Best solution for loading VST3 plugins

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chimp_spanner
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09 Jun 2021

Hey all. I know there are loaders out there but is there any consensus on which is best/most stable, even if it's paid? Splice just released a bridge plugin to sync playback speed with your project but...as it's a new plugin, it's VST3 only :( Thanks in advance!

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Noise
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09 Jun 2021

I'm using Voltage Modular (cherry audio) and the 'mini-host' module. Bonus added, you can add any module to tweak your sound inside voltage modular and save it as a combi.
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deeplink
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09 Jun 2021

Out of interest, what software or VSTs are we truly missing out on with VST3 not supported?

I don't really follow VSTs so it would be nice to have my knowledge brushed up a bit
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jam-s
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09 Jun 2021

Basically all new releases as Steinberg only gives out VST3 SDK and licenses for it. If a plugin is still released as VST2 as well that's because the developer still has a license to VST2 SDK from the past.

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chimp_spanner
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09 Jun 2021

deeplink wrote:
09 Jun 2021
Out of interest, what software or VSTs are we truly missing out on with VST3 not supported?

I don't really follow VSTs so it would be nice to have my knowledge brushed up a bit
Yeah as the comment above states, basically anything new. I have a very small number of VST3 plugins at this point but I feel like that can and will change pretty quickly.

I do have Voltage modular with the plugin loader yeah! But honestly that seems like overkill, especially if it's just to run a bridge plugin that tempo syncs Splice samples to your project. Was hoping maybe there was one people were using that was literally just a wrapper. No crazy features. You just pick a plugin and go. I will of course try it though.

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eusti
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09 Jun 2021

deeplink wrote:
09 Jun 2021
Out of interest, what software or VSTs are we truly missing out on with VST3 not supported?

I don't really follow VSTs so it would be nice to have my knowledge brushed up a bit
There was actually a thread about that... Unfortunately I cannot find it at the moment! :?

In any case: For Mac users Roland Cloud plugins only come as VST3 (and AU) as far as I recall.
The other one I recall is Melodyne 5.

There are plenty of others... When I need I use Blue Cat Audio's Patchwork.
https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/P ... PatchWork/


D.

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chimp_spanner
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09 Jun 2021

eusti wrote:
09 Jun 2021
deeplink wrote:
09 Jun 2021
Out of interest, what software or VSTs are we truly missing out on with VST3 not supported?

I don't really follow VSTs so it would be nice to have my knowledge brushed up a bit
There was actually a thread about that... Unfortunately I cannot find it at the moment! :?

In any case: For Mac users Roland Cloud plugins only come as VST3 (and AU) as far as I recall.
The other one I recall is Melodyne 5.

There are plenty of others... When I need I use Blue Cat Audio's Patchwork.
https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/P ... PatchWork/


D.
Ahhh thank you Eusti. Yeah that's more what I'm looking for. I feel like I tried a demo one time and couldn't get it going but that was a long time ago. Still...not sure how much appetite I have to spend 100 bucks to add something to the program that should be there. That does sting a bit. I'll see. I'm working in other DAWs atm with RRP so maybe I just need to learn to love Live and Cubase again!

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DaveyG
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09 Jun 2021

deeplink wrote:
09 Jun 2021
Out of interest, what software or VSTs are we truly missing out on with VST3 not supported?

I don't really follow VSTs so it would be nice to have my knowledge brushed up a bit
Melodyne is one big name VST that has dropped VST2 versions from V5 onwards. And, of course, Reason itself only comes as VST3 rather than VST2, obviously not a problem for Reason Standalone users.

But as stated above any new plugin company can no longer produce VST2 and VST3 has some technical improvements so it's not something that will go away. We'll see more and more companies drop their VST2 products in favour of VST3 because they would rather not have to test and debug both types.

A good "streetwise" comparison is here (although note that Live now supports VST3)

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/vst-2 ... es-you-do/

And Steinberg's own description is here. Read the new stuff half way down:
https://www.steinberg.net/en/company/te ... /vst3.html

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MrFigg
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09 Jun 2021

🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

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Despondo
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09 Jun 2021

There are several options I use.

KushView Element: https://kushview.net/
BlueCat Audio Patchwork: https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/P ... PatchWork/

BlueCat Audio's Patchwork is the best I've found so far. I use it to load up Line6 PodFarm AU's since they don't make compatible VST versions for the Mac. The main thing that Patchwork does that Element did not, is properly recall the PodFarm Patches in a saved song. Kushview initializes the patch, so something to test with your plugin before you commit.

My latest goto device for hosting VST3 and AU devices is PluginGuru's Unify. It has the added benefit of not only hosting different flavors of plugin, but it adds SO MUCH MORE in the way of combining things into UBER Instruments and Effects. Plus, it is only $79! It does NOT act as an effect device itself, but I have that as a feature request.

https://www.pluginguru.com/products/unify-standard/
Last edited by Despondo on 09 Jun 2021, edited 1 time in total.

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MrFigg
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09 Jun 2021

Despondo wrote:
09 Jun 2021
There are several options I use.

