32 or 64 bit VSTs? How Can I tell?

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mikekay888
mikekay888 Member Posts: 5 Member
edited October 2024 in Komplete General

I just purchased a program called Gig Performer. It only uses 64 bit VSTs. I own Komplete 12 ( I think, it might be 11), and I'm wondering how I can tell if a VST is 32 or 64 bit? On top of that, If I have 32 bit NI VSTs, how do I upgrade them?

Thanks.

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Best Answer

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 3,374 Expert
    Answer ✓

    Would be helpful if you filled in your computer specs in your profile, or posted if you were on mac/pc.

    Most plugins install BOTH 32/64 bit versions of the same plugin. Unless you have been using an ancient system or ancient software for the last 10 years, chances are you have 64bit plugins already as operating systems and applications have been 64bit as the norm for years.

    You can't tell a 32/64bit plugin easily just by looking at the plugin, however you can tell by where it is installed.

    Windows you have 2 folders:

    C:\Program Files (x86) = 32 bit applications

    C:\Program Files = 64bit applications

    Mac

    If you are using macOS 10.15 or beyond, you will only be using 64bit plugins as 32bit is now no longer supported at all.

Answers

  • Blindeddie
    Blindeddie Member Posts: 1,559 Expert

    The VST 64 bit VSTs would be in the VST64 install location specified in Native Access Preferences…if you are on Windows…. Not sure about Mac!

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 3,374 Expert
    Answer ✓

    Would be helpful if you filled in your computer specs in your profile, or posted if you were on mac/pc.

    Most plugins install BOTH 32/64 bit versions of the same plugin. Unless you have been using an ancient system or ancient software for the last 10 years, chances are you have 64bit plugins already as operating systems and applications have been 64bit as the norm for years.

    You can't tell a 32/64bit plugin easily just by looking at the plugin, however you can tell by where it is installed.

    Windows you have 2 folders:

    C:\Program Files (x86) = 32 bit applications

    C:\Program Files = 64bit applications

    Mac

    If you are using macOS 10.15 or beyond, you will only be using 64bit plugins as 32bit is now no longer supported at all.

  • mikekay888
    mikekay888 Member Posts: 5 Member

    Thanks. Profile updated. I found the 64 bit VSTs. Still trying to find out if I have them all loaded, but it appears so. I have owned NI Komplete for YEARs and never learned it properly or used it to full potential. That changes now. My next project will require it.

    Believe it or not, I still have to lean the difference between a NI VST and a NI instrument. At first this may seem silly, but I have drums samples and never used them cause I don't know how.

    PS - on a PC. W10, 64 bit, Intel NUC with 32 GB ram...

    Again, my thanks. If you know of any recourses to help me get this entire setup figured out - anything would be appreciated.

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 3,374 Expert

    Yeah I remember when I first purchased Komplete Ultimate 8 a decade ago and installed all these "instruments" thinking I would have a huge VST collection, and there were only like 6 plugins installed and the rest was all content for the plugins.

    It's pretty simple:

    The VST Plugin is what is used to play the instruments. The main one will be Kontakt which is a plugin "player" designed to offer high quality sample based instruments mostly which appear as selectable instruments with presets within Kontakt. Kontakt then becomes more like a library that you select the instruments you want to play or build multi-layered instruments of your own.

    You then have the likes of Reaktor, Absynth and FM8 which are like "modular" plugins based around synthesis designed so that instruments can be built using these plugins. There will be many instruments bukilt with thesze including Polyplex, Prism, Razor, Rounds etc. Using Komplete Kontrol (which is basically a library browser for all of these different instruments) you don't have to even worry what instruments belong to which VST plugin, that is handled for you.

    image.png

    Takes a little exploring but if you like to get inspired it can be well worth diving into the areas you have never been. That's always my go to suggestion on learning anything like this, just spend the time to play and fumble through and bit by bit you will just pick it up.

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 3,374 Expert

    Oh, BTW this is basically what you will see for NI plugins (Instruments):

    image.png

    There may be a couple more I ahve never used but the key ones are Absynth, Kontakt, Battery, FM8, Massive, Reaktor and Replika. These are the ones loading all your instruments.

    Maschine is the sequencer if you use a Maschine hardware controller

    Komplete Kontrol is the entire library browser and controller interface for Komplete Kontrol keyboards (and any 3rd party MIDI keyboard)

    Everything else is expansion content, instruments, drum kits and such that loads into these.

  • mikekay888
    mikekay888 Member Posts: 5 Member

    Jester - THANK YOU! Great and detailed explanation that make Komplete sense, pun intended. So, instrument by instrument, a few youtube videos, lots of playing around with a clear intent of what I want to accomplish. For instance, one thing I'm really interested in doing is sound creation...making sounds that are unique to me and my music - plus sounds for video.

    This is part of the allure of gig performer - to use and manipulate in real time.

    Cool!

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