juicysfplugin/README.md

<img width="436" alt="image" src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6141784/40509932-f424abb4-5f92-11e8-85ae-61050955dc97.png">

Latest release: https://github.com/Birch-san/juicysfplugin/releases

Demo track: [mp3](https://github.com/Birch-san/juicysfplugin/releases/download/1.0.5/Demo_track.mp3), [FLAC](https://github.com/Birch-san/juicysfplugin/releases/download/1.0.5/Demo_track.flac), [FLAC +Soundgoodizer](https://github.com/Birch-san/juicysfplugin/releases/download/1.0.5/Demo_track_soundgoodizer.flac)

# What

juicysfplugin is a macOS audio plugin for playing MIDI music through a soundfont synthesizer.

It's well-suited for making videogame music. If you have a soundfont of your favourite game, you can write your own melodies with its instruments.

[JUCE](https://github.com/WeAreROLI/JUCE) is the framework for making audio plugins.  
[fluidsynth](http://www.fluidsynth.org/) is the soundfont synthesizer.

Supports SF2 and SF3 soundfont formats.

**Mode 1: standalone application**

juicysfplugin.app is a standalone application, for playing around.

You can plugin your hardware MIDI keyboard, or play with the software MIDI keyboard. Or route MIDI messages into it from a virtual MIDI controller (e.g. the [macOS IAC Bus](http://re-compose.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1382244-setting-up-the-iac-bus-on-a-mac)).  

**Mode 2: audio plugin**

juicysfplugin audio plugins are provided: VST, VST3, AU, AUv3.  
This means you can host it inside your DAW (e.g. GarageBand, FL Studio Mac, Sibelius…) to record the sounds you make.

# Why

I couldn't find a _free_, _easy-to-use_ macOS audio plugin for making music with soundfonts.

# Install

Latest release: https://github.com/Birch-san/juicysfplugin/releases

**Download Release.tar.xz, open it to unzip.**

Release contains:

```
juicysfplugin.app  # standalone application, for playing around
juicysfplugin.component  # AU plugin
juicysfplugin.vst  # VST plugin
juicysfplugin.vst3  # VST3 plugin
```

To install plugins, move them to the following folder:

```
juicysfplugin.component -> ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/juicysfplugin.component
juicysfplugin.vst -> ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/juicysfplugin.vst
juicysfplugin.vst3 -> ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/juicysfplugin.vst3
```

## Launch

Now, you may do one of the following:

- Open the standalone juicysfplugin.app
- Load the AU/VST/VST3 into your favourite DAW (e.g. GarageBand, FL Studio)

# Usage

You must drag-and-drop a soundfont into the file picker.

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6141784/37062424-500bc91e-218e-11e8-9916-eae6d82ca566.png)

Here's some soundfonts to get you started:

- MuseScore's [recommended soundfonts](https://musescore.org/en/handbook/soundfonts-and-sfz-files#list) (includes MIT, GPL, other licenses)
- FlameStudios' GPL-licensed [guitar soundfonts](http://www.flamestudios.org/free/Soundfonts)

I'll refrain from recommending certain General MIDI or videogame soundfonts, since the licensing and provenance are often unclear.

## Keybindings

Gain keyboard focus by clicking the plugin's keyboard.

- Up-down arrow keys to switch preset.
- Left-right to switch bank.

ASCII -> MIDI keybinding is the same as FL Studio's:

<img width="256px" alt="image" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/fl_resource/flkeychart.png">

## Using the standalone .app

Generally the .app will Just Work™, but if your audio setup is more bespoke, then you'll need to configure.  
Ignore the yellow warning about feedback. There is no feedback loop (because no audio is input).

**Options > Audio/MIDI settings**

<img width="256px" alt="image" src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6141784/37062230-bdb128b6-218d-11e8-985a-e9b2b5fd0bb2.png">

**Set Output to Built-In Output**

Or any output device that you can hear audio through.

Input audio device doesn't matter. We only use MIDI as input.

