Go Back   Cockos Incorporated Forums > REAPER Forums > REAPER for macOS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-29-2020, 03:56 PM   #1
superblonde.org
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,035
Default Possible Solutions for installing Plugins on Catalina

I installed a couple vsti's recently in catalina and didnt have a problem other than trying to figure out all the hoops to jump through to download free versions and/or install the companys' installers which would then do some installation. for example I installed bbc orchestra from spitfire audio (talk about hoops to jump thru, to get it free... yikes).

I had some confusion because I couldnt find them in reaper. turned out to be one of the few times when rebooting made everything appear properly.

To run unsigned apps or plugins I have never had to go into terminal or run commands. I run the unsigned installer-app, catalina complains, then I go to system preferences (i.e. like "control panel") and then under the Security pane there is a red warning icon which says "blah blah app is trying to run, allow it to run?" and click Ok. Then re-run the app again.

Btw this does not turn off security features. Except for that 1 app. All subsequent attempts of other apps will still have to go thru the same deny-then-manually-allow process.
superblonde.org is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2020, 08:34 AM   #2
superblonde.org
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,035
Default

I just installed 4front piano on catalina.

1. Download it from the website as zip

2. Using Finder, copy-paste the library file into my Library path,
/Users/jonathan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST

3. Using Finder, Rename to .vst extension as it says in it's readme
4Front Piano.vst

Now I have the VST file,
/Users/jonathan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/4Front Piano.vst

Which by the way says it is (just checking that it is 64 bit):
Code:
% file /Users/jonathan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/4Front\ Piano.vst/Contents/MacOS/4Front\ Piano
/Users/jonathan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/4Front Piano.vst/Contents/MacOS/4Front Piano: Mach-O universal binary with 3 architectures: [ppc_7400:Mach-O bundle ppc_7400] [x86_64] [i386]
/Users/jonathan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/4Front Piano.vst/Contents/MacOS/4Front Piano (for architecture ppc7400):	Mach-O bundle ppc_7400
/Users/jonathan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/4Front Piano.vst/Contents/MacOS/4Front Piano (for architecture x86_64):	Mach-O 64-bit bundle x86_64
/Users/jonathan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/4Front Piano.vst/Contents/MacOS/4Front Piano (for architecture i386):	Mach-O bundle i386
4. Run this single command in Terminal to allow this single library to always open:

Code:
sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine "/Users/jonathan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/4Front Piano.vst"
5. Run Reaper as normal, it scans VSTs and sees the new one.





So yeah you are correct that unsigned VSTi requires a Terminal command. Normally I don't install these. But there could easily be a utility app to do this for the user if they don't want to type the one simple command in Terminal. Plus the utility could verify the VST is 64-bit.

In another 4 years all these VSTi's will have to be recompiled for Apple ARM anyway or they won't run at all on new hardware. So really this is a short transition timeframe.


For those with lots of VSTi then they could run a recursive Terminal command to unsecure all their VSTi in one operation (somewhat less safe, definitely).. something like,

find ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST -name "*.vst" -exec sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine "{}" \;

Last edited by superblonde.org; 07-30-2020 at 08:56 AM.
superblonde.org is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2020, 10:49 AM   #3
pipelineaudio
Mortal
 
pipelineaudio's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wickenburg, Arizona
Posts: 14,047
Default Possible Solutions for installing Plugins on Catalina

Given that many free and 3rd party plugins can no longer normally be installed in catalina, there are some potential workarounds:

https://www.osirisguitar.com/how-to-...acos-catalina/

If you have any that works, please post them! Thanks superblonde
pipelineaudio is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2020, 01:05 PM   #4
superblonde.org
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,035
Default

The solution is to have plugin packages built with correct code signing.

The workaround is to run the quarantine command on the plugin file. It works. Another VSTi which I had problems with is bigcat "Sketching Orchestra" and quarantine on the file then worked fine.

Reaper unfortunately was not that helpful in figuring out why the plugin was causing so many problems when I thought I had already quarantined it correctly. LogicX which has a Plugin Manager helped figure it out. The only real problem was that the DAW was picking up a different directory than I thought (in /Library, not on external drive), which is directly caused by the poor installation methods required of plugins today (i.e. User is required to copy the arbitrarily downloaded file(s) to a system directory, causing lots of opportunity for User misconfiguration, and the Library paths or order of paths may differ between DAWs). Someday plugins will have proper installers and this won't be a problem but it still is a mess.

