How To Put My Vst Plugins On An External Ableton

  1. How To Install Vst Plugins Ableton
  2. How To Put My Vst Plugins On An External Ableton Plugin
  3. How To Install Vst On Ableton
  4. How To Use Vst Plugins In Ableton
  • Once you have installed the VST plugin, launch the Ableton software and go to: Preferences - Plug-ins/File Folder - Plug-In Sources and activate the folder you used to install the Plug-in into. Every time you launch Ableton it scans for new plug-ins, once it’s scanned and located it will appear on your Plugins sidebar.
  • No Need for a multiple folder feature, this is what I do. Create a new folder in the 'Program Files' folder and name it 'all VST Plugins' 2. Go to each VST location e.g. 'vstplugins' inside the 'Steinberg' and native instruments folder and create a shortcut for the actual vst folders, it will usually go to the desktop.

If you want to use plug-ins in Live, they need to be set up first whether it’s VSTs or Audio Units (Mac only). It’s an easy and quick process when you know-how. This tutorial will guide you step by step through it.

How to Install VST plugins on Ableton. On Ableton, the idea is the same. You must put the.dll of your VST into a specific folder. Windows users: Click on Options (1) Preferences (2) After that, you have to click on Use VST Plug-ins Custom Folder (1) (if not activated) so that you can browse your VST folder (2). Macintosh HD Library Audio Plugins VST If you're using a custom VST folder you need to locate the WaveShell file and move it to your custom VST folder. Then re-launch Live if it's already running. This will scan the Waveshell and activate all available Waves plug-ins in the browser.

A cool new reverb, a stylish delay, a few different synths, a realistic string section … To take your audio production and mixes to the next level, sometimes you have to look outside the box, to work inside the box. That’s where exciting third-party plugins often come in, which can help shape sound in creative and fun ways, and they’re a blast to experiment with. Although some plugins have separate versions, most of the time they have to be used within a digital audio workstation (DAW). But don’t worry, installing them is not that complicated.

When installing new plugins in Ableton Live, the first thing to know is that Live supports AU and VST formats. However, most of the time your plugin will fall under the VST format, as this is the case most often. Secondly, this is just a note to say that in our editorial style guide, we use the spelling “plugin”, but within the software, it can be “plug-in”. (If you get confused, you should know that they are the same thing.)

7 Steps To Install Plugins in Ableton

  1. First, download the plugin to your computer and install it.
  2. Once the plugin is installed, open Ableton Live.
  3. Go to the “Live” tab at the top left, and click “Preferences”.
  4. Click on the Plug-In section and make sure to activate “Use Audio Units”, “Use VST2 Plug-In System Folders” and “Use VST2 Plug-In Custom Folder”. If necessary, also turn on “VST3 Folders”.
  5. Close this window and go to the Plug-Ins tab on the left side. Your plugin should be listed under “VST”. If for some reason your plug-in doesn’t appear, follow the next step.
  6. Go to “Preferences” one more time.
  7. Turn off “Audio Units” and turn it on again. Click “Rescan” to explore the available plugins again. The reason your plugin might not appear yet is because Ableton Live might not have detected it yet. Give it time. If it still doesn’t work, you may want to reinstall it on your computer.

Browser tab for the most used plugins

If you’ve accidentally chosen a big folder as the VST custom folder, you can keep ALT pressed when starting Live. This will keep Live from scanning for plug-ins and you can then go into the Preferences > File/Folder to change it to the appropriate folder. Create a folder anywhere on your hard drive and name something like quick access. Now use the Ableton browser to navigate to the quick access folder. I have file browser tab 3 permanently to see the quick access folder as it is used a lot.

You will use this folder to collect all the commonly used presets and add-ons with just drag and drop files from the browser tab to another. Try going to the Live Device Explorer and dragging any Live Device Presets like an EQ8 Preset or a Preset Compressor to the Quick Access tab.

How To Put My Vst Plugins On An External Ableton

If you tried to drag and drop the live device onto itself (for example, the EQ8 device instead of a preset EQ8) you’ll notice that Live did not allow the operation. This is because the device and plug-in files cannot be moved, only the predefined files can. Therefore, the best solution is to save initialized presets from your favorite devices live to the Quick Access folder. If you want quick access to third-party plugins, create a live rack containing the plug-in, and then save the rack as a preset in the Quick Access folder.

Save default sets for multi-channel plugins

How To Install Vst Plugins Ableton

Many instrument plugins allow multiple outputs. Setting the input and output routing for each output is not automatic live as in some other hosts, but they do not once, and you will have to worry again.

