CG

CROSSGRIDDER 1.4
Windows VSTs on macOS and Linux
Guide revision: 1.4.1
January, 26th 2022

“CrossGridder stands to AudioGridder

as IronMan stands to Tony Stark.”

Tony Stark is awesome, right?

He has a vast knowledge, but physical limits due to his human
nature, which he surpasses by wearing the armor.

The same happens to AudioGridder when wearing its own:

CrossGridder.

CrossGridder isn't just copying AudioGridder, it's a tool that

expands its functionalities.

Getting to this version required few weeks of trials and

improvements.

Now...
Would you like to learn how laser beams work
when the enemy attacks?

READ THE GUIDE :)

***************************************************************************

DISCLAIMER
*****************************************************************************

. This fle is provided as it is. I would not answer for

any damage caused by its use.

. CrossGridder was tested on different machines and

operative systems; version 1.4 is a universal bottle,
which solves previous compatibility and installation
issues (Mojave > Monterey and US21)

. Furthermore, there is version specifc to High Sierra

and Crossover 20.

. Its predefned settings are intended for Local Setups:

a DAW and CrossGridder coexist on the same machine.

. Additional settings, detailed in this guide, are

necessary to connect it to the AudioGridder plugin.

. CrossGridder is virus-free and built with free and

open-source software.

. CrossGridder is free and it will always be.

To get it, subscribe to my YouTube channel and send
me and email to [email protected].
I will not include you in any mailing list and I will
never ask you for money to have it.

. Reading the guide is suggested, even when you

already have experience with AudioGridder and
CrossGridder.

. AudioGridder and CrossGridder versions are not

dependent.
 CONTENTS

01. What is CrossGridder?

02. What CrossGridder can do for you!

03. Requirements and Limitations

04. CrossGridder: First Run

05. Multiple Servers Setup

06. AudioGridder General Settings

07. Problems Resolution

08. Suggestions, Ideas, Reporting Issues

09. Credits
01. What is CrossGridder?

. CROSSGRIDDER is a bottle for CrossOver 20 and 21.

It mainly contains AudioGridderServer.exe, a Windows
VSTs server which connects to the AudioGridder plugin
through your local host (127.0.0.1).

. It was originally thought to use those Windows-only VSTs

also on Mac and Linux, but you are not limited to them.

. Tested from High Sierra to Monterey and Ubuntu Studio 21.

. A “bottle” is a Windows system reduced to the minimum,

with less functionalities (which we don't need in this
context), but that requires less CPU, RAM and disk space
compared to a virtual machine and is highly customized
to run the best way possible any Windows app we will install
into it.

. As of now, CrossGridder is possibly the best compromise on

macOS and best solution on Linux in its feld.
Other methods (VEP, virtual machines) can coexist in the
same environment, when necessary.

. No particular technical skill is required, only the time and

patience to follow this guide and a previous knowlegde of the
AudioGridder system. For the rest, it's all written here.
02. What CrossGridder can do for you!

.. Run Windows VSTs on macOS and Linux

. Run Windows VSTs through CrossGridder, connecting it to the

AudioGridder plugin.

. Automate parameters activating them from the AudioGridder plugin

and learn them as you would for any other native plugin.

.. Create as many Servers as your system can handle

. Overcome AG server limitation of 1 GUI per server.

.. Be a “separated” environment for VST trial

. Evaluate plugins from inside CrossGridder.

. Leave your system clean, delete the bottle when you decide.

.. Or a great alternative to virtual machines

. Requires less CPU, RAM and Disk Space.

. Generates less audio latency.

. Stop dealing with 2 desktops on 1 screen.

.. Can be used along its past and future versions

. It's not necessary to delete previous bottles, unless wanted.

. This is also the concept behind CrossGridder's multiple servers setup.

.. And you can carry your plugins anywhere

. Just export the bottle and import it on a different system.

(Some fles like presets could have been installed in your main system
folders, check the Aliases and copy the fles needed by the plugin to
transfer them to the new machine).

. iLok License Manager works as a native app, the Soundtoys 5 bundle

was used to transfer and activate the licenses.
Pay attention to don't delete the bottle before de-activating the
licenses tied to it, it would be the same as erasing Windows without
doing it, the only way would be to call the plugin's support service.
03. Requirements and Limitations

. Shared

. Use a light desktop theme to prevent “camoufage” of the AG server

icon in the Menu bar

. Don't change settings or buffer size while composing.

