Reddit reviews Designing Software Synthesizer Plug-Ins in C++: For RackAFX, VST3, and Audio Units

C++ for the core code, Objective-C/Swift for the UI if you need to make an audio unit or C++ for a VST.

I found these two books to be great, but they would likely be very overwhelming for somebody who doesn't have much programming experience.

https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Audio-Effect-Plug-Ins-Processing/dp/0240825152

https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Software-Synthesizer-Plug-Ins-RackAFX/dp/1138787078/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=D56EXGZ6Y9A7ENTTBEGC

http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Software-Synthesizer-Plug-Ins-RackAFX/dp/1138787078/

Never read it, but it's on my list.

This book will give you what you need to know, even if you don't have any DSP background (though you should definitely read up outside of the book). My professor taught us out of it for one of our digital audio classes in which we designed FX plugins.

http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Software-Synthesizer-Plug-Ins-RackAFX/dp/1138787078

Fair warning: synths can be beasts. The DSP part isn't what's going to give you the most trouble, hopefully. This book covers synth architectures and coding them in C++. I strongly recommend going through his first book on audio effect plugin design. The author is a former engineer at Korg.

I strongly recommend you start with a plugin before porting it to a hardware platform.

You want to learn the basics of C++, which can be done alone if you have enough persistence, a good book, and can reach out to people for help or just take a class in community college. Then get started on a project.


C++ Primer

• This will teach you the basics of C++
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Primer-Plus-6th-Developers-Library/dp/0321776402/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1548995509&sr=8-2&keywords=C%2B%2B+Primer
  
  Designing Software Synthesizer Plug-Ins in C++:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Software-Synthesizer-Plug-Ins-RackAFX/dp/1138787078/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1548995557&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=Designing++vst+plugins
  
  ​
  
  Designing Audio Effect Plug-Ins in C++
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Audio-Effect-Plug-Ins-Processing/dp/0240825152/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/138-0414389-6890603?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0240825152&pd_rd_r=7063af91-25da-11e9-b2b2-83751d0b2340&pd_rd_w=v6mGa&pd_rd_wg=bRXL7&pf_rd_p=3f9889ac-6c45-46e8-b515-3af650557207&pf_rd_r=7QWB9RZWTXXHMW3S95X9&psc=1&refRID=7QWB9RZWTXXHMW3S95X9

This is the book here. I've started reading it, but haven't actually gotten around to trying it myself. He's supposed to have a whole plugin platform that is basically ready to go so that you can focus on the synth part and not on all the infrastructure. It looks very promising.

Check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Software-Synthesizer-Plug-Ins-RackAFX/dp/1138787078/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=DSP+synth+will+pirkle&qid=1570634689&sr=8-1-fkmr0

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Get it along with free software and it walks you through developing digital synth plugins.

I recently asked something similar on /r/dsp looking for a way to program hardware to make sound. One of the posters pointed me to these two books made by a korg dev who wrote how to make VSTs and the like (You'll be most interested in the second book). All C++ and from what Ive read so far really good books. ALSO look into the Juce library for more. They started as an independent library before Roli bought them and have been improving the core tools substantially. They even have smartphone tools to make android/ios synths. Again this is C++.

(Link to the poster who showed me for credit)