diff --git a/distrho/extra/String.hpp b/distrho/extra/String.hpp
index b7fda927..015ff49e 100644
--- a/distrho/extra/String.hpp
+++ b/distrho/extra/String.hpp
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ public:
     /*
      * Get length of the string.
      */
-    std::size_t length() const noexcept
+    size_t length() const noexcept
     {
         return fBufferLen;
     }
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ public:
      */
     bool contains(const char c) const noexcept
     {
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i<fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i<fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             if (fBuffer[i] == c)
                 return true;
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ public:
     /*
      * Check if character at 'pos' is a digit.
      */
-    bool isDigit(const std::size_t pos) const noexcept
+    bool isDigit(const size_t pos) const noexcept
     {
         DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(pos < fBufferLen, false);
 
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ public:
     {
         DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(prefix != nullptr, false);
 
-        const std::size_t prefixLen(std::strlen(prefix));
+        const size_t prefixLen(std::strlen(prefix));
 
         if (fBufferLen < prefixLen)
             return false;
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ public:
     {
         DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(suffix != nullptr, false);
 
-        const std::size_t suffixLen(std::strlen(suffix));
+        const size_t suffixLen(std::strlen(suffix));
 
         if (fBufferLen < suffixLen)
             return false;
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ public:
      * Find the first occurrence of character 'c' in the string.
      * Returns "length()" if the character is not found.
      */
-    std::size_t find(const char c, bool* const found = nullptr) const noexcept
+    size_t find(const char c, bool* const found = nullptr) const noexcept
     {
         if (fBufferLen == 0 || c == '\0')
         {
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ public:
             return fBufferLen;
         }
 
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             if (fBuffer[i] == c)
             {
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ public:
      * Find the first occurrence of string 'strBuf' in the string.
      * Returns "length()" if the string is not found.
      */
-    std::size_t find(const char* const strBuf, bool* const found = nullptr) const noexcept
+    size_t find(const char* const strBuf, bool* const found = nullptr) const noexcept
     {
         if (fBufferLen == 0 || strBuf == nullptr || strBuf[0] == '\0')
         {
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ public:
 
             if (found != nullptr)
                 *found = true;
-            return static_cast<std::size_t>(ret);
+            return static_cast<size_t>(ret);
         }
 
         if (found != nullptr)
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ public:
      * Find the last occurrence of character 'c' in the string.
      * Returns "length()" if the character is not found.
      */
-    std::size_t rfind(const char c, bool* const found = nullptr) const noexcept
+    size_t rfind(const char c, bool* const found = nullptr) const noexcept
     {
         if (fBufferLen == 0 || c == '\0')
         {
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ public:
             return fBufferLen;
         }
 
-        for (std::size_t i=fBufferLen; i > 0; --i)
+        for (size_t i=fBufferLen; i > 0; --i)
         {
             if (fBuffer[i-1] == c)
             {
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ public:
      * Find the last occurrence of string 'strBuf' in the string.
      * Returns "length()" if the string is not found.
      */
-    std::size_t rfind(const char* const strBuf, bool* const found = nullptr) const noexcept
+    size_t rfind(const char* const strBuf, bool* const found = nullptr) const noexcept
     {
         if (found != nullptr)
             *found = false;
@@ -496,12 +496,12 @@ public:
         if (fBufferLen == 0 || strBuf == nullptr || strBuf[0] == '\0')
             return fBufferLen;
 
-        const std::size_t strBufLen(std::strlen(strBuf));
+        const size_t strBufLen(std::strlen(strBuf));
 
-        std::size_t ret = fBufferLen;
+        size_t ret = fBufferLen;
         const char* tmpBuf = fBuffer;
 
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             if (std::strstr(tmpBuf+1, strBuf) == nullptr && std::strncmp(tmpBuf, strBuf, strBufLen) == 0)
             {
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ public:
     {
         DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(before != '\0' /* && after != '\0' */, *this);
 
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             if (fBuffer[i] == before)
                 fBuffer[i] = after;
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ public:
         if (fBufferLen == 0)
             return *this;
 
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             if (fBuffer[i] == c)
             {
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ public:
     /*
      * Truncate the string to size 'n'.
      */
-    String& truncate(const std::size_t n) noexcept
+    String& truncate(const size_t n) noexcept
     {
         if (n >= fBufferLen)
             return *this;
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ public:
      */
     String& toBasic() noexcept
     {
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             if (fBuffer[i] >= '0' && fBuffer[i] <= '9')
                 continue;
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ public:
     {
         static constexpr const char kCharDiff = 'a' - 'A';
 
