Does Pro Tools Support Vst Plugins

Product Status

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Product status

Is VST-RTAS Adapter a current, supported product?

VST-RTAS Adapter is no longer officially supported or developed - as such it is no longer available for purchase.

General Information

Which versions of OS X is VST-RTAS Adapter compatible with?

10.3.9 to 10.6.8 should all run fine. Use later versions of OSX at your own risk.

Will it work with Mac OS 9 VST plug-ins?

No. Your VST plug-ins must be Mac OSX-compatible.

Will it work with PC VST plug-ins?

No.

Does it require a particular variety of Mac OSX VST plug-in?

There are two sub-formats of VST plug-in on Mac OSX: 'Carbon-CFM' (which is closer to the original OS 8 / 9 VST format), and 'Mach-O' (which fits in better with Mac OS X standards and Apple's future plans for the OS). The VST to RTAS Adapter supports both and works equally well with either.

Does it support automation?

Yes. VST plug-ins' parameters are mapped to equivalent RTAS parameters.

Are there any currently known compatibility issues?

VST 2.4

VST2.4 (or above) plugins are NOT supported. They work in many cases but they are not officially supported.

The result with a melodic piece of music is that it moves through moments of chaos and moments of melody. Homegrown Sounds has released Phase Shifter, a free VST instrument plug-in designed to emulate Steve Reich’s tape loop phasing technique.In the late 60’s composer Steve Reich stumbled across a technique he called phasing, which was to have two identical tape loops that run at slightly different speeds, the result is that every possible combination of sound is cycled through until they arrive back in sync. https://auditomg.netlify.app/phase-shift-vst-plugin.html.

Mac OSX 10.5.x:

Adapter preferences are not saved correctly - however, the adapter still functions and wrapped plugins can still be used.
The buttons for loading and saving VST presets underneath the plugin interface are blanked out. The buttons do work, but they aren't visible.

I have a plugin which comes with an RTAS version but it isn't working properly. Can I buy the VST-RTAS Adapter in order to use it successfully as an RTAS plugin?

You are welcome to do so, and the adapter will often run better than the manufacturer's own RTAS version.

However, we do not provide any support any plugin in such circumstances, and there will be no possibility of a refund if it doesn't work as you wish.

Which versions of Pro Tools does VST-RTAS v2.1 support?

Pro Tools 7.x, 8.x including LE, M-Powered and TDM/HD versions Pro Tools 9 and 10 including Native and HD versions

I own VST-RTAS v1 - how can I upgrade to v2?

v1 users can upgrade to v2 for $49.00 - please contact our support team for details.

Does VST-RTAS v2.1 support Universal Binaries?

Yes. However, if you have a MacIntel computer (MacBook, Mac Pro, Macbook Pro, Intel iMac and Mini), you will need Universal Binary versions of any VSTs you wish to wrap, as well as a Universal Binary version of Pro Tools.

Will FXpansion ever make an RTAS to VST wrapper (for using RTAS plug-ins in Cubase, etc.)

No. Such a wrapper is impossible for both technical and legal reasons.

Does VST to RTAS Adapter v2.1 work with VST Instruments?

Yes.

What's the CPU and audio performance like?

The adapter itself has no impact on your audio signal and uses a negligible amount of CPU.

Does it add any latency?

Not of itself - it's the same as regular RTAS plug-ins in that regard.

Certain VST plug-ins, especially those running on DSP cards, do add latency. Pro Tools TDM/HD automatically compensates for this latency ('Automatic PDC'), as does Pro Tools Native (versions 9 and 10).

Pro Tools LE and M-Powered do not automatically compensate for latency. However, you can easily view the total latency in the Pro Tools mixer and compensate for it manually.

Does the adapter support multiple input channels?

No - the adapter supports the first stereo pair only, ignoring any others.

Licensing / Copy Protection

What copy protection method is used?

VST-RTAS Adapter uses a simple serial number-based protection system.

Do you allow license transfers?

Yes, however:

If you're the seller, you must contact us in advance of the sale. If you're the prospective second-hand buyer, you must check that the seller is cleared to sell. If in doubt, contact us.
There is a flat $50 fee per product for a license transfer, which can be purchased from our online shop.
Review copies, NFRs (Not For Resale copies, sometimes used for in-store demos), etc., cannot be transferred under any circumstances.
We reserve the right to refuse a license transfer request.

Once a transfer is authorised and the fee has been paid, the new owner is entitled to exactly the same upgrade paths and technical support resources as if they had bought the product new.

Why is the License Transfer fee so high in relation to the cost of the product?

Our License Transfer fee is a set amount due to the very real costs of providing product support in the form of responsive technical support, bugfixes and new features, to the customers who buy our products. Product support is something we take extremely seriously, and is one of the reasons our products stand out amongst the competition.

We are happy to provide a transfer service for most of our products, but we cannot accept the liability of the costs of supporting a new user. If we were to provide free or very cheap license transfers, the prices of our products would have to be a lot higher, and it does not make sense to inflict this on the vast majority of customers who want to keep using the products and do not intend to resell them.

Transcript from video:

Where are my plugins in Pro Tools First?

As you can see, I have a very limited amount of plugins available here.

But, if I open the full version of Pro Tools, you’ll see I have access to all of the plugins that I own.

So why can’t I use all of my plugins in Pro Tools First?

The reason is, Pro Tools First ONLY supports plugins that are included with it, or purchased from within the Avid Marketplace, or your Avid Account.

Does Pro Tools Support Vst Plug-ins

This means you CAN NOT buy plugins directly from Waves.com, AudioDeluxe, Sweetwater, etc… and use them in PT First. You could however use them in the full version of Pro Tools.

What about VSTs?

Well, no version of Pro Tools supports the VST format. ALL versions of Pro Tools only use the AAX format for plugins.

Interestingly, the location for all of your AAX plugins will be the same for all Avid Products.

Meaning, the full version or Pro Tools, Pro Tools First, and even Media Composer, all look for AAX plugins in the same location.

However, Pro Tools First CANNOT use these plugins unless they were purchased through the Avid Marketplace.

Free Plugins For Pro Tools

Pro Tools First is a feature reduced free version of Pro Tools, you can think of it like a ‘Feemium’ app.

Note on voice, aftertouch, control change, pitch blend, channels), special filters, and transformations (e.g. Click track vst plugin.

You can use basic features for free, but if you want add-ons you have to buy those individually, directly from the app maker.

I couldn’t buy more features for InShot from Adobe for example, or vice versa.

The point of Pro Tools First is to let you use the basic features of Pro Tools and get use to the workflow without having to purchase a subscription or perpetual license.

If you like what you see and want more features, you would then purchase a license for the full version and unlock, currently, about 115 included plugins, hundreds of advanced features, and of course the ability to use any thrid-party AAX plugins, no matter where they are purchased from.

So, that’s why you cant find your plugins in Pro Tools First.

They must be included with the software, or purchased from the Avid Marketplace.

Even if you own a FULL, PAID version of Pro Tools, your plugins WILL NOT work in Pro Tools First if they were not purchased through the Avid Marketplace.

It’s a built-in limitation. If you want to use third-party plugins in Pro Tools First, you must buy them from the Avid Marketplace. Or, upgrade to the full version of Pro Tools and use any AAX plugins that you want, purchased from wherever you want.

NOTE: Pro Tools First does come with several plugins. Some of them need to be installed separately from the DAW. You can find your plugins in your MyAvid account and in Avid Link.

More info:
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/faq/Third-Party-Plugins-on-Pro-Tools-First