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https://github.com/free-audio/clap

Audio Plugin API
https://github.com/free-audio/clap

audio clap daw plugin

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Audio Plugin API

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README 

        


  

    

    

    CLAP

  




- [Learn about CLAP](#learn-about-clap)

  - [Entry point](#entry-point)

  - [Extensions](#extensions)

  - [Fundamental extensions](#fundamental-extensions)

  - [Support extensions](#support-extensions)

  - [Deeper Host integration](#deeper-host-integration)

  - [Third-party extensions](#third-party-extensions)

- [Adapters](#adapters)

- [Resources](#resources)

  - [Examples](#examples)

  - [Community related projects](#community-related-projects)

  - [Programming Language Bindings](#programming-language-bindings)

  - [Artwork](#artwork)



# Learn about CLAP



CLAP stands for **CL**ever **A**udio **P**lugin. It is an interface that

provides a stable ABI to define a standard for *Digital Audio Workstations* and

audio plugins (synthesizers, audio effects, ...) to work together.



The ABI, or **A**pplication **B**inary **I**nterface, serves as a means of

communication between a host and a plugin. It provides backwards compatibility,

that is, a plugin binary compiled with CLAP 1.x can be loaded by any other

CLAP 1.y.



To work with CLAP, include [clap/clap.h](include/clap/clap.h).

To also include the draft extensions, include [clap/all.h](include/clap/all.h).



The two most important objects are `clap_host` and `clap_plugin`.



[src/plugin-template.c](src/plugin-template.c) is a very minimal example which demonstrates how to wire a CLAP plugin.



## Entry point



The entry point is declared in [entry.h](include/clap/entry.h).



## Extensions



Most features come from extensions, which are in fact C interfaces.

```C

// host extension

const clap_host_log *log = host->extension(host, CLAP_EXT_LOG);

if (log)

   log->log(host, CLAP_LOG_INFO, "Hello World! ;^)");



// plugin extension

const clap_plugin_params *params = plugin->extension(plugin, CLAP_EXT_PARAMS);

if (params)

{

   uint32_t paramsCount = params->count(plugin);

   // ...

}

```



The extensions are defined in the [ext](include/clap/ext) folder.



Some extensions are still in the progress of being designed and they are in

the [draft](include/clap/ext/draft) folder.



An extension comes with:

- a header `#include `

- an extension identifier: `#define CLAP_EXT_XXX "clap/XXX"`

- host interfaces are named like: `struct clap_host_xxx`

- plugin interfaces are named like: `struct clap_plugin_xxx`

- each method must have a clear thread specification



You can create your own extensions and share them. Make sure that the extension identifier:

- includes versioning in case the ABI breaks

- is a unique identifier



**All strings are valid UTF-8**.



## Fundamental extensions



This is a list of the extensions that you most likely want to implement

and use to get a basic plugin experience:

- [state](include/clap/ext/state.h), save and load the plugin state

  - [state-context](include/clap/ext/state-context.h), same as state but with additional context info (preset, duplicate, project)

  - [resource-directory](include/clap/ext/draft/resource-directory.h), host provided folder for the plugin to save extra resource like multi-samples, ... (draft)

- [params](include/clap/ext/params.h), parameters management

- [note-ports](include/clap/ext/note-ports.h), define the note ports

- [audio-ports](include/clap/ext/audio-ports.h), define the audio ports

  - [surround](include/clap/ext/surround.h), inspect surround channel mapping

  - [ambisonic](include/clap/ext/draft/ambisonic.h), inspect ambisonic channel mapping

  - [configurable-audio-ports](include/clap/ext/configurable-audio-ports.h), request the plugin to apply a given configuration

  - [audio-ports-config](include/clap/ext/audio-ports-config.h), simple list of pre-defined audio ports configurations, meant to be exposed to the user

  - [audio-ports-activation](include/clap/ext/audio-ports-activation.h), activate and deactivate a given audio port

  - [extensible-audio-ports](include/clap/ext/draft/extensible-audio-ports.h), let the host add audio ports to the plugin, this is useful for dynamic number of audio inputs (draft)

- [render](include/clap/ext/render.h), renders realtime or offline

- [latency](include/clap/ext/latency.h), report the plugin latency

- [tail](include/clap/ext/tail.h), processing tail length

- [gui](include/clap/ext/gui.h), generic gui controller

- [voice-info](include/clap/ext/voice-info.h), let the host know how many voices the plugin has, this is important for polyphonic modulations

- [track-info](include/clap/ext/track-info.h), give some info to the plugin about the track it belongs to

- [tuning](include/clap/ext/draft/tuning.h), host provided microtuning (draft)

- [triggers](include/clap/ext/draft/triggers.h), plugin's triggers, similar to parameters but stateless



## Support extensions



- [thread-check](include/clap/ext/thread-check.h), check which thread you are currently on, useful for correctness validation

- [thread-pool](include/clap/ext/thread-pool.h), use the host thread pool

- [log](include/clap/ext/log.h), lets the host aggregate plugin logs

- [timer-support](include/clap/ext/timer-support.h), lets the plugin register timer handlers

- [posix-fd-support](include/clap/ext/posix-fd-support.h), lets the plugin register I/O handlers



## Deeper Host integration



- [remote-controls](include/clap/ext/remote-controls.h), bank of controls that can be mapped on a controlles with 8 knobs

- [preset-discovery](include/clap/factory/preset-discovery.h), let the host index the plugin's preset in their native file format

- [preset-load](include/clap/ext/preset-load.h), let the host ask the plugin to load a preset

- [param-indication](include/clap/ext/param-indication.h), let the plugin know when a physical control is mapped to a parameter and if there is automation data

- [note-name](include/clap/ext/note-name.h), give a name to notes, useful for drum machines

- [transport-control](include/clap/ext/draft/transport-control.h), let the plugin control the host's transport (draft)

- [context-menu](include/clap/ext/context-menu.h), exchange context menu entries between host and plugin, let the plugin ask the host to popup its own context menu



## Third-party extensions



- [`cockos.reaper_extension`](https://github.com/justinfrankel/reaper-sdk/blob/main/reaper-plugins/reaper_plugin.h#L138), access the [REAPER](http://reaper.fm) API



# Adapters



- [clap-wrapper](https://github.com/free-audio/clap-wrapper), wrappers for using CLAP in other plugin environments



# Resources



- [clap-validator](https://github.com/robbert-vdh/clap-validator), a validator and automatic test suite for CLAP plugins.

- [clapdb](https://clapdb.tech), a list of plugins and DAWs which supports CLAP



## Examples



- [clap-host](https://github.com/free-audio/clap-host), very simple host

- [clap-plugins](https://github.com/free-audio/clap-plugins), very simple plugins



## Community related projects



- [clap-juce-extension](https://github.com/free-audio/clap-juce-extension), juce add-on

- [MIP2](https://github.com/skei/MIP2), host and plugins

- [Avendish](https://github.com/celtera/avendish), a reflection-based API for media plug-ins in C++ which supports Clap

- [NIH-plug](https://github.com/robbert-vdh/nih-plug), an API-agnostic, Rust-based plugin framework aiming to reduce boilerplate without getting in your way

- [iPlug2](https://iplug2.github.io), a liberally licensed C++ audio plug-in framework that supports Clap



## Programming Language Bindings



- [clap-sys](https://github.com/glowcoil/clap-sys), rust binding

- [CLAP-for-Delphi](https://github.com/Bremmers/CLAP-for-Delphi), Delphi binding



## Artwork



 - [CLAP Logo Pack.zip](https://github.com/free-audio/clap/files/8805281/CLAP.Logo.Pack.zip)