Once I figured out which Library path was being used, the quarantine command fixed the problem:

Code:
% pwd
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
% sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine Sketching\ Orchestra.component
Password:
%

LogicX's successful verification which means the quarantine worked to load the VSTi:

Code:
validating Audio Unit Sketching Orches by bigcat:

    AU Validation Tool
    Version: 1.7.0 
    Copyright 2003-2019, Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Specify -h (-help) for command options

--------------------------------------------------
VALIDATING AUDIO UNIT: 'aumu' - 'pGEG' - 'BIGC'
--------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer String: bigcat
AudioUnit Name: Sketching Orches
Component Version: 2.5.2 (0x20502)

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
TESTING OPEN TIMES:
COLD:
JUCE v4.3.0
Time to open AudioUnit:         3572.316 ms
WARM:
Time to open AudioUnit:         3559.557  ms
FIRST TIME:
Time for initialization:        0.061 ms

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
VERIFYING DEFAULT SCOPE FORMATS:
Input Scope Bus Configuration:
 Default Bus Count:0

Output Scope Bus Configuration:
 Default Bus Count:16
    Bus Name: Output 1
    Format Bus 0: AudioStreamBasicDescription:  2 ch,  44100 Hz, 'lpcm' (0x00000029) 32-bit little-endian float, deinterleaved
...more stuff..
    Bus 0, Has Channel Layouts: 0x650002 0x660002 0x6A0002 
    Default Layout (bus 0):
	Tag=0x650002, Num Chan Descs=0

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
VERIFYING REQUIRED PROPERTIES:

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
VERIFYING RECOMMENDED PROPERTIES:
  VERIFYING PROPERTY: Latency
ca_require: inScope == kAudioUnitScope_Global InvalidScope ../../../lib/juce4/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AU/CoreAudioUtilityClasses/AUBase.cpp:410
..more stuff..
../../../lib/juce4/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AU/CoreAudioUtilityClasses/AUBase.cpp:410
    PASS

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
VERIFYING OPTIONAL PROPERTIES:
  VERIFYING PROPERTY Tail Time
ca_require: inScope == kAudioUnitScope_Global InvalidScope ../../../lib/juce4/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AU/CoreAudioUtilityClasses/AUBase.cpp:416
..more stuff...
ca_require: inScope == kAudioUnitScope_Global InvalidScope ../../../lib/juce4/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AU/CoreAudioUtilityClasses/AUBase.cpp:416
    PASS
  VERIFYING PROPERTY Bypass Effect
    PASS

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
VERIFYING SPECIAL PROPERTIES:

VERIFYING CUSTOM UI
Cocoa Views Available: 1
  JUCE_AUCocoaViewClass_e600bc24407b8a2d
    PASS

HAS FACTORY PRESETS

VERIFYING CLASS INFO
    PASS

TESTING HOST CALLBACKS
    PASS

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
PUBLISHED PARAMETER INFO:

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
FORMAT TESTS:

Reported Channel Capabilities (explicit):
      [0, 2]  

No Input, Output Chans:
0-1   0-2   0-4   0-5   0-6   0-7   0-8
      X                                   
ca_require: ValidFormat(inScope, inElement, newDesc) InvalidFormat ../../../lib/juce4/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AU/CoreAudioUtilityClasses/AUBase.cpp:870
..more stuff..
ca_require: ValidFormat(inScope, inElement, newDesc) InvalidFormat ../../../lib/juce4/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AU/CoreAudioUtilityClasses/AUBase.cpp:870

# # AudioChannelLayouts (3), Output Scope:
ChannelLayout is Writable: T
The Unit publishes the following Channel Layouts:
  0x650002, 0x660002, 0x6A0002, 

Is Audio Channel Layout Available:
Mono    Stereo  Binau.  AU_4    Ambi.   AU_5    AU_5_0  AU_6    AU_6_0  AU_7_0  AU_7_0F AU_8    AU_5_1  AU_6_1  AU_7_1  AU_7_1F 
        X       X                                                                                                               

Current Format:AudioStreamBasicDescription:  2 ch,  44100 Hz, 'lpcm' (0x00000029) 32-bit little-endian float, deinterleaved
Current Format Tag = 0x650002, New Format Tag = 0x650002, Successsful

Current Format:AudioStreamBasicDescription:  2 ch,  44100 Hz, 'lpcm' (0x00000029) 32-bit little-endian float, deinterleaved
Current Format Tag = 0x650002, New Format Tag = 0x6A0002, Successsful

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
RENDER TESTS:

Output Format: AudioStreamBasicDescription:  2 ch,  44100 Hz, 'lpcm' (0x00000029) 32-bit little-endian float, deinterleaved
Render Test at 512 frames
Slicing Render Test at 64 frames
  PASS


Render Test at 64 frames, sample rate: 22050 Hz
Render Test at 137 frames, sample rate: 96000 Hz
Render Test at 4096 frames, sample rate: 48000 Hz
Render Test at 4096 frames, sample rate: 192000 Hz
Render Test at 4096 frames, sample rate: 11025 Hz
Render Test at 512 frames, sample rate: 44100 Hz
  PASS

Bad Max Frames - Render should fail
../../../lib/juce4/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AU/CoreAudioUtilityClasses/AUBase.cpp:1447 inFramesToProcess=8192, mMaxFramesPerSlice=512; TooManyFrames
  from AU (0x810001): 'aumu' 'pGEG' 'BIGC', render err: -10874
  PASS

Test MIDI
  PASS

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
AU VALIDATION SUCCEEDED.
--------------------------------------------------


validation result: successfully validated

updating properties of AU Sketching Orches by bigcat…
superblonde.org is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2020, 02:57 AM   #5
JimmyTheSaint
Human being with feelings
 
JimmyTheSaint's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Default

With a pizMIDI plugin, I just tried doing both of:

% sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/midiChannelFilter.vst"

% sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine "/Users/me/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/midiChannelFilter.vst"

The plugin simply never shows up in either case on my 10.15.6 MBP 16". I tried the first one first because that's where all my VST's are. I authenticated to copy to that directory, then I clicked "open anyway" in Security & Privacy, then I ran the quarantine command.

