page_title: LV2
section_title: Concepts
hierarchical_section_title: LV2 / Concepts
context_page_description: LV2, an acronym for LADSPA Version 2, is a set of royalty-free open standards for plug-ins and matching host applications. It includes support for the synthesis and processing of digital audio and CV, events such as MIDI and OSC, and provides a free alternative to audio plug-in standards such as Virtual Studio Technology and Audio Units.
  LV2 succeeds the more limited Linux Audio Developer's Simple Plugin API standard and replaces the Disposable Soft Synth Interface plugin infrastructure, adding abilities such as MIDI capability, custom UIs, and a system allowing extensibility of the initial standard.
  Over a thousand plugins are now available in LV2 format. Notable plugins include Calf Studio Gear Software that can host LV2 plugin "bundles" includes Ardour, Ingen, Carla, Qtractor, Traverso DAW, Harrison Mixbus, MusE, Audacity, Ecasound, FFmpeg, the GStreamer framework and DJing software Mixxx. It is also the plugin format used by the MOD Duo and MOD Duo X, Zynthian, and Poly Effects Digit/Beebo hardware units.
context_section_description: LV2 is an extensible framework, allowing a program to load a plugin to do some processing. Note that the terms used here are generic on purpose because LV2 allows any type of data to be exchanged between the host and the plugin.
caption: LV2 plugins in the Ingen host
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