A slightly silly question but the kind that lurks in my mind...
...recently went to 64bit and some plugin manufacturers like U-he have a different dll name for 64bit versions of their VST's. ACE in 32 bit is just 'ACE.dll' but the 64 bit is 'ACE(x64).dll'. Do you rename the dll's manually back to the "normal" name? Why do some manufactures do this in the first place anyway?
64bit plugins with "x64" in the name. Do / should you rename them
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- KVRAF
- 5818 posts since 9 Jul, 2002 from Helsinki
Hello Master Obi-Wan,
having two or more files with the same name in one folder is commonly regarded by computers as a very bad idea. Luckily most file managers are polite, and will ask whether you want to replace, rename or cancel the operation.
I wouldn't rename the files, it usually matches the internal plugin name, and mismatch could cause issues in some situations.
having two or more files with the same name in one folder is commonly regarded by computers as a very bad idea. Luckily most file managers are polite, and will ask whether you want to replace, rename or cancel the operation.
I wouldn't rename the files, it usually matches the internal plugin name, and mismatch could cause issues in some situations.
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UltimateOutsider UltimateOutsider https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=216800 - KVRian
- 810 posts since 5 Oct, 2009 from Portland, OR
Don't know about other plugin formats, but with VST, VST plugins have an internal unique plugin ID which is SUPPOSED TO be the same between any available flavor (32-bit, 64-bit) of the same major version. Your DAW uses this to maintain project compatibility between platforms regardless of filenames and physical plugin locations.
In cases like Cubase, where the DAW is capable of loading multiple plugin flavors, it uses the IDs to know which version of a given plugin it should use. (Like if Cubase finds both 32-bit and 64-bit versions in its search paths it would prefer the 64-bit version.)
Changing plugin filenames (or folder locations) shouldn't help or hurt so long as your DAW can find them and the plugin developer follows best practices regarding plugin IDs.
As for WHY developers do it (different filenames for different flavors)? For one thing you can't just look at a file's properties and know whether it's 32-bit or 64-bit, so it makes it easier for some developers to know which files they're dealing with when they're testing, debugging, and putting together installers. A lot of small developers don't even make installers at all, and give you a ZIP with both versions in a flat folder, which requires unique filenames anyway.
Even though I always keep my plugins separated by platform (g:\vstplugins32 and g:\vstplugins64) I never rename them. For one thing it doesn't really help/fix anything, but for another it might cause upgrade or uninstall problems depending on the plugin's installer, where present.
In cases like Cubase, where the DAW is capable of loading multiple plugin flavors, it uses the IDs to know which version of a given plugin it should use. (Like if Cubase finds both 32-bit and 64-bit versions in its search paths it would prefer the 64-bit version.)
Changing plugin filenames (or folder locations) shouldn't help or hurt so long as your DAW can find them and the plugin developer follows best practices regarding plugin IDs.
As for WHY developers do it (different filenames for different flavors)? For one thing you can't just look at a file's properties and know whether it's 32-bit or 64-bit, so it makes it easier for some developers to know which files they're dealing with when they're testing, debugging, and putting together installers. A lot of small developers don't even make installers at all, and give you a ZIP with both versions in a flat folder, which requires unique filenames anyway.
Even though I always keep my plugins separated by platform (g:\vstplugins32 and g:\vstplugins64) I never rename them. For one thing it doesn't really help/fix anything, but for another it might cause upgrade or uninstall problems depending on the plugin's installer, where present.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 307 posts since 8 Oct, 2012
@.jon they are in separate folders so having the same name wouldn't be a problem, but otherwise as you stated, force-sensitive or not, your gonna have a problem! As an example NI and Soundtoys have the same dll names for 32bit and 64bit plugins.
@UltimateOutsider, I didn't realise that it was an internal ID that it used. I just changed the name of the dll and re-opened a saved project and it found it ok.
My DAW is Ableton Live, and I'm not sure if this is the same in other DAW's, but the name of plugins are the actual filenames (minus the .dll extenstion) so it appears as ACE(x64) in the plugin browser window in Live, which is a minor irritation.
@UltimateOutsider, I didn't realise that it was an internal ID that it used. I just changed the name of the dll and re-opened a saved project and it found it ok.
