Recently, I had a wampum-load of troubles updating from Lion to El Capitan on my MacBook Pro, which I've complained about endlessly on other threads on here. Long story short, I had to wipe my drive and start over with Lion, re-installing all my software and testing out all my audio plugs and VIs as I've gone along. For the longest time, I'd been using Audio Plugin Player or loading up files on Wave Editor to make sure plugs were loading and operating properly (at four bucks, I actually purchased the most recent version of Audio Plugin Player). But for some reason, certain plugs and VIs won't load in Audio Plugin Player under Lion and onward. e-Licenser won't allow older Arturia or Waldorf plugs to load. Waves only shows up as Waveshell (since you have to actually select the .component file from a browser). It doesn't play some 64-bit plugs running in 32-bit mode. Wave Editor only loads audio plugs, not VIs, and since it's older technology, it has a few issues with some of the plugs.

So I needed a simple plugin player I could run to test out my plugs and VIs that was advanced enough to run all of them without glitches. After a bit of a search, I stumbled across AU Lab, which is actually an Apple developer utility (and now part of Audio Tools for Xcode) and can be downloaded from their developer's download page for free, although I think you have to either have an Apple ID or sign up for a developer's ID before accessing it. You'll have to scroll down to find the version of AU Lab or Audio Tools for Xcode that's compatible with your OS, but the version available for Lion, which I'm using right now, allows you to set up VI plugs with multiple AU FX inserts and runs pretty flawlessly. If AU Lab can load it, DP 9 and Logic can also load it. So far, I've only been using it to test plugs, so I haven't checked out everything it can do, but it also seems like it would work as a simple live rig, much easier than using Mainstage, Plogue Bidule or Rax. I'm sure a few of you know about it, but if you're like me and hadn't heard of it before now, it's definitely worth taking a look at.

 

Phantastic! Ultra-low latencies possible (24 samples!!!) with very low CPU.Thanks for the hint, this is going to change my system,
i´m an e-drummer.
Karl

 

Can be useful to load CPU Hogy like the U-he stuff through AU Lab or huge Kontakt Libs

 

Sure, AU Lab is the reference implementation for AudioUnits, and it's a useful util.

 

Man, this is a great share! thanx

 

http://ju-x.com/Hosting AU.html

 

Nice! Thanks 4 the heads up Iggy and the link belalugosi. Sweet

 

these are also nice to use to instantiate some plugs that require internet connection to authorize (legit purchased of course) instead of a DAW you have firewalled! This has been the greatest functionality to me... AU Tool (?) is another one I use....

 

you could try the very simple app, Audio Plugin Player v1.1 (packed by CORE), and it will open any AU or VST plugin on your mac, without opening a whole DAW

 

If you read my original post, I actually bought Audio Plugin Player (it's up to v1.3 now) first and tried using it. Never had any problems with it until I upgraded from Snow Leopard to Lion, but then, any manner of problems cropped up. You can't run Waves, it has problems with e-Licenser, some plugs won't load up their presets, large VIs cause it to crash, etc. Even the most recent version won't run 64-bit plugs or in 64-bit mode. AU Lab is about as simple (and completely free), except it actually loads all your AUs, can handle multiple outputs and runs on the same level as Core Audio (since it's an Apple developer utility), so it'll pretty much run anything, and if it can't run it, probably nothing else will, either. Plus, you can add as many VIs and effects chains as you want.

(Edit: I should have added "You can also run it in more recent operating systems, like Yosemite or El Capitan, depending on which version you download")

 

Last edited: Feb 28, 2016