PG Music Home Forums User-to-User Post your own Tips and Tricks here VST/VSTi Management

I posted this in the main forum, and several folks requested I post it in Tips and Tricks, so here it is.

I'm sure others do it very differently, but here's what I do for managing VST plugins. When I install a new plugin, if I am offered to specify a location for it, then I save it in one of several subfolders to my d:\AppsData\VST folder. These VST folder contains both VST effects and VSTi instruments. If both 32-bit and 64-bit plugins are available, then I install both 32-bit and 64-bit plugins. This system isn't perfect, but it certainly helps me wrangle all my VST's. I have effects and instruments from IK-Multimedia, Native Instruments, Wallander Instruments, DSK, Cakewalk, and from all over the internet.

• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit <-- VST's with corresponding 64-bit version
• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only <-- VST's that only come in 32-bit version
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit <-- VST's with corresponding 32-bit version
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only <-- VST's that only come in 64-bit version

So if the product has both 32-bit and 64-bit VST's, I install 32-bit VST's into the "32-bit" folder and the 64-bit VST's into the "64-bit" folder. If a product has only a 32-bit version, then I install into "32-bit only" and if it only has a 64-bit version, then I install into "64-bit only". If a product doesn't let me specify, I make note of where the VST is placed and then move it to the appropriate folder.

I also have jBridge installed. You don't have to do anything for DAW's that automatically sense jbridge is installed, but for DAW's that don't automatically "bridge" VST's, I run the jbridger.exe utility. When you installed jbridge, you'll see it in your start menu. At it's basic, all you need to know is your source location for VST's and where you want to save your "bridged" VST's. Basically, jbridge installs a wrapper on the VST with a pointer to it's original location. So be careful if you add/move/delete any VST's, as you will have to run the utility again to update the information. jBridge lets you run 64-bit plugins in 32-bit hosts, as well as let you run 32-bit plugins in 64-bit hosts.

For jbridger, I set up two folders called:

• d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\32-bit VST for 64-bit DAW
• d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\64-bit VST for 32-bit DAW

I then run the jbridger utility and select the "d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only" folder as the source for "32-bit VST for 64-bit DAW" destination. All the subfolders in my source folder get replicated to the jbridge folder, so everything looks the same.

I run the jbridger utility again and select the "d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only" folder as the source for "64-bit VST for 32-bit DAW" destination. All the subfolders in my source folder get replicated to the jbridge folder, so everything looks the same.

I don't run jbridger on the other folders, since for each 32-bit VST, there is already a corresponding 64-bit VST (and vice versa). But for completeness you could do that.

For 64-bit apps such as Sonar which automatically scan VST's and perform automatic bridging, I select the following VST folders to scan (I don't need to include the 32-bit folder, since I already have corresponding 64-bit versions of the VST):

• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only

For 32-bit apps, such as Sonar, which automatically scan VST's and perform automatic bridging, I select the following folders to scan (I don't need to include the 64-bit folder, since I already have corresponding 32-bit versions of the VST - yes, I might want to run a 64-bit VST in the host, but I would most likely just use the 64-bit host in the first place):

• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only

In a 64-bit DAW that automatically scan's VST's, but does NOT perform automatic bridging, I select the following folders to scan:

• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only
• d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\32-bit VST for 64-bit DAW

In a 32-bit DAW that automatically scan's VST's, but does NOT perform automatic bridging, I select the following folders to scan:

• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
• d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\64-bit VST for 32-bit DAW

For such 32-bit apps as BIAB or RealBand, which DO NOT automatically scan VST's, but DO automatic bridging, I just select the individual VST's from the following folders, being careful not to load both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions concurrently (because you have to unload one to load the other properly). I don't need to select the jbridge folder, since BIAB/RealBand will automatically bridge the VST's.

• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only

For any apps DO NOT automatically scan and DO NOT automatically bridge, I select individual VST's from the following folders for 64-bit apps:

• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
• d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only
• d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\32-bit VST for 64-bit DAW

and individual VST's from the following folders for 32-bit apps:

• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
• d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
• d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\64-bit VST for 32-bit DAW

Clear as mud?!?

Yep, I know it's pretty anal, but it keeps things straight for me.

John,

Thanks for reposting here. I'm in the process of moving my things (and readjusting my mind!) from a 32 bit XP desktop to 64 bit Win 7 laptop so I'm finding this thread very useful and instructive.

Hope it helps, Jim!