KushView Element: https://kushview.net/
BlueCat Audio Patchwork: https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/P ... PatchWork/

BlueCat Audio's Patchwork is the best I've found so far. I use it to load up Line6 PodFarm AU's since they don't make compatible VST versions for the Mac. The main thing that Patchwork does that Element did not, is properly recall the PodFarm Patches in a saved song. Kushview initializes the patch, so something to test with your plugin before you commit.

My latest goto device for hosting VST3 and AU devices is PluginGuru's Unify. It has the added benefit of not only hosting different flavors of plugin, but it adds SO MUCH MORE in the way of combining things into UBER Instruments and Effects. Plus, it is only $79!

https://www.pluginguru.com/products/unify-standard/
Man. Do you still use PodFarm?
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Despondo
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09 Jun 2021

MrFigg wrote:
09 Jun 2021
Man. Do you still use PodFarm?
Rarely, but if I want to open up an old project that used the old Line6 devices in it, I have now converted those to using PodFarm with Patchwork. That way, I get the same exact sound I had with the old devices.

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MrFigg
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09 Jun 2021

Despondo wrote:
09 Jun 2021
MrFigg wrote:
09 Jun 2021
Man. Do you still use PodFarm?
Rarely, but if I want to open up an old project that used the old Line6 devices in it, I have now converted those to using PodFarm with Patchwork. That way, I get the same exact sound I had with the old devices.
Aa. Right. Got you now.
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avasopht
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09 Jun 2021

Roland zenology

Steedus
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10 Jun 2021

Yeah I don't really get the "all new plugins are VTS3 only" argument .. I'm sure I've bought VST2s from Audiothing, Felt Instruments and a few others that were released this year or last (time flies) and they all support VST2. In fact the only plugin I own which is VST3 only is the Plugin Boutique freebie this month: Presonus FAT Channel

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East Island
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10 Jun 2021

Noise wrote:
09 Jun 2021
I'm using Voltage Modular (cherry audio) and the 'mini-host' module. Bonus added, you can add any module to tweak your sound inside voltage modular and save it as a combi.
And feels very stable.
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East Island
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10 Jun 2021

deeplink wrote:
09 Jun 2021
Out of interest, what software or VSTs are we truly missing out on with VST3 not supported?

I don't really follow VSTs so it would be nice to have my knowledge brushed up a bit
Surge a very nice open source plugin no longer uses VST2.
And there will be more plugins without VST2 support.
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https://soundcloud.com/east-island

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chimp_spanner
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10 Jun 2021

Steedus wrote:
10 Jun 2021
Yeah I don't really get the "all new plugins are VTS3 only" argument .. I'm sure I've bought VST2s from Audiothing, Felt Instruments and a few others that were released this year or last (time flies) and they all support VST2. In fact the only plugin I own which is VST3 only is the Plugin Boutique freebie this month: Presonus FAT Channel
They may have been started before Steinberg ceased issuing VST2 licenses. All I know for sure is that the list of things that won't work will only get bigger, not smaller.

olive6741
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10 Jun 2021

Kushview Élément is great and it’s free or donation ware. There’s also Metaplugin from Ddmf.eu, same philosophy, not expensive. And updated frequently as well.

SpeculationStudios
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10 Jun 2021

Could a Rack Extension not be made that would host VST3 like BlueCat? Either by an RE developer or even by Reason Studios themselves as a short term solution until they make the DAW compatible (if indeed they plan on continuing to develop the DAW).
Admittedly, I know nothing about writing software code and so perhaps that's a dumb suggestion.

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jam-s
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10 Jun 2021

SpeculationStudios wrote:
10 Jun 2021
Could a Rack Extension not be made that would host VST3 like BlueCat?
No, the RE SDK has no functionality for directly accessing files in any place of the OS. So a RE could not even locate and especially not load any VST.

SpeculationStudios
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10 Jun 2021

jam-s wrote:
10 Jun 2021
SpeculationStudios wrote:
10 Jun 2021
Could a Rack Extension not be made that would host VST3 like BlueCat?
No, the RE SDK has no functionality for directly accessing files in any place of the OS. So a RE could not even locate and especially not load any VST.
Gotcha. Bummer.

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chimp_spanner
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11 Jun 2021

Ahhh FFS just bought the Atlas 2 update. VST3 only. Dammit.

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reusenoise
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11 Jun 2021

chimp_spanner wrote:
11 Jun 2021
Ahhh FFS just bought the Atlas 2 update. VST3 only. Dammit.
. Vsti it's available I just installed a couple of days ago and run in Reason with no problmem

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chimp_spanner
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11 Jun 2021

reusenoise wrote:
11 Jun 2021
chimp_spanner wrote:
11 Jun 2021
Ahhh FFS just bought the Atlas 2 update. VST3 only. Dammit.
. Vsti it's available I just installed a couple of days ago and run in Reason with no problmem
I have Atlas 1, that works as it is VST2. But the specs for Atlas 2 say:

"System Requirements
Atlas 2 can run as a Standalone application or as a VST3 or AU plugin in all major DAWs."

Also it's not showing up in Reason so I guess it really is VST3 only :(

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