How do I get VST instruments for SONAR LE?

Another pic.

Should there be a VST option in Options > Global ?? I don't remember. I'm not at my DAW. If you think VSTs are opened via Options dialogue I recommend reading the Help file.

You insert soft synths via Insert-dialog (LE does not have Synth Rack AFAIK???) or/ and VST effects by right clicking in the FX bin of the track.

You don't say what version of SONAR LE you have. IIRC the older versions surely did not include the basic workhorse synth TTS-1, which is unforgivable. So I don't know what you have in your LE.

There are lots of free and commercial FX and synths at www.kvraudio.com

And another pic.

CK97


But my SONAR LE does come with something called "Cakewalk VST Adapter 4".

However, but it does not mean that there is an VST option in the Options-dialogue.
The Options dialogue has nothing to do with loading VSTs.

I have the VST adapter in my SONAR 4 but I don't remember how it's used, because newer SONARs don't need it.

Thanks for coming back to me.

Kalle Rantaaho

However, but it does not mean that there is an VST option in the Options-dialogue.
The Options dialogue has nothing to do with loading VSTs.

Kalle Rantaaho

Please give your system specs. For example the DXsynths don't work in 64 bit environment.

Thanks, that's good to know as I plan to upgrade soon. I presently work in a 32 bit environment, running Windows XP Home.


In the mean time, since my last post above, I have at least achieved the following.
I found the following link and successfully downloaded Free VST plug-ins from Cakewalk Product Support by Roland.

Free VST