Logic Pro X doesn’t recognise instrument plugins, recognises effects but it doesn’t show up in the plugin list

[barnabywalters]

• OS: Mac OS 10.15.7
• DAW: Logic Pro 10.5.0
• Plugin: AU

I have a plugin which I’ve been working on for a while, for a client who works with Logic X and Mainstage. It takes MIDI input, a single channel of audio input, and produces stereo audio. My initial understanding was that this would best be represented as an instrument plugin on a software instrument track, with a side-chain input. However, when I build the plugin with the following config:

bus 1 2;
code Lrap
midiin true;
type instrument;
description Description.txt;
compatibility 1.0.7;

Logic Pro doesn’t even register it as an available audio unit, saying on startup that it’s scanning 33 AUs. When I build it with type effect, it does get scanned, and once I manually allow it to be run via system preferences, it validates successfully in the plugin manager. However, it doesn’t show up in any effect menu. I’ve looked in the Instrument menu (where previous versions successfully appeared), the MIDI effect menu, the Audio FX menu on both Software Instrument and Audio channels, and can’t find the plugin anywhere.

Any ideas why this is happening? It looks like it could be related to #166, except that they seem to have the opposite problem!

If you don’t have access to Logic Pro, I’m happy to run tests and send you log and console output.

[pierreguillot]

I'm afraid I won't be able to fix the Logic issues before I get a Logic license and that will probably not happen soon...

Anyway, it would be great to share a very basic plugin to reproduce it and the version of Camomile you use.

[Josef-N]

Hi barnabywalters,
I am not an expert, but here my considerations:
I think, the instrument plugin is not recognised, because an instrument has no input, so it should be bus 0 2; (or iolayout 0 2).
But as you have input, you need an effect plugin. My experience is, that Logic wants the same number of inputs and outputs, even if you don’t need them, in your case 2 2;
On the other hand, AU effects do not receive Midi (in the effects slot), so you have to use a software instrument track and to insert the effect in the instrument slot as "AU Midi-controlled Effects".
Besides, if you change anything in the config-text, you have to restart Logic (I think, also any other DAW).
I hope, that helps.
And Pierre – I hope, that I did not say anything that is false.

[pierreguillot]

@Josef-N Thank you. I'm even less an expert on Logic so I can't tell if it's right or not but it's clear ;)

[Josef-N]

Thank you, too. I have not been sure if everything is correct what I said about inputs and outputs in general, but I have at least some experience with Camomile in Logic, and this is what I have learned by trial and error.

[tlongshaw]

Hey,

Not sure if this will be any help but it might also be worth changing the code in the main .txt file. I've had this issue with Logic and found that clearing the audiounit cache and changing the plugin code usually solves it.

[barnabywalters]

Thanks a lot for this advice, everyone! I will try it out and let you know how it goes. Maybe we can make a “Logic Support” wiki page to collect tips about how to persuade logic to accept camomile plugins.