LMMS • Forums

I'm using LMMS 1.3.0-alpha on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed.
I've correctly configured the path to the LADSPA plugin folder. My LADSPA plugins work.
LMMS isn't seeing any of the LV2 plugins I've downloaded. Here is the layout of my LV2 plugins folder:

~/Bureau/frc/mus/Plugins> tree .
.
├── helm.lv2
│   ├── helm.so
│   ├── helm.ttl
│   ├── manifest.ttl
│   └── presets.ttl
└── SoulForce.lv2
    ├── manifest.ttl
    ├── presets.ttl
    ├── SoulForce_dsp.so
    ├── SoulForce_dsp.ttl
    ├── SoulForce_ui.so
    └── SoulForce_ui.ttl

3 directories, 10 files

Are LV2 plugins actually supported by this version? I would have thought so because the "add effect" modal has an LV2 filter button, but the documentation isn't clear on this. Ideally I'd like to use LV2 effect and instrument plugins.

I've seen it mentioned that Carla can be used to host LV2 plugins, but I don't see Carla on the list of instrument plugins. I've installed Carla on my system using the package manager (zypper), how can I use it as a plugin in LMMS?

I'm not sure about part II of your question: using Carla.

However, I think the linux distro has the system install *.lv2 files into: "/usr/lib/lv2/"
Meanwhile, the /home/username/.lv2/ folder is where you can manually put the pluginname.lv2 folder(s) containing the *.so files and the possibly accompanying *.ttl files.

When you download LV2 files manually, after you decompress them, each one has a WHOLE_FOLDER.lv2
So, for example, hypothetically, I download "ZL Equalizer 2". Let's say it was stored in "ZL_Equalizer_II.tar.xz". So I fully decompress "ZL_Equalizer_II.tar.xz" and get "ZL_Equalizer_II" folder. Inside the folder is maybe a *.PDF manual file and/or a "README.md" text file and of course the "ZL Equalizer 2.lv2" folder. The "ZL Equalizer 2.lv2" folder (and all of it's default contents" are the *.lv2 plugin. The plugin won't work if you disassemble that folder; it's contents go with it, and I don't think you can safely change the name either.

So, to continue the hypothetical example, inside the "ZL Equalizer 2.lv2" folder is:
lbZL Equalizer 2.so
dsp.ttl
manifest.ttl
ui.ttl

But there's not much need to look in there, since were not going to change anything INSIDE the LV2.

Let's say, my Linux username is "mjolnir".
So, I put the "ZL Equalizer 2.lv2" folder (that was just decompressed) into: /home/mjolnir/.lv2/

Additionally:
Perhaps there was also a "ZL Equalizer 2.vst3" inside of the *.tar.xz archive that was downloaded.
You would put that ENTIRE folder into the "/home/mjolnir/.vst3/" folder, if your username is "mjolnir"

As you can see, there's a pattern to this. CLAP files are different, as they usually just have the *.clap file go manually straight into the /home/username/.clap/ folder

Obviously, you have a different username, so use yours. For example, if your username is "thor", you'd put your *.lv2 folder(s) into "/home/thor/.lv2/". Likewise, you'd put *.clap FILES into "/home/thor/.clap/".

After that, log out and log back in or reboot to be safe.
The plugins are scanned during DAW program startup.
OK, so after reboot/relogin start LMMS again to get it to rescan for plugins.
NOTE: If you just double-click on the LMMS.AppImage it will run and rescan (if it's set to "executable" in your Desktop Environment's "File" >> "Properties" Menu). In that case, the plugin scanning will happen silently, of course.

If you run LMMS from the command line, you'll see a message about how many *.lv2's loaded and how many didn't and LMMS gives a brief message about what you can do about it with environmental variables.

For example: (command line stuff:)

[mjolnir@ragnarok]$ ./lmms.AppImage
[AppRun] Carla appears to be installed on this system at /usr/lib/carla so we'll use it.
[AppRun] Jack appears to be installed on this system, so we'll use it.
[AppRun] Defaulting to QT_QPA_PLATFORM="xcb" for compatibility purposes.
[AppRun] To force wayland, set QT_QPA_PLATFORM="wayland" or call using "-platform wayland".
Lv2 plugin SUMMARY: 220 of 287 loaded in 6494 msecs.
For details about not loaded plugins, please set
environment variable "LMMS_LV2_DEBUG" to nonempty.
Blocked Lv2 Plugins: 16 of 287
If you want to enable them (dangerous!), please set
environment variable "LMMS_ENABLE_BLOCKED_PLUGINS" to nonempty.

I hope this explanation isn't too wordy and I hope I didn't make any logical errors.
Please let us know if this did or didn't work or whatnot.

Again, sorry if this is TMI (too much information) and not enough of a solution.

mjolnir wrote: ↑

August 31st, 2026, 2:16 am

I'm not sure about part II of your question: using Carla.

Thanks for looking into this. If I can get LV2 plugins working then I don't need Carla, don't worry about it.

However, I think the linux distro has the system install *.lv2 files into: "/usr/lib/lv2/"
Meanwhile, the /home/username/.lv2/ folder is where you can manually put the pluginname.lv2 folder(s) containing the *.so files and the possibly accompanying *.ttl files.

