Cannot complete a VST Scan

rrahim

Every time I try to do a VST scan on Maschine 3.01, it freezes on some random plugin.
I remove the plugin and rescan, and it just gets stuck on another.

I've done this with over 30+ plugins and I'm tired…
I just want to use Maschine, even if with just NI plugins, but I can't even get that.

Can anyone help? (Windows 11)

PK The DJ

You should be able to skip the scan by pressing esc when you first see the splash screen.

rrahim

I'm no longer on the splash screen.
I'm now trying to get my plugins into Maschine. Even NI plugins (VST2 and 3) aren't showing up in Maschine.

This is terrible hell.

Maxray

Just for the sake of troubleshooting…. Check your iLok app and make sure all the plugins in there, whether sync'd to the cloud, computer or stick have been authorized. You can even refresh it real quick to see if any stand out for updates. That could be causing that issue in the initial scan?!

If you need to, try moving the VST Folder to another location (such as Desktop) and see if it gets you through the initial scan, then uncheck the plugin's scan box from the preferences menu. Place the folders back where they belong, then restart the program. If it starts right up, recheck the plugin scan box in preferences and restart the program. If it hangs up again, try reinstalling Maschine SW.

Another issue that can cause potential problems (and not just with Maschine), is when you have too many VST locations. It can cause the application to spend too much time scanning with possible failures. Some DAWs don't even allow you to have more than one location, like Ableton and BitWig.

I put all my VST2s in the Program Files/VST Plugins/(vendor) folders, then I put all the VST3's in the Program Files/Common Files/VST3/(Vendor) folders. Obviously, it will be slightly different in Mac, but all the same in general. I will show you an example image below.

That way it will be easier and quicker to scan, regardless of which program is scanning. It's okay if you want to choose another location, such as Program Files/Steinberg/vst plugins, but make sure you're putting them all in there, especially after an update or fresh install. Having too many folder locations is an organization nightmare, not to mention a troubleshooting one! Because, if you have two or more versions of the same plugin in two or more separate locations, the DAW is going to have big issues rendering it, because it doesn't match the core files the VST file is linked to.

Any time you're installing a new product, only install the version that your DAW requires, that will save you storage space, while limiting the number of files necessary for your DAW to scan. Such as, if you're not using ProTools at all, don't even bother downloading the Avid (.aax) versions. Also, if your computer is new, just completely avoid the 32-bit plugins in general, as all new systems can't even use them, and most DAWs won't!

I'm not trying to sound condescending, I'm just trying to provide you with the best possible information you need to fix the problem as I can.

Here are the examples of how I organize my plugins:

Maxray

After you've done all of the above, if the issue continues, I want you to restart the program and write down the names of each plugin it gets stuck on as it's scanning. Write as many names down as you can before it crashes. When it crashes, rerun the program and see if it gets stuck on all the same plugins as it's scanning.

If you have organized the files as I have presented above, it will literally scan from folder to folder, not alphabetically or based on file size. I say this, because it's a troubleshooting technique, if the program always crashes at the same spot. You can narrow down which plugin is causing the crash, by removing that vendor folder from the scan.