Pros of JUCE

• Comprehensive Framework: JUCE provides a comprehensive set of tools and libraries for building audio applications, including support for VST, AU, and other plugin formats.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: JUCE is designed to be cross-platform, allowing developers to build applications that can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Active Community: JUCE has a large and active community of developers, providing a wealth of resources, tutorials, and support.

Cons of JUCE

• Licensing: JUCE is released under a commercial license, which may be a barrier for some developers, especially those working on open-source projects.
• Complexity: JUCE is a feature-rich framework, which can make it more complex to learn and use, especially for beginners.
• Performance: Some developers have reported that JUCE can be less performant than other audio frameworks, particularly for low-latency applications.

Code Comparison

Here's a brief comparison of the code structure between JUCE and the VST3 SDK:

JUCE (Simplified AudioProcessor class):

class MyAudioProcessor : public juce::AudioProcessor {
public:
    void prepareToPlay(double sampleRate, int samplesPerBlock) override {
        // Prepare the audio processor for playback
    }

    void processBlock(juce::AudioBuffer<float>& buffer, juce::MidiBuffer& midiMessages) override {
        // Process the audio and MIDI data
    }

    // Other methods and properties
};

VST3 SDK (Simplified IPluginBase interface):

class MyPlugin : public Steinberg::Vst::IPluginBase {
public:
    tresult PLUGIN_API initialize(FUnknown* context) override {
        // Initialize the plugin
        return kResultOk;
    }

    tresult PLUGIN_API terminate() override {
        // Terminate the plugin
        return kResultOk;
    }

    // Other methods and properties
};

Both examples demonstrate the basic structure of an audio plugin, but the JUCE version provides a more abstracted and user-friendly interface, while the VST3 SDK requires more direct interaction with the underlying Steinberg API.

Pros of libsoundio

• Cross-platform support: libsoundio provides a cross-platform API for accessing audio input and output, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Simplicity: The library has a relatively simple and straightforward API, making it easier to integrate into projects compared to more complex audio libraries.
• Lightweight: libsoundio is a lightweight library, with a small footprint and minimal dependencies, making it suitable for use in a variety of projects.

Cons of libsoundio

• Limited features: Compared to the VST3 SDK, libsoundio has a more limited set of features and functionality, focusing primarily on basic audio input and output.
• Lack of plugin support: While the VST3 SDK is designed for building audio plugins, libsoundio does not provide any specific support for plugin development.
• Smaller community: The VST3 SDK has a larger and more active community, with more resources and support available, compared to the relatively smaller community around libsoundio.

Code Comparison

VST3 SDK (steinbergmedia/vst3sdk):

class MyPlugin : public Vst::AudioEffect {
public:
    MyPlugin() {
        // Plugin initialization code
    }

    tresult PLUGIN_API process(Vst::ProcessData& data) override {
        // Plugin processing code
        return kResultOk;
    }
};

libsoundio (andrewrk/libsoundio):

int main() {
    struct soundio *soundio = soundio_create();
    if (!soundio) {
        // Error handling
        return 1;
    }

    int err = soundio_connect(soundio);
    if (err) {
        // Error handling
        soundio_destroy(soundio);
        return 1;
    }
}

Pros of AudioKit/AudioKit

• AudioKit is a comprehensive framework for audio development, providing a wide range of tools and features for creating audio applications.
• The project has a large and active community, with numerous contributors and a wealth of documentation and examples.
• AudioKit is cross-platform, supporting iOS, macOS, and tvOS, making it a versatile choice for audio development.

Cons of AudioKit/AudioKit

• The VST3 SDK provided by Steinberg is a more specialized and low-level tool, focused specifically on the development of VST3 plugins.
• The VST3 SDK may offer more fine-grained control and optimization for VST3 plugin development, which may be important for certain use cases.
• The learning curve for the VST3 SDK may be steeper than that of AudioKit, as it requires a deeper understanding of audio programming concepts.

Code Comparison

VST3 SDK (steinbergmedia/vst3sdk):

class MyPlugin : public Vst::AudioEffect {
public:
    MyPlugin() {
        // Plugin initialization code
    }

    tresult PLUGIN_API process(Vst::ProcessData& data) override {
        // Plugin processing code
        return kResultOk;
    }
};

AudioKit (AudioKit/AudioKit):

let oscillator = AKOscillator()
oscillator.amplitude = 0.5
oscillator.frequency = 440
oscillator.start()

let mixer = AKMixer(oscillator)
AudioKit.output = mixer
AudioKit.start()

Pros of thestk/stk

• thestk/stk is a cross-platform, open-source audio signal processing and algorithmic composition library, providing a wide range of synthesis and processing algorithms.
• The library is well-documented and has a large user community, making it a valuable resource for audio developers and researchers.
• thestk/stk is licensed under the MIT license, allowing for flexible use and modification of the codebase.

Cons of thestk/stk

• The library may have a steeper learning curve compared to steinbergmedia/vst3sdk, as it covers a broader range of audio processing techniques.
• The development of thestk/stk may not be as actively maintained as steinbergmedia/vst3sdk, which is backed by a larger commercial entity.

Code Comparison

Here's a brief comparison of the code structure between the two repositories:

steinbergmedia/vst3sdk:

class MyPlugin : public Vst::AudioEffect {
public:
    MyPlugin(const Vst::HostContext* context)
        : Vst::AudioEffect(context, 1, 1) // 1 input, 1 output
    {
        // Plugin initialization code
    }

    tresult PLUGIN_API process(Vst::ProcessData& data) override {
        // Plugin processing code
        return kResultOk;
    }
};

thestk/stk:

class Mandolin : public Instrmnt {
public:
    Mandolin(void) {
        // Mandolin initialization code
    }

    void noteOn(StkFloat frequency, StkFloat amplitude) {
        // Mandolin note-on code
    }

    void noteOff(StkFloat amplitude) {
        // Mandolin note-off code
    }
};

The key differences are that steinbergmedia/vst3sdk is focused on building VST3 audio plugins, while thestk/stk is a more general-purpose audio processing library with a variety of synthesis and processing algorithms.

Pros of libsndfile/libsndfile

• Cross-platform Compatibility: libsndfile is a cross-platform library, supporting a wide range of operating systems and audio file formats, making it a versatile choice for audio-related projects.
• Extensive Documentation: The libsndfile project has comprehensive documentation, including detailed API references and examples, which can greatly facilitate the integration and usage of the library.
• Active Community: libsndfile has an active community of contributors and users, ensuring ongoing development, bug fixes, and support for the library.

Cons of libsndfile/libsndfile

• Limited Audio Plugin Support: Unlike steinbergmedia/vst3sdk, libsndfile is not specifically designed for the development of audio plugins, and may lack some features or optimizations for that use case.
• Narrower Scope: While libsndfile is a powerful audio file I/O library, it does not provide the same breadth of functionality as the steinbergmedia/vst3sdk, which is focused on the development of VST3 audio plugins.

Code Comparison

Here's a brief code comparison between the two projects:

libsndfile/libsndfile (reading an audio file):

SNDFILE *sndfile;
SF_INFO sfinfo;

sndfile = sf_open("input.wav", SFM_READ, &sfinfo);
if (!sndfile) {
    /* Error handling */
}

/* Read audio data from the file */

steinbergmedia/vst3sdk (creating a simple VST3 plugin):

class MyPlugin : public Vst::AudioEffect {
public:
    MyPlugin() {
        // Plugin initialization
    }

    tresult PLUGIN_API process(Vst::ProcessData& data) override {
        // Process audio data
        return kResultOk;
    }
};

// Register the plugin factory
DEF_CLASS_IID(MyPlugin)