an email address.
How to proceed ? Who to contact? I did already in Carla go into the settings, and enabled experimental features.
One reason why I would like to use carla, some VST that do not work through Vestige, might work through Carla.
Carla should also be able to load Linux VST, something Vestige can't.
An example: https://amsynth.github.io/
Amsynth is available, through the official repositories.
Some days I wonder if I should not just change distro to KX studio, then LMMS and Carla should work out of the box.
But I like openSUSE too much.
A while ago, on the Linux musicians forum, I found a post of an opensuse user, who was about the start repositories, for LMMS and Carla.
Does anybody know the status of that ?
I did offer to help, but have not heard anything about it since.One small advantage I have, I know how to contact the LMMS devs, and the Carla dev.
A bit off topic, an LMMS tip.
Download the appimage file, from the official LMMS site. https://lmms.io/download#linux
Then make the file executable, and start LMMS.
Then go into setting and disable plugin embed.
This solves an issue, were the LMMS gui sometimes goes on a strike.
I can confirm this solution works for us on suse, but also for people on mint and ubuntu.
The LMMS devs already know about this.
Do not get LMMS from any were else, on the LMMS forums we already had one user on windows, getting his pc infected with a virus, because he got LMMS from a 'friend'.
You can get LMMS from the official repositories, but I do not know the status of that version.
In the past already had so much issues with that version, I very happy the LMMS devs gave us an appimage version.
If you do use the LMMS version from the official repositories, turning off plugin embed is still a good idea.
LMMS Wiki has been archived and it is now read-only. If you are interested in writing documentation or tutorials for LMMS, please move to https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/.
- 2How to use VeSTige Instrument Presets
- 4VST related problems
Working with VSTs and VSTi Plugins
VST and VSTi are industry standard plugin formats supported in most digital audio workstations. A VST can be anything from a tiny sound effect (similar to LADSPA) to an advanced instrument. VST can be both expensive and free.
Luckily, these powerful plugins work in LMMS 99% of the time. Because most VSTs are written to be Windows compatible, VSTs tend to work better on Windows LMMS installations. Linux LMMS installations require Wine installed before these plugins can be used. If your computer does not already have Wine getting it is usually as simple as searching for the package 'Wine' and installing it from the package manager.
Opening a VST in LMMS takes just three steps:
- Add the Vestige instrument from the toolbar on the left
- Browse to the VST or VSTi plugin from the instrument plugin window. Only .dll and .exe formats are supported.
- Wait for the VST to load. Depending on how large or complex the plugin is, this may take a while. On slower machines or when loading larger plugins, LMMS may freeze. Just be patient!
You can also browse for a specific VST dll in the Sidebars file-browser(s) My-Home or My-computer.Here you simply browse for the dll of your choice, and then just drag it into either song-editor, or Beat&Bass-editor. Again -Be patient, and let the VST load to 100%, before you continue with your project.
A list of tested VSTs can be found on the Tested VSTs page. In this section, you can find several recommended VSTs that are available for free. If you have found a VST that works well with LMMS, you can aid the community greatly by adding it to the list or making a thread or the forum.
A word of advice: Don't download every VST you stumble across. You will end up with a massive list of VSTs that you will probably never fully learn how to use. Limit yourself to having VSTs you know you will use and practice using them, you will get better results using that method.
How to use VeSTige Instrument Presets
For this section, download and install the VST Synth1. You can find Synth1 here.When downloading other VSTs, you should try to download them from their official sites. However in useful resources you can find several safe sites dedicated to hosting VSTs for download.
So why Synth1? Synth1 is our proof-of-concept-VST. If you find a VST that refuses to work in LMMS, yet Synth1 works, LMMS will not be able to handle that particular VST.
When you download VSTs, unpack them in the folder Documents| LMMS| Samples in your LMMS installation. This is an oddity, but this folder serialize subfolders, so that is the best for VSTs, that can have dependencies, like artwork, and banks.
In Synth1's case, it will need to be installed. This is not always the case with VSTs, but for the few that ask for you to specify the installation folder, be sure to always use the same one. It is also recommended that you use a subfolder structure for the various VSTs. This is especially important for VSTs that have their own banks and/or multiple files they require to run. How many files end up in the folder depend on how advanced the VST happens to be, but there will always be at least a .DLL file. This .DLL is the actual plugin.
So... lets load one instance of Synth1. Normally you will load VSTs into already open projects, and it is important that you always save before loading VSTs. I offer this warning because depending on how big the VST is, it runs the potential of crashing LMMS.
- In LMMS, click on the Instrument plugins button on the left sidebar. This should open up a list of built in instruments. Loading from this list opens the instrument in its default state - something that is very important for successfully opening VSTs in LMMS.
- Locate VeSTige in the list and drag it into your project.
- Open the instrument GUI (eg. click on the instrument in the song-editor).
- To the right of the text 'No VST Plugin loaded' there is a folder symbol.
- Click on this symbol.