My DAW is Ableton Live, and I'm not sure if this is the same in other DAW's, but the name of plugins are the actual filenames (minus the .dll extenstion) so it appears as ACE(x64) in the plugin browser window in Live, which is a minor irritation.
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Michaelparkinson Michaelparkinson https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=347952
- KVRist
- 77 posts since 15 Jan, 2015
How about if you use jbridge and it names the bridged plugs .64? Would it help an old project using 32 bit load and retain settings of the old vst?
I should just try it, eh?
I should just try it, eh?
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- KVRAF
- 6113 posts since 7 Jan, 2005 from Corporate States of America
I learned over the years to customize almost nothing on Windows. The developers don't test your customizations. Hell, Microsoft doesn't even test the customization options they provide to the user in the OS. Since Windows software is so frail, I especially don't mess with file names of installer-placed objects (I HATE installers). Not only does it risk triggering unknown issues by creating untested scenarios, it causes uninstallers to fail to remove the files later. I even stopped doing a lot of custom install locations because developers rarely test to see if that breaks things.
One of many reasons I left Windows. All I do on Windows anymore is old games, and mostly in Steam (which has an absolutely horrific file structure that I only mess with minorly to install game mods per directions given by mod makers). Some developers use installers on Mac OS, but it's a lot easier to go without them on that platform, and a lot easier to remove things by trashing them than on Windows. Self-contained app packages rock.
My favorite developers are the ones who create standalone executables, or self-contained app folders (if they absolutely must include non-content files like libraries and such), skip installers (for drag and drop placement where you like), ignore the registry, and don't change a thing on my system (like file typing).
The talk of VST IDs gave me flashbacks to Sonar telling me it couldn't find plugins, and utterly failing to tell me WTF the plugin was, or, worse, telling me it couldn't find plugins that were THERE and should've been recognized, but for some reason was not (because apparently the VST ID was being ignored for some kind of registry unique identifier that the VST Adapter creates to reference VST plugins in Sonar's utterly asinine component registration process). I was told they improved this, but I really don't care any more because this and other problems ensured my departure from the DAW and platform. I hate the Windows registry.
EDIT: I did used to customize my VST folders as much as the developers of plugins would allow (most were fine, some were typical "throw tons of files at the problem" developers), mostly because I had so many I wanted to organize them by type, rather than company name (and some companies can't seem to remember to be consistent about how they name themselves in terms of folder names... Grrrrr...).
One of many reasons I left Windows. All I do on Windows anymore is old games, and mostly in Steam (which has an absolutely horrific file structure that I only mess with minorly to install game mods per directions given by mod makers). Some developers use installers on Mac OS, but it's a lot easier to go without them on that platform, and a lot easier to remove things by trashing them than on Windows. Self-contained app packages rock.
My favorite developers are the ones who create standalone executables, or self-contained app folders (if they absolutely must include non-content files like libraries and such), skip installers (for drag and drop placement where you like), ignore the registry, and don't change a thing on my system (like file typing).
The talk of VST IDs gave me flashbacks to Sonar telling me it couldn't find plugins, and utterly failing to tell me WTF the plugin was, or, worse, telling me it couldn't find plugins that were THERE and should've been recognized, but for some reason was not (because apparently the VST ID was being ignored for some kind of registry unique identifier that the VST Adapter creates to reference VST plugins in Sonar's utterly asinine component registration process). I was told they improved this, but I really don't care any more because this and other problems ensured my departure from the DAW and platform. I hate the Windows registry.
EDIT: I did used to customize my VST folders as much as the developers of plugins would allow (most were fine, some were typical "throw tons of files at the problem" developers), mostly because I had so many I wanted to organize them by type, rather than company name (and some companies can't seem to remember to be consistent about how they name themselves in terms of folder names... Grrrrr...).
- dysamoria.com
my music @ SoundCloud
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thecontrolcentre thecontrolcentre https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=76240 - KVRAF
- 35189 posts since 27 Jul, 2005 from the wilds of wanny
Afaik renaming a dll doesn't hurt. I've done it before without any issues. Why not try it and see? You can always change it back again (or keep a copy).
