How fast do you plan to get rid of VST2 plugin variants?

[careyletendre]

I replace VST2 where developers make it possible; Nomad Factory comes to mind. I will always keep my VST2 plugins if they aren't updated.

Some are too precious for me to give up:

1. Camel Audio - Camel Phat and Camel Space
2. BeatSkills - That Thing
3. Black Rooster - Entire Catalogue (VST3 supposed to be coming)
4. Lexicon - LXP and MPX series.
5. Magix - AMS Suite, EFX Suite, VFX Suite, Vandal and Variverb
6. Nomad Factory - (Everything that hasn't been ported yet)
7. Ohm Force - Ohmicide
8. Positive Grid - Effects Suite

This is the main reason why i switched from Mac to PC about 10 yrs ago. All my legacy VST 2 plugins run just fine on Windows 11.

[t.o.t.s.]

I replaced everything VST2 a while ago. Nothing left. No desire to tend to multiple folders and versions if I don't need to.

[dionenoid]

Ditched VST2 years ago, wherever possible.

[SamDi]

7. Ohm Force - Ohmicide

This is for me the only reason to be sad, when VST2 drops away. Normally I don‘t find it so bad, when old stuff gets abandoned and is fading away, because mostly there is something new, which is better. But Ohmicide is still unmatched in it‘s approach of weird distortion.

[whassup]

I don't see any reason to ditch VST2 as there isn't a realy life difference in behaviour that I noticed. Using Reaper I don't see VST2 abandoned at all. Being on Windows I don't see old VST2 plugins becoming unusable in the near future.
So, all set and go!

[Teksonik]

I usually prefer VST 2 versions if they're available as I generally find them to be more stable and I find no real advantage to the VST 3 format for the way I work.

I've seen top notch developers have some very unkind things to say about the VST 3 format and in my testing I see no appreciable difference in CPU performance between the versions.

But having said that I will use VST 3 if there is no 2 option but will hold onto VST 2 until the option is removed by the developer or support removed by my DAWs.

It's possible some people think that since 3 is more than 2, VST 3 must be the superior format but again in my experience and testing I don't find that to be true.

[Big DAW Audio]

I suppose I'll keep the VST2s on my computer forever... but never use them haha

[Digivolt]

I'm deleting my VST2's as I come across updates for the plugs, I'll install the VST3 then search for the VST2 and delete it

[emef]

i'm keeping all my old vst2s, got lots of tracks that use them
with new vst's i'm installing both versions, and i'm mostly using the vst3 version

[robindrieghe]

still ditching my 32 bit stuff and now this?

[cryophonik]

I'm primarily a Logic (AU) user and secondarily a Pro Tools (AAX) user, so VST only matters to me for Ableton (although I also own Cubase 14). For the longest time, I've been installing both VST2 and VST3 versions, but I was just cleaning up some hard drive space over the weekend and noticed that my VST2 folder was over 10GB. So, I started comparing that to my VST3 folder and it looks like I have almost all of my plugins in both versions, so I plan to delete the redundant VST2 versions and just stick with VST3.

[MrJubbly]

I always now migrate over to CLAP format equivalents, as soon as stable CLAP updates are released for any plugins I own. Currently, that includes all FabFilter, u-he, Audio Thing and several other developers' plugins.

I only keep VST2 / VST3 installed on my device for backwards compatibility purposes with older projects. Once my DAW, FL Studio supports a reliable VST2 to VST3 automatic migration option (i.e. "IPluginCompatibility") I will then also remove any VST2 instances from my device.

And ideally, if/when a solution becomes available to automatically migrate VST/VST3 over to CLAP equivalent formats, I will then also uninstall all VST3 formats of any such plugins I have which support CLAP. (Such as CLAP's "State Conversion" feature, according to Urs)

Hopefully in a few years time, Users will eventually be able to achieve an entirely (or almost entirely) CLAP-only workflow for most of our plugins which are still in active development and which have updates released in the CLAP format. Which I believe will likely happen and become more standard practice once CLAP is officially supported by a future JUCE 9 update (perhaps, towards the end of 2025 / early 2026? ).

In my opinion, unless you happen to be a Steinberg-branded DAW user, no one else needs to really continue using VST3 as their prime audio plugin format moving forwards. And if non-proprietary DAW format users switch over to the open source CLAP standard instead, we can hopefully avoid any similar migration issues, whenever Steinberg inevitably decide to also discontinue their VST3 format in favour of some future VST4 variant, et al.

[Synthman2000]

I will run them till machines or DAWs break. It varies a bit depending on DAW support and what is available at any given time.

If I lose something I will get something else to cover it. One thing I am doing is not worrying about them, in reality there are few things that stop you making music and there are an almost unending amount of software companies and alternative plug ins to get you through the night.

I am thinking of buying a VST2 only plug in right now.

VST3 ? Oh big deal, it is not like VST3 is game changing, more annoying actually than anything. Like all changes that are supposed to be big improvements for end user and are not. Update this that and the other is all a terrible state of affairs to try and justify getting your money. And where do you end up ? Barely any better off.

CPU generations, new DAW releases etc. Money for almost nothing in return a quick dopamine hit for 6 months to say you are running the latest with zero productivity boost to show for it in 99pct of cases. It's a borderline accepted scam situation. A digital prison.

Just ask is your music better as a direct consequence ?

Well over the software plug in hyperbole in 2024 in 99pct of cases.

[Rickskii]

No VST2 for me

[trmupstage]

Some VST3 plugin versions are still a bit wonky in Cubase/Nuendo. Mostly, they get the bypass wrong so even when byapassed, it's still processing. That's the bug I see the most. I am about 70% moved over to VST3 at this point. Some things I need still have not been upgraded.