- Browse to the VST folder where your VST is located.
- Click on the DLL and wait for LMMS to load the VST.
When it loads, The VSTs GUI will open. Be careful when opening and closing VST GUIs. This action has a tendency to freeze LMMS, so use the 'Show/Hide' button whenever you need to hide the GUI.
If you successfully loaded Synth1, you should now be able use it in your project! You can also automate the dials and sliders in your VSTs.Directly below the folder icon there is a wrench-icon. Clicking on it will show the interface for the VST's controllers. You can CTRL+drag any of these dials into an automation-track or connect them to a controller, such as an LFO.
LMMS can save and load VST presets! Lets take a look at how:
- Name the instrument.
- Quite often this leads to 'names' like Thunder-bolt, Imo, that is a bad 'name'. Try to express what the instrument actually is or can! -So a name like RoughScratchBass will be much more useful, than 'Thunder-bolt'..
- In the LMMS VeSTige instrument window, click the save icon.
- In the save window that opens, create a new folder called 'VeSTige' in the 'presets' folder, located in your LMMS installation. You can then make subfolders for specific VSTs if you'd like. This keeps things tidy and structured, but is completely optional.
Loading saved VST presets is just as easy as saving them:
- Remember to always save the project first!
- Load a new VeSTige-plugin into the project, from sidebar.
- Open the VeSTige GUI. It should open to the default GUI. Having the instrument GUI open shows that it is the 'Active Instrument'.
- The VST preset will be wherever you saved it. If you saved it in the 'lmmspresetsVeSTige' folder you should be able to access it from the left sidebar.
- Right-clicking the preset will open a menu, choose 'Send to Active Instrument Track'
- Wait for it to load.
If it loaded correctly, you will now be able to use the preset in your project!
VSTs & Linux
This guide is for usage of Windows-build VSTs, used on LINUX through WINE!
First thing to know, is that you can only use 32 bits VSTs!
There is no support for 64 bits VST!
Do not download those.
You need to install WINE before you install LMMS' AppImage for Linux
The best way to install WINE is through the package manager.
After you have done that, you install the newest AppImage from LMMS Linux download-site, and only from that site!
https://lmms.io/download/#linux
the first time you start LMMS through the Appimage file, Wine may ask you to install some upgrade! Accept all WINE upgrades!
After installation, you go into Edit| Settings| Misc -Here DisableSync VST plugins to host playback. This works best for Linux.
Problems with WINE
So we said :'To get VSTs working on LMMS, you need Wine.'
The issue is, sometimes Wine doesn't work!Our User Douglas writes here how he managed to solve this for Debian:
'After struggling with this for a bit (only three years), I finally figured it out. At first I thought that it was an issue with LMMS and Debian, but it turns out it was an issue with Wine! Here are the steps I took to fix it:
1. Uninstall Wine
2. Go to https://wine-staging.com/installation.html
3. Follow the instructions for installing the wine-staging package
3b Install wine-staging, wine-staging-amd64, and winehq-staging
4. It should be done, assuming I didn't forget anything... simply run LMMS (make sure you have lmms-vst-full 1.1.3 from KXStudio), and VSTs should be working now!
I don't know if this is important (it probably isn't), but I still have wine64 installed. I doubt that it is required, but it is possible.
If you use a different Linux than Debian, and you have had WINE problems, but this guide also help you, then we would very much like to know about it, on the forum!
Instrument tabs
The instrument-plugin for VST's is empty because it is not supported. VSTs creates sound in a way, that makes ENV/LFO unable to change the sound. It is however very few VSTs that do not have their own envelope and LFO controls, and since these can be automated, you have similar functionality! It could be wise to restrict yourself to a handful of good VSTs - You simply have to know the one you use in details anyway! You can use all the features on the FUNC tab, and you can also use effects on VSTs, so there is nothing different from other instruments there.
VST related problems
Most problems with VSTs are occurring when a project loads. It is especially sinister when re-loading a promising big project, to just get a popup telling you that LMMS has to close, because VST-xyz caused a problem!
Do not worry. Your project can be rescued!
All you have to do, is to remove the problem VST-dll from the VST-path, for example temporarily cut the dll file to another folder. LMMS will then just load without the VST, and no notes are lost.
The five point VST test
In order to never face this kind of problem, always test before you use a VST for an actual project!
- Output: The VST should make sound, in a predictable and expected way. Does changes in knobs and sliders produce expected output?
- Reload: Does changes in settings on the VST UI persists after a reload? -Will it reload?
- UI & Automation: Does the VST-knobs connect to LMMS' knobs?
- Saving: Can you save and load presets (both as fxp and lmms-presets? - In fact only one of these options is needed)
- Banks: If it uses banks, can it load these, and can you add new items to the bank?
If you successfully have tested the VST, for these 5 points, you can add it to the VST Database!
How To:
Lmms Piano Plugin
Attribution. In addition to the history page this article is based on the previous article for the 0.4 series.
Lmms Vst Install
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