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             if (fBuffer[i] >= 'A' && fBuffer[i] <= 'Z')
                 fBuffer[i] = static_cast<char>(fBuffer[i] + kCharDiff);
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ public:
     {
         static constexpr const char kCharDiff = 'a' - 'A';
 
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             if (fBuffer[i] >= 'a' && fBuffer[i] <= 'z')
                 fBuffer[i] = static_cast<char>(fBuffer[i] - kCharDiff);
@@ -688,31 +688,28 @@ public:
     // base64 stuff, based on http://www.adp-gmbh.ch/cpp/common/base64.html
     // Copyright (C) 2004-2008 René Nyffenegger
 
-    static String asBase64(const void* const data, const std::size_t dataSize)
+    static String asBase64(const void* const data, const size_t dataSize)
     {
         static constexpr const char* const kBase64Chars =
             "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ"
             "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"
             "0123456789+/";
 
-       #ifndef _MSC_VER
-        const std::size_t kTmpBufSize = std::min(d_nextPowerOf2(static_cast<uint32_t>(dataSize/3)), 65536U);
-       #else
-        constexpr std::size_t kTmpBufSize = 65536U;
-       #endif
+        const size_t strBufSize = std::min(d_nextPowerOf2(static_cast<uint32_t>(dataSize/3)), 65536U);
+        char* strBuf = static_cast<char*>(std::malloc(strBufSize));
+        DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(strBuf != nullptr, String());
 
-        const uchar* bytesToEncode((const uchar*)data);
+        strBuf[strBufSize] = '\0';
+        size_t strBufIndex = 0;
+
+        const uchar* bytesToEncode = static_cast<const uchar*>(data);
 
         uint i=0, j=0;
         uint charArray3[3], charArray4[4];
 
-        char strBuf[kTmpBufSize + 1];
-        strBuf[kTmpBufSize] = '\0';
-        std::size_t strBufIndex = 0;
-
         String ret;
 
-        for (std::size_t s=0; s<dataSize; ++s)
+        for (size_t s = 0; s < dataSize; ++s)
         {
             charArray3[i++] = *(bytesToEncode++);
 
@@ -723,10 +720,10 @@ public:
                 charArray4[2] = ((charArray3[1] & 0x0f) << 2) + ((charArray3[2] & 0xc0) >> 6);
                 charArray4[3] =   charArray3[2] & 0x3f;
 
-                for (i=0; i<4; ++i)
+                for (i = 0; i < 4; ++i)
                     strBuf[strBufIndex++] = kBase64Chars[charArray4[i]];
 
-                if (strBufIndex >= kTmpBufSize-7)
+                if (strBufIndex >= strBufSize - 7)
                 {
                     strBuf[strBufIndex] = '\0';
                     strBufIndex = 0;
@@ -739,7 +736,7 @@ public:
 
         if (i != 0)
         {
-            for (j=i; j<3; ++j)
+            for (j = i; j < 3; ++j)
               charArray3[j] = '\0';
 
             charArray4[0] =  (charArray3[0] & 0xfc) >> 2;
@@ -747,7 +744,7 @@ public:
             charArray4[2] = ((charArray3[1] & 0x0f) << 2) + ((charArray3[2] & 0xc0) >> 6);
             charArray4[3] =   charArray3[2] & 0x3f;
 
-            for (j=0; j<4 && i<3 && j<i+1; ++j)
+            for (j = 0; j < 4 && i < 3 && j < i + 1; ++j)
                 strBuf[strBufIndex++] = kBase64Chars[charArray4[j]];
 
             for (; i++ < 3;)
@@ -760,6 +757,7 @@ public:
             ret += strBuf;
         }
 
+        std::free(strBuf);
         return ret;
     }
 
@@ -778,7 +776,7 @@ public:
 
         char* newbufptr = newbuf;
 
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             const char c = fBuffer[i];
 
@@ -901,7 +899,7 @@ public:
 
         char* newbufptr = newbuf;
 
-        for (std::size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
+        for (size_t i=0; i < fBufferLen; ++i)
         {
             const char c = fBuffer[i];
 
@@ -957,19 +955,16 @@ public:
         return fBuffer;
     }
 
-    char operator[](const std::size_t pos) const noexcept
+    char operator[](const size_t pos) const noexcept
     {
         if (pos < fBufferLen)
             return fBuffer[pos];
 
         d_safe_assert("pos < fBufferLen", __FILE__, __LINE__);
-
-        static char fallback;
-        fallback = '\0';
-        return fallback;
+        return '\0';
     }
 
