Plugins for Linux - Are they platform independent?

[Doug_]

Hi Folks,
I'm new to Reaper but have been using Linux nearly exclusively for about 20 years. I have decided to go with Reaper on a Raspberry PI 4 platform and have been delighted with the performance and utility of this combination. Sure some things have not worked but the ppl at RPI are fixing the issues and progressively the combination is working sufficiently well that I can begin climbing the Reaper learning curve.

So Raspberry PI is an ARM based platform and the Reaper version is working very well.

My question is: are the various plugins (eg TAL) only applicable to a specific hardware eg x86 only. I'm guessing that this is the case given what I have seen in terms of Linux plugin download sites so am I correct in assuming no plugins would be available (as yet..) for ARM processor platforms.

A related question since it is also ARM based - is Reaper an option on the Microsoft Surface Pro X?

Doug

[mschnell]

Windows on ARM is a really interesting issue to be discussed (not only regarding Reaper).

I read that standard 32 Bit Windows programs work astonishingly well on the ARM Surface in emulation mode.

-Michael

[elcalen]

I'm not a plugin developer, but as far as I know, VST plugins are compiled binaries, so they would be platform and architecture dependant.

Reaper's own (and the community's) JSFX plugins, however, are scripts rather than compiled code, and should be platform independent.

[Glennbo]

Plugin selection for Raspberry Pi is pretty limited. Besides the native plugins and JSFX, about the only thing specifically compiled for ARM is Pianoteq.

You can install Carla though and load SF2/SFZ files which will play pretty well. As for loading any VST/VSTi plugins in Carla, the problem will still be compatibility with the ARM architecture.

[Doug_]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes of course the Java Script plugins would be platform independent doh - this came to me after I posted. I'll dig around for JSFX and Pianoteq.

I have to say the Reaverb option with zero latency option looks interesting especially if Impulse Response samples are available from some of the classic audio tools.

The supplied plugins so far are providing a lot of scope already, enough to make good use of Reaper for my purpose. I don't have the need for a specific guitar cabinet emulation just yet, but some of the demos from plugin makers do sound sweet.

Doug

[sub26nico]

LSP plugins are available for RaspBerry.
https://lsp-plug.in/

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by Doug_

Java Script plugins

Java script plugins are very rare if existing at all.

I suppose you mean Reaper JSFXes (which are EEL "scripts" to be compiled to very fast native code when loading).

-Michael