vban-cmd 2.7.0

Python interface for the VBAN RT Packet Service (Sendtext)

VBAN CMD

This python interface allows you to send Voicemeeter/Matrix commands over a network.

It offers the same public API as Voicemeeter Remote Python API.

Only the VBAN SERVICE/TEXT subprotocols are supported, there is no support for AUDIO or MIDI in this package.

For an outline of past/future changes refer to: CHANGELOG

Tested against

• Basic 1.1.2.2
• Banana 2.1.2.2
• Potato 3.1.2.2

Requirements

• Voicemeeter
• Python 3.10 or greater

Installation

pip install vban-cmd

Use

Connection

Load VBAN connection info from toml config. A valid vban.toml might look like this:

[connection]
ip = "gamepc.local"
port = 6980
streamname = "Command1"

It should be placed in <user home directory> / "Documents" / "Voicemeeter" / "configs"

Alternatively you may pass ip, port, streamname as keyword arguments.

__main__.py

Simplest use case, use a context manager to request a VbanCmd class of a kind.

Login and logout are handled for you in this scenario.

import vban_cmd


class ManyThings:
    def __init__(self, vban):
        self.vban = vban

    def things(self):
        self.vban.strip[0].label = 'podmic'
        self.vban.strip[0].mute = True
        print(
            f'strip 0 ({self.vban.strip[0].label}) mute has been set to {self.vban.strip[0].mute}'
        )

    def other_things(self):
        self.vban.bus[3].gain = -6.3
        self.vban.bus[4].eq = True
        info = (
            f'bus 3 gain has been set to {self.vban.bus[3].gain}',
            f'bus 4 eq has been set to {self.vban.bus[4].eq}',
        )
        print('\n'.join(info))


def main():
    KIND_ID = 'banana'

    with vban_cmd.api(
        KIND_ID, ip='gamepc.local', port=6980, streamname='Command1'
    ) as vban:
        do = ManyThings(vban)
        do.things()
        do.other_things()

        # set many parameters at once
        vban.apply(
            {
                'strip-2': {'A1': True, 'B1': True, 'gain': -6.0},
                'bus-2': {'mute': True},
                'vban-in-0': {'on': True},
            }
        )


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Otherwise you must remember to call vban.login(), vban.logout() at the start/end of your code.

KIND_ID

Pass the kind of Voicemeeter as an argument. KIND_ID may be:

• basic
• banana
• potato

A fourth kind matrix has been added, if you pass it as a KIND_ID you are expected to use the {VbanCmd}.sendtext() method for sending text requests.

Available commands

Strip

The following properties are available.

• mono: boolean
• solo: boolean
• mute: boolean
• label: string
• gain: float, -60 to 12
• A1 - A5, B1 - B3: boolean
• limit: int, from -40 to 12

example:

vban.strip[3].gain = 3.7
print(vban.strip[0].label)

The following methods are available.

• appgain(name, value): string, float, from 0.0 to 1.0

Set the gain in db by value for the app matching name.

• appmute(name, value): string, bool

Set mute state as value for the app matching name.

example:

vban.strip[5].appmute('Spotify', True)
vban.strip[5].appgain('Spotify', 0.5)

Strip.Comp

The following properties are available.

• knob: float, from 0.0 to 10.0
• gainin: float, from -24.0 to 24.0
• ratio: float, from 1.0 to 8.0
• threshold: float, from -40.0 to -3.0
• attack: float, from 0.0 to 200.0
• release: float, from 0.0 to 5000.0
• knee: float, from 0.0 to 1.0
• gainout: float, from -24.0 to 24.0
• makeup: boolean

example:

print(vban.strip[4].comp.knob)

Strip Comp knob is defined for all versions, all other parameters potato only.

Strip.Gate

The following properties are available.

• knob: float, from 0.0 to 10.0
• threshold: float, from -60.0 to -10.0
• damping: float, from -60.0 to -10.0
• bpsidechain: int, from 100 to 4000
• attack: float, from 0.0 to 1000.0
• hold: float, from 0.0 to 5000.0
• release: float, from 0.0 to 5000.0

example:

vban.strip[2].gate.attack = 300.8

Strip Gate knob is defined for all versions, all other parameters potato only.

Strip.Denoiser

The following properties are available.

• knob: float, from 0.0 to 10.0

strip.denoiser properties are defined as write only, potato version only.

Strip.EQ

The following properties are available.

• on: boolean
• ab: boolean

example:

vban.strip[0].eq.ab = True

Strip.EQ.Channel.Cell

The following properties are available.

• on: boolean
• type: int, from 0 up to 6
• f: float, from 20.0 up to 20_000.0
• gain: float, from -36.0 up to 18.0
• q: float, from 0.3 up to 100

example:

vban.strip[0].eq.channel[0].cell[2].on = True
vban.strip[1].eq.channel[0].cell[2].f = 5000

Strip EQ parameters are defined for PhysicalStrips, potato version only.

Only channel[0] properties are readable over VBAN.

Gainlayers

• gain: float, from -60.0 to 12.0

example:

vban.strip[3].gainlayer[3].gain = 3.7

Gainlayers are defined for potato version only.

Levels

The following properties are available.

• prefader

example:

print(vban.strip[3].levels.prefader)

Level properties will return -200.0 if no audio detected.

Bus

The following properties are available.

• mono: boolean
• mute: boolean
• label: string
• gain: float, -60 to 12

example:

print(vban.bus[0].label)

Bus.EQ

The following properties are available.

• on: boolean
• ab: boolean

vban.bus[4].eq.on = true

Modes

The following properties are available.

