Plugins: How do you manage them?

Rednroll · 04-13-2006, 05:56 AM

So, I've been struggling with this one to find the best system to organize all my plugins within various apps. I thought I had a pretty good system in organizing them on my hard drive when
I install them, but that doesn't do me much good, once I'm running a host program.

So for example usually here's how I install plugs on my HD.
I have a directory/folder called "Audio software" then within there another named "plugins", then further I create "VST" snd a VSTi. So basically on my HD it goes like this.

DX plugins: I:/Audio Programs/Plugins/<plugin vendor>/<Plugin Name>/<plugin.dll>
VST Plugins: I:/Audio Programs/Plugins/VST/<plugin vendor>/<Plugin Name>/<plugin.dll>
VSTi Plugins: I:/Audio Programs/Plugins/VST/VSTi/<plugin vendor>/<Plugin Name>/<plugin.dll>

So I found this works for me as far as getting plugins to be found on the VST side, since I just point the app to this directiory I:/Audio Programs/Plugins/VST/ and now all my VSTs and VSTis are found under that folder.

Now the part I struggle with: All these different apps will list VST FX plugins with VSTi softsynth plugins. Well that's certainly not what I want, since now if I'm looking for an FX, I have to sort thru the VSTi's that are listed, and vice versa when I'm looking to add a soft synth I have to sort thru a bunch of FX plugins. The Sony apps probably handle this the best because they create seperate folders in their plugin manager named "VST" and "VSTi". Yet I still struggle there because I would like to create a folder within that plugin manager named "Reverbs", "Compressors","EQs"...."etc" but I can't do that. Outside of the Sony apps like Sonar or Cubase I find things really start to get messy. Especially in the Steinberg apps. Steinberg creates a single selection called "DirectX" and within there are all my DX plugs, my VSTs and my VSTis and I have sort thru a whole lot of alphabetized menus. Sonar puts them into an "Audio Effects" selection then strutured per Plugin vendor. This is better than Steinberg, but not as good as the Sony method because you still can't organize them by "Reverbs" and your VSTs and VSTis are all grouped together under a single "VST" selection. Basically everyone does it differently and none of them are ideal in my opinion. So I'm looking to see how others deal with this kind of mess, to see if maybe there's a better way to do things.

shane · 04-13-2006, 08:32 AM

This isn't helpful anywhere outside of Reaper, but I've been using the FX filter/search thing liberally lately. The only caveat is that the FX name should have it's function in it's name, i.e. eq, comp, limiter. Then you can just type in eq for all your eqs, vsti for all your instruments, w1 for the w1 limiter, etc.

In other apps, though, I think you're pretty much stuck with pitching through haystacks.

fluffy · 04-13-2006, 09:52 AM

http://www.cockos.com/wiki/index.php/ReaperEffects

Toward the bottom of the page, there is a section called " How to organize effects in the effect browser"

You can simply edit the names of each plugin and add a prefix to the name such as "Reverb - S.I.R." etc.

You may have already seen this, so I hope I'm not being redundant.

Here's an example of what my .ini looks like:

RokkD · 04-13-2006, 10:12 AM

Ive been saving some plugins as fx chains, eq's, synths, etc, just make sure you have them turned off when closing, to avoid blowing a gasket opening them next time.

Tracktion has the best plugin management system Ive seen so far, I suspect it might be something to do with Tracktion being cross platform, I haven't seen anything else that even comes close.

Rednroll · 04-13-2006, 01:04 PM

Thanks!!! I didn't realize I could rename plugins in Reaper. I had used the sort function, but that assumes too much. Like that I know the name of the plugin. It would be nice to have a folder structure system in Reaper for plugins though. I have quite the assortment of plugins. When I look thru the list in Nuendo, I get a headache. Put it this way, I have a dual monitor setup and I can't fit the list without overlapping windows when spanned across both monitors when I look at a track insert in Nuendo. Maybe there's a way to orgainize it. Steinberg apps give me a headache.

H2000 · 04-13-2006, 01:20 PM

In the Sony plugin manager you can create subfolders. Wouldn't that do what you want? Like "Reverbs", "EQs", etc.

shane · 04-13-2006, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednroll

I had used the sort function, but that assumes too much. Like that I know the name of the plugin.

Well...not necessarily. If all your eq plugins had the word "eq" in them, just typing "eq" in the filter box would display all your eq plugins. It would be cool if there was a more powerful way to manage those plugin .ini files, but this doesn't necessarily have to be a built-in feature of Reaper.

Art Evans · 04-13-2006, 04:52 PM

Sometimes I wish the filter was persistent - so if I am trying EQ's, when I go back to the effects list, it would still be showing just EQ's until I delete the filter text at the bottom. Not sure if that would be a good thing or bad thing!

shane · 04-13-2006, 05:02 PM

That would be pretty cool, along with a little reset button.

Art Evans · 04-13-2006, 05:36 PM

Indeed, a reset button would be quicker than deleting the text. Hadn't thought of that.

While on the general subject... when I want to close the effects window I click on the little X in the top right corner - which is a rather small target. It would be nice if there was a more ergonomic way of closing the window with minimum mouse movement and accuracy. (Or perhaps there already is...)

blitze · 04-13-2006, 05:37 PM

Have to agree about Tracktions plug-in management system, very organised and easy. If we could get something similar to this in reaper I'd be very happy.

shane · 04-13-2006, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Evans

While on the general subject... when I want to close the effects window I click on the little X in the top right corner - which is a rather small target. It would be nice if there was a more ergonomic way of closing the window with minimum mouse movement and accuracy. (Or perhaps there already is...)

Esc key...no mouse movement at all

Art Evans · 04-13-2006, 06:54 PM

Esc key... never thought of that. Many thanks! Now all I need is a way to stop the Media Explorer window appearing in the wrong place every time I open the program - but that's another subject.

funkster1 · 04-14-2006, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Evans

...Now all I need is a way to stop the Media Explorer window appearing in the wrong place every time I open the program - but that's another subject.

Also, it ALWAYS opens in 'Details' view on Start-up, no matter what you set it to. I'd prefer it in list view i.e., gives you a quick overview of ALL media in the folder.

Raphael