Keyboard input focus

[falkTX]

We have quite a few tickets open regarding issues with keyboard input.
I had fixed some before, but new ones popup because people try with other hosts and those fail to send events or cardinal fails to receive them.
Anyhow, let's consolidate them all in a single ticket, make it a new one in order to start fresh.

References: #297 #245 #234 #232 #205 #159 #32 #24

Let's start fresh and assume nothing works.
We create a table with possible daws/hosts and test one by one, adjusting to match current situation.
If not fully supported or a workaround is possible, it is written in the extra notes.

Verified to work needs to pass this criteria: (working in all scenarios)

• on first load
• closing ui and reopening
• clicking away from ui to the daw/host, and to the plugin again
• clicking away from daw/host (to another application), and back to the plugin
• after resizing, closing and reopening
• with 2 instances open (different variants if possible)
• with 2 instances, closing one and reopening while the other stays open (if possible)
• with 2 instances, closing both and reopening

For Linux versions, it must be stated under which DE it was tested on, and also X11 or Wayland.

Ableton Live

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
macOS	VST2	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
macOS	VST3	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
Windows	VST2		No
Windows	VST3		No

Ardour

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
Linux	LV2		No
Linux	VST2		No
Linux	VST3		No
macOS	AU		No
macOS	LV2		No
macOS	VST2		No
macOS	VST3		No
Windows	LV2		No
Windows	VST2		No
Windows	VST3		No

Bitwig

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
Linux	VST2		No
Linux	VST3		No
macOS	VST2		No
macOS	VST3		No
Windows	VST2		No
Windows	VST3		No

Cakewalk

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
Windows	VST2		No	#245
Windows	VST3		No	#245

Carla

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
Linux	LV2		No
Linux	VST2		No
Linux	VST3		No
macOS	VST2		No
macOS	AU		No
macOS	VST2		No
macOS	VST3		No
Windows	LV2		No
Windows	VST2		No
Windows	VST3		No

Cubase

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
macOS	VST2	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
macOS	VST3	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
Windows	VST2		No
Windows	VST3		No

FLStudio

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
macOS	AU		No
macOS	VST2	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
macOS	VST3	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
Windows	VST2		No
Windows	VST3		No

Logic Pro / Garageband

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
macOS	AU	👎	No	#232 #297

LMMS

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
Windows	VST2	👎	No	#245

Reaper

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
Linux	LV2		No
Linux	VST2		No
Linux	VST3		No
macOS	AU		No
macOS	LV2	👍	Yes	First UI show does not give focus to plugin, needs force focus
macOS	VST2	👍	Yes	First UI show does not give focus to plugin, needs force focus
macOS	VST3	👍	Yes	First UI show does not give focus to plugin, needs force focus
Windows	LV2		No
Windows	VST2		No
Windows	VST3		No

Renoise

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
Linux	VST2		No
Linux	VST3		No
macOS	VST2	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
macOS	VST3	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
Windows	VST2		No
Windows	VST3		No

Studio One

OS	Plugin version	Status	Tested	Extra notes
macOS	VST2	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
macOS	VST3	👍	Yes	Does not need any special focus handling
Windows	VST2	👎	No
Windows	VST3	👎	No

[XtremeSounds]

I tested Bitwig Vst3 -works for note triggering, although shortcut keys and typing in the search box do not work

[falkTX]

what do you mean with note triggering?

[XtremeSounds]

using the typing keyboard to trigger notes works fine. Even better than VCV. I can change parameters on modules and still play notes with typing keyboard just fine. VCV does not work correctly in this regard. However no shortcut keys or typing into the search bar works in Cardinal

[falkTX]

That is weird then because I purposefully removed the typing keyboard as methods of inputting notes support from Cardinal, so I get confused here..
Are you using some specific module to convert typing keyboard into cv signals?

[XtremeSounds]

Bitwig has this function built in. that is what I am referring to. It can play any vst plugin using the keyboard.

[falkTX]

Right, so that is the hosts doing, not Cardinal.
You didnt mention the OS you tested with btw, what did you use?

