Linux Audio Plugin Development (LAPD)
RV Audio Design
Linux Audio developer interview with Roel Vugts from RV Audio Design
This interview was conducted by Amadeus Paulussen in 2025 and first published to his blog.
How important was Wytse's video for Disseptor's visibility?
That really helped with getting my name out there. After Wyte’s video, I got a lot more website traffic. So I was very happy with that.
Can you tell us how you came to start a plugin company?
While studying Music & Technology, I got hooked on developing my own audio software. What started as simple patches in Pure Data and Max MSP quickly evolved into full applications in C++. I loved the creative possibilities that came with building my own software and wanted to share that with others. My goal is to inspire and support artists in their creative process with my software.
Was it difficult for you to choose a programming language and framework (if you use one) to develop Disseptor?
C++ is the most common language for audio plugins, and since I was already familiar with it, that decision was easy. Initially, I started with the VST SDK from Steinberg because I wanted to understand how VSTs work on a deeper level. But after some time, I switched to JUCE, as it's the industry standard now and makes it easier to develop for multiple formats and platforms.
Can you tell us a little bit about your development setup?
I primarily work on a Windows laptop, but I also have a Mac Mini M1 and a dual-boot setup with Ubuntu. Next to that, I have some studio gear like a set of speakers, an audio interface, a MIDI keyboard, etc. I also have a small semi-modular synth setup, which I sometimes use as audio input when testing plugins, but I mostly use it because it’s fun.
When it comes to software, I typically use Max MSP or Python for prototyping, Adobe Illustrator for UI design, and CLion for C++ development.
What inspired you to create a saturation plugin with all-pass filters?
I've always loved hard dance music, and the creation of hard dance kicks is an art in itself. These kicks are typically shaped by cascading EQs with distortion. I noticed that applying a high-pass filter at very low frequencies (0–20 Hz) before the distortion significantly alters the character of the distorted sound. This happens due to the phase shift introduced by the filtering. I really liked that effect and wanted more control over how it shapes the distortion. I also noticed that this effect was useful for lots of other scenarios than creating kicks. That’s what inspired me to design a plugin for this.
Did you design Disseptor yourself, or are there other people involved in your workflow?
I designed Disseptor myself, but I asked for feedback from friends and colleagues with more experience in UI design. I had never designed a UI before, but I had a clear vision of what I wanted. So I just started experimenting, and over time, I learned a lot, especially working with Adobe Illustrator.
Are you in regular contact with any other audio developers?
I mostly know Dutch audio developers, many of whom I met during my studies or at events. But I’d love to connect with more people in the field. The audio development community is great; everyone is friendly and always willing to help each other out.
Is your background in technology or music?
Mostly music, but I’ve always had a passion for technology. Over the past few years, that passion has taken more of a leading role in my work. I still make music, but most of my time now goes into developing technology.
Do you use Disseptor for your own music, and if so, where can we listen to your music?
Yes, I definitely do! I’ve never officially released music, but you can find some of my music on my portfolio website.
Besides macOS and Windows, you decided to make Disseptor available for Linux as well; what motivated you to do so?
I actually started learning to develop on Linux and really enjoyed it. Since JUCE makes it very easy to support VST plugins on Linux, it wasn’t a difficult decision to include Linux support.
Is support a big part of your daily work?
Not really. I only received a few support emails when I first released Disseptor, and I fixed those issues as quickly as possible. Since then, I haven’t gotten many support requests, so I assume everything is running smoothly now.
Are you afraid that with the rising popularity of Linux you will experience an influx in support requests as well, or do you think the Linux fragmentation is a myth and that Linux users more often than reach out for support rather try to help themselves?
I plan to make all my future software available for Linux, so hopefully, users won’t need to request support to get things running. It’s hard to say whether Linux users are more self-sufficient or not. While many are more knowledgeable about computers, some issues can only be fixed by the developer, so I’ll be happy to help when needed.
If you had the power to change some of the rules of audio plugin development and the audio plugin industry, what would you change?
That’s a good one. While it’s not a huge issue, I think cross-DAW compatibility could still be improved, especially in how parameters are handled and how UIs are scaled. Most things work fine across DAWs, but there are always a few quirks where certain DAWs handle things differently.
What is the biggest challenge you face as a novelty plugin developer?
Getting my name out there is the biggest challenge. The plugin market is already crowded with so many good developers and products. I try to create innovative plugins, but standing out is difficult.
Any thoughts on GPU audio?
I don’t know a lot about it, but it looks promising. CPUs are already pretty powerful, but running audio processing on a GPU could unlock new possibilities, especially for algorithms that benefit from parallelism, like AI-based processing or huge impulse responses.
What three pieces of software (music production related or not) make you the most happy when using them?
I really like using Presonus Studio One for producing music. Next to that, I enjoy working in Max MSP for prototyping audio algorithms, and nowadays, I also love to design stuff in Adobe Illustrator.
As a last question, can you tell us a little bit about your future plans with RV Audio Design?
I plan to release more plugins in the future, though I can’t reveal any details yet. Aside from my own plugins, I’m also open to collaborating with other developers or artists.