OwnAudioVst 1.4.0

OwnVst3Host

A powerful, cross-platform C# wrapper for VST3 plugins with built-in visual editor support using Avalonia UI.

Features

• 🎹 Full VST3 Support - Load and control VST3 instruments and effects with complete API coverage
• 🖥️ Cross-Platform Editors - Display plugin UIs seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and Linux using Avalonia
• 🎛️ Parameter Control - Get, set, and monitor plugin parameters programmatically
• 🎵 MIDI Support - Send MIDI events to VST3 instruments
• 🔊 Real-Time Audio Processing - Process audio buffers with native performance
• 🚀 Native Performance - Uses optimized C++ library for minimal overhead
• 📦 Zero Configuration - Automatic platform detection and native library loading

Installation

Install via NuGet Package Manager:

dotnet add package OwnVst3Host

Or via Package Manager Console:

Install-Package OwnVst3Host

Quick Start

Basic Plugin Loading

using OwnVST3Host;

// Create wrapper instance (automatic platform detection)
var plugin = new OwnVst3Wrapper();

// Load a VST3 plugin
plugin.LoadPlugin("/path/to/plugin.vst3");

// Initialize audio engine
plugin.Initialize(sampleRate: 44100, bufferSize: 512);

// Get plugin information
Console.WriteLine($"Name: {plugin.Name}");
Console.WriteLine($"Vendor: {plugin.Vendor}");
Console.WriteLine($"Type: {(plugin.IsInstrument ? "Instrument" : "Effect")}");

// Clean up
plugin.Dispose();

Opening Plugin Editor

using OwnVST3Host.Extensions;

// Check if plugin has a visual editor
if (plugin.HasEditor())
{
    // Open editor in a new window
    var editorWindow = plugin.ShowEditor();
    
    // Check if editor is currently open
    bool isOpen = editorWindow.IsEditorActive;
}

Working with Parameters

// Get parameter count
int paramCount = plugin.GetParameterCount();

// Get parameter information
var paramInfo = plugin.GetParameterInfo(0);
Console.WriteLine($"{paramInfo.Name}: {paramInfo.CurrentValue}");

// Set parameter value (normalized 0.0 - 1.0)
plugin.SetParameterValue(0, 0.5);

// Get current parameter value
double value = plugin.GetParameterValue(0);

Processing Audio

// Prepare audio buffers
float[] inputBuffer = new float[512];
float[] outputBuffer = new float[512];

// Process audio
plugin.ProcessAudio(inputBuffer, outputBuffer, sampleCount: 512);

Sending MIDI Events

// Send a MIDI note on message
plugin.SendMidiEvent(
    status: 0x90,  // Note On
    data1: 60,     // Middle C
    data2: 100     // Velocity
);

// Send a MIDI note off message
plugin.SendMidiEvent(
    status: 0x80,  // Note Off
    data1: 60,     // Middle C
    data2: 0       // Velocity
);

Finding VST3 Plugins

// Get default VST3 directories for current platform
string[] directories = OwnVst3Wrapper.GetDefaultVst3Directories();

// Find all VST3 plugins in default locations
List<string> plugins = OwnVst3Wrapper.FindVst3Plugins();

foreach (string pluginPath in plugins)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Found: {Path.GetFileName(pluginPath)}");
}

// Get diagnostic information
string info = OwnVst3Wrapper.GetVst3DirectoriesInfo();
Console.WriteLine(info);

Platform Support

Native libraries are automatically selected based on your runtime platform and architecture.

API Reference

Core Methods

Editor Support

Parameters

MIDI

Plugin Information

Requirements

• .NET 9.0 or higher
• Avalonia 11.2.3 (automatically included)

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.

Support

• Issues & Questions: GitHub Issues
• Source Code: GitHub Repository
• Support the Project: Buy Me a Coffee

Acknowledgments

• Built on top of the VST3 SDK
• UI rendering powered by Avalonia UI