VST3 to VST2

[whyterabbyt]

thanks for your quick reply
you write "inside the path that's your appropriate VST2 plugin folder".
this is the "host" DAW VST folder?
I will need to decipher the rest of what you wrote

Yes, that's correct... somewhere the host scans for VST2 plugins.

[qb0000]

Thanks again
and just to be clear, the "host" is the DAW which cannot read/support the VST3?

[qb0000]

sorry. i couldn't get this to work. Propellerhead Reason 12 has no VST2 folder, but in Sweetwater discussion, it says that Reason will look for VST plugins in several places.
The simplest for me was C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2.
So i created that folder and put all the files in there. Maybe that is a mistake.
it did generate a VST64Shell in Reason 12, but from there, I don't see how to link the Native Instruments Kontakt 7 to this.
When i drag the VST64SHELL into the Reason Rack< i click on the black blank area, and nothing happens.
I know from my other plugins for Halion & Kontakt 6 Player, there pops up the interface, but with this, zilch!

With the other program you mentioned. i downloaded it, but do not see exactly how to get to activate/ link anything.
the Kontakt 7 only has Kontakt7.vst, no dll.

I wish i could move forward with this.

[whyterabbyt]

it did generate a VST64Shell in Reason 12, but from there, I don't see how to link the Native Instruments Kontakt 7 to this.

You dont 'link' anything, it should all be automatic. If a plugin is properly set up as a VST3 plugin, then the VST3Shell adaptor should find it.

I dont have Kontakt7 to test with, but have you checked from a VST3-capable host that Kontakt7 is actually working as a VST3 plugin?

[qb0000]

Hi - your wrote on the other thread:
Also, have you checked Kontakt is in your VST3 plugin folder. That should be

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

YES - this file is there
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Kontakt 7.vst3

And, following Blue Cat instructions, it "links" (handshakes) automatically

I did use the shell2vst but it seemed to generate more plugins that i already have. i stopped as i didn't want to get even more confused

[SaganTech]

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

[crawling out from under my rock...] WOW! This adapter/wrapper is amazing. It works perfectly with a host with proper shell VST 2 supports. Thank you so much!

[robindrieghe]

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

wish you released a wrapper from buzz machines to vst2

[avid_d]

I cannot get the wrapper to work - it sees my VST3 plugins but errors when trying to create an instance in a DAW with the error "VST main function returned null".

I tried whyterabbyt's alternative of creating the dlls outside of my VST location and then moving them in, but I get the same null error when seeking to load the dll in the DAW (Mulab 9 - which does not support VST3). I thought it might be a Mulab specific fail, but if I try to load the converted dlls in Reaper they also fail.

Anyone got a possible fix, or must I stick with using the Kushview Element workaround?

Using Windows 10.

[k2006]

some vst3s work if you rename the extension to .vst

[kmonkey]

Guys I never switched to VST 3 but seems a good way start doing do because it seems in upcoming years vst2 will be obsolete.

I have a question. Say VST 2 plugin is used in all my projects. If I install VST 3 version and remove VST2 version of the same plugin, is DAW (Bitwig and Ableton) able to reload VST 3 version in place of VST 2?

Or I need to save presets and reload everything in my sessions and reload presets n VST 3?

[Markus Krause]

Guys I never switched to VST 3 but seems a good way start doing do because it seems in upcoming years vst2 will be obsolete.

For you as a musician there is not need to quickly migrate from VST2 to VST3, since all DAWs except Cubase that currently support VST2 will continue to support VST2 also in the future. The developers got valid licensing contracts for this.

Here is a comparison of the plugin-formats:
https://www.tone2.com/plugin-formats.html

[kmonkey]

Guys I never switched to VST 3 but seems a good way start doing do because it seems in upcoming years vst2 will be obsolete.

For you as a musician there is not need to quickly migrate from VST2 to VST3, since all DAWs except Cubase that currently support VST2 will continue to support VST2 also in the future. The developers got valid licensing contracts for this.

Here is a comparison of the plugin-formats:
https://www.tone2.com/plugin-formats.html

Thank you for additional info. Much appreciated. I was just thinking about it and said to myself that I am probably on the safe side with VST 2 for another 10 years at least.

Have a great day and week.

[aMUSEd]

Guys I never switched to VST 3 but seems a good way start doing do because it seems in upcoming years vst2 will be obsolete.

I have a question. Say VST 2 plugin is used in all my projects. If I install VST 3 version and remove VST2 version of the same plugin, is DAW (Bitwig and Ableton) able to reload VST 3 version in place of VST 2?

Or I need to save presets and reload everything in my sessions and reload presets n VST 3?

If you are on Mac certainly it is becoming more urgent, especially on Apple Silicon where VST2 is not officially supported and NI hosts have now only support VST2 under Rosetta. Migration should be available from plugin developers but I can understand it may not be a priority for some - many do support it already but far from all.

[revvy]

Guys I never switched to VST 3 but seems a good way start doing do because it seems in upcoming years vst2 will be obsolete.

I have a question. Say VST 2 plugin is used in all my projects. If I install VST 3 version and remove VST2 version of the same plugin, is DAW (Bitwig and Ableton) able to reload VST 3 version in place of VST 2?

Or I need to save presets and reload everything in my sessions and reload presets n VST 3?

If you are on Mac certainly it is becoming more urgent, especially on Apple Silicon where VST2 is not officially supported and NI hosts have now only support VST2 under Rosetta. Migration should be available from plugin developers but I can understand it may not be a priority for some - many do support it already but far from all.

Thanks for that.

So for Windows, which as we all know is more forgiving of these things, outside of Cubase (which is in itself a major player) VST 2 or 3 are probably both fine.

But for modern Macs it’s gotta be VST 3. I’m on a modern Mac and will probably start using Live again soon, so that’s good to bear in mind.

Summing up, when even Lennard is making VST3 available, the writing really is on the wall

[aMUSEd]

There are quite a few VST2's that are Native - however this is not officially supported by Steinberg so I guess Native Instruments decided to play it safe and move entirely to VST3 on Apple Silicon (you can still load VST2 but only under Rosetta 2). However other hosts still support VST2 native - but for how long who knows?