How do I find my Spitfire Audio plugin?

[RICHARD HUTCHINS]

Hi

I downloaded the Spitfire soft piano plugin, it sends it to

c:/users/richard/spitfire/spitfire audio. 

But cakewalk cant see it; The plugins seem to live in program files and I know I need to use the VST plugin manager to point cakewalk in the right direction but thats the limit of my feeble knowledge. I always have this hassle with plugins... any help out there?

[Mike Z]

I'll see if I can walk you through this...

Under Preferences, look on the left sidebar for File -> VST Settings

You should see at the top "VST Scan Paths"; click "Add"

Navigate to the spitfire audio folder, click OK. 

You probably have to manually scan again (click the "Scan" button)

Hope that works for you!

[Mike Z]

[scook]

42 minutes ago, Mike Z said:

The scan path in this image really needs a clean up.

By default "C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plug-ins" does not contain VST plug-ins and should not be scanned. It is a bad idea to add VST plug-ins to this path.

"C:\Program Files\Common Files" contains a lot more than VST plug-ins and is an unusual path to add to the scan path. This also causes the paths  "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Celemony" and  "C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3" to be scanned multiple times, a bad idea. Really should try to limit the scan to folders containing VST2 and VST3 plug-ins and avoid needlessly scanning folders.

"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Celemony" is an odd path to have in the scan path. It may contain some binaries but the VST3 plug-in is in  "C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3"

 

 

[Byron Dickens]

dupe

Edited July 26, 2021 by bdickens

[Byron Dickens]

1 hour ago, RICHARD HUTCHINS said:

The plugins seem to live in program files and I know I need to use the VST plugin manager to point cakewalk in the right direction but thats the limit of my feeble knowledge. I always have this hassle with plugins... any help out there?

 

 

Fortunately, VST3 created a standard as to where the plugins are installed.

For VST2, it is the wild west as to installation paths. You really ought to organize your VST2 installations and put them all in the same place instead of just blindly accepting whatever cockamamie scheme of manouver the developer dreamed up and then having to go on a hunting expedition later on to find them.

C:\program files\ Steinberg\VST plugins is always a good choice; that's what I use and that's what Steinberg intended although they didn't enforce it.

[Byron Dickens]

39 minutes ago, Mike Z said:

My God, what a mess!

[RICHARD HUTCHINS]

Thanks for all your trouble I'll look at this tomorrow and I'm sure the penny will drop, cheers all!

[bitflipper]

Everybody's scan list eventually ends up being a bit messy, if they are compulsive instrument collectors (guilty!). I've got eight directories in mine, even though I go to a lot of trouble to keep my plugins organized. I let the installers decide where to put FX plugins since they're small, and only worry about where sample libraries go due to their size. 

I have lots of Spitfire stuff here and have never had to alter scan paths to accommodate them. Spitfire does give you the option to override the default destination, although it's common practice to place any files that are user-editable (e.g. presets, Kontakt instrument definitions) in %appdata%.  That's a Microsoft requirement, being the only file location where the user is guaranteed unrestricted read/write/delete access. (btw, %appdata% is not in my scan list. The Spitfire Audio folder there contains only settings and installation files, no instrument executables.)

 

[bitflipper]

Which instrument are we talking about? Spitfire has 8 or 9 pianos.

I ask because they have different conventions for different families of instruments, e.g. Kontakt-based, LABS series, Abbey Road One series.

[EDIT]

Nevermind, I figured out you're referring to the "Cinematic Soft Piano" for the LABS player. On my machine the main DLL is called "LABS (64 Bit).dll" and is located in \program files\cakewalk\vstplugins. Which should already be in your scan list.

The LABS samples (that don't need to be in your scan list) are in \users\{user_name}\Spitfire\Spitfire Audio - LABS. All of the many LABS instruments' samples are in the same place.

[Mike Z]

4 hours ago, scook said:

The scan path in this image really needs a clean up.

By default "C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plug-ins" does not contain VST plug-ins and should not be scanned. It is a bad idea to add VST plug-ins to this path.

"C:\Program Files\Common Files" contains a lot more than VST plug-ins and is an unusual path to add to the scan path. This also causes the paths  "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Celemony" and  "C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3" to be scanned multiple times, a bad idea. Really should try to limit the scan to folders containing VST2 and VST3 plug-ins and avoid needlessly scanning folders.

