NOSUCH VSTUTIL PACKAGE
----------------------

This is a crudely packaged but functioning Python interface that
lets you load VST plugins (effects and VSTi), chain them together,
and change their parameters.

The GUI interfaces of the plugins are NOT accessible with this,
but the patches/parameters are accessible.  I used this in
an installation (see http://www.nosuch.com/tjt/bm/radio/)
which continually played wave files and randomized
the parameters (and enabled/disabled) a chain of 10 VST plugins.
It worked well.

You can also send MIDI data to a plugin, though I haven't exercised
that very much, and the performance/buffering is probably not sufficient
to be used as a realtime vsti hosting environment, at least if you're
expecting low latency.  

This probably only works in Python 2.4.

TO INSTALL:
-----------
Create lib\site-packages\nosuch under your python 2.4 root directory.
Copy vstutil.pyd into that directory.  For reading wave files, the
libsndfile.dll file should be accessible when you're running python.

If you don't have numpy installed, you'll need to install it
(see http://numpy.scipy.org).

TO RUN THE DEMOS:
----------------
demo1.bat will run demo1.py which demonstrates playing a VSTi,
sending it MIDI data, and routing the output through a VST effect,
and randomizing the parameters of both the VSTi and VST effect.

demo2.bat will run demo2.py which demonstrates playing a wave file
(looping continuously), routing the output through a VST effect,
and randomizing the parameters.

The demos use a freeware VSTi (StrataVar) and VST effect (BJ Ringmodulator),
whose dll files are included.

DOCUMENTATION:
--------------
There is no documentation on using the classes other than
the two demos demo1.py and demo2.py (which are small and easily readable).
The source code for the classes and the C interface is
in vstutil.pyx and vsthost.cpp.

TO COMPILE:
-----------
You shouldn't have to compile it to use it - this package includes
the compiled vstutil.pyd file.  However, if you do want to make changes
and recompile it, the Makefile is designed to be use with Visual Studio
Express, which is freely available from Microsoft.  It also makes use
of Pyrex - you should use Pyrex version 0.9.4.1.  Once you have
installed those things, and added the VC\bin directory to your path,
you can compile and install it by invoke 'nmake'.

Any problems/questions, send email to tjt@nosuch.com
