# Background

The Linux Audio Developer's Simple Plugin API (LADSPA) originates in frustration on the part of Richard Furse with the lack of consensus on a standard audio plugin API for Linux. The API is intended to describe a very light-weight plugin form that can be handled by many types of host. To achieve this simplicity various compromises are made, notably the presence of only one data type (float).

Technical documentation is contained in the `ladspa.h` header file. When clashes occur between this file and external documentation then the header file should be considered the definitive version.

The `ladspa.h` header file includes direct contributions by Richard W.E. Furse, Paul Barton-Davis and Stefan Westerfeld. Many additional contributions have been made by the members of the Linux Audio Developer's mailing list after whom the plugin is named. Thanks in particular to Alexander Konig.