Your system can achieve a higher level of performance using a multiple hard drive set up. In this article, we will provide an example that uses three drives, plus an additional backup drive. For the purposes of this article, the terms “drive” and “disk” are interchangeable.

System Disk

The system disk would ideally be a Solid State Drive (SSD) in this configuration.

Using such a drive will greatly improve the loading times of your applications, because of the drive’s superior speed in accessing data.

We recommend installing the Ableton Live application and all third-party plugins on this system drive. It is highly recommended to always keep at least 10% of free space on your system disk.

2nd drive – Samples and Libraries

The second hard drive in this configuration is used to store samples and sound libraries, including the User Library. For optimal performance this drive would be an SSD, or alternatively an HDD SATA 3 (7200 RPM). Please format this drive into your operating system’s native format to ensure the best performance possible. On Windows, this format would be NTFS. On Mac OS X, this would be HFS+ (Mac OS Extended).

If you are working with a desktop computer, the best choice would be to install this drive in your computer’s dedicated SATA slot.

Should no slot be available, or if you work with a laptop computer, an external hard drive will suffice. Drive enclosures can also offer some speed benefits compared to a typical external drive, but this is a more costly and bulky solution, and is not always practical.

If possible, use Thunderbolt or USB 3 drives for maximum transfer speed. USB 3 enclosures need to be plugged in to a USB 3 port to access full bandwidth capabilities. We recommend avoiding the use of external USB hubs.

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Have a good Mix!

Q – Why can’t I see my plugins in my DAW?

A – Captain Plugin only supports 64-bit hosts on Mac. So, if your DAW is 32-bit, you won’t be able to see the plugins. On Windows, we support both 32 and 64-bit hosts. However, your DAW may not support 32-bit plugins.

Some DAWs may require your Antivirus to be disabled before installing Captain Plugins. This will prevent them from being blacklisted.

Q – My DAW is 64-bit and I still can’t locate the plugins. What should I do?

A – Rescan your plugins folder in your DAW*. This is usually achieved by rebooting your DAW, or selecting Rescan plugins in your DAW preferences.

*Ableton users: If you cannot find your plugins, they may be in the wrong location.

Mac users with Ableton.

After installing Captain Plugins to your computer:

  • Go to Ableton > Preferences > File/Folder (this pane is called ‘Plugins’ in 10.1 and higher)
  • Check the boxes marked “Use Audio Units” AND “Use Plug-In-System Folders” (10.1 and higher, check the box marked “Use VST2 Plug-In-System Folders”
  • Then click the button above marked “Rescan Audio Units”
  • Close Ableton and re-open

(Ableton 9 & 10 (up to 10.0) displays preferences differently to 10.1 and higher:

(Ableton 10.1 and higher):

Windows users with Ableton

After installing Captain Plugins to your computer:

  • Go to Ableton > Preferences > Plugins
  • Check the boxes marked “Use VST2 Plug-in Systems Folder”
  • Set folder path to C:Program FilesSteinbergVSTplugins (this is the default installation location for Captain Plugins on Windows)
  • Then click “Rescan”
  • Close Ableton and re-open

If you still can’t see them, please email contact@mixedinkey.com and our customer service staff will help you troubleshoot this further.

Q – Why are my plugins out of sync with each other or not loaded in Logic Pro X?

A – Logic introduced dynamic plug-in loading in Logic Pro X 10.4.5, which disables plugins it thinks are not in use. Any software instrument tracks that do not contain MIDI regions are at risk of not loading automatically. We highly recommend disabling this setting on a per project basis by opening File > Project Settings > General, then deselect “Only load plug-ins needed for project playback.” In addition, you can simply select the track to load the plugins.

How To Put My Vst Plugins On An External Ableton Plugin

Q – Why can’t I see the preset sounds tab in my plugin?

A – If you are using your plugin in MIDI FX mode, you will not be able to see the sounds tab because is designed to route MIDI to your favorite VST synths. You should be able to see the sounds tab option in the VST and/or AU version.

In rare cases, the sound bank may have failed to fully download, so re-downloading the latest version from https://www.mixedinkey.com/captain-plugins/download and re-installing may be required.

Q – How many computers can I install Captain Plugins on?

A – We allow you to install Captain Plugins on multiple computers with the purchase of one license provided they are your own personal computers. You can use your original download link and activation code on up to 3 computers.

Q – How do I recover my download link for Captain Plugins?

A – You can download the latest build at https://www.mixedinkey.com/captain-plugins/download

Q – How are Captain Plugins different from Odesi?