. Install your Windows VSTs inside CrossGridder.

. MacOS

. Works from Mojave to Monterey,HS and prior weren't tested.

. Plugins requiring OpenGL 3.1 compat will not be validated, it is a

Mac limit and for now it is out of my control. (e.g. Softube, SSL).

.Ubuntu Studio 21

. Plugins requiring OpenGL compat 3.1 and above DO work, granted

your GPU supports it.

. CrossGridder was tested on Ubuntu Studio 21 and Ardour.

. Predefned Bottle settings

. High Resolution Mode (CO Sidebar > bottle > Settings)

. Default: Off

. Keep it off to maximize plugins compatibility.

. If a plugin crashes, check if it's on.

. DXVK Backend for D3D11 (CO Sidebar > bottle > Settings)

. Default: Off

. Keep it off to maximize plugins compatibility and prevent crashes.

. Wine Confguration > Graphics > Emulate a virtual desktop

. Default: Off

. Keep it off to prevent server freezing and CPU spikes.

04. CrossGridder: First Run
. This chapter is intended for Local Setups: an AudioGridder
plugin coexists on the same system as CrossGridder.

. Server Setup
. Install CrossOver 20 or 21

. High Sierra: Install CrossOver 20

. Mojave: Installa CrossOver 20 or 21
. Catalina > Monterey / Ubuntu Studio 21: install Crossover 21
. Get the 14 days trial from their website

. Open Crossover: Menu>Bottle>Import>CrossGridder_1.4.cxarchive

. Recreate aliases (Documents, Music …) with Wine Confguration.

. MacOS

. Select CrossGridder from Crossover SideBar

. Drag AudioGridderServer from Program List to Dock

. Launch AudioGridderServer, wait for wine64-preloader

. Quit AudioGridderServer; wine64-preloader remains active.

. Ubuntu Studio/Linux setup

Check the tutorial on CrossGridder's YouTube Channel

. Select CrossGridder from Crossover SideBar

. Pin AudioGridderServer and System Monitor to Menu Bar

. Open both, the server splash screen will be transparent.

. Kill the AudioGridderServer process with ± 25 RAM in use .

. Plugin setup

. Open your DAW, create an empty project.

. Create a midi track, insert an AudioGridder plugin.

. Click the Net icon to reveal “Buffering” “Servers” and “Add”.

. Change Buffer Size to 2 or more blocks

. Click “Add”, type 127.0.0.1 and “Add” once more.

. Click “+” to insert Windows VSTs.

05. Multiple Servers Setup

. There are at least two valid reasons to adopt this confguration:

. If one server freezes, only plugins from that server will freeze.

. Have as many GUIs as you like.

* Tip: Read it as 1 GUI x server, as many servers your system can support.
** Tip: 4 Servers is a good starting point, more than 6 would mostly be not necessary.

. Shared setup: frst part

1. Open Crossover

2. Create 2 CrossGridder copies (right click bottle > Duplicate).

. Rename all bottles as you wish + ID (i.e CG_1.4_S0,CG_1.4_S1...)

* Tip: Don't run AG servers at same time before each one has its ID, or you will get an error.
. MacOS setup

1. Right click an app in Program List > Show in Finder.

2. Rename all AudioGridderServer apps adding their ID:

AudioGridderServer0, AudioGridderServer1, etc..

3. Drag them into the Dock

4. Launch the frst server from the Dock

. Wait for the server splash screen

. Check that wine64-preloader is active in the Dock

. Quit AudioGridderServer(n) from the Dock

. Repeat the same steps for the remaining servers

 * Tip: Only multiple wine64-preloader must run.
Any running AudioGridderServer leads to freezes.

. Ubuntu Studio 21 setup

Check the tutorial on the CrossGridder's YouTube Channel

1. Pin each AudioGridderServer from its CG bottle to the Menu bar,

from left to right, from frst to last, to identify them.

2. Repeat these steps for each AudioGridderServer in the Menu bar:

. Launch the server
. Wait for the server splash screen, It will be transparent.
. Open System Monitor > Processes
. End the AudioGridderServer process using less RAM, ± 25 MB.
. The server splash screen is released and the server is ready.
. If not done, certain plugins will freeze when loading them.

. Shared setup: fnal part

. Open the DAW

. Load the frst AudioGridder plugin.
. Server 0 is ready as 127.0.0.1 after the First Run.
. Connect the plugin to the server if they aren't.
. Load a Windows VST into the AudioGridder plugin.

