How Do You Organize Your VST Effects on Hard Drive and in DAW

I usually just install under Manufacture but Bundles have So many different types of effects I forget and lose track of EXample revebs delays Waves have many Slate has many then there are the standlalones
and now with the current TSUNAMI im even more lost

 

I would kindly suggest to use something because you absolutely need it and NOT just because it exist..

BTW, that's the secret behind many great producers ;)

P.S. I am a Hypocrite

 

I noted with interest how Ableton 11 had come up with new broad categories for their library FX folder which I have adopted now as subfolders for my VST FX folder. However I have an additional folder for brands where it makes sense to put them all together (such as Eventide and KiloHearts)

The new ableton categories are:
Drive, Dynamics, EQ & Filters, Finishing, Performance, Pitch & Modulation, Time & Space.

 

Is there still only a maximum of 7 Collections colors? To me that was Ableton 10's biggest limitation, hope they listened and addressed this but I guess not.

 

I order mine something like this:

Effects\Chorus\BrainWorx
Effects\Chorus\D16
...
Effects\EQ\BrainWorx
...
Instruments\Bass\Rob Papen\
Instruments\Guitar\ToonTrack
Instruments\Synth\Roland
...

 

Sometimes I forget what some not so frequently used VSTs are used for (as I'm old, and names were always a problem for me ).
Especially those 123.dll numbered VSTs I have problems to memorize them, even though I reduced the VSTs to a minimum last year and got rid of all others I don't really use frequently
(*I don't uninstall them but move the DLL to a directory outside the VST search paths on another drive).
The fact that not all VST exist as VST2 or VST3 respectively makes it even more complicated. And if that wasn't enough the different DAWs handle VST differently.

First thing I do is setting one search path for all VST2 and all VST3. If there are other directories I use symlink to link them to the standard path.
For Ableton (10.x) VST2: I define folders like "Synth - Sampler - InstEmulation - Seq..." for instruments and "Dynamics - EQ - Reverb - Distortion - Modulation -Spatial ..." for fx.
For Cubase (10.x) I use the same search path and nomenclature but there I can define my own groups of Intruments and FX inside the VST plugin manager.

Maybe other people have no problems to memorize everything, but for me this helps massively.

For testing purposes it's agood idea to move the different plugin DLLs in and out of the VST search path so you don't get lost in space. (see *)

You guess right.
But with all colors of the rainbow it would be quite hard to distinguish the colors. In Cubase you can have a load of colors but in the end I reduced them to e few again bcause it didn't help me to use 32 as they are so very similar.

 

Last edited: Jan 2, 2021

yes!

 

my logic is, make a VST folder with an instrument folder and an effect folder inside, in each folder you make a folder dedicated to the installed instrument or effect, and don't install everything and anything! vst 3 are automatically installed in the dedicated folder, if you use Live you can put them in coloured preferences.
that's it.

 

Sadly I have the worst organization of VST effects. I just dump everything in one place (both Instruments ad effects) with a thought that later I will organize things to make it look tidy but that time never comes.

 

Limit yourself is the key to be organized and productive.

This...

 

You can take a look at my setup if you want:



Also, I agree with @TaxiDriver, you should limit yourself. Don't hoard everything. I personally have around 80 plug-ins in total.

PS. I know that EQ and compression are technically "audio effects" as well (spectral and dynamic, respectively, If I'm not mistaken), but I prefer to keep them separate

 

https://imgur.com/a/vB5szUf

 

Not mine, but what im using as a template to organise my own

 

Last edited: Jan 2, 2021

Agreed! It should be unlimited, im using Bitwig now and it lets you configure as many as you like

 

on file explorer (win10), i prefer
VST2:
./Program Files/VSTPlugins/{company}/vstname.dll
VST3
./{company}/vstname.dll

i skip x86 vst2, also skip x64 vst2 if vst3 exist, also skip aax..

i use categorize features on daw (s1/reaper) just for quick find..

on side note, what @TaxiDriver and @Tob highlight is true. I've stopped collecting plugins only keeps one that i find or learn by chance its best purpose.. like vss3 large warm hall for orchestral.. futzbox for claps.. something like that i organize mine

 

For DAW I use Cakewalk it has custom plugin layout so you can made your own and save as preset for quickly switch between them.
Show all plugins, show only your favorite, show only your most use in your Rock or EDM project, no problem.

 

I create one folder per developer and install their plugins in.

But using Reaper, I create my own categories and classify plugins in them. You can put the same plugin in more than one category.

 

That's mine from Reaper

Spoiler

Name0==+=+=+=+INSERTS+=+=+=+=
Name1=AMP/CABinet Emulation
Name2=BITcrusher
Name3=BUSs/MaSTer
Name4=Channel Strip
Name5=CHORus
Name6=COMPressor
Name7=COMPressor MB
Name8=DELay
Name9=DISTotion/SATuration
Name10=Dynamic Processor
Name11=EQ
Name12=EXciter/MAXimizer
Name13=FILTer
Name14=FLanger
Name15=FREQuency Shifter
Name16=GAte/EXPander
Name17=HARMonizer
Name18=LIMiter
Name19=LOOPer/SLYcer
Name20=MODulation
Name21=PHaser
Name22=PITCH Shifter
Name23=REVerb
Name24=SAMPler (fx)
Name25=STereo Field
Name26=TRANsient
Name27=VOCoder
Name28==+=+=+=+EFFECTS+=+=+=+=
Name29=Vocal Processing
Name30=Drums Processing
Name31=Bass Processing
Name32=Guittar Processing
Name33=Keys Processing
Name34=Glitch FX
Name35=Sequenced FX
Name36=Multi/Special FX
Name37==+=+=INSTRUMENTS=+=+=
Name38=Drum Instruments
Name39=Bass Instruments
Name40=Guitar Instruments
Name41=Orchestral Instruments
Name42=Environmental/Scapes
Name43=World/Ethnic
Name44==+=+=SYNTHESIZERS=+=+=
Name45=Virtual Analog
Name46=Subtractive
Name47=Additive
Name48=FM/PM
Name49=Physical Modeling
Name50=Wavatable
Name51=Granular
Name52=Sampler
Name53=Hybrid
Name54=Other
Name55=VA (x86)
Name56==+=+=+EMULATIONS+=+=+=
Name57=Modular
Name58=Moog
Name59=Korg
Name60=Roland
Name61=ARP
Name62=Dave Smith
Name63=Oberheim
Name64=Misc
Name65=All
Name66==+=+=+=+=UTILS=+=+=+=+=
Name67=Arp/Seq
Name68=MIDI
Name69=Host/ReWire
Name70=Audio Analysis/Utility
Name71=Restoration
Name72=Binaural
Name73=Speaker Simulation
Name74=Airwindows
Name75=Acqua

 

Still only a maximum of 7 Collections colors in Ableton 11? :/