<img width="515" alt="image" src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6141784/37062266-d723c984-218d-11e8-9ded-9dc5eb701199.png">

# Building from source

Install XCode and XCode command line tools. Accept terms.

Ensure [brew](https://brew.sh/) and `libfluidsynth` are installed:

```bash
# --with-libsndfile is optional; it adds support for SF3 format
brew install fluidsynth --with-libsndfile
```

Install [JUCE](https://shop.juce.com/get-juce) 5.3 in `/Applications`.  
We expect to find JUCE headers in `/Applications/JUCE/modules`.

(Optional) To target VST3, install Steinberg [VST3 Audio Plug-Ins SDK](https://www.steinberg.net/en/company/developers.html).  
We expect to find a folder `~/SDKs/VST_SDK/VST3_SDK`.

(Optional) Install IntelliJ AppCode if you prefer it to XCode.

Open `juicysfplugin/Builds/MacOSX/juicysfplugin.xcodeproj` in XCode (or IntelliJ AppCode).

Build & run the "juicysfplugin - Standalone Plugin" target.

## Testing VST/AU plugins inside an audio plugin host

You'll notice that the schemes for [VST, VST3, AU, AUv3] targets are configured such that "Run" launches the executable `AudioPluginHost.app`. This lets you run the audio plugin as though it were hosted inside a DAW.

I recommend building (e.g. with XCode) the simple Audio Plugin Host that comes with JUCE Framework:

`/Applications/JUCE/extras/AudioPluginHost/Builds/MacOSX/AudioPluginHost.xcodeproj`

Then symlink `/Applications/JUCE/AudioPluginHost.app` to the built `AudioPluginHost.app` (because that's where I told the Run configuration to look for AudioPluginHost.app):

```bash
ln -sf /Applications/JUCE/extras/AudioPluginHost/Builds/MacOSX/build/Debug/AudioPluginHost.app /Applications/JUCE/AudioPluginHost.app
```

# Dependency versions

Known working with:

- macOS High Sierra 10.13
- XCode 9.3.1
- JUCE Framework 5.3
- VST3 Audio Plug-Ins SDK 3.6.9
- fluidsynth 1.1.11

# Making portable releases

Follow the steps in [Building from source](#building-from-source) to output a product to the build folder.

The .app, .vst (and so on) that you build will only work on a computer that has brew fluidsynth installed.

If you want to build a _truly portable release_, you'll need to _bundle libfluidsynth and all its dependencies_ into your product.

```bash
cd juicysfplugin/Builds/MacOSX
# first check that you have a Release or Debug product in the `build` directory

# bundles `juicysfplugin/lib` libs into the products you created,
# relinks your executables to use their bundled libs
./relink-build-for-distribution.sh

# follows symlinks, archives Release and Debug folders as tar.xz
./archive-for-distribution.sh
```

Note: Release **and** Debug flavors _both_ output targets [VST, VST3, AU] to the same location:  `~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/$TARGET/juicysfplugin.$EXT`.  
Whichever flavor you built _most recently_, wins.

The way I provide archives of _both_ build flavors is by archiving one, building next flavor, then archiving that (i.e. I build serially, not parallel).  
But probably people only care about the Release flavor anyway.

# Licenses

Overall, juicysfplugin is GPLv3.

See [licenses for all libraries and frameworks](https://github.com/Birch-san/juicysfplugin/tree/master/licenses_of_dependencies).

# Questions

## Windows/Linux/Android/iOS version?

No _big_ barriers. The source code and all its dependencies are cross-platform. The main friction is setting up a dev environment, and learning how to link dynamic libraries on that OS (i.e. we need to link to libfluidsynth).

Some thoughts that come to mind:

- Bundling libraries portably is far easier on Windows than on macOS
  - Just throw a dll next to the executable
  - .NET assembly binding can be debugged using [fuslogvw](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/tools/fuslogvw-exe-assembly-binding-log-viewer)
- Windows already has plenty of free, nice soundfont plugins
- It's probably pretty hard to bundle fluidsynth into mobile apps
- Bundling would be easier if I used static linking
- Static linking is hard