I'm basically using VSTHost & Reaper to explore various VST synths & effects (free + d/l from sister-site), on a mid-range x4 CPU.

Interested to know more about VST3 & CLAP versions of plugins being developed these days.

Which are most CPU-friendly?
- how do they compare using resources?

Should I keep any VST2 version of a plugin when there's a VST3 and/or CLAP version available?

Last... Is there any tool/utility which lists VST plugins by name, version etc. including whether 32bit or 64bit ?

Thanks ^_^

 

If they are coded correctly, they should be the same overall. Every now and then you might find a plugin that works better one way or the other.

If it works, there's no reason for redundancy.

I don't remember if Reaper has something like that, but Studio One has one.

 

VST3 over VST2, theres no reason to keep both. Clap is more feature rich, better performing, and just more awesome than VST3, but there are not very many devs that support it yet. Its insane with synths.

 

CLAP stands for CLever Audio Plug-in API

- better performance of modern CPUs
- better and faster organization
- better modulation

VST3

- Improved CPU efficiency

One of the disadvantages of the older VST format was the demand on system resources, since the plug-ins were always on. VST3 plugins have the ability to turn themselves off automatically when there is no data running through them.

 

CLAP doesn't seem to work well yet.
All plugins with CLAP either had some missing functions or crashed.
When i used the VST3 versions i had no problems with any of them.

 

The Nakst - Apricot and Regency Clap work without problems in Fl Studio and Studio One.
Free Download: https://nakst.gitlab.io/audio/

I created sound banks for these two clap plugins and they work perfectly.

The Satellites in Space Soundbank by Sonic Sirius for the Nakst - Apricot
https://rekkerd.org/sonic-sirius-releases-satellites-in-space-free-soundset-for-nakst-apricot/
The Egyptian Pyramids Soundbank by Abc for the Nakst - Regency
https://www.kvraudio.com/product/the-egyptian-pyramids-by-sonic-sirius

 

VST3 first
VST2 is abandoned, because new devs CAN'T buy licence.

CLAP ... feels like Linux : on the paper, it is the best.
In reality, almost no one code and use it.

 

CLAP Audio Software Database ---> https://cleveraudio.org/hosts-and-plug-ins/

 

Thought it's only on my end, yeah, they market better performance, but last time I did a test between VST2 and CLAP version of the same plugin I got the same performance... maybe UHe stuff with combination of Bitwig is performing the best it possible can already, so probably it shines with some other plugins, host's or whatever.

 

I built a new PC last year, and installed all the software I used on my old PC. When it came to plugins, I went purely VST3 where both 2 and 3 were available.

Last week, I went to open an old project and Ableton couldn't load some plugins because the VST2 version wasn't present. That threw me for a while, because dragging the VST3 on to the missing plugin didn't work

 

It's really better to click on VST2 and VST3 when installing. It doesn't take up much space and your old projects will still work.

 

Yes, u-he has made an effort to try to take advantage of CLAP's shared thread management (because CLAP started as a u-he / BitWig effort).

Generally though, as others have said, no plugin format can ever be faster than any other. They all use the same principle for the processing block (pointers to blocks of memory, that's literally it - nothing more to it).

I prefer CLAP over VST3 these days. I'll never be on a DAW without CLAP support, while VST3 support in DAWs remains up to Steinberg's continued good will. Technically, every non-Steinberg DAW still supporting VST2 is now in violation of the VST3 license (which every DAW-maker signed).

 

Install all vst2 for older project compatibility or if there is no other formats available (99+% developers have vst3), and as an extra option (in rare cases, performance, stability, exotic disfunctions etc.). Vst3 better (it is vst2 on steroids). Clap as extra installation, for modulation options, other features and bit more performance etc. Unique as it is.
Dx for pre vst era, rtas for pro tools old era. Earliest 2000s and earlier. Mostly useless. Use vst3, clap, vst2, aax (PT). AU for Mac only.
Some adapters (vst2 to vst3 or smth, or vice versa don't know) available for some compatibility problems solvation and other rare, old, exotic, unique cases.

 

While to me there's very few problems using any provided format I tend to go with VST3 since that's the most widely used. CLAP works fine where it's supported.

But really, why VST3? It's mainly the potential, for me for these reasons: dynamic I/O reconfiguration, dynamic parameter configuration and grouping (think a multi-FX unit that has parameters grouped per FX or a multitimbral instrument), and the bundle format is handy as well: a single .vst3 bundle can contain multiple architectures and expose several logical plugins.

That said, the amount of red tape in coding a plugin is huge with VST3. VST2, CLAP and even AU are a joy to deal with in comparison.

None of these affect the actual sound or usage of a plugin in the least though.

 

Much depends on the host (Reaper in my case) and the plugin developer, regardless the format. Always keep that in mind and try all versions of the plugin.

Regarding performance and compatibility I find VST2 to be the best, then CLAP which depending on developer can perform as good as VST2 or the same as VST3, then VST3 always uses the most CPU. The difference can be as low as 0.01% and as big as 1%, though, so nothing serious but it varies from plugin to plugin.

When it comes to stability (which we all like right? ) I find VST2 plugins still to be most stable and compatible, then VST3, then CLAP.

If you ask me, I would use only CLAP plugins, but it's not possible yet, so I test different versions before use. Still using a lot of VST2, VST3 a bit less, and CLAP a lot less, for the aforementioned reasons: either stability-compatibility, or performance, or both.

 

Last edited: Feb 24, 2025

Also, you should know that Reaper supports vst2, vst3, clap, dx formats. If you in reaper - always use latest version (I use latest dev version, neither final, nor rc), they have all unreleased new features, improvements, bugfixes.

 

I use clap all the time when the they have that format. I have not had any issues with clap and I think it's great. for me it's better than VST3.

 

The VST3 SDK and libraries consuming the SDK make me scream internally every time I go near them "why would you do it like that? why? why? why? what were you thinking? are you deranged?"