[XtremeSounds]

sorry windows 11 bitwig 4.3

[falkTX]

ok so it is becoming clear to me that 90% of the issues come from windows.
on macOS pretty much everything works, reaper being the exception that doesnt give focus to the plugin UI but we can easily work around it.
I need to actually install windows :(

[cxbignekoc]

Bitwig 4.0.7
Win 10 Pro 64bit
Cardinal 22.07 VST2

Results:

• on first load

1. right click open the module page, a blue bar was there, but i can not click into the field and not type in, mybe i was to fast.
2. as i was typing in the browser to comment the issue, i saw there are just letters i want to type in
3. so at first it stuck but then it works (mybe because loading modules)

• closing ui and reopening # re-open, Module page is remembered by Cardinal and open, left click into search field, typing ok
• clicking away from ui to the daw/host, and to the plugin again # works, when the module page was open
• clicking away from daw/host (to another application), and back to the plugin # works also
• after resizing, closing and reopening # resize=ok, closing and reopening=ok, and all three together = ok
• with 2 instances open (different variants if possible)

1. open Cardinal VST2 and CardinalFX VST2 in a Chan in same Track = ok
2. open Cardinal VST2 and Cardinal VST2 in different Reacks = ok
3. i also can play both together from both tracks with Init Preset (fake polyphonic), can any time open the modulepage and type

• with 2 instances, closing one and reopening while the other stays open (if possible) = no problems
• with 2 instances, closing both and reopening = no problems

Other findings:

1. mouse over Module and DELETE-Key works
2. hold the backspace dont delete the field input continously, just one letter
3. is something typed in the field and you want select the letters via Mouse the Cursor jumps one position to the left, you can not place the Cursor behind the last letter
4. after set zooming i got no problemes with the search field

Ideas: Request

Type in Tags and shorter aliases:

• "comp" finds compressor,
• "rev" finds reverb
• "clock gen" clock generators
• "env gen" envelope generator
• "ven: AS" finds the Modules of the Vendor "AS"
• "fx" for Effects

cheers

[antoineportes]

Hi,
wouldn't the implementation of a virtual keyboard inside Cardinal workaround this issue for good? — something similar to what you find in MeldaProduction plugins (i.e. a numpad embeded in the keyboard input window on parameter right-click) or (better if you ask me) a global virtual keyboard (floating or docked with a preference switch) accessible via the "View" menu.

(Sorry, I'm a sucker at coding, maybe it's a tricky feature to elaborate and I just don't realise it.)

[antoineportes]

Reaper 6.64
Windows 10 Home
Cardinal 22.07 LV2, LV2fx & LV2i

Cardinal does not get keyboard focus at all (apart from DEL key on first load until first click away from the plugin UI).
BUT — after right-clicking the plugin in the lateral list of the FX chain window and selecting "Send all keyboard input to plugin", everything works as expected while searching modules or editing parameter values.

Further test: VST2, VST2i, VST2fx, VST3, VST3i & VST3fx:
Since version 22.07, no need to force focus, it works on first load.

[RedstoneParadox]

In Cakewalk on the latest version of Cardinal, the hotkeys do work but enter does not if you click "Give all Keystrokes to plugin", but you still can't type anything regardless. Just thought I should update you.

Edit: Also, LMMS works fine for me for the most part. I'm on windows, BTW.

[mestretheo]

Win 7 Professional
Reaper 6.73
Cardinal 22.12
To add Cardinal to a track, it shows 3 options: VST3i, CLAPi and LV2i. In the first two I'm able to type (to choose a module, for example). Only the LV2i option doesn't work. It's fine to me, since there are at least one of these three that work!

It has one minor problem: I'm unable to use WIN+Shift+S to partial printscreen (I was going to do that right now, but it failed)

[PickLL]

Arch Linux, across different kernel versions
X and Wayland, (leftwm, Hyprland)
Cardinal 23.10
Ardour 8.4.0
Reaper 1.7.4
Lmms 1.2.2

Usually no input except for arrow keys and backspace when typing into the search. No settings in any of the daws made a difference. Losing and regaining focus sometimes helped, but not consistently. Tried different window rules in hyprland with no success. The versions are just for the current tests, these results have been the same across previous versions.

Tested vst3 and lv2 with ardour
Tested lv2, lv2i, clap, and clapi with reaper
Tested lv2 through carla with lmms

[albmef]

Version 24.05
Plugin type Native / JACK
OS: Kubuntu 24.04 LTS x86_64
DE: Plasma 5.27.11
WM: KWin
Theme: [Plasma], Breeze [GTK2/3]
server: X11

hi !

no keyboard inputs module search textbox, text paste work as well as backspace and delete. cursor cannot be put after the last character. ugly fonts with vertical jitter in some menus and textboxes

thanks !
best regards,
AM