"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Celemony" is an odd path to have in the scan path. It may contain some binaries but the VST3 plug-in is in  "C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3"

 

 

Thanks for that note. I'm aware that my plugins are a little scattered and could use some cleanup. 

I have plugins that came with my M Audio keyboard and more with my Steinberg interface, plus anything I've downloaded to try out; I let them install in their  default locations.

I figure there's no real harm in scanning several folders (even scanning folders multiple times) other than speed; CbB boots up so quickly that it doesn't bother me.

[scook]

Needlessly scanning folders has been known to cause scanning failures. 

If it was just a cosmetic issue, I would not have bothered to post.

 

 

 

[RICHARD HUTCHINS]

All,

There's a lot of info and advice here; for me to process it and work through it will take time as I am pretty crap at tech stuff. So if I don't respond quickly and say thanks its because I am stuck for time but this is exactly what I am looking for and I will sort it ! Just didn't want anyone to think I am not grateful for all of the effort in trying to help out, you'll know when I work through this as I'll come back with another dumb question!?

[RICHARD HUTCHINS]

Labs seems to be in;

VST Instruments at c:\program files\cakewalk\vstplugins\LABS (64 Bit).dll   and also in

VST 3 Instruments at c:\program files\common files\vst3\LABS (64 Bit).vst3 in the plug in manager list. no idea what this means if anything. Just a duplication? 

Anyway I definitely downloaded the soft piano, from their site I gave the download path in my first post above. But the LABS plugin seems only to refer to some ambient sounds I downloaded a few weeks ago, NOT the soft piano I downloaded a couple of days ago;; of that there is no sign even though its downloaded.  TBH, All of this drives me nuts. ?

 

[bitflipper]

VST3 implements a more formalized directory structure for plugins, so all you really need to specify for them is the vst3 root directory, usually c:\program files\common files\vst3. 

The other scan paths are for VST2 plugins, which have no standard for where they or their dependencies are stored.

So yes, it's not uncommon to see separate entries for VST2 and VST3 versions of the same plugin, assuming you installed both.

[RICHARD HUTCHINS]

Nope, still not fixed. I'm pulling my hair out and at my age I cant afford to do that! So;

I re-downloaded the Spitfire App and ran the installer. I changed their suggested path from C/users/me/spitfire/spitfire audio. Changed this  to

C:/ program files/common files/ vst plugins. I think thats what the forum advice was?

I added this path to the plugin manager.

I rescanned.

I now open a new project to try things out, and I still only can see "LABS" but its the one I've always had, not the piano download, i.e. the wind and birdsong effects. No sign at all of "soft piano" But its on my PC obviously. Grrr

 

Ideas anyone?

[Glenn Stanton]

is the installer asking for the VST path or the sound file path? when i install it, the VST goes to my default (C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\VSTPlugins and i select D:\Cakewalk Content\Audio Library\Spitfire for the data/sound/etc files. maybe re-run the install and use the defaults to verify?

[Bristol_Jonesey]

Before you do a rescan, hit RESET first

[Jeremy Oakes]

4 hours ago, RICHARD HUTCHINS said:

Nope, still not fixed. I'm pulling my hair out and at my age I cant afford to do that! So;

I re-downloaded the Spitfire App and ran the installer. I changed their suggested path from C/users/me/spitfire/spitfire audio. Changed this  to

C:/ program files/common files/ vst plugins. I think thats what the forum advice was?

I added this path to the plugin manager.

I rescanned.

I now open a new project to try things out, and I still only can see "LABS" but its the one I've always had, not the piano download, i.e. the wind and birdsong effects. No sign at all of "soft piano" But its on my PC obviously. Grrr

 

Ideas anyone?

I have 2 scan paths - one for vst 64 bit plugs and the standard vst3 folder as mentioned above.

To use a labs instrument, you must first insert the Labs dll as a vsti, in other words via the synth rack. Then  WITHIN said plugin you select the labs instrument i want to use. I have 7 instruments and they all show up in the one plugin. You can only use one instrument at a time.

J

Edited July 29, 2021 by Jeremy Oakes
Atrocious spelling

[RICHARD HUTCHINS]

I did this, see screenshot, but all I get is the LABS plugin I already have, there are no other choices to be seen?