VST3 to VST2

[NikkiA]

You put it somewhere in your vst2 search path, and it will index all your VST3 plugins and provide a VST2 version, since the VST3 folder is preset by steinberg, there appears to be no configuration nor real need for one.

Plus side is that it seems to produce a less buggy version of padshop

[polac]

I released a vst3 to vst2 wrapper some years ago for Jeskola Buzz, here is a download link for the wrapper, works also with other vst2 hosts:

https://www.xlutop.com/buzz/zip/vst3shell.zip

Not really sure how to use that, are there any instructions on how to use.

Just copy the files to your vst2 folder. It's a so called shell plugin like the ones from Waves(waveshell.dll), I would guess your Ableton 8 is supporting these kind of plugins.

[aMUSEd]

Is there a Mac version

[SHall1000]

There are more and more developers no longer supporting VST2

I am curious - which ones?

AudioThing.........

WHAT!!!?

[Halonmusic]

There are more and more developers no longer supporting VST2

I am curious - which ones?

AudioThing.........

WHAT!!!?

actually it seems they do infact have vst 2 versions of their plugins

[Davidson A & M]

Sometimes changing the file extension .vst3 to .dll the vst3 can load as a vst2

For a batch file use this open notepad and save as .bat
forfiles /S /M *.vst3 /C "cmd /c copy @file @fname.dll"

To undo it this
forfiles /S /M *.dll /C "cmd /c copy @file @fname.vst3"

[Examigan]

There are more and more developers no longer supporting VST2

I am curious - which ones?

AudioThing, Mellowmuse to name a few. I know there are more but cant remember.

Not sure about all of Roli's products, but Equator 2 is available in standalone, AU and VST3, but no VST2.

[aMUSEd]

Plasmonic too

[Henry Jimdrix]

I released a vst3 to vst2 wrapper some years ago for Jeskola Buzz, here is a download link for the wrapper, works also with other vst2 hosts:

https://www.xlutop.com/buzz/zip/vst3shell.zip

Not really sure how to use that, are there any instructions on how to use.

Just copy the files to your vst2 folder. It's a so called shell plugin like the ones from Waves(waveshell.dll), I would guess your Ableton 8 is supporting these kind of plugins.

[Henry Jimdrix]

Sometimes changing the file extension .vst3 to .dll the vst3 can load as a vst2

For a batch file use this open notepad and save as .bat
forfiles /S /M *.vst3 /C "cmd /c copy @file @fname.dll"

To undo it this
forfiles /S /M *.dll /C "cmd /c copy @file @fname.vst3"

I would have thought changing the file extension .vst3 to .dll would cause instability issues, most like causing DAW to crash or even possibly a system crash.

[Halonmusic]

There are more and more developers no longer supporting VST2

I am curious - which ones?

AudioThing, Mellowmuse to name a few. I know there are more but cant remember.

Not sure about all of Roli's products, but Equator 2 is available in standalone, AU and VST3, but no VST2.

Strobe2 is available in VST2, AU and AAX, no VST3 version it seems.

[Benutzername]

Sometimes changing the file extension .vst3 to .dll the vst3 can load as a vst2

For a batch file use this open notepad and save as .bat
forfiles /S /M *.vst3 /C "cmd /c copy @file @fname.dll"

To undo it this
forfiles /S /M *.dll /C "cmd /c copy @file @fname.vst3"

I would have thought changing the file extension .vst3 to .dll would cause instability issues, most like causing DAW to crash or even possibly a system crash.

A vst3 file is just a regular dll with a different extension. The renaming trick can work because many popular plugin frameworks support both VST2 and VST3 and the easiest way to use the framework is to just compile everything into the same dll. In this case it's just the license that forbids the developer to ship a VST2 version, not the ability to build one.

So it's worth a try but if you need support of any kind then you are on your own.

[chk071]

VPS avenger is VST3 only, I believe.

[AnX]

the new open source stuff is too apparently, like surge

[jackoo]

If you wish to try a free solution, try Element (by kushview).
It's modular, too.