VST plugins cause issues

• Aug 1, 2023 - 13:25

Can I run Musescore4 without VST support?

Cheers,
Trevor


Comments

I don't think there is direct support for that, but first priority should be fixing whatever problem you are encountering that makes you want to resort to this. Please explain in more detail so we can understand and assist better.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thanks for the reply Mark. I've got MuseScore running now, after deleting all the MuseScore files and folders I could find and then using Ccleaner to clean the registry.

Previous attempts to install the program failed while trying to load my VST effects. MuseScore was asking me to tell it where to find a Waves VST licence folder for a product I deleted from the computer years ago, and I couldn't find what was triggering the search. The program just hung and I had to use task manager to end the whole task. I tried a couple of times with the same result until I resorted to the actions above.

Now the program installs and runs ok, but it's still looking for this non-existent Waves licence. However now when I cancel the search, it seems happy enough to run.

Perhaps you can tell me where Musescore is referencing this file?

In reply to by nssc

VST3 plugins by definition all are installed into the same location for a given OS. So just make sure there isn't a file for the plugin you don't want in that folder. MsueScore isn't in control of that folder; it's set by Steinberg, the creator of the VST3 technology.

In reply to by nssc

Steinberg specifically forbids the use of custom locations, so no doubt that's causing problems. As far as I know it should be OK to use an external drive, but then you need to have the official location be a shortcut to that location or otherwise configure your system so applications can always find them in the standard location. I'm not up on the details though, but anyhow, sounds like that's what needs to be straightened out.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Yes, the official location points to the correct folder, but some installers seem to bypass the shortcut and make up their own mind as to the correct location. I think this anomaly is possibly why Adobe Audition and other audio editors and DAWs like Ardour and Reaper have a VST "manager" built in. It might be worth thinking about for future editions.

In reply to by nssc

If there is a VST explicitly violating the VST standard by installing somewhere other than the correct location, this bug should be reported to their developers.

Meanwhlle, MuseScore does provide the ability to find VST's in non-standard locations, via Edit / Preferences / Filders. But again, having VST's in incorrect locations is just asking for trouble, as software just can't be designed to handle every incorrect thing a vendor might possibly do. Standards exist for a reason, and VST's that violate those standards are likely to cause problems one way or another.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thanks for taking the time to engage with this. I'm pleased the facility exists to locate files in non-standard locations, however the issue was preventing MuseScore from installing at all, so I never got to that stage. I did look to see if there was a relevant command-line switch for the installation process, but couldn't see anything. The rogue VST file was indeed in the standard installation folder - thanks for directing me to it.

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