VST3Go

A Go framework for building VST3 audio plugins with minimal boilerplate and zero allocations in the audio path.

Features

• Minimal C Bridge - Thin C wrapper with all logic in Go
• Zero Allocations - Pre-allocated buffers for real-time safety
• Rich DSP Library - Filters, oscillators, envelopes, delays
• Simple API - Build effects in under 200 lines
• Thread-Safe - Lock-free parameter system

Project Structure

vst3go/
├── bridge/           # Minimal C bridge (just routing)
├── pkg/
│   ├── framework/   # Core plugin framework
│   │   ├── plugin/  # Plugin base types
│   │   ├── param/   # Parameter management
│   │   ├── process/ # Audio processing context
│   │   ├── bus/     # Bus configuration
│   │   └── state/   # State persistence
│   ├── dsp/         # DSP utilities
│   │   ├── buffer/  # Buffer operations
│   │   ├── filter/  # Filters (biquad, SVF)
│   │   ├── oscillator/ # Oscillators
│   │   ├── envelope/   # Envelopes (ADSR)
│   │   └── delay/      # Delay lines
│   └── plugin/      # VST3 wrapper
├── examples/        # Example plugins
│   ├── gain/        # Simple gain effect
│   ├── delay/       # Delay with feedback
│   └── filter/      # Multi-mode filter
└── include/         # VST3 C API headers

Quick Start

Building Examples

# Build all example plugins
make all-examples

# Build specific plugin
make gain
make delay
make filter

# Run VST3 validation
make test-validate PLUGIN_NAME=SimpleGain

# Install to ~/.vst3
make install

Creating Your First Plugin

package main

import (
    "github.com/justyntemme/vst3go/pkg/framework/plugin"
    "github.com/justyntemme/vst3go/pkg/framework/param"
    "github.com/justyntemme/vst3go/pkg/framework/process"
)

type MyPlugin struct{}

func (p *MyPlugin) GetInfo() plugin.Info {
    return plugin.Info{
        ID:       "com.example.myplugin",
        Name:     "My Plugin",
        Version:  "1.0.0",
        Vendor:   "My Company",
        Category: "Fx",
    }
}

func (p *MyPlugin) CreateProcessor() Processor {
    return &MyProcessor{
        params: param.NewRegistry(
            param.New(0, "Gain").Range(-24, 24).Default(0).Unit("dB"),
        ),
    }
}

type MyProcessor struct {
    params *param.Registry
}

func (p *MyProcessor) ProcessAudio(ctx *process.Context) {
    gain := ctx.ParamPlain(0) // Get parameter value
    
    for ch := 0; ch < ctx.NumChannels(); ch++ {
        for i := range ctx.Input[ch] {
            ctx.Output[ch][i] = ctx.Input[ch][i] * gain
        }
    }
}

Documentation

• Architecture Guide - Comprehensive overview of the framework design
• Getting Started - Step-by-step tutorial for your first plugin
• API Documentation - Detailed documentation for each component
• Development Roadmap - Current status and future plans

Working

• ✅ Basic plugin framework
• ✅ Zero-allocation audio processing
• ✅ Comprehensive DSP library
• ✅ Three example plugins
• ✅ VST3 validation passing

In Progress

• 🚧 Parameter automation from host
• 🚧 State save/load
• 🚧 Process context (tempo, transport)
• 🚧 Developer experience improvements

Planned

• 📅 MIDI support
• 📅 Multi-bus configurations
• 📅 Cross-platform support

Requirements

• Go 1.19+
• GCC (for CGO)
• VST3 SDK headers (included)
• Linux (macOS/Windows coming soon)

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. The VST3 SDK headers are licensed under their respective licenses.