FX Module
Host VST2 and VST3 plugin chains anywhere in your signal path, with per-effect bypass, drag reordering and reported latency.
An FX Module is a plugin host you drop into your signal path. Audio enters the IN port, passes through a chain of VST plugins in order, and leaves the OUT port.
An FX Module holding three effects, one of them bypassed.
fx-module-chainWhen to use it#
- Compress and EQ a microphone before it reaches your stream
- Add reverb to a hardware synth without a DAW
- Put a limiter on your final output as protection
- Apply noise reduction to a noisy input
Adding one#
Right-click the canvas → Mixing & Effects → FX Module.
Connect a source to its IN port and its OUT port onward:
Building the chain#
Click + Add Effect on the node. The plugin picker opens with everything Routling has scanned; search by name.
The plugin picker with a search active.
fx-plugin-pickerEffects process top to bottom, in the order shown.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Add | + Add Effect |
| Reorder | Drag an effect up or down |
| Bypass | Click its bypass control - it turns off but stays in the chain |
| Open the plugin's own UI | Click the editor control |
| Remove | Click the remove control |
Order matters. A gate before a compressor behaves differently from a compressor before a gate.
Plugin formats and scanning#
Routling loads VST2 (.dll) and VST3 (.vst3) plugins. Plugins must be 64-bit.
Default scan locations:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VST3
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Steinberg\VST2
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\VST3
%PROGRAMDATA%\VST3Add your own directories in Preferences → Plugins, then click Rescan Plugins. The tab reports how many were found.
Latency#
Each FX Module reports its IN→OUT latency in samples. That figure is:
- one processing block of structural delay, inherent to the module - it is non-zero even with an empty chain, and
- each active plugin's own reported latency
Bypassing a plugin removes its contribution. The toolbar's latency readout includes the worst FX Module on the canvas, so it always reflects the longest real path. See Latency and Buffers.
Linear-phase EQs and lookahead limiters are the usual causes of a sudden jump.
Plugin state#
Plugin settings are saved with your session and restored when you load it. If a plugin fails to load on restore, it is removed from the chain and the activity log records which one.
When a plugin will not load#
A dialog explains the failure. The common causes:
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| 32-bit plugin | Not supported - find a 64-bit build |
| Licence or dongle inactive | Activate it in the vendor's own manager |
| Missing dependency | Reinstall the plugin |
| Plugin crashed on init | Check the activity log for detail |
Routling isolates plugin loading, so a badly behaved plugin should not take the app down with it.
Limits and gotchas#
- Free tier: one FX Module.
- Plugins run in the real-time audio path. A heavy chain at a small buffer will cause dropouts - raise the buffer or lighten the chain.
- Instrument plugins are not the target here; FX Modules process incoming audio.
- Removing an FX Module removes its whole chain.
Related#
- Latency and Buffers - what plugins cost you
- Preferences - scan paths
- Ducker - automatic level control, no plugin needed