Unbelievable, why are there no VST managers?

[bookofthoth]

Given the massive amount of VST's out there, and so many of them freebies. Why is it there doesn't seem to be one decent program that will keep your list, allow you to organise them and let you play some test audio into them. Doesn't have to be a fully featured DAW, just something like minihost or wavosaur with a VST database tool.

Yes I should've spent more time arranging folders, and installing to lovely organised paths, but even if I had, could I really remember what each plugins capabilities were.

It won't happen I know, just wish I knew how to code, am sure it's not just me has this problem.

[Numanoid]

Big Tick Zen could meet you halfway: http://www.bigtickaudio.com/zen/about-zen

[musiclover55547]

Auganizer does this and Logic has it built in. For Ableton & Bitwig on my PC laptop, I create separate folders for the type of VST -- Synth, Compressor, Dynamics, etc.

On my iMac, I do the same for the VSTs w/ Bitwig. You cannot do the same with AUs (then Logic cannot read them, it needs to be like a flat file folder.) I'd use Auganizer with Ableton on the Mac.

[bookofthoth]

Big Tick Zen could meet you halfway: http://www.bigtickaudio.com/zen/about-zen

Agreed, it is definitely the closest so far. I should've said I have a windows PC, the mac apps look great.

Any other suggestions?

[mutools]

MUX Modular has a built-in VST plugin manager. You could make a preset MUX front panel with a single rack, then upon clicking an empty slot you can insert one of your organized VST plugins. You can also save MUX presets with specific VST combis (eg 2 VSTis layered) and/or VSTs combined with the internal MUX effects.

[.jon]

My Windows 7 64 bit pro has an inbuilt plugin manager. It forces the user (me) to manually download and install each and every plugin, thus ensuring I don't end with too many plugins. It also has a function to delete those that don't pass the first test.

[bookofthoth]

My Windows 7 64 bit pro has an inbuilt plugin manager. It forces the user (me) to manually download and install each and every plugin, thus ensuring I don't end with too many plugins. It also has a function to delete those that don't pass the first test.

Pass what test? I didn't know this about Win 7 pro, I'm thinking of upgrading to that.

MUX Modular looks interesting, but complicated, I'll give it a whirl though.

[chk071]

Any other suggestions?

Yeah. Don't install shitloads of VST's.

[heks]

Yeah. Don't install shitloads of VST's.

I thought that was compulsory to join Kvr.

[chk071]

True true.

[EnGee]

..., could I really remember what each plugins capabilities were.

I think you should. I mean I do know what each installed plugin capabilities, otherwise how I did installed it in the first place!

Anyway, for presets. Yes, I agree. Thousands of presets scattered here and there is a problem. I find using a spreadsheet is the most practical and fastest way of organizing them

I use it for presets (and games) rating/notes. I could use Access or any other database, or even design/program my own front soft using C# or Java, but why make it complicated while Excel (or any other spreadsheet) can do it nicely with many sort options, style and search!

Open office spreadsheet is really good and easy if you want a free one. You can also use the database with it (the wizard if you don't know how to design a database).

[Orbit-50]

Kore 2 was this.

[Scotty]

Cubase 8 Pro and 8.5 Pro have a vst manager built for efx and instruments. Doesn't play sample sounds for the VSTs as you mentioned but organizational functionality is great. - Scotty

[bookofthoth]

Thanks for the advice, I've been using Gentibus CD to help me catalogue files, maybe excel would be the better option.

Cubase out of reach unfortunately, I have an old version of Soundforge with some basic manager functionality.

I did download this...

http://ultimatepluginmanager.com/home/d ... or-windows which seems perfect for what I need, but doesn't run on my PC for some reason.

[andrew732]

Cubase 8 Pro and 8.5 Pro have a vst manager built for efx and instruments. Doesn't play sample sounds for the VSTs as you mentioned but organizational functionality is great. - Scotty

I'm not sure what you mean by this. If I understand the OP, MediaBay does everything he/she wants, although it does have two serious problems. It doesn't automatically have access to "internal" plugin presets (like the thousands of patches inside Omnisphere) and it doesn't organize the plugins themselves the way Ultimate Plugin Manager does (http://ultimatepluginmanager.com/). I really wish Cubase could do something like the Ultimate Plugin Manager, which it obviously could very easily.

I think you should. I mean I do know what each installed plugin capabilities, otherwise how I did installed it in the first place!

Anyway, for presets. Yes, I agree. Thousands of presets scattered here and there is a problem. I find using a spreadsheet is the most practical and fastest way of organizing them

I use it for presets (and games) rating/notes. I could use Access or any other database, or even design/program my own front soft using C# or Java, but why make it complicated while Excel (or any other spreadsheet) can do it nicely with many sort options, style and search!

Open office spreadsheet is really good and easy if you want a free one. You can also use the database with it (the wizard if you don't know how to design a database).

For years, I've tinkered around with my own database system for organizing instruments, presets, and song ideas. I've always wondered how much a market there would be for it if I polished it up and started selling it. Surely almost every producer/songwriter must have the same problem that I do: thousands of presets, loops, samples, song snippets, lyric snippets, MIDI clips, miscellaneous production-related notes, etc. scattered all over the place, with no easy way to organize or search through it all. Any thoughts from the KVR community on this?