Old 12-27-2012, 08:11 AM   #1
Quest The Wordsmith
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Default Does Mac use VST's?

I'm a PC Reaper user, but was looking to try my hand at Reaper on a Mac. I installed it fine on my friends computer, but couldn't figure out where to put all the VST plugins I have on my PC. Is VST just a PC thing or can I use them with a Mac? I thought maybe VST was a program-oriented thing, i.e. Reaper, Sonar, Studio One, etc. I'm a total n00b on Mac so any info is greatly appreciated!
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Old 12-27-2012, 08:13 AM   #2
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yes - mac can use vsts.
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Old 12-27-2012, 08:17 AM   #3
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yes - mac can use vsts.
Ok, so tell a brother where to install the VST's on a Mac! In windows, it was c:\program files (x86)\vstplugins. Since we can point Reaper to any directory to scan for plugins, does it not matter? Thanks.
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Old 12-27-2012, 08:19 AM   #4
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/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST
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Old 12-27-2012, 08:52 AM   #5
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And yes, it doesn't really matter where. /Library/Audio/Plugins/VST is a standard location, but really you can put them wherever. I used to put my Windows plugins in C:\vst\, mainly because I hated trying to navigate to C:\Program Files\Steinburg\vstplugins\, or wherever it was that they hid them.
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Old 12-27-2012, 09:07 AM   #6
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Just to clarify, you can't use the PC versions on the Mac , you need to download and install their VST versions for Mac.
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Old 12-27-2012, 10:57 AM   #7
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Just to clarify, you can't use the PC versions on the Mac , you need to download and install their VST versions for Mac.
Ok, then Im back to square one. I thought VST was just VST and it was up to the DAW to handle it or not. So is it possible to use windows VSTs in a Mac?
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Old 12-27-2012, 11:00 AM   #8
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I found this link via the Variety of Sound blog: http://diaphone.blogspot.de/2010/12/11.html?m=1
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Old 12-27-2012, 11:06 AM   #9
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I found this link via the Variety of Sound blog: http://diaphone.blogspot.de/2010/12/11.html?m=1
Good LORD that article looks confusing! I guess Im in no hurry to switch to Mac.
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Old 12-27-2012, 11:49 AM   #10
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Ok, then Im back to square one. I thought VST was just VST and it was up to the DAW to handle it or not. So is it possible to use windows VSTs in a Mac?
Only if you install windows on it. (I did, I'm running Win7, OSX and Linux simultaneously using Parallels.)

vst simply means an extension onto a program's capabilitys. Extra code to run. Mac vsts have different code that points to different functions than Windows vsts.

Macs run different code than Windows, so no you can't just run Windows vsts natively on Macs.
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Old 12-28-2012, 01:19 PM   #11
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And if you use a lot of free vsts you'll find many of them aren't available in Mac versions. I had that experience when switching to Mac. At first I was a bit annoyed and missed certain ones, but soon I just learned to use either the built in Reaper ones or better free ones. The net effect is that I no longer have the massive list of mostly crap plugins that I had on my old windows laptop and I learned a bit more about the Reaper plugins (which tend to be a lot more stable than free windows vsts).
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Old 12-28-2012, 01:31 PM   #12
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And yes, it doesn't really matter where. /Library/Audio/Plugins/VST is a standard location, but really you can put them wherever. I used to put my Windows plugins in C:\vst\, mainly because I hated trying to navigate to C:\Program Files\Steinburg\vstplugins\, or wherever it was that they hid them.
I just make a shortcut that sits on my desktop so I can easily get there.
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Old 12-28-2012, 01:38 PM   #13
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Default Run VST's on Mac........

Check this out....

http://audiosex.pro/index.php?%2Ftop...udio+Lovers%29

...it may be helpful.
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Old 12-28-2012, 03:18 PM   #14
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This is far far easier than you've been led to believe. And much easier than trying to do any of this with Windows IMHO.

VST plugins go here:
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST

(You'll see the other plugin type folders in the Plug-Ins folder as well.)

Yes, you could change the location and point your DAW to it... but I'd suggest to stay organized and leave the Windows world of scattering stuff all over your hard drive behind.

Any plug-in installer will install your plug-ins in this default spot automatically. You don't even have to know where they get installed.

You will need the OSX versions. In Windows, for some reason plugins need to appear as os extensions (.dll), so they've been changed to accommodate. In OSX, the plugin file itself is .vst (for the VST flavor).

If you need to tinker around in the plugins folder ofter (eg. moving plugins to an 'unused' folder from time to time), just make a Finder Sidebar shortcut. You will find you can be very neat and organized in OSX and you no longer have to fill your desktop with shortcuts.
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Old 12-29-2012, 10:37 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dea-man View Post
Check this out....

http://audiosex.pro/index.php?%2Ftop...udio+Lovers%29

...it may be helpful.
That's a laudable series of directions but it's a bit like using a fleet of 2 ton cranes to sprinkle some sugar on your Wheaties : )

Fun to accomplish for the curiosity of it and then getting rid of it. He lists too many limitations as well.
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