DirectX plugin

In computer music and professional audio creation, a DirectX plugin is a software processing component that can be loaded as a plugin into host applications to allow real-time processing, audio effects, mixing audio or act as virtual synthesizers. DirectX plugins allow the replacement of traditional recording studio hardware and rack units used in professional studios with software-based counterparts that can be connected together in a modular way. This allows host manufacturers to focus on the conviviality and efficiency of their products while specialized manufacturers can focus on the digital signal processing aspect. For example, there are plugins for effects boxes, such as reverbs and delays, effects pedals, like guitar distortion, flange and chorus, and for mixing and mastering processors such as compressors, limiters, exciters, sub bass enhancers, stereo imagers and many more.

Overview

Similar to Virtual Studio Technology and later, Audio Units in Apple Mac OS X, DirectX plugins have an open standard architecture for connecting audio synthesizers and effect plugins to audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. DirectX plug-ins are based on Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM) which allows plugins to be recognised and used by other applications via common interfaces. Plugins connect to applications and other plugins with pins via which they can pass and processes buffered streams of audio (or video) data. Architecturally, DirectX plugins are DirectShow filters.

Types and compatibility

"DXi" redirects here. For other uses, see DXI (disambiguation).

DirectX plugins are also of two types, DirectX effect plugins (DX) and DirectX Instrument plugins (DXi). Effect plugins are used to generate, process, receive, or otherwise manipulate streams of audio. Instrument plugins are MIDI controllable DirectX plugins, generally used to synthesize sound or playback sampled audio using virtual synthesizers, samplers or drum machines. DirectX effect plugins were developed by Microsoft as part of DirectShow. DirectX instruments were developed by Cakewalk in co-operation with Microsoft.

DirectX plugins however are not cross-platform, and are available only on Windows. VST plugins on the contrary are cross-platform. As a result, several wrapper plugins are available so that DirectX plugins can be used in applications which only support VST and vice versa. Others such as chainer plugins are also available which allow chaining multiple plugins together.

Programmability

DirectX plugins can be developed in C++ using Microsoft's DirectX SDK, Sony's Audio plugin development kit or Cakewalk's DirectX Wizard. There is also a Delphi SDK available here.

DirectX plugin hosts

• REAPER
• Cakewalk Sonar (version 2.0 or later)
• ACID Pro (version 3.0 or later)
• Sound Forge
• Sony Vegas
• Adobe Audition (Formerly Cool Edit 2000 and Cool Edit Pro 1.0, 2.0)
• Steinberg Wavelab
• FL Studio
• DAVID Systems GmbH Multitrack Editor V4
• MAGIX Samplitude

Future

DirectX plugins are superseded by DMO-based signal processing filters and more recently, by Media Foundation Transforms.

See also

• Virtual Studio Technology, a similar standard by Steinberg
• Computer music
• MIDI
• Digital audio workstation
• DirectX Media Objects
• Media Foundation Transform

External links

• All types of audio plugins, effects and instruments
• Hitsquad Musician Network: Collection of DirectX plugins
• AnalogX DirectX plugins
• Sony's Audio Plug-In Development Kit