README.VST2

Native VST2 plug-in support
--------------------------

Building for native VST support is not that easy. To say the least,
it might not work out of the box. First, due to licensing issues,
you'll have to go through the nuisance and download yourself the
VST SDK, from its site:

  Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH
  https://www.steinberg.net

  Steinberg 3rd Party Developers
  https://www.steinberg.net/en/company/developers.html

It doesn't really matter much whether you pick an older VST 2.x or
the latest VST 3.x version of the VST SDK, you need to pick one and
just one only. You may need to download the later anyway, as the
former might be included and distributed in that way only. But again,
you're on your own.

Once downloaded the VST SDK zip-archive, you'll have to unpack the
pertinent header files, which are found under the respective folder:

  - VST SDK 2.4:
    vstsdk2.4/pluginterfaces/vst2.x/
      aeffectx.h
      aeffect.h

  - VST SDK 3.x:
    VST_SDK/VST2_SDK/pluginterfaces/vst2.x/
      aeffectx.h
      aeffect.h

Just copy those couple of files to somewhere on your system. You may
choose to copy those files into some of the system standard include
directories (eg. /usr/local/include or /usr/include). That way, all
will be handled automagically by the usual build steps. Otherwise,
you'll need do supply the include path yourself, as in the following:

  cmake -DCONFIG_VST2SDK=/path/to/pluginterfaces/vst2.x ...

Next step, once properly built, you'll need to tell where the actual
native VST plug-ins can be found in your file system. The directories
where plug-ins can be picked up by qtractor at run-time are specified
respectively in the View/Options.../Display/Plugin Paths dialog.

Last warning notice: leave that VST_PATH environment variable alone.
That variable is most precious for DSSI-VST though, in finding those
Windows(tm) VSTi plug-ins (.dll's) on its own. Have a glass of WINE
and relax ;)

Enjoy.