Tests VST3 plugin UIs (.vst3 bundles) in Steinberg's EditorHost without a DAW. Validates editor layouts, controls, resizing, and multiple instances visually.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/audio-plugin-validators:validate-vst3-editorhostThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Minimal VST3 host for testing plugin UIs without a full DAW.
Minimal VST3 host for testing plugin UIs without a full DAW.
editorhost accepts a direct path to a .vst3 bundle.
| Platform | User Location | System Location |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/ | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/ |
| Windows | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\VST3\ | C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\ |
| Linux | ~/.vst3/ | /usr/lib/vst3/ or /usr/local/lib/vst3/ |
editorhost /path/to/plugin.vst3--secondWindowvalidator tests first# Basic usage - load plugin and show UI
editorhost /path/to/plugin.vst3
# With component handler (tests host callbacks)
editorhost --componentHandler /path/to/plugin.vst3
# Open second window (tests multiple editor instances)
editorhost --secondWindow /path/to/plugin.vst3
# Specify a particular effect class by UID
editorhost --uid "ABCD1234..." /path/to/plugin.vst3
| Platform | Typical Path |
|---|---|
| macOS | <vst3sdk>/build/bin/Release/editorhost.app/Contents/MacOS/editorhost |
| Windows | <vst3sdk>\build\bin\Release\editorhost.exe |
| Linux | <vst3sdk>/build/bin/Release/editorhost |
Clone the VST3 SDK if you don't have it, then build:
cd <vst3sdk>
cmake -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build build --target editorhost
Linux: Requires X11 and GTK3 development libraries:
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install libx11-dev libgtkmm-3.0-dev libxcb-util-dev libxcb-cursor-dev libxcb-keysyms1-dev libxcb-xkb-dev
# Fedora
sudo dnf install libX11-devel gtkmm3.0-devel xcb-util-devel xcb-util-cursor-devel xcb-util-keysyms-devel libxkbcommon-x11-devel
validator tests firsthasEditor() returns false)createEditor() is returning a valid viewecho $DISPLAY)defaultEditorSize() returns valid dimensions--secondWindow to see if the issue is with first-time setupnpx claudepluginhub iplug3/audio-plugin-dev-skills --plugin audio-plugin-validatorsValidates VST3 plugins (.vst3 bundles) using Steinberg's official validator tool on macOS, Windows, Linux. Guides usage, options, test suites, building from VST3 SDK, and common issues.
Sets up JUCE audio plugin projects using JUCE-Plugin-Starter template with CMake builds, placeholder replacement, VST3 MIDI generator config, cross-DAW effects, and scripts for macOS/Windows/Linux deployment.
Creates custom document editors for domain-specific file types in Visual Studio extensions, covering LanguageBase for text-based editors and VSSDK IVsEditorFactory for custom designer UIs.