KVR Audio

glokraw · Post by **glokraw** » Sun Apr 18, 2021 7:13 pm

32 bit UGO, HG Fortune, Psychic Modulation, Algomusic, MaxSynths, Krakli, Sanford and many more, work fine in a good linux setup, and when installed on a smallish ssd in an external case, offer some cheap future-proofing, as a .wine folder contains the entirety
of wine's C:\ however you choose to populate it. Back-ups/sample-storage can be had if larger drives are used. AVLinux distro comes with wine preinstalled, so drag & drop where Reaper or Bitwig or Mixbus will find them.

Here's a description page of fourteen current 32bit linux distros, most should work on old Pentium4 512 meg and newer setups, and some on even older ones:

https://itsfoss.com/32-bit-linux-distributions/

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Sun Apr 18, 2021 7:17 pm

You know, we live in an age where running Linux inside a VST3 plugin to run VST2 plugins as a wrapper isn't that far away.

arkmabat · Post by **arkmabat** » Sun Apr 18, 2021 7:19 pm

As with DOS and WinXP compatibility, ironically, Linux/OSS may help preserve old plugins.

NikkiA · Post by **NikkiA** » Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:20 pm

Perhaps, but wine has been fragile towards libc updates in the past, so you'd be also relying on never changing the distro, or the hardware (because we can never be sure today's linux will run on tomorrow's x86 hardware)

Attempting to replace old 32bit synths with supported synths is still the safer route.

glokraw · Post by **glokraw** » Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:22 pm

Not changing a distro that works with ones most important plugins has been common practice for many linux musicians, and having 2nd, 3rd, and fourth distros for compatibility and safe testing is trivial these days. x86 hardware isn't needed to run 32 bit plugins, and as the link above shows, there is diverse support for older hardware. I keep a couple distros with wine-staging running Kontakt, Reaktor, SampleTank, and Amplitude, and back-up those .wine folders, and save the installer .deb files for each wine release, so rolling back only takes a few minutes. Things are much better these days, with linvst and yabridge for wrapping vst plugins for use in linux daws. The linux versions of U-he, discoDSP, Surge, Vital, Odin2, PianoTeq and Yoshimi, certainly provide a lot to choose from without using a wine. So 64 bit is also well populated. I like the sounds designed in the peak of 32 bit era, and they are very affordable in tough times

Cheers

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Mon Apr 19, 2021 9:18 pm

i use EnergyXT2 as my daw and i love it. it is x32 only so as long as i can replace
my HD if it fails i will continue to use winxp x32, EXT2 and x32 plugins. which
have been getting the job done efficiently for me for some time now.

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:39 am

jancivil wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 4:36 pm "its not like they are suddenly going to stop working one day, right?"
under Mac OS it's already history, no can do anymore. If an installer even contains 32-bit something something it won't install any kind of way.

Last thing I wanted to work was gsi Mr Ray which is never going to be anything but. Life goes on...

The solution is called virtual machine! Even Layzer could go into modern times on a brand new Mac and run his Win XP setup in Vmware - way faster than his old machine from 2004...

Halonmusic · Post by **Halonmusic** » Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:50 am

^ why go through such a hassle when he could just use what he uses now? Seems like more work to me

can't be very stable either.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:14 pm

Halonmusic wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:50 am ^ why go through such a hassle when he could just use what he uses now? Seems like more work to me can't be very stable either.

yup, the name of my daw game is KISS and i wouldnt have it any other way.
and... my life has been wonderful without apple junk.

FigBug · Post by **FigBug** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:11 am

ferez21 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:51 am I mean, its not like they are suddenly going to stop working one day, right? - there is a mature functional bridge layer that works flawlessly.
What are your thoughts?

One day they will stop working, not sure if it's 5, 10, 15 or more years from now. At some point, Microsoft will drop 32 bit support from their compilers. Then IL won't be able to build their bridge anymore. Or a library they depend on, the latest version won't support 32 bit anymore. Or the cost of supporting the bridge will outweigh the benefit it still provides. People who need 32 bit plugins is a shrinking market, at some point, it won't be worth supporting it anymore.

Halonmusic · Post by **Halonmusic** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:36 am

layzer wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:14 pm
Halonmusic wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:50 am ^ why go through such a hassle when he could just use what he uses now? Seems like more work to me can't be very stable either.
yup, the name of my daw game is KISS and i wouldnt have it any other way.
and... my life has been wonderful without apple junk.

Yeah fk Apple

JayVH · Post by **JayVH** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 7:41 am

I've always found that if it works, it works. Although there is definitely a higher chance of errors or just complete incompatibility when using 32 bit on a 64 bit system lol. Haven't had that happen yet though... strange

T-CM11 · Post by **T-CM11** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 4:42 pm

FigBug wrote: ↑Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:11 am One day they will stop working, not sure if it's 5, 10, 15 or more years from now. At some point, Microsoft will drop 32 bit support from their compilers. Then IL won't be able to build their bridge anymore. Or a library they depend on, the latest version won't support 32 bit anymore. Or the cost of supporting the bridge will outweigh the benefit it still provides. People who need 32 bit plugins is a shrinking market, at some point, it won't be worth supporting it anymore.

No they won't stop working one day. Software isn't magic; if someone wants their 32 bit software/plugins to keep working for as long as they want, they can (the possibility exists).
Maybe YOU can't, but that's not everybody else's issue.
My audio production PC has been offline since 2012. I use it to make music, not surf the web. Microsoft (or any other company) has no control over it. If it ever breaks down, I'll just get the another PC/parts that runs the same software.

FigBug · Post by **FigBug** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 5:31 pm

T-CM11 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 4:42 pm No they won't stop working one day. Software isn't magic; if someone wants their 32 bit software/plugins to keep working for as long as they want, they can (the possibility exists).
Maybe YOU can't, but that's not everybody else's issue.
My audio production PC has been offline since 2012. I use it to make music, not surf the web. Microsoft (or any other company) has no control over it. If it ever breaks down, I'll just get the another PC/parts that runs the same software.

Sure, if you never upgrade the computer or any software on it, it will continue to work. But the original question was:

i do have a few oldies that are 32bit but work perfectly well on my 64bit DAW (FL Studio) through their built in jbridge. I mean, its not like they are suddenly going to stop working one day, right? - there is a mature functional bridge layer that works flawlessly.

Which I interpreted the OP to be asking, will 32 bit plugins continue to work with modern DAWs. To which I stand by my answer of No, at some point (I can't predict when), support for 32 bit plugins will be dropped, or they will just get broken by an OS update.

While not updating the machine is an option, it gets harder and harder as time goes on. Parts break, and when they get replaced, Windows needs to be reactivated, which is no longer offered for older versions. I don't think it's possible to activate XP any longer, other than by finding a leaked volume license key.

ferez21 · Post by **ferez21** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 5:39 pm

So bottom line is, it's a gamble, they might work or they might not work.

Is it bad to rely on 32-bit plugins?