submo

I can't seem to get vstscan working. I've added the path of my VST's to the file preferences, and my VST's are showing up on the "Plug-ins" tab to the right, but I can't seem to get vstscan working (not outputting anything). I'm using the vstscan help patch if that makes any difference.

Hello,
I can't seem to get vstscan working. I've added the path of my VST's to the file preferences, and my VST's are showing up on the "Plu

vstscan-not-working

Without more information, I'm not sure what to recommend. You do not need to add your VSTs to the file preferences -- if they are installed in the normal locations, the scanner can find them. Where are your VST plugins installed?

I have my VST's installed at C:\VST\VST64 

I've added this path to the file preferences in Max, and the VST's correctly show up when clicking the "Plug-ins" tab on the left toolbar. I am able to drag them into a patcher (or double click them) and they work fine.

The problem I'm having is that I can't get the vstscan object to list my VST's. I've tried the vstscan help patch and I get nothing output when I send the message "listvst", and I can't see why?

Yeah... Sorry for being a bit vague...
I have my VST's installed at C:\VST\VST64 
I've added this path to the file preferences in Max, and the VST's correctly show up when clicking the "Plug-ins" tab on the left toolbar. I am able to drag them into a patcher (or double click them) and they work fine.

The problem I'm having is that I can't get the vstscan object to list my VST's. I've tried the vstscan help patch and I get nothing output when I send the message "listvst", and I can't see why?


That's because the plugin scanner isn't scanning the non-standard folder that you're using. We have a feature request to allow user-configuration of the scanner's search path (it's not the same as Max's search path -- in fact you shouldn't need to have plugins in Max's search path if the scanner finds them). As I read this, I understand that this could use some improved documentation as well.

OK.... Whats the standard folder that the plugin scanner uses on Windows?

These are the standard locations on Windows that I'm aware of.

 C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VST3

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Steinberg\VST2

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\VstPlugins

VST3:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

32-Bit VST3 Plug-ins on Windows 64-Bit:
 C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VST3

VST2:
C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins
C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VSTPlugins
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Steinberg\VST2

32-Bit VST2 plug-ins on 64-bit Windows: 
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\VstPlugins

I created these folders for VST2 (as none of them existed on my PC before):

I added some VST's to all these folders, but vstscan is still not detecting anything? ...and unless I explicitly set the path to VST's in file preferences nothing shows up in the Plugins tab on the toolbar in Max?

Does Max use any registry keys to determine the what folder the plugins scanner uses?

C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins
C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VSTPlugins
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Steinberg\VST2

I found this in the documentation of the vst~ object:

"When the Max application starts up, the system VST folder will be added to the max search path. On the Macintosh this is generally /Library/Audio/Plug-ins/VST/ and on windows this is the folder specified in the VSTPluginsPath string value under the registry key HKLM\Software\VST."

I'm assuming this is why you said that the plugins should be found without the need to explicilty add their path to the "File Preferences" in Max, and I'm also assuming that Max's plugin scanner uses this folder for use with the vstscan object...

This key wasn't present on my PC so I've added "HKLM\Software\VST" to the registry, with a String value of "VSTPluginsPath = C:\VST\VST64"

But when I start Max, this folder is not being added to the Max Search Path?

I've been pulling my hair out for the last hour trying to figure out whats going on.

If you want to go the registry route, you can try: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\VST\VSTPluginsPath (sounds like you found that already)

Like I said, the path isn't added to the search path, it's just used for generating the list of installed plugins and their locations. I don't have my Windows machine available at the moment to double-check how my registry looks, but I think you need to add a String entry called VSTPluginsPath with a value of C:\VST\VST64 .

Or just put the plugins at C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins and be done with it.

If you want to go the registry route, you can try:  
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\VST\VSTPluginsPath (sounds like you found that already)

I've tried that..... I placed (portable)VST's in all the following file locations(which I had to create) and had the same results:

Max was unable to find any of them, nor would vstscan locate them......

Even setting the registry key didn't work (HKLM\Software\VST\VSTPluginsPath = C:\VST\VST64).

VST_reg.png

Either I'm missing something really really simple (highly posible), or theres something wrong with how max scans for vst plugins in Windows 10 (stranger things have happened ;) ) .

I've sent a Support Request to c74 so hopefully someone there with a Windows PC could double check if what I am seeing can be reproduced.

