VSTs in Browser

[Konrad Hartmann]

I am moving from Sonar X1 to the current version of Cakewalk by Bandlab. I am not clear about the Browser.

1. In the new Cakewalk, I chose to add a virtual instrument in the Browser and selected Vienna Instruments Pro.  In the old version of Cakewalk Sonar, that instrument would then appear in the browser and I could click on it to select a patch (or freeze it or unfreeze it).  After adding the VST, however, I do not see it in the Browser.  I have tried this several times.  What am I missing?

2. I saved a Sonar X1 file from my studio computer onto a thumb drive.  I plugged the thumb drive into my laptop with Cakewalk (Bandlab) installed and loaded the file into Cakewalk.  That went fine except I don't see any of the VSTs.  The VSTs exist on both machines, so I don't understand why I don't see them in the Browser when I load the file.  (In this case, the VSTs were all Vienna Symphonic, but I expect I will have the same problem with all the VSTs that live on both machines.)

I think I am missing something basic about how the Browser works in the new Cakewalk.

Thanks, --Konrad

 

[Klaus]

VSTis are loaded into the "Synth Rack".

"Views" - "Synth Rack View" or shortcut Alt+9.

[OutrageProductions]

The VSTi's in a project transferred from one machine to another have relative file location paths.

Make sure that your folder/file paths are correct in the Preferences, and that the Plugin Manager has them registered and scanned. Then choose (or custom build) a Plugin Layout that will then show them in the Browser/Plugins section.

Refer to the help system for specifics.

[John Vere]

I made a series of tutorials that will bring you up to speed quickly on Cakewalk. A lot has changed and there's even a new easier way to insert instrument tracks now. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7YqVth30eGt7K5L5fUIUF_UjCsdAVCbd

 

[bitflipper]

The browser still works pretty much the same way it did in X1. 

I had to bring it up just now to make sure, as I haven't chosen instruments or fx that way in a very long time.  Nowadays, I select instruments via the Insert -> Soft Synth menu, which features a handy Favorites section for quickly selecting a previously-used Vi. This will probably suit you well, given that you use one instrument more than others and thus it will always appear at the top of the list.

Note that in the above screenshot I am listing effects (sorted by vendor). Clicking on the little keyboard icon switches the display to instruments. 

Does yours come up blank, or is it just missing the particular instrument you're looking for?

[Konrad Hartmann]

Hey, @bitflipper! We've been talking Cakewalk since the old days.  Glad you're here.

So, I added a VSL player as shown in the first picture.

In the old Sonar, there would be a blue rectangle in the Browser--like your picture--for the instrument and I could click on it to pick the patch; but now I can't find the instrument I just added. I'm sure I am missing something simple.

Edited May 26, 2023 by Konrad Hartmann

[OutrageProductions]

Put ticks to these boxes in the <add instrument> dialog;

>First Synth Audio Output

>Synth Property Page

>Synth Rack View.

AFAIK the browser view has only ever displayed instruments, not patches... those become available when the instrument GUI is open and visible. 

Edited May 26, 2023 by OutrageProductions

[Konrad Hartmann]

OK, I see Synth Rack down at the bottom now,and it can be pulled up and expanded. Thanks.

 

[OutrageProductions]

It a matter of preference where you dock the synth view... mine sits in the browser above the plugins/media browser on the right side. It can be floated freely too.

Edited May 26, 2023 by OutrageProductions

[Konrad Hartmann]

So, the last thing I am struggling with is loading a project from my other computer (via thumb drive).  The VSTs (Vienna) are installed on both machines, but when I load the project on my new machines, I get an error message saying Cakewalk can't find the plugins.

Note: I can add these plugins in the Browser, so Cakewalk knows they exist.

[OutrageProductions]

Clik <OK> in the previous dialog and load the project with missing plugins.

One way (and it is not exactly elegant or fast) is to highlite a track after the project is loaded, RMB in the track header [just to the right of the track name works well]  (not clip header) and use <replace synth> in the fly-out menu. Find the synth that relates to that track and load it from it's current location on the current machine. That will pop open a list of synths (similar to, but not visually identical) to the plugin browser view and allow you to load the synth that was used on the other machine, assuming it is available. You may have to do this multiple times for each missing track plugin, depending on if you had initated an individual instance for each track/instrument.

I rarely transfer projects from one machine to another, so others may chime in with an easier procedure.

As I stated in previous post, the file paths to the VST's may be different on each computer and they are saved in the project session as relative file paths, unless the computers are set up identically in their respective Drive/Folder/File path.

