I apologize in advance, as I;m sure that this question must have been asked already.
I use Linux almost exclusively. I use Windows only for a DAW and to do my taxes. I’ve recently tried to switch to using Ardour as my DAW on Linux. I have a large library of VST2 plugins on my Windows machine and I’ve read and followed all the instructions I can find but the plugin scanner can’t see them.
I’ve put them in a directory that’s already in the plugin path and re-scanned/restarted. I’ve created a new directory and added the full path to the paths in the plugin manager. But no matter what I do I can’t get Ardour to list them.
One question that I can’t find an unequivocal answer to: does Ardour on Linux support VST2 plugins *(DLLs)? Normally I’d think not, but years ago, the last time I tried a Linux DAW, there were shims that could run them. So if yes then I’m doing something wrong. If no, I’d suggest making that explicit in the docs.
A .so file in linux is a shared object file, which is the term for the closest equivalent to dynamically loaded library (DLL) in Windows. Plugins are operating system and processor specific, so you would need to look for plugins which are labeled as Linux x86_64 (assuming you are using a modern PC type machine, and not an ancient 32 bit x86 machine, nor an ARM based computer).
Plugins which include both support for Windows and Linux will often have them in separate directories in the download file (e.g. a zip file), but may have separately downloadable versions. It will just depend on the specific plugins you have or want to use.
I guess I could note that there are ways people are able to use Windows plugins on Linux, but it tends to be more cumbersome and easily stops working, so is not particularly recommended.
Hello Rbross, Windows vsts are not the same as Linux vsts even though they have the same name, as you may have discovered and as Crhis has pointed out.
And this other project is the graphic adaptation of the previous one:
You need the first one that is used from the command line, but it is very easy to use and if you want to use it like any other program, install the second one and it will be even easier to use it.
You’ll really only have to use it every time you install new Windows plugins with wine.
With yabridge/yabrigget many of the windows vsts work, but not all, as far as I know (I am not a software developer) it is almost always for graphical reasons, (libraries and parts of software codes that wine cannot provide that exist in windows).
For example, Kontak works for some people and it doesn’t work for others, but nevertheless the Soundpaint software works great for me since version 3 https://soundpaint.com/, it is stable and very complete, it is a software for windows but works fine with wine.
In any case, I highly recommend using native Linux vsts as much as possible, there are many of all types, synths, effects, midi, audio, etc. and only using Windows vsts if you can’t find similar alternatives.
I also recommend trying the vst at KXStudio : Applications : Carla, before using them in ardour, reaper, lmms etc. In this software you can scan the vst, both those converted with yabridge and the native linux ones, it allows you try them directly without loading a full daw.
Whenever possible we use the native Linux vsts and support their development and if there is no other choice but to use the Windows versions, let them at least be the minority of those that occupy our hard drive.