I've tried that..... I placed (portable)VST's in all the following file locations(which I had to create) and had the same results:
 C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins 
C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VSTPlugins 
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2 
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Steinberg\VST2 

Even setting the registry key didn't work (HKLM\Software\VST\VSTPluginsPath = C:\VST\VST64).




Either I'm missing something really really simple (highly posible), or theres something wrong with how max scans for vst plugins in Windows 10 (stranger things have happened ;) ) .

I've sent a Support Request to c74 so hopefully someone there with a Windows PC could double check if what I am seeing can be reproduced. 

Cool, that sounds like the way to go for now. My Windows dev system is Win10, so I know it works under some circumstances. If support can't sort you out, we'll take a closer look at the next possible opportunity.

these "default" locations for VST2 on windows are only a 

many installers have used some other funky places in the past, so you still might miss several of your plug-ins.

apropos steinberg. in steinberg hosts it is standard that you can freely choose a bunch of locations where to scan. i believe that would be the best option for the max object, too.


these "default" locations for VST2 on windows are only a recommendation by steinberg.

many installers have used some other funky places in the past, so you still might miss several of your plug-ins.

apropos steinberg. in steinberg hosts it is standard that you can freely choose a bunch of locations where to scan. i believe that would be the best option for the max object, too.

-110



is anyone able to tell / add the possibly different locations for w8, w7, w-xp?

I've had a reply from support, and after testing they were able to reproduce the same behaviour that I was getting.

They're going to look into it some more ....

Hello...

I've had a reply from support, and after testing they were able to reproduce the same behaviour that I was getting.

They're going to look into it some more .... 

I'm getting the same issue on a Windows 10 mini PC. I have VSTs living in a Package placed in the Max 8 > Packages folder. The vstscan object finds them no problem on Mac OS X. On Windows, I can see the VSTs by going to the plugin icon on the left toolbar. They show up fin there. But vstscan does not return any VSTs on the system for the Windows machine. @Submo, was this ever replied by Cycling?

I'm getting the same issue on a Windows 10 mini PC. I have VSTs living in a Package placed in the Max 8 > Packages folder. The vstscan object finds them no problem on Mac OS X. On Windows, I can see the VSTs by going to the plugin icon on the left toolbar. They show up fin there. But vstscan does not return any VSTs on the system for the Windows machine. @Submo, was this ever replied by Cycling?
Thanks!

So in Max 9 we may be able to select another VST folder to scan? Experiencing the same now...

Only recently just got back to this..... vstscan does now correctly scan the system vst folder as per the ''vstplugins path'' key on Windows (which was my original issue), but does not seem to scan vst's in other folders in the Max search path, (even though they do appear in the plugins tab). Not sure if this is by design (as the vstscan documentary page only specifically mentions a system folder), but I can see this being annoying if you have multiple vst folders.

Hello,
Only recently just got back to this..... vstscan does now correctly scan the system vst folder as per the ''vstplugins path'' key on Windows (which was my original issue), but does not seem to scan vst's in other folders in the Max search path, (even though they do appear in the plugins tab). Not sure if this is by design (as the vstscan documentary page only specifically mentions a system folder), but I can see this being annoying if you have multiple vst folders.


Yeah, for me it works as intended, but god, please let us specify the VST folder, or better yet, add a specific VST folder from within Max like in Live or something.

As a workaround you can create symbolic links to other folders in the system VST folder. These get picked up by the scanner (shortcuts do not work).... but yeah, would be easier to be able to set all these paths through Max.

Curiously, the plug icon in the left toolbar of the Max patcher window WILL pull up VSTs on Mac and PC wherever they are just fine, in my experience, where the VSTscan does not. My workaround is to use a dropfile object, then to click-hold-drag the VST from the plug menu into this drop zone. With the correct prepending for the VST object, these load really well.

I can understand why this would be confusing. The patcher toolbar plugin stuff uses the database to determine which plugins are installed on the system, so if you have plugins installed in Max's search path, they will show up there, in addition to plugins in the normal system paths. We could be jerks about it and force only scanned plugins to show up there, but I'm not sure anyone wins in that case.

However, I hear the feature request for user search paths for plugin scanning, and can look into it.

As a general rule: don't put your system-supported/recommended plugin folders into your Max search path. Max will still find the plugins during scanning, and you won't have a bunch of extra files in your search path which are already tracked using the plugin scanning mechanism.

vstscan not working?