VST SDK & VST Module SDK

Question

i wanted to create a Pattern oriented VST MIDI plugin with an editor (no audio processing, just a UI editor with a powerful pattern editor and randomizer).

i've read the terrible VST and VST module SDK documentation. I hope some of you can answer my questions:

• Did i get this right: the VST SDK is for audio effects and instruments only whereas the VST module SDK is for MIDI effects only?
• None of the samples of the VST module SDK is running (they require VSTGUI which is not in the VST module SDK. I tried to use VSTUI from: SDK 2.4, SDK 3.5.1 or the VSTGUI.sf but i can't compile it. It ends up with tons of errors.

Anyone there which can point me in the right direction? thx

Answer 1

Yeah, the VSTGUI source code is a mess. It went through a pretty nasty rewrite a few years ago, as did the VST SDK. BTW, the term "module SDK" is basically the same way of referring to the VST SDK. This term is probably used more frequently since version 3, as VST3 plugins are expanded in this respect.

Anyways, back to your project. If you intend to do no audio processing, I'd instead recommend implementing your plugin as an instrument which sends MIDI out. If you use the awesome Juce framework, you can accomplish this quite easily, as well as a nice GUI toolkit and design tool.