/vst-plugins-mac.html. A – Odesi is self-contained composition package for when you want to work on music outside of your DAW, a sketch pad to help get your ideas flowing. Captain Plugins are designed be used inside your DAW only, and can be used in the composition and production of a whole track

Q – Why isn’t my 3rd-party VST pLugins showing up in the Plugins tab?

A – In Captain Plugins 5, we added VST plugin hosting, so you can compose your MIDI in Captain Plugins, and route it directly through 3rd-party synths without leaving Captain Plugins.

We have added compatibility with the most commonly used VST instruments, such as Arturia V Collection, Omnisphere, Serum, Sylenth, NI Kontakt, U-HE Zebra and more. However, we intend to keep adding compatibility with more plugins and manufacturers. If your plugin isn’t showing up, please email us and tell us which plugin(s) you want compatibility for. Email: contact@mixedinkey.com

Q – Why can’t I add my own samples in Captain Beat?

A – There are 2 methods for adding samples:

  • Windows: Drag the sample from your Windows File Explorer or DAW sample menu directly to the appropriate drum channel timeline.
  • Mac: Drag the sample from your Finder or DAW sample menu directly to the button marked ‘drag your sample here’. Be sure to have the appropriate drum channel selected.

Q – Why is the final bar of my drum sequence different to the rest of my sequence in Captain Beat?

A – Captain Beat has a new tool called Fill. It adds a customisable drum fill at the final bar of each sequence. It is on by default, and can be turned off to return the sequence to it’s regular state.

Q – Why does Captain Plugins require an internet connection?

Captain Plugins and Odesi require an internet connection. This is for a number of reasons. We are able to send out faster updates, ‘hot-fix’ issues and bugs much more quickly, and share code across platforms, giving us more time to spend designing and developing the core functionality of Captain Plugins.

Using cloud-tech means a smaller installation footprint on your computer, since we don’t need to include the masses of music theory and performance data that works behind-the-scenes to make Captain Plugins so effective. In addition, using cloud-tech provides better security for all.

Q – Does it work on other DAWs other than Ableton and Logic?

A – Yes – we have added many more DAWs to our compatibility list. For a complete listing of compatible DAWs click here.

Q – Why doesn’t Captain Melody auto-generate notes when I open it, like it did in earlier versions?

A – We gave Captain Melody a radical overhaul. We redesigned almost every single aspect, to give you the greatest degree of control and customization. The preset patterns have been replaced by a much more powerful, multi-faceted tool for the creation of unique, exciting melodies. Captain Melody is now a deeper, more complex tool than earlier versions. We highly recommend watching the tutorials so you understand the controls better.

Q – Where are the old preset rhythms from Melody 1?

A – These can be accessed in the Brush Tool options. Click the Custom button to reveal the Melody rhythm presets from earlier versions.

Q – Why does Captain Plugins require an internet connection?

A. Captain Plugins and Odesi require an internet connection for a number of reasons. We are able to send out faster updates, ‘hot-fix’ issues and bugs much more quickly, and share code across platforms, giving us more time to spend designing and developing the core functionality of Captain Plugins. Using cloud-tech means a smaller installation footprint on your computer, since we don’t need to include the masses of music theory and performance data that works behind-the-scenes to make Captain Plugins so effective. In addition, using cloud-tech provides better security for all.

We know some users find it frustrating or difficult to be online while making music. Ultimately, we chose higher-quality results instead of offline functionality. For many reasons, the online model allows us to deliver a better product.

Another reason for the online model is piracy. As a small company, we have to take steps to reduce theft. Requiring a permanent network connection is the most effective way to combat piracy, and comes with the added benefit of improved functionality. Protecting our revenue in turn enables us to keep developing better products and more updates for our customers.


Mac

Windows

Officially supported.
Ableton Live9, 10Ableton Live9, 10
FL Studio20FL Studio20
Logic ProX
Cubase 9,10Cubase9,10
Not officially supported, but appears stable.
Reaper5Reaper5
Bitwig Studio2Bitwig Studio2
Digital Performer10Digital Performer10
Pro Tools*12Pro Tools*12
Reason*10Reason*10
Maschine*2Maschine*2
Studio One4Studio One4

*Midi Routing may not work. BlueCat Audio Patchwork may be needed in some instances.

How To Install Vst On Ableton

Using Captain Plugins on a different DAW? We would love to hear from you. Please email contact@mixedinkey.com and let us know your thoughts on it.

How To Use Vst Plugins In Ableton

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