Then I tried the second one, copying the plugin to the folder and running the command. It's a total no-show. Am I missing something? I had given up on the pizMIDI plugins in the past, but now I really need midiChannelFilter.
JimmyTheSaint is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-27-2020, 10:58 AM   #6
superblonde.org
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,035
Default

Well, you have to do the re-scan for it to show up. .. ?

There may be some other things going on behind the scenes, I think I quit several audio apps and reopened, and then a VST showed up, whereas typically, only rescan is needed. There's been a couple updates to Catalina in the past couple months. It is definitely a case of trial & error until developers properly code sign.

I'm not sure the "Open Anyway" is applicable in the case of a VST, which is a library, not an app. The VSTs which I have allowed to load using the bypass, haven't been affected by the "Open Anyway".
superblonde.org is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-27-2020, 04:11 PM   #7
JimmyTheSaint
Human being with feelings
 
JimmyTheSaint's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Default

All trials continue to only lead to errors.
JimmyTheSaint is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2020, 10:14 PM   #8
superblonde.org
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,035
Default

You could check to see if the VST is a valid 64 bit binary, first.
Use the 'file' command at the terminal, like in my original post.
You will have to specify the full name of the binary inside the .vst file.

Something like this :

% file "/Users/me/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/midiChannelFilter.vst/Contents/MacOS/midiChannelFilter"


You should get some readout that contains the critical info:

(for architecture x86_64): Mach-O 64-bit bundle x86_64

If not, then there is no way it will work, the VST wont be runnable regardless of security.

(This may be the problem you are facing, if the plugin is old and is 32-bit only)
superblonde.org is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2020, 08:09 PM   #9
superblonde.org
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,035
Default

Here is the bigcat Sketching Orchestra free running as .component on Catalina under Reaper after using the command line from the first post. It is under the AUi menu. Mostly I am posting this for Pipeline since he originally had lots of problems with Catalina.




I cant get the same piano to work in Dorico though. Maybe Dorico only allows VST and not AUi so that is not a Catalina problem it is a steinberg problem. (I have other VSTi running under Dorico on Catalina like the free Spitfire LABS, and also the free sforzando, and these work great)


If something is not working you can't just point blame at Apple even though Catalina has this security feature which complicates free VST installation.

This is a note on the web page from another user who simply rebooted and got it working in June 2020 without using the quarantine security bypass. (Maybe VST and AUi are handled differently?)

Quote:
If you're using this with Ableton (or any possibly any other DAW) on macOS Catalina here's the steps I used to get it working.

1. Add the AU Component to "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/"
2. Restart macOS
3. Open Ableton and Rescan Plug-Ins
4. Drop plug-in into a MIDI channel
5. You'll get a dialog complaining about developer verification, click Cancel
6. Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy
7. Click Allow Anyway
8. Repeat step 4
9. Click Open

In my case restarting Ableton wasn't enough I had to restart macOS or I can't find the plug-in in Ableton. For some reason this seems to be the case with any plug-in from bigcat that I've tested.


This is the workaround from VS themselves who suggest using VST4FREE with Sforzando/ARIA as the method, but that was April 2020 and maybe things changed since then (with newer Catalina updates) since another user said it worked fine anyways.

Quote:
Versilian Studios
Apr 10 2020

As far as we're aware, Catalina won't support this or other Maize instruments going forward and there's nothing we or Bigcat can do about it from our end unless the developer of Maize Sampler can update his code and Bigcat has time to update every single one of the patches and get VST4Free and all the other mirrors to update them on their end. My recommendation is to use one of the SFZ versions, as Sforzando/ARIA are regularly updated, or one of the Kontakt versions if you have the full version of Kontakt. A directory of all the versions can be found on the Versilian Studios website.

Quote:

May 06 2020
My daughter and I were able to get it to work in Catalina by copying the AU component into Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components, exiting Garage Band and restarting the Mac. When starting Garage Band, there you get the error about macOS not being able to verify the developer. Click Cancel (not Move to Trash), then click on the Apple Menu, System Preferences, Security & Privacy, Allow Anyway. Good luck!


From all of this I believe the conclusion is, no, the sky is not falling, but developers should start considering rebuilding free vsts soon, especially since they'll have to anyway for Apple ARM in just +1 year from now.
superblonde.org is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:42 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.