Update: Microsoft Visual Studio is now free. SynthEdit can automatically create projects for Visual Studio for you via the 'make code skeleton' menu, which is less work.

Making your own SynthEdit module with the free Code::Blocks environment.

Setting up the Development Environment

Download and install the Development Environment from www.codeblocks.org, Download the binary installer for Windows which includes the GCC Compiler, e.g. codeblocks-13.12mingw-setup.exe.

Download the SynthEdit Software Development Kit (SDK) and extract it. I put it in C:\SynthEditSDK.

Note: This compiler does not support spaces in folder names. Don't use any folder name with spaces. e.g. "C:\My Modules\"

You can now make your own module.

Browse to C:\SynthEditSDK (or wherever you installed the SynthEdit SDK), This folder contains the code for many of SynthEdit's modules plus the SDK itself (in se_sdk3). These modules are a good starting point for making your own. Don't modify them directly. Make a copy. Select the Gain folder, right-click Copy, then Paste to make a copy. Rename the new folder 'MyGain'.

Making your own Module Project

Start Code::Blocks. This Development Environment is an easy compiler front-end. We are going to create a new module project from scratch.

Choose 'Create a new project' (this starts a wizard), choose 'Projects' - 'Dynamic Link Library'. On the next page type the module name 'MyGain', folder 'C:\SynthEditSDK'. Click 'Next' through to 'Finish'.

 

On the left pane are the project files. These are defaults created by the wizard. We don't need them. Expand the folders and use right-click 'Remove from Project' to remove 'main.h' and 'main.cpp'.

First add the SDK files (these are common to any SEM modules). Menu 'Project/Add files', from the 'C:\SynthEditSDK\se_sdk3' folder add 'mp_sdk_common.h', 'mp_sdk_common.cpp', 'mp_sdk_audio.h', 'mp_sdk_audio.cpp'.

In the dialog box 'Select the targets this file should belong to', both boxes should be ticked, choose 'OK'.

Now add your custom module files, this is the code specific to your module. From the 'C:\SynthEditSDK\MyGain' folder add 'Gain.h', 'Gain.cpp', 'Gain.rc', 'Gain.xml', and 'resource.h'.

You should now see the files in the left-hand pane. You can double-click any to open them.

Before we can compile our module for the first time there are a few settings to fix. Set CodeBlocks to use modern C++:

Menu Project/Build Options/Compiler Settings - Tick "Have g++ follow the C++ 17 ISO C++ language standard [-std=c++17].

Scroll down and select by ticking also: "Static Linking [-static]" and "Targetx86_64 (64bit) [-m64]"

Let CodeBlocks know where to find the SDK files:

Menu Project/Build Options/Search directories - To the "Compiler" tab "Add" C:\SynthEditSDK\se_sdk3

Menu Project/Build Options/Compiler Settings/#defines - Select 'Debug' target top left. Add #define '_DEBUG' (without the quotes).

 On the same dialog, click "Release" at left, add define "NDEBUG" (without the quotes).

On the same dialog click the root object (MyGain here), add #define
 SE_TARGET_SEM - This tells the SynthEdit SDK that we are building a standalone module,
 UNICODE and
_UNICODE - support for non-western characters, e.g. Japanese,
_WIN32_WINNT=0x0603 and
WINVER=0x0603 - Enables support for Windows 8.1 (and later)

Tell CodeBlocks to link the C++ libraries statically (include everything needed with the SEM module).

Menu Project/Build Options/Linker Settings/Other Linker Options
- Add: -Wl,--kill-at

 

Close the Project Build Options.

Open Project Properties (Menu Project/Properties/Build Targets) - Untick 'Auto generate filename extension'. Change Output filename extension to 'bin\Debug\MyGain.sem'.

Click Build Target 'Release' and repeat the previous 2 steps to change the filename. Click 'OK' to close Project Build Options..

Now we can compile the module. Choose the menu 'Build/Build'.

With luck, the build log windows should show your files being compiled with '0 errors'.

If you browse to 'C:\SynthEditSDK\MyGain\bin\Debug' you should see your fresh new SEM!

This SEM needs to go in your SynthEdit modules folder. We can automate that:

Menu 'Project/Build options/pre-post build steps' Add the following...

cmd /c copy "$(PROJECT_DIR)$(TARGET_OUTPUT_FILE)" "C:\Program Files\Common Files\SynthEdit\modules"

Choose the menu 'Build/Rebuild', check that the log window shows '1 file(s) copied.' else check the above command. Note Windows 32-bit uses 'Program Files' not 'Program Files (x86)'.

If you start SynthEdit now you should get confirmation of your new module via a 'Module found twice!' message. This is because so far you have only duplicated the existing Gain module. Close SynthEdit.

Back in Code::Block you can now start modifying the module to make it your own. In the left-hand pane find 'Gain.xml', open it in the CodeBlocks editor. This file identifies the name of the module and what plugs it has. Look for the Plugin id ''SynthEdit Gain example V3'. Change it to e.g. 'JM Gain' (JM is my initials, use yours). Change the 'name' to 'JM Gain' to differentiate it from the SynthEdit Gain module.

Open 'Gain.cpp'. Near the top find this line..

REGISTER_PLUGIN( Gain, L"SynthEdit Gain example V3" );

Change that id to the exact same one in the XML file, e.g.

REGISTER_PLUGIN( Gain, L"JM Gain" );

This line links the c++ class to the XML code.

Build the project again and open SynthEdit. You should see your module available on the 'Insert/SDK Examples/My Gain' menu."

Check the module's information. Right-click Debug/About. You should see your module ID, SDK version and compiler version (GCC).

You should now be able to create your own basic audio modules using the Code::Blocks IDE. Any questions to the SE mailing list please.

https://groups.io/g/synthedit