where do i put plugins?

[lilcapn]

ok, i got some great recommendations for free plugins and shareware -- but now when i download them i'm not sure where to put them so that i can actually access them!

fruity loops, acid, cooledit, steinberg (not even sure why i have that folder -- it must have come with some software i bought), sonic foundry -- all these programs/folders have "plugins" folders within them.

i'd like to be able to use them with ALL of the above when i get them -- where should i put them?

the few i've downloaded, once i've unzipped them i still can't find them with any of those programs -- for instance in Acid they don't show up as available in the FX chain.

thanks for your help!

[provide86]

most, if not all, of the plugins i've encountered have install .exe's that deal with putting them all in a common place. but i guess you're right, i never really thought of where that place was.

[JES]

This can be an issue. I'm a Mac person, but the concept is basically the same:

1. You need to learn where each of your main programs puts its plugin folder.

2. Most of these programs, if they use the same plugin format (say, VST or DirectX), can be directed to use and share a single plugin folder.

3. Some plugs, like Waves, use a shell and live in their own folder.

EXAMPLE: I use MOTU Digital PErformer, Ableton Live, and TC Spark on the Mac. DP uses MAS format plugs, so they all live in the MAS folder. Live and Spark both want a VST plugin folder, so I created a VST plugin folder, put all my VST plugs in there, and then directed both programs to it.

Good luck!

--JES

[apropos of nothing]

I believe most DX and VST plugins come as .dll files. I would put them in the plug-in folder of whichever program you use the most.

The programs should be scanning for plug-in folders on startup, or else have an option to tell it where to look for plug-ins. If they're not recognizing the plug-ins where you are, just copy the relevant .dll file and put them in the folder where the application you're using looks for them.

Touch of a pain in the butt, but none of them ought be too huge, so its not like y'r wasting that much disk space.

'Course if Windows did file-aliasing properly, you could just create a link to the file, instead of actually copying it, but no such luck.

Enjoy.

[ahmedgarcia]

One of those DAWs has a VSTplug-in folder. On my PC it is Cubase. both plug-ins and VST intruments go there. So the others share the VSTs from there. When I download a VST instrument or plugin it goes into the Cubase VST folder and can be used.

[cassembler]

I believe most DX and VST plugins come as .dll files. I would put them in the plug-in folder of whichever program you use the most.

The programs should be scanning for plug-in folders on startup, or else have an option to tell it where to look for plug-ins. If they're not recognizing the plug-ins where you are, just copy the relevant .dll file and put them in the folder where the application you're using looks for them.

Touch of a pain in the butt, but none of them ought be too huge, so its not like y'r wasting that much disk space.

'Course if Windows did file-aliasing properly, you could just create a link to the file, instead of actually copying it, but no such luck.

Enjoy.

This is right on. Unless the plug has some hardcore copy protection (Waves), then the dll files are like little pet kittens that you can clone and put into any audio app's home you'd like, if they don't search for the plugs.

Some apps handle dll's well and some really crappy. For example, try deleting a dll file. Some apps will pretend it never existed, some will say, "What the hell did you do?" and still (more rare today than before) others will just crash.