-    char& operator[](const std::size_t pos) noexcept
+    char& operator[](const size_t pos) noexcept
     {
         if (pos < fBufferLen)
             return fBuffer[pos];
@@ -1020,7 +1015,7 @@ public:
         if (strBuf == nullptr || strBuf[0] == '\0')
             return *this;
 
-        const std::size_t strBufLen = std::strlen(strBuf);
+        const size_t strBufLen = std::strlen(strBuf);
 
         // for empty strings, we can just take the appended string as our entire data
         if (isEmpty())
@@ -1054,8 +1049,8 @@ public:
         if (isEmpty())
             return String(strBuf);
 
-        const std::size_t strBufLen = std::strlen(strBuf);
-        const std::size_t newBufSize = fBufferLen + strBufLen;
+        const size_t strBufLen = std::strlen(strBuf);
+        const size_t newBufSize = fBufferLen + strBufLen;
         char* const newBuf = static_cast<char*>(std::malloc(newBufSize + 1));
         DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(newBuf != nullptr, String());
 
@@ -1080,7 +1075,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
     char*       fBuffer;      // the actual string buffer
-    std::size_t fBufferLen;   // string length
+    size_t fBufferLen;   // string length
     bool        fBufferAlloc; // wherever the buffer is allocated, not using _null()
 
     /*
@@ -1101,7 +1096,7 @@ private:
      * - Allocates string only if 'strBuf' is not null and new string contents are different
      * - If 'strBuf' is null, 'size' must be 0
      */
-    void _dup(const char* const strBuf, const std::size_t size = 0) noexcept
+    void _dup(const char* const strBuf, const size_t size = 0) noexcept
     {
         if (strBuf != nullptr)
         {
@@ -1158,9 +1153,9 @@ String operator+(const String& strBefore, const char* const strBufAfter) noexcep
     if (strBefore.isEmpty())
         return String(strBufAfter);
 
-    const std::size_t strBeforeLen = strBefore.length();
-    const std::size_t strBufAfterLen = std::strlen(strBufAfter);
-    const std::size_t newBufSize = strBeforeLen + strBufAfterLen;
+    const size_t strBeforeLen = strBefore.length();
+    const size_t strBufAfterLen = std::strlen(strBufAfter);
+    const size_t newBufSize = strBeforeLen + strBufAfterLen;
     char* const newBuf = static_cast<char*>(malloc(newBufSize + 1));
     DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(newBuf != nullptr, String());
 
@@ -1178,9 +1173,9 @@ String operator+(const char* const strBufBefore, const String& strAfter) noexcep
     if (strBufBefore == nullptr || strBufBefore[0] == '\0')
         return strAfter;
 
-    const std::size_t strBufBeforeLen = std::strlen(strBufBefore);
-    const std::size_t strAfterLen = strAfter.length();
-    const std::size_t newBufSize = strBufBeforeLen + strAfterLen;
+    const size_t strBufBeforeLen = std::strlen(strBufBefore);
+    const size_t strAfterLen = strAfter.length();
+    const size_t newBufSize = strBufBeforeLen + strAfterLen;
     char* const newBuf = static_cast<char*>(malloc(newBufSize + 1));
     DISTRHO_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(newBuf != nullptr, String());
 
diff --git a/distrho/src/DistrhoPluginVST2.cpp b/distrho/src/DistrhoPluginVST2.cpp
index 686341a8..a45f927b 100644
--- a/distrho/src/DistrhoPluginVST2.cpp
+++ b/distrho/src/DistrhoPluginVST2.cpp
@@ -398,8 +398,8 @@ public:
         {
             parameterValues = new float[parameterCount];
 
-            for (uint32_t i=0; i < parameterCount; ++i)
-                parameterValues[i] = NAN;
+            for (uint32_t i = 0; i < parameterCount; ++i)
+                parameterValues[i] = fPlugin.getParameterDefault(i);
         }
 
        #if DISTRHO_PLUGIN_WANT_MIDI_INPUT
diff --git a/distrho/src/jackbridge/JackBridge.cpp b/distrho/src/jackbridge/JackBridge.cpp
index 7c5633d0..c4c44b54 100644
--- a/distrho/src/jackbridge/JackBridge.cpp
+++ b/distrho/src/jackbridge/JackBridge.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ typedef void* lib_t;
 #  pragma clang diagnostic push
 #  pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wdeprecated-declarations"
 #  pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wunused-but-set-variable"
+#  if __clang_major__ >= 17
+#   pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wvla-cxx-extension"
+#  endif
 # endif
 # include "RtAudioBridge.hpp"
 # ifdef RTAUDIO_API_TYPE