Caveat; this SHOULD happen automatically on most project transfers if the VST's exist on both machines (regardless of file path) but for some odd reason, on this project are not.

Edited May 26, 2023 by OutrageProductions

[bitflipper]

^^^ Best answer.

 

 

[Starship Krupa]

On 5/26/2023 at 9:22 AM, OutrageProductions said:

the file paths to the VST's may be different on each computer and they are saved in the project session as relative file paths

Not on my systems. If the VST or VSTi is installed on both systems, it will load automatically on both. Cakewalk projects don't care about what folder the VST is installed in; this is different on all 3 of my systems and works seamlessly.

Where things CAN go out of whack is when I've accidentally used the VST2 version of a plug-in on system A when only the VST3 version is installed on system B. This doesn't happen often because I'm diligent about only installing the VST3 version of plug-ins when they are available, but some manufacturers don't allow the user to omit the VST2 version from installation. Vienna may be one of those that doesn't allow the user to select on install, so both versions end up on there unless you delete the VST2 manually after installation. Cakewalk should substitute them automatically if both are installed, but this doesn't always work correctly.

This situation can also happen when a company switches from supplying VST2 versions of a product to only supplying VST3.

What to do in your case? On the first system, check to see what version of the plug-in is installed. How to do this? You can click on the name of the instrument in the Browser, then look down at the bottom. You can see this in your screen cap. In your case, you have clicked on a plug-in that says it's a VST3. Do this on both systems.

If it's different, you can run the installer again and try to select both VST2 and VST3. Otherwise, you're stuck with the procedure outlined earlier in this topic.

[bitflipper]

Good catch. I hadn't noticed that it was VST3. A reasonable hypothesis would then be that Konrad had been using the VST2 version on the old computer. If that's the case, then the Replace Synth function should be an easy fix. Of course, there's no problem installing both versions and that would avoid future hassles if he's got a bunch of projects to move over. 

 

[John Vere]

Cakewalk added an Add Track option a long time ago. It is a simple solution to all this babbling about synth racks and very old dialogue boxes. I would not have discovered it if I hadn’t made a tutorial a long time ago about inserting Instruments.  I found 9 ways!!  that you can insert an instrument track.
 

Most open the ancient dialogue box that is replaced by the dialogue found in the new option. The Add track to me was by far the simplest to use and the quicker.  I have used it since. All options are available.  And the default is what most people would probably use which is a simple instrument track.  click , click done.  No synth rack needed.  

Edited May 29, 2023 by John Vere

[Starship Krupa]

1 hour ago, John Vere said:

Most open the ancient dialogue box

Do they? I'm not sure which dialogue you mean. When adding tracks, I either use the button above the Track Headers or right click on or below the track headers, both of which give me what I think you are referring to as the "new option." There's a different dialogue that I see if I select Insert/Soft Synth. I only use that if I want to make a Synth Track without any MIDI (neither a simple nor "split" Instrument). It does look like it uses an earlier framework than the Add Track button or right click menu.

I don't think I've ever used the "+" sign in the Synth Rack except once to see what it did. I never run with the Synth Rack visible and didn't even know what it was for until I had been using Cakewalk for many months. I thought it was odd to have a separate list of soft synths stuck down under the plug-in Browser. I guess it goes back to before there were Synth Tracks and Instrument Tracks?

[OutrageProductions]

TETO;

I use the RMB method in the track header section 99% of the time.

My only (minor) irritation with it is that the default instrument on first use of loading a project is always the TTS-1, whereas I would prefer to be able to set my own default. [Maybe someone knows a reg hack?]

Subsequent initiations during the same session will open with last used, but close & reopen the session, and it returns to default TTS-1.

Not mission critical, but I sigh heavily nearly every time it happens. 

[John Vere]

I think they call it a place holder?  
It would make more sense to me to show the categories. 
You can insert a split instrument track using the Add Track dialogue. it’s under the hidden advanced settings.
What it seems they did is create a newer dialogue and kept the old one so people who are used to it wouldn’t complain about the change.  
As a result many long time users are not even aware the new dialogue even exists.  I think it took me a year to notice it. 
One advantage of the new system is being able to choose the output bus as well as inputs and even adding multi tracks. These options were there in the past but scattered all over the place now it’s in one place. 
It’s odd that it doesn’t have a Midi track tab. Only Audio and. Instrument.  

Edited May 29, 2023 by John Vere