• normal: boolean
• amix: boolean
• bmix: boolean
• composite: boolean
• tvmix: boolean
• upmix21: boolean
• upmix41: boolean
• upmix61: boolean
• centeronly: boolean
• lfeonly: boolean
• rearonly: boolean

The following methods are available.

• get(): Returns the current bus mode

example:

vban.bus[4].mode.amix = True

print(vban.bus[2].mode.get())

Levels

The following properties are available.

• all

example:

print(vban.bus[0].levels.all)

levels.all will return -200.0 if no audio detected.

Strip | Bus

The following methods are available.

• fadeto(amount, time): float, int
• fadeby(amount, time): float, int

Modify gain to or by the selected amount in db over a time interval in ms.

example:

vban.strip[0].fadeto(-10.3, 1000)
vban.bus[3].fadeby(-5.6, 500)

Command

Certain 'special' commands are defined by the API as performing actions rather than setting values. The following methods are available:

• show() : Bring Voiceemeter GUI to the front
• shutdown() : Shuts down the GUI
• restart() : Restart the audio engine
• reset(): Applies the reset config. (phys strip B1, virt strip A1, gains, comp, gate 0.0, mute, mono, solo, eq false)

The following properties are write only and accept boolean values.

• showvbanchat: boolean
• lock: boolean

example:

vban.command.restart()
vban.command.showvbanchat = true

Multiple parameters

• apply Set many strip/bus parameters at once, for example:

vban.apply(
    {
        'strip-0': {'A1': True, 'B1': True, 'gain': -6.0},
        'bus-1': {'mute': True, 'mode': 'composite'},
        'bus-2': {'eq': {'on': True}},
        'vban-in-0': {'on': True},
    }
)

Or for each class you may do:

vban.strip[0].apply({'mute': True, 'gain': 3.2, 'A1': True})
vban.vban.outstream[0].apply({'on': True, 'name': 'streamname', 'bit': 24})

Config Files

vban.apply_config(<configname>)

You may load config files in TOML format. Three example configs have been included with the package. Remember to save current settings before loading a user config. To load one you may do:

import vban_cmd
with vban_cmd.api('banana') as vban:
    vban.apply_config('example')

will load a config file at configs/banana/example.toml for Voicemeeter Banana.

Your configs may be located in one of the following paths:

• <current working directory> / "configs" / kind_id
• <user home directory> / ".config" / "vban-cmd" / kind_id
• <user home directory> / "Documents" / "Voicemeeter" / "configs" / kind_id

If a config with the same name is located in multiple locations, only the first one found is loaded into memory, in the above order.

config extends

You may also load a config that extends another config with overrides or additional parameters.

You just need to define a key extends in the config TOML, that names the config to be extended.

Three example 'extender' configs are included with the repo. You may load them with:

import vban_cmd
with vban_cmd.api('banana') as vm:
    vm.apply_config('extender')

Events

Level updates are considered high volume, by default they are NOT listened for. Use subs keyword arg to initialize event updates.

example:

import vban_cmd

opts = {
    'ip': '<ip address>',
    'streamname': 'Command1',
    'port': 6980,
}
with vban_cmd.api('banana', ldirty=True, **opts) as vban:
    ...

vban.subject

Use the Subject class to register an app as event observer.

The following methods are available:

• add: registers an app as an event observer
• remove: deregisters an app as an event observer

example:

# register an app to receive updates
class App():
    def __init__(self, vban):
        vban.subject.add(self)
        ...

vban.event

Use the event class to toggle updates as necessary.

The following properties are available:

• pdirty: boolean
• ldirty: boolean

example:

vban.event.ldirty = True

vban.event.pdirty = False

Or add, remove a list of events.

The following methods are available:

• add()
• remove()
• get()

example:

vban.event.remove(['pdirty', 'ldirty'])

# get a list of currently subscribed
print(vban.event.get())

VbanCmd class

vban_cmd.api(kind_id: str, **opts)

You may pass the following optional keyword arguments:

• ip: str='localhost', ip or hostname of remote machine
• port: int=6980, vban udp port of remote machine.
• streamname: str='Command1', name of the stream to connect to.
• bps: int=256000, bps rate of the stream.
• channel: int=0, channel on which to send the UDP requests.
• pdirty: boolean=False, parameter updates
• ldirty: boolean=False, level updates
• timeout: int=5, amount of time (seconds) to wait for an incoming RT data packet (parameter states).
• disable_rt_listeners: boolean=False, set True if you don't wish to receive RT packets.
  • You can still send Matrix string requests ending with ? and receive a response.

vban.pdirty

True iff a parameter has been changed.

vban.ldirty

True iff a level value has been changed.

vban.sendtext(script)

Sends a script block as a string request, for example:

vban.sendtext('Strip[0].Mute=1;Bus[0].Mono=1')

You can even use it to send matrix commands:

vban.sendtext('Point(ASIO128.IN[1..4],ASIO128.OUT[1]).dBGain = -3.0')

vban.sendtext('Command.Version = ?')

Errors

• errors.VBANCMDError: Base VBANCMD Exception class.
• errors.VBANCMDConnectionError: Exception raised when connection/timeout errors occur.

Logging

It's possible to see the messages sent by the interface's setters and getters, may be useful for debugging.

example:

import vban_cmd

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)

opts = {'ip': 'ip.local', 'port': 6980, 'streamname': 'Command1'}
with vban_cmd.api('banana', **opts) as vban:
    ...

Run tests

Install poetry and then:

poetry poe test-basic
poetry poe test-banana
poetry poe test-potato

Resources

• Voicemeeter VBAN TEXT

• Voicemeeter RT Packet Service