Began my journey playing bass at age 15 in 1989.
Started computer music stuff 2004 on an iMac G3 OS9 (Reason 2.5). Moved to Win. (XP to 7) (Podium, Luna/MuLab, energyXT, Tracktion 1, Reaper).
Went all-in with iPad in late 2017. Did everything on iPad. Everything. Still today.
But, I really missed MuLab and most especially the synth from Psychic Modulation, Phonec.
Its my fave synth. Nothing comes close. Yeah. I love it. Anyway.
Blessed with a free, fairly solid machine a couple of years ago (a Razor Blade). Win 11. Its solid and fast.
BUT...unlike before, I could no longer make "just" a C:Plug-Ins directory because most stuff just wanted or insisted on installing in a billion other places and I cannot and will not be bothered to note and such...so I dont know where stuff is if I wish to add or make changes and having to follow a billion different processes or directories for extra presets for each...ZZzzzzz! No thanks.
Dlls...no issue. U-He synths...nope, all over the place...even the free Charlatan wants presets in some other place and wont acknowledge additions unless you follow where it insists. No. No thanks. Eff you.
One of the blessings of going iPad was that I didn't need to do anything. Grab a synth, it goes where it ought, and it shows up in my iPadOS DAW. Period. Thats it.
So!
Since Windows has now become even more pixel-bitching about this...
And now that my dumb self has joyfully utilized iPadOS for years...if...IF I wish to use the likes of MuLab and some desktop synths...
Is it as easy to install MacOS VSTs or AUV3s as it is on iPadOS?
or does it 'act' this Windows mess way?
(Yes. Before you ask...I am, in fact, an idiot, as that will be your first question. Yes I am. Sigh.)
tl;dr - Can I be as stupid on MacOS as I can be on iPadOS (because I now know I can no longer in Win11)?
I'm too old, at 51, "to compute" anymore. I just wanna play a synth. hehheh
Is it as easy to install instruments in MacOS as it is in iPadOS/iOS?
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- KVRAF
- 26033 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
I've never to my recollection installed a plugin under iOS. I did obtain Logic for iOS but I'm not sure I ever opened it.
Plugin installers under MacOS practically all follow protocol as per the plugin itself; one installer created a CLAP folder under [Macintosh HD]Library/Audio/Plugins.
User presets directory (empty) goes in Documents/Vendor name, factory presets go in [Mac HD] Library/Application Support/Vendor name.
Native Instruments installers creates directories in Shared/...
There can be some variance eg., NI .json for effects is placed in [user name] Library/Application support*, for instruments in Shared/instrument name/...
That situation is kind of special. Generally developers conform to the OS's ways, quite straightforward. So no, stuff shouldn't end up strewn about.
One tricky thing is MacOS stupidly hides *user name/Library. On a new OS installation I find it and copy it to Finder.
Plugin installers under MacOS practically all follow protocol as per the plugin itself; one installer created a CLAP folder under [Macintosh HD]Library/Audio/Plugins.
User presets directory (empty) goes in Documents/Vendor name, factory presets go in [Mac HD] Library/Application Support/Vendor name.
Native Instruments installers creates directories in Shared/...
There can be some variance eg., NI .json for effects is placed in [user name] Library/Application support*, for instruments in Shared/instrument name/...
That situation is kind of special. Generally developers conform to the OS's ways, quite straightforward. So no, stuff shouldn't end up strewn about.
One tricky thing is MacOS stupidly hides *user name/Library. On a new OS installation I find it and copy it to Finder.