When you download LV2 files manually, after you decompress them, each one has a WHOLE_FOLDER.lv2
So, for example, hypothetically, I download "ZL Equalizer 2". Let's say it was stored in "ZL_Equalizer_II.tar.xz". So I fully decompress "ZL_Equalizer_II.tar.xz" and get "ZL_Equalizer_II" folder. Inside the folder is maybe a *.PDF manual file and/or a "README.md" text file and of course the "ZL Equalizer 2.lv2" folder. The "ZL Equalizer 2.lv2" folder (and all of it's default contents" are the *.lv2 plugin. The plugin won't work if you disassemble that folder; it's contents go with it, and I don't think you can safely change the name either.

As you can see from the output of the tree command above, I've manually downloaded the plugins, extracted the .lv2 folders, and copied them, without removing or changing anything inside the .lv2 folder, into a directory where I want LMMS to search for LV2 plugins.

There is no /home/myname/.lv2 folder on my system, but I'm hoping I can just ask LMMS to scan wherever I want, just like with VST and LADSPA plugins, right? For good measure, I've also copied the plugins into /usr/lib64/lv2/, where my distro likes to install LV2 plugins.

After that, log out and log back in or reboot to be safe.
The plugins are scanned during DAW program startup.
OK, so after reboot/relogin start LMMS again to get it to rescan for plugins.

No effect, unfortunately.

NOTE: If you just double-click on the LMMS.AppImage it will run and rescan (if it's set to "executable" in your Desktop Environment's "File" >> "Properties" Menu). In that case, the plugin scanning will happen silently, of course.

If you run LMMS from the command line, you'll see a message about how many *.lv2's loaded and how many didn't and LMMS gives a brief message about what you can do about it with environmental variables.

OK, I get none of this output when running my system's LMMS from the command line:

frc@localhost:~/Bureau/frc/mus/Projects/LMMS> LMMS_LV2_DEBUG="nonempty" lmms
Connection established.

Stream successfully created

It looks like the version I have installed is the latest available from the depot, 1.3.0~ git2024.09.21-2.9. Is that too out of date for LV2 support?

It looks like I am getting some LV2 scanning information in the logs when running the latest (but not the stable) AppImage, but LMMS dumps core because it can't load the GTK library

frc@localhost:~/Bureau/frc/mus/Projects/LMMS> LMMS_LV2_DEBUG="nonempty" ./lmms-1.3.0-alpha.1.102+g89fc6c9-linux-x86_64.AppImage 
Carla appears to be installed on this system at /usr/lib[64]/carla so we'll use it.
Jack appears to be installed on this system, so we'll use it.
QGtkStyle could not resolve GTK. Make sure you have installed the proper libraries.
Notice: could not set realtime priority.
QGtkStyle could not resolve GTK. Make sure you have installed the proper libraries.
Lv2 plugin SUMMARY: 0 of 0  loaded in 0 msecs.
Cannot load library /tmp/.mount_lmms-1BQrvRq/usr/lib/lmms/libcarlarack.so: (/tmp/.mount_lmms-1BQrvRq/usr/lib/libxkbcommon.so.0: version `V_1.10.0' not found (required by /lib64/libSDL3.so.0))
Cannot load library /tmp/.mount_lmms-1BQrvRq/usr/lib/lmms/libcarlapatchbay.so: (/tmp/.mount_lmms-1BQrvRq/usr/lib/libxkbcommon.so.0: version `V_1.10.0' not found (required by /lib64/libSDL3.so.0))
Cannot load library /tmp/.mount_lmms-1BQrvRq/usr/lib/lmms/libcarlabase.so: (/tmp/.mount_lmms-1BQrvRq/usr/lib/libxkbcommon.so.0: version `V_1.10.0' not found (required by /lib64/libSDL3.so.0))
/tmp/.mount_lmms-1BQrvRq/AppRun : ligne 24 : 17437 Erreur de segmentation     (core dumped)QT_X11_NO_NATIVE_MENUBAR=1 "$DIR"/usr/bin/lmms.real "$@"

Any suggested fixes for that? Maybe I should try building from source?

I think it was my distro's fault.
I built LMMS from source and everything just worked. I've never had such a smooth compilation experience before, many thanks to the dev team for that!

sillygoose wrote: ↑

August 30th, 2026, 10:10 pm

Are LV2 plugins actually supported by this version?

Thát is the real good question, but without the release-code -the string after the +-sign in version, it is not possible to say. Afaiu there are lvl2 implemented in at least one Nightly, but witch one do you have?
Post the +String, and we can see what Nightly it is that you have installed.

Besides that, since you are new in Forum
Welcome sillygoose !
Here are all important links:
http://lmms.io/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4740
-A few rules and useful forum instructions
If you like to introduce yourself, to the community, go here:
http://lmms.io/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4480

Ah, glad you got it working via compile.
I hadn't fully realised that you were trying a custom LV2 location instead of the /home/user/.lv2/ default. I forgot to mention that I use the Nightly v1.3.* alphas (appImages); I get much better results with them than with the v1.2.* from my distro.

Happy music making.