How To Install Plugins

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Level 1

8 points

How To Install Plugins

I have an audio item that'll only work on my Mac as a plugin, not as a stand alone. In other words, unless I use it as a VST plugin (not an AU) it won't work.
That much I know.

Installing it is where I might have problems. To be specific, I'm working with older software: Peak LE 5.4.1 (to display and edit audio files) and Sound Soap 5 as the plugin (to "clean up" the sound). But clicking the SS startup button ("Learn Noise") takes effect only for a few seconds instead of staying active for the duration of the "noise" I'm playing. Not active long enough to matter.

I'm not at all sure that the Sound Soap VST plugin has been installed correctly. It shows up in Macintosh HD -> Library ->Audio ->Plugins ->Components. "Components" is where it ends up and nowhere else. Is that how things should be?

Dave

iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 20, 2016 10:34 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 20, 2016 4:05 PM in response to talker39

Dave

Logic Pro X only uses 64bit AU (AudioUnit) plugins not VSTs... and Logic Pro v9.1 or later.. only uses 32bit and 64bit AU Plugins... Again not VSTs..

Your path is correct for AU Plugins but there is also another location they can be stored.. same path but in the User Library instead of the System one...

System lib path is;

/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

User Lib path is; (Noting the tilde (~) symbol at the start of the path...)

~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

Copy and pasting these paths into the Go > Go to Folder menu item in Finder.. will allow you to navigate to them quickly.

Anyhow...

The problem could simply be that plugin is old and/or incompatible or broken under modern LPX or even later LP9 versions.. or even that you may not using it correctly.

Contact the dev of that plugin for advice and help..

Cheers..

Nigel

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Answer 2

talker39 Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 20, 2016 4:23 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

Hi Nigel,

I'll look into it again, but I have an old machine (iMac with OS 10.6.8, Snow Leopard). I'm trying to use a somewhat newer audio "cleaning" app (SoundSoap) coupled with a quite old audio editor Peak LE (they've gone out of business). As best as I can make it out, SS specifies that my machine is too old to use their app in the free-standing version (AU as I understand it) but I can squeak by if I use the VST incorporated plugin.

In my computer the path from Components leads to possible VST as well as AU plugin folders. VST is where my SoundSoap plugin seemed to be automatically placed. (I'll check this again, just to be sure.)

Dave

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Answer 3

Feb 20, 2016 4:47 PM in response to talker39

Id better repeat..

Logic Pro 9 or X cannot use VSTs.. Only AUs which must be placed or installed in the AU folder inside of the Components Folder...

Peak I believe... could use VSTs (Just as Cubase for Mac can use VSTs..) which is why the VST version works withPeak but not Logic...

So, to summarize..

To run SoundSoap in Logic you must use the AU version that they make... and SoundSoap v5 AU version will work with LP9... under 10.6.x

Install it, launch Logic Pro 9 so it rescans and validates the AU version... and then use Logic Pro 9's Insert FX button in a track strip, to access it..

Note: there are a few older or not so well written plugins.. that would put a VST plugin in the VST folder and then use a AU 'shell' plugin in the AU folder..which would access the VST version...but even then you must have a AU version in your AU folder.. for Logic to be able to use it...

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Answer 4

talker39 Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 20, 2016 4:49 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

Let me repeat (I think). I don't know why you refer to Logic Pro. I don't have it, never used it. I'm stuck with Peak and Sound Soap.

Dave

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Answer 5

Feb 20, 2016 5:16 PM in response to talker39

I don't know why you refer to Logic Pro. I don't have it, never used it. I'm stuck with Peak and Sound Soap.

Ah!

Well.. for one... this is the Logic Pro group and at no point did you say you weren't using Logic Pro.... 🙂

So..

You would be better off dealing directly with Bias as the makers of both Peak and Soundsoap...

However as Soundsoap v5 is supposed to work as both a 32 bit and 64bit AU and VST plugin according to Soundsoap's specs.. and Peak LE could handle both AU and VST 32bit plugins..it should then work inside of Peak LE if you have correctly installed it and are accessing the plugin correctly within Peak LE..

Therefore, maybe you should, if you haven't already... read from page 231 onwards.. of Peak 6/LE's user guide.. for more help..

http://www.bias-inc.com/downloads/documentation/archive/peak/english/Peak%206%20 User%20Guide.pdf

In particular the section that begins...

Using Effects Plug-ins

Peak can access Audio Units and VST format effects plug- ins in two different ways – using “Inserts”, or through the Vbox effects routing matrix. The method you choose will depend on how many plug-ins are being used simultaneously, and the functionality required for the task at hand.

Hope this helps...

Nigel

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