. Load the second AudioGridder plugin.

. Click on “Add” , type 127.0.0.1:1 then “Add” again.
. Load a Windows VST into the AudioGridder plugin.

*Tip: Repeat this for any additional server, adding 1 to the last used ID.
06. AudioGridder General Settings
. Screens with max res = 1366x768 cut the bottom of the
AudioGridder server settings, just turn on Hir Resultion Mode.

. It is turned off by default in CrossGridder when it's imported, to

maximize the compatibility of the apps we are going to install in it.

. If you see that your plugin is not working with the High-Res mode,
turn it on, modify the server confguration and turn it off.

Default server settings *** Don't change them unless stated otherwise ***

. Server name
. Default: Crossgridder
. It can be changed to any other preferred name.

. Server ID
. Default ID: 0
. Use it as described in the chapters 4 and 5

. Sandboxing
. Default: Off
. Leave it off on a Local Setup to prevent a plugin chain reaction.

. Screen Capturing
. Disabled
. Leave it disabled for the CrossGridder Local Setup to work.

. Local Mode
. Default: On
. On: GUI sent by server moves while moving its AG plugin.
. Off: You can move the 2 windows independently.

. Keep Plugin Windows on Top

. Default: Off
. Can be turned On or Off. Self-explanatory.

. Allow Plugins to be loaded in parallel

. Default: Off
. Shouldn't be necessary for a Local Setup.

. Diagnostic settings
. Default: Off
. Keep them off and turn them on only for reproducible issues.
. AudioGridder Plugin settings

. Generic Editor

. Be sure to turn it off the frst time the AG plugin is used.

. Buffersize

. Never leave it at 0 blocks, set it al least to 2 on recent CPUs.

CPU usage drops and doesn't badly affect the latency due to the
nature of CrossGridder running on a Local Setup.

. Plugin AppTray

. Plugin app tray disabled > Show Monitor > Any DAW crashes

* Tip: Use it to provoke an immediate DAW quit if necessary. BEWARE!!!

. Need help to install the AudioGridder plugin on Linux?

Take a look at chapter 07.3.
07. Problems Resolution

01. Server's freeze

. Abusing server restarts while composing could freeze it.

Solution: force quit its wine64-preload, simulate windows reboot from

within the bottle containing the frozen server to restart it.

. The server icon doesn't go away after force quit wine-64 preloader

Solution: Kill any wine* process.

In any case, it's diffcult to reproduce the issue unless stressing the servers
with frequent restarts while connected to the AudioGridder plugin.

02. Windows installer can't create a folder and fails

Solution: Recreate aliases with Wine Confguration.

03. AudioGridderPlugin – Linux Installation

. Download AG plugin for Linux and extract it. Be sure that the plugin and
server versions are matching.

. In this example we create the folder AGPLinux into Ubuntu Downloads,

where we move the extracted folder, which contains:
.Let’s install the tray app frst:

* Tip: Following instructions are based on the previously created folders.

. Open Konsole (Ubuntu terminal)

. Copy and paste (change <user>):

cd /home/<user>/Downloads/AGPlinux/AudioGridder_1.2.0-beta6-Linux

. Press Enter

. Copy and paste (change <user>):

sudo /home/<user>/Downloads/AGPlinux/AudioGridder_1.2.0-beta6-Linux/install-trayapp-linux.sh

. Press Enter, type system password, press Enter. Done!

. Now install the AudioGridder plugin:

1) Choose A or B:

A) Move the AudioGridder VST2 and VST3 into VST system folders.

B) Add the path to the extracted folder into your DAW.

2) Open your DAW, create a track, insert an AudioGridder plugin. Done!

. How to remove the tray-app, if required.

. Open Konsole

. Repeat the following for each sudo command below :

. Copy and paste into Konsole

. Press Enter

. Type the system password

. Press Enter

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/crashpad_handler

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/AudioGridderPluginTray
08. Suggestions, Ideas, Reporting Issues

. Subscribe to my YouTube, GitHub and Facebook to obtain direct

support.

09. Credits

. AudioGridder by Andreas Pohl/e47

. Codeweavers for Crossover. It's necessary to run CrossGridder

. Inno Setup by Jordan Russell

. Me, for the countless spent testing it.

. You, for trying CrossGridder...

... Consider buying their products or donate if the software is free.