Re:Another 32bit vs. 64bit question how do you make them both work?
2011/03/05 23:41:56
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I had a similar problem when I was on Sonar Producer 8.5 and installed both versions. Eventually I gave up, uninstalled the 32-bit version (it only offers a couple more features than the 32-bit one so it didn't really seem necessary to me to have both). I'm on Sonar Producer X1a now, 64-bit only.
Sonar's 32-bit VST bridging, while capable, is not as robust as Reaper's 32-bit VST bridging in its 64-bit version. I've had no end of crashes in Sonar of some 32-bit plugins that work reliably over and over in Reaper's 64-bit version. I haven't bothered changing the Sonar options on any of the plugins that have caused crashes but I understand you can set some options in the Plug-in Properties page for any plugin that may tame those wayward beasts.
The lesson I learned, however, about VST plugins is that it's extremely important to put them in the right place and I decided mine had to be segregated into 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Since I have a couple of other DAWS in which the 32-bit and 64-bit versions peacefully co-exist, that kind of segregation made sense. One of the other DAWS I have does not have 32-bit VST bridging in its 64-bit version.
My VST plugins are segregated this way:
C:\Program Files\VSTplugins\[vendor name] <== 64-bit versions
C:\Program Files (x86)\VSTplugins\[vendor name] <== 32-bit versions
Sonar 64-bit also has its own VSTplugins path which is C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\VSTplugins. There's another directory as well on my system for shared utilities. You can check and add your own VST paths through the menu Utilities > Cakewalk Plug-in Manager and then select the Options button below the line that reads VST Configuration near the bottom of the manager's window. One thing I don't do is have Sonar scan the plugins every time at startup (this option is set in the Edit > Preferences > File > VST Settings window). So I have to remember after I've installed a new plugin to do a scan after I've started Sonar.