SONAR - VSTi or DXi

[clive]

I have used the FREE version of Sampletank and Sonik Synth for some time now, using the VST plugins in Computer Muzys.

Recently I got a copy of SONAR LE with an Edirol keyboard. The VST wrapper seems to work well enough with the Sampletank and Sonik Synth plugins but I am wondering whether it would be better to get hold of the DXi versions of these 2 instruments.

Do the DXi versions work better in SONAR than the wrapped VSTi ones? I am thinking primarily of system resources, but maybe there are also differences in the functionality of the instruments.

Anyone here got any ideas or suggestions?
All advice greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[mabian]

DXi work currently better because, at least with Sonar > 4.0.2, there are still unfixed problems with the VST adapter and heavy automation.

[clive]

Thank you, mabian, for taking the time to give me a reply.

It may seem a dumb question. Partly because I AM dumb - I have been playing with this stuff for almost three years, but the actual TIME I can spend on it is SO limited.

But I was also really trying to avoid any possible problems with re-installing the SampleTank & SonikSynth instruments. I did make time to do it earlier today and there were no difficulties.

On with the music. Thanks again.

[kevink]

Whether or not the DXi or the VST version is to be preferred depends entirely on the synth. Chances are, it was coded either as a native VST (the usual case) or a native DXi, and to make the other version, the authors added some kind of adapter layer, analogous to the one Sonar has to convert VST to DXi. So if the plug started life as a DXi, chances are it will work better as a DXi in Sonar. But if it started life as a VST, what's better becomes a function of whether the plug author's VST->DXi adapter is better than Sonar's VST adapter.

Just among NI products, Kontakt 1.x works better as a VST (tempo problems as a DXi), while Reaktor 4/5 work better as DXi's (GUI problems as a VST).

[idobs]

Whether or not the DXi or the VST version is to be preferred depends entirely on the synth. Chances are, it was coded either as a native VST (the usual case) or a native DXi, and to make the other version, the authors added some kind of adapter layer, analogous to the one Sonar has to convert VST to DXi. So if the plug started life as a DXi, chances are it will work better as a DXi in Sonar. But if it started life as a VST, what's better becomes a function of whether the plug author's VST->DXi adapter is better than Sonar's VST adapter.

Just among NI products, Kontakt 1.x works better as a VST (tempo problems as a DXi), while Reaktor 4/5 work better as DXi's (GUI problems as a VST).

I agree with this answer: It really depends on the synth!

For NI synths, I've found DXi works better for me. (Reaktor gave me some headaches in v3 under VST).

Here's what I do: I install BOTH DXi and VST for every synth that supports both. Then I disable the VST version by moving it to "Backup" dir of plugins. If over the next month I see any funny issues, I switch to VST and disable the DXi. Eventually, I figure out which works better for the synth.

Again, the key is to install BOTH so that you're not locked-in to a particular quirk if you hit one...


-Ido

[clive]

Thanks for the advice. It seems as though there's no straightforward answer.

I have now re-installed these two instruments with both VST and DX formats. When I downloaded initially I just went for the VST to save space and keep things simple, as I wasn't using a host with DX capability.

I shall certainly go for both formats wherever possible in the future.

Thanks again everybody.