Stereo effects plugin summing to mono in FL studio

[Christoph Hart]

If this is the case, can you make it so this flag if ignored for VST3 builds?

What happens if you don't specify the flag but use ForceStereoOutput? It might just boil down to "never add that flag manually".

[d.healey]

@Christoph-Hart I don't see how force stereo output will make any difference since my master container only has 2 channels, unless I'm missing something here.

int numChannels = chain->getMatrix().getNumSourceChannels();
    
if(IS_SETTING_TRUE(HiseSettings::Project::ForceStereoOutput))
      numChannels = 2;
    
return "HISE_NUM_PLUGIN_CHANNELS=" + String(numChannels);

So following Orange's advice I removed the HI_SUPPORT_MONO_TO_STEREO=1 completely, and enabled the Support Mono FX setting and the resulting VST3 works in FL Studio.

[d.healey]

Now testing on MacOS.

As before I removed the HI_SUPPORT_MONO_TO_STEREO=1 for both VST3 and AU and enabled the Support Mono FX checkbox.

In Reaper everything just works, of course!

In Logic on a stereo track I get two options for my plugin displayed, Stereo, and Dual Mono, both of these work fine. If I switch the track to mono I only get a mono option for my plugin and this also works.

In FL Studio it won't load the plugin, not sure why, but this is the same with the previous version. Works in FL Studio too :)

Anyway the result is that I don't see why we need HI_SUPPORT_MONO_TO_STEREO for anything.

[orange]

@d-healey said in Stereo effects plugin summing to mono in FL studio:

Anyway the result is that I don't see why we need HI_SUPPORT_MONO_TO_STEREO for anything.

Mono-to-Stereo is a must for AU and AAX, if the plugin includes stereo effects (like reverb, delay, chorus), but shouldn’t be used for VST.

Because AU & AAX plugin versions do not process mono channels directly stereo like vst and leave it to the engineer’s choice.

On a mono channel, Some engineers use the stereo effect as mono-to-mono, while others use it to convert mono-to-stereo sound.

That’s why you see mono and stereo options differently on Logic Pro. The same different options are being showed in Pro Tools too.

If you don't use Mono-to-Stereo for AU & AAX, then your effect will have mono output on mono channels even when you use reverb, delay, chorus...etc.

[d.healey]

@orange So it's possible for a mono track in Logic to have stereo output?

[orange]

@d-healey said in Stereo effects plugin summing to mono in FL studio:

@orange So it's possible for a mono track in Logic to have stereo output?

That’s what HI_SUPPORT_MONO_TO_STEREO is being used for

Just follow the same procedure for AU plugin export; The plugin will convert the mono channel to a stereo channel with that flag.

Same for AAX on Pro Tools too.

[d.healey]

@Christoph-Hart Given what @orange has said, I think it would make sense to prevent HI_SUPPORT_MONO_TO_STEREO from affecting VST plugins. Otherwise it makes it more cumbersome to automate builds as we need to switch out this flag in project preferences between building VSTs and AU or AAX.

[d.healey]

Oh actually looks like I can set the definition through CLI, so if I export VST and AU separately I can change it in between.

[d.healey]

@orange said in Stereo effects plugin summing to mono in FL studio:

MONO TO STEREO VERSIONS ---> With different Plugin Code and Plugin name. I add - m to s afterfix to the name. Both HI_SUPPORT_MONO_TO_STEREO=1 flag and Support Mono FX is enabled

Is anything else needed? In Logic my plugin is only showing up with a mono option even though I have both of these things set. And when I try to load the plugin it gives me an error. Loading on a stereo track works fine though and everything passes in AU validator.

[orange]

@d-healey Have you tried loading the plugin on the mono channel instead of the stereo channel?

mono-to-stereo versions appear on mono channels only

Also, mono to stereo version should have a different (4 digit) Plugin Code and Plugin Name

[d.healey]

@orange said in Stereo effects plugin summing to mono in FL studio:

Have you tried loading the plugin on the mono channel instead of the stereo channel?

Yes that's what I was doing.

@orange said in Stereo effects plugin summing to mono in FL studio:

mono-to-stereo versions appear on mono channels only

Doesn't appear at all for me.

[orange]

@d-healey Does it happen if there is only mono-to-stereo version in the components folder?

Maybe AU cache needs to be cleared.

[d.healey]

@orange Yeah I only made one plugin. How do i clear the cache?

[DanH]

@d-healey

Close Logic Pro X.
Using macOS Finder go to “~/Library/Caches/AudioUnitCache/” (without the quotes).
Manually delete the com.apple.audiounits.cache file (to force a complete new plug-ins scan).
Re-open Logic Pro X.
Reboot the computer (mandatory).

[d.healey]

I'm trying to test different configurations but my plugin doesn't show up unless notarized and codesigned which is slowing me down. Is there a way to disable this so that Logic will show uncodesigned/unnotarized plugins?

[Christoph Hart]

@d-healey if you build the plugin on the same machine then it should skip the notarization test. At least if you're running on native hardware, with a VM it might be glitchy.

[d.healey]

@Christoph-Hart said in Stereo effects plugin summing to mono in FL studio:

with a VM it might be glitchy.

Curse you Apple!!!!!

[d.healey]

Aha I finally got it to work, Christoph was right, the force stereo output option must be enabled to get mono -> stereo!

However I notice that stock AU plugins show both mono -> mono and mono -> stereo under a single plugin, so this is what we should be aiming for, there shouldn't be a requirement to create two separate plugins.

This appears to be the solution https://forum.juce.com/t/how-to-enable-mono-stereo-option-for-plug-in-within-logic/41545/2

@Christoph-Hart What do you think?