When can we stop making 32-bit plugins?

[Vertion]

will there ever be an 16 bit vst?:)

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/enable ... indows-10/

VST? Export to MOD file... and these programs...

DosBox
Scream Tracker ala Future Crew

Also, be sure to try Windows.. some plugin company called Microsoft.. dynamic linking and all that..
Microsoft Windows 1.0

Sorry, I had to put this here, people need to give more credit to the demoscene and amiga:

[rod_zero]

When it makes no economical sense, when the sales lost by not providing them are insignificant.

So I say: kill them already, we have had 10 years for people to adapt.

[camsr]

Every developer should be focusing on x64 builds of their software now. Supporting 32-bit systems is ok, but most if not all new computers are x64 compatible.

[pdxindy]

I use a proper* host that seamlessly wraps plugins coded for both 32 and 64 bits.
So i totally don't care about this.

*That host is REAPER of course.

Bitwig does the same...

[Turello]

I'm usually work (composing) with Laptop 64 bit machine and 32 bit DAWs and VSTi...
The same for recording, editing, mastering, mixing etc... This avoid to stress the machines... I was try with some 64 bit processor/VST but don't recognize great differences...
I'm happy and the clients/customers too...

[thecontrolcentre]

Just out of curiousity, how do you handle old projects that you created before you moved to 64-bit only? This is basically the only snag I came across. Any good tips?

I always render tracks/clips as audio files.

[pdxindy]

Do you really care about the layzers of the world just because they may send you an email or two, they're not customers.

I kinda do, I have a free version of my EQ, he could enjoy that, and I find the shoestring approach kind of relatable. It's not all about money, I don't want to inconvenience people, I just wanna know when some people will have finally moved on. Maybe Apple has the right idea with its forcing everybody to move on ways, while Microsoft is still struggling to keep 20+ year old programs running.

You can just keep the same free version available on your site. There is no need to compile new versions. Seems like the majority of people who will want to download the 32 bit version are using older OS'es and machines anyway.

[.jon]

I'm usually work (composing) with Laptop 64 bit machine and 32 bit DAWs and VSTi...
The same for recording, editing, mastering, mixing etc... This avoid to stress the machines... I was try with some 64 bit processor/VST but don't recognize great differences...
I'm happy and the clients/customers too...

Running 32 bit DAW and plugins on 64 bit os actually stresses the machine more. The overhead isn't huge, but it is there.

[ghettosynth]

Obviously I don't really care if a developer maintains 32 bit versions but the point I've been trying to hammer home is once you go 64 bit there is no need for 32 bit and any time spent developing and maintaining 32 bit versions is simply wasted. I'd rather that time be spent on adding new features and functions to the 64 bit version. But that's just my opinion which is the purpose of Polls.... to elicit opinions and information.

Yep, and please give me the option to not install 32 bit! I have a few 32 bit plugins as well as AAX plugins on my machine that I need to hunt down and execute from the one or two vendors that just install everything when you don't specific a custom directory.

[AnX]

Just out of curiousity, how do you handle old projects that you created before you moved to 64-bit only? This is basically the only snag I came across. Any good tips?

I always render tracks/clips as audio files.

...and MIDI files

[FrettedSynth]

As long as I can use the 32bit plugins I have, I see no reason to change at this point.
I would imagine a day will come when its is no longer feasible? but until then I'm good.
Why all the anger on both sides? If it is not broke why fix it?
32bit works for you well alright, 64bit works for you right on.
Might leave me out of some new plugins because they went 64bit only, so I will look elsewhere.
On the developer side as long as it is not a major build\support issue why change??

[zzz00m]

Just out of curiousity, how do you handle old projects that you created before you moved to 64-bit only? This is basically the only snag I came across. Any good tips?

I always render tracks/clips as audio files.

+1 to this. The best insurance against you waking up one day and discovering your plugins no longer work.

[donquixote]

...? - when jorgen release eXT64, in 2049, i saw it in a movie

[A_SN]

You can just keep the same free version available on your site. There is no need to compile new versions. Seems like the majority of people who will want to download the 32 bit version are using older OS'es and machines anyway.

Good point, it's not like I'd have no version available, just an older perfectly good stable one. I'm really tempted to go with this. Wait I just re-read this and you're saying I don't need to update the free version at all. Not a bad idea, but since the free version also stands in for a demo of the full version then I kinda have to update it so people know what they're getting.

Yep, and please give me the option to not install 32 bit! I have a few 32 bit plugins as well as AAX plugins on my machine that I need to hunt down and execute from the one or two vendors that just install everything when you don't specific a custom directory.

Ah, the charms of not even having an installer at all. It's funny, in almost 6 years of selling VSTs pretty much no one ever asked me how to install it, I've had more emails asking how to extract a ZIP file. People know, there's no need for an installer apparently.

As long as I can use the 32bit plugins I have, I see no reason to change at this point.
I would imagine a day will come when its is no longer feasible? but until then I'm good.
Why all the anger on both sides? If it is not broke why fix it?
32bit works for you well alright, 64bit works for you right on.
Might leave me out of some new plugins because they went 64bit only, so I will look elsewhere.
On the developer side as long as it is not a major build\support issue why change??

Replace 32-bit with 16-bit and this is where you'll be in a decade or two. Computer technology moves on.

Although tbh in two decades it's more likely that plugins will come out in compiled JavaScript interpreted format, like those guys who made that web DAW did https://www.ampedstudio.com/pages/manual/web_plugs and when that happens (I wouldn't be surprised if it was the next big format in a decade) you'll hear me say "come on, move to Web Plugs already, this way I only need to do one build for all platforms and not use the OS API", and this time it will be an even bigger deal for me, and once again you'll have to either move on or be stuck with having to use old not updated software. It's always going to be like this, we'll have transition after transition for a long time, because thank God VST 2.4 32-bit isn't what we're stuck with for the rest of our lives!

+1 to this. The best insurance against you waking up one day and discovering your plugins no longer work.

The perhaps even better way is to have it all in a virtual machine (okay, a virtual machine for making music, maybe not such a good idea) and back the whole thing up, this way you have everything set up and ready to be used again, with the exact right versions of every program/plugin making it all work the same way. If you go back to your old projects 50 years later that's pretty much what it's gonna take anyway, and the easiest simplest way then will be to just run your saved virtual machine inside an emulation of an old timey 2010s PC. So save the virtual machine's installer too

[ghettosynth]

You can just keep the same free version available on your site. There is no need to compile new versions. Seems like the majority of people who will want to download the 32 bit version are using older OS'es and machines anyway.

Good point, it's not like I'd have no version available, just an older perfectly good stable one. I'm really tempted to go with this. Wait I just re-read this and you're saying I don't need to update the free version at all. Not a bad idea, but since the free version also stands in for a demo of the full version then I kinda have to update it so people know what they're getting.

Yep, and please give me the option to not install 32 bit! I have a few 32 bit plugins as well as AAX plugins on my machine that I need to hunt down and execute from the one or two vendors that just install everything when you don't specific a custom directory.

Ah, the charms of not even having an installer at all. It's funny, in almost 6 years of selling VSTs pretty much no one ever asked me how to install it, I've had more emails asking how to extract a ZIP file. People know, there's no need for an installer apparently.

Well, of course, if there's no installer, even better. I can count on one hand how many vendors that's true for though. You know, I really prefer that vendors separate them as well. I don't even download 32 bit versions of new plugins anymore if there's an option.