Loading Audio Unit / Component plugins

What audio unit plugins did you try? Component files are a type of bundled file and audio units are bundled as components. You should be able to open AU's with the vst~ object. What audio units did you try?

GW

I've come across a few AU's that vst~ wont load, giving a 'no format AudioUnit exists' error - most of U-he's plugs, for example.
Apparently this is connected to multiple plugs being package into a single file, or something - see this post for more: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=354478&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=1185
I'd be interested to know what Dan is referring to when he says Cycling does provide a way to access these plugs...
Cheers
Roger

There is also the au~ external http://www.michaelnorris.info/software/au.html , you may have a try with that.

Hello,

Thanks to all your replies !

@gwsounddsg : I tried a lot of AU plugins (for example +binaural.component from soundhack, or Absynth 5.component from Native Instruments).
When I install an AU plugin, I always have a Plug.component added in my library, that's why I'm focusing on .component files. Actually no .component plugin works, I've got more than 400 of them. But in ABleton Live these plugins work, and are put in "Audio Unit" folder.

@roger.carruthers : so for me, none of the 440 plugs work... I'm correct AU plugs are in Libraray/Audio/Plug-INs/Components ? Some should work, you say...

@LSka : I tried the au~ external. It works for some plugs, but I'm not able to access all my plugs - even if the "bad" plugs work under Ableton Live, under "AU" section.

Thanks.

@LSka : the au~ gives me the list of files put in /VST folder I think (+some extra AU not put in /Components). I can't find a folder dedicated to explicit AU plugins (such as .aufx ?).

.component is an audiounit, there is no other dedicated extension.

If you double click on the vst~ object after you load the plugin via message "plug", the main plugin window will open. You can also open the main window via "open" message.

It occurs to me that the OP might not have Max6. Earlier versions do not load AudioUnits (.component files) unless you have Tim Place's au~ external.

In addition, it's good to remember that if your vst/audiounit has spaces in its name, you need to use quotation marks around it for it to load properly: [vst~ "Plugin Name.component"]

@roger.carruthers - Hi Roger! Regarding the "multiple plugins per .component file" issue - what I was alluding to in that KVR thread is that in Max 6, when you start the app, it automatically creates a list of all of your AU plugins currently in your /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components folder. It puts this list into ~/Library/Application Support/Cycling '74/AudioUnits/ , and the list of plugins is represented as .auinfo files, These .auinfo files are used to populate the "file" submenu of the "wheel" that appears to the left of the vst~ object within Max.

You will note that Max correctly pulls out multiple .auinfo files from .components that have multiple plugins within them - for example, Uhe's Zebra2.component gives rise to three .auinfo files (plugins) - Zebra2.auinfo, Zebralette.auinfo, and ZRev.auinfo. For these plugins, you should load them into the vst~ object using either the wheel, or specify them using the .auinfo name (e.g. vst~ Zebra2.auinfo). If you try with vst~ Zebra2.component , you will get an error.

Hope that helps. For the original poster, I think lowenstern's comment above about the necessity of quotes around filenames with spaces in them is probably the key...

Dan

Hi Dan, thanks for that - I'd never really noticed the file menu in the wheel; Max 6 is full of surprises!
Anyway, sadly not a solution that applies to standalones, which was my problem, though it's good to know there is a workaround in Max itself.
Is this something that Cycling could/should see to with vst~ ?
Cheers
Roger