Cleaning out your vst folders...

[rpc9943]

I think I have collected too many vst's, and it makes me so sad, you know? I want to get rid of ones im sure i wont be using... any suggestions on cutting out vst's you wont be using? I always think, though, "What if i suddenly need it? What if i erase this vst and it disappears from the net, and I wont ever be able to reclaim it?"

RonC

[droolmaster0]

I think I have collected too many vst's, and it makes me so sad, you know? I want to get rid of ones im sure i wont be using... any suggestions on cutting out vst's you wont be using? I always think, though, "What if i suddenly need it? What if i erase this vst and it disappears from the net, and I wont ever be able to reclaim it?"

RonC

Why not just keep an 'Unused VST' folder, or something and move the ones you're not using into there?

[scuzzphut]

I think that's the best idea. I pretty much try to keep my folders clear of all but the essentials, otherwise I end up faffing around and not getting anything done

The only thing that bothers me is opening an old song that I used a now-discarded plugin on. A minor PITA to reinstate it and , say , render the track or replace it with a current plugin for the same effect.

[The Chase]

grab a pad of paper. Load every effect VST you have, one by one. write down all the ones you want to keep, and make your host select only those.

[t-willy]

yeah, i have to do a "vst cleaning" every year or so just to keep the number down. i usually compress (winrar) up the ones i don't use any more into one big file and label them for the year.

lates

t-willy

[uselessmind]

"What if i suddenly need it? What if i erase this vst and it disappears from the net, and I wont ever be able to reclaim it?"

RonC

Just refuse to think about that plugin ever again;)
Delete what you don't use and never look back.
Force yourself to get the most out of the few plugs you have.

Sounds too simple?
It isn't,i haven't mastered this art yet myself.

[pheeleep]

My problem is I can't remember which VST's I have never used in a project. There are certain synths or effects that I have in my folder that I used once, for one sound on one song. I am too afraid to delete something.. but ya it sucks to have so many.

[The Chase]

My problem is I can't remember which VST's I have never used in a project. There are certain synths or effects that I have in my folder that I used once, for one sound on one song. I am too afraid to delete something.. but ya it sucks to have so many.

thats why you dont delete all of them. only make your host show the ones you want to keep

[Steven West]

I've made the mistake of deleting certain effects/synths only to find when I load a oldie song I did, it won't load due to 'can't find this or that'.

Two suggestions RPC9943 (Why do I feel like I'm in prison again around a name like that? ) Get a USB/Firewire External HD and load your flotsam/jetsam to it in a folder named 'Old VST' or something. That way, if you do open a song that 'Can't Find ...-dll' You just turn on the HD, and point your Host to H:/Old VST - Found! Or - get a Zip/JAZ drive to hook up and plunk the oldies onto it.
Why this and not CD-R you ask...? Because sometimes we will find a Ver 1.2 or a revised .DLL date elsewhere, and Zip/Jaz gives the ability to quickly upgrade by overwriting the old .DLL

I got to get rid of these beat boxes I've been collecting sometime too. Anyone want a Univox SR-120, Roland R-70, Yamaha RM-50, Concertmate Maestro...? (Yeah - AS IF! )

[fateamenabletochange]

I do the backup ext.HD thing and within my vsti folder I have a Hibernating folder.I've been trying to take on lots of advice I've been given here about using a relatively small number of vsti's,and getting to know them well.

[JackDark]

I have archives for days... plus I resurrect "dead" VSTs all the time over at HLH.

My rule of thumb for cleaning out the folder though is "have I used X VST within the last 60 days... no? delete."

Last count I had 45 effects and 45 synths all active. It was weird to have an even count like that though...

[Dazza66]

Don't erase any of them!! Its been said already, but just archive them somewhere (even on a DVD if your disk space is limited, or your VST collection is so large!). Its also great advice to limit your collection of synths and FX to just a handful of faves as too many stifles creativity. (of course, you never heard that from me - I have a creativity-vapourising collection of VST's ) At least if you keep them, particularly the hard to find-ones, then you'll always have a fresh set of VSTs to inspire you once your current crop of favourites have lost their shine.

[pooshka]

i'd just keep them all. as much as cleaning out your vst folder and just sticking to the ones you use most will help you focus, how about try forcing yourself NOT to use the ones you use most? I do this to myself every now and then and it certainly force me to think/work/experiment differently, which can be good if you have lots of time to experiment. The principle is simple - people always say limiting your tools will force you to experiment and come up with alternative methods and so on. Limiting yourself to the tools you don't normally use gives you another kind of kick.

[Spyro]

I only remove:

1) Plugs that really does nothing, works badly, crashes.

2) Plugs that I know I'll never use. (which are only a few)

I just keep the most of them because I'll never know when a certain rare plugin can make "that" sound texture I'm looking for. I use a TEMP folder to try out new ones, and if they seems to be useful I move it to it's respective folder.

You can also have various VST folders, to use some plugs on one VST host and some others on the other host, I can see this useful when the host takes a lot scanning all plugins (like Tracktion) or hosts that tends to crash while scanning (Bidule) or a host you want to keep clean with only a few really solid plug-ins (Ableton Live)

..as FL studio scans very quickly and let you decide if it works or not by actually trying, that's the main reason I keep them all.

FOR THE SAKE OF COLLECTION MANIA

I used to collect 3D screensavers, then game ROMS then mouse cursors, then XP skins ...then VST's

BTW try out the "Aluminik" skin from http://www.themexp.org/ very simple, light and sexy on your DAW