A modern VST/AU/VST3/LADSPA/LV2/AAX/ARA/AU v3 plugin host for macOS, Windows, and Linux that sits in the menu/task bar.
- Lightweight menu/taskbar application with minimal UI
- Supports VST, VST3, Audio Unit (macOS), Audio Unit v3 (macOS), AAX, ARA, LADSPA, and LV2 plugin formats
- Dynamic plugin chain with bypass capability
- Safe plugin scanning system with blacklisting for problematic plugins
- GPU acceleration for improved rendering performance
- High DPI display support for modern operating systems
- Multi-instance support via command line parameters
- Persistent plugin settings
- Plugin order can be rearranged with drag and drop
- Optimized memory and CPU usage
Note: The UI has been updated and improved with the new Nova Host branding. See the NovaHost README for more details on the latest version.
The project has been renamed from Light Host to Nova Host, reflecting significant improvements:
- Hardware-accelerated GPU rendering for plugin UIs
- Performance optimizations for both CPU and memory usage
- Modern visual design with new icon and interface elements
- Enhanced plugin scanning system with improved stability
- More robust error handling and crash protection
- Support for the latest plugin formats and standards
For more detailed information about Nova Host's features, see the NovaHost README.
- JUCE Framework (automatically included as a local copy)
- C++ development environment:
- Windows: Visual Studio 2015/2022
- macOS: Xcode
- Linux: CodeBlocks or Make
- Clone this repository
- Open the
NovaHost.jucerfile with Projucer (orLightHost.jucerfor the legacy version) - Select your target platform and export the project
- Build using your platform's development environment
-multi-instance=NAME: Run multiple instances with separate settings, where NAME is a unique identifier-gpu-acceleration=off: Disable GPU acceleration at startup (Nova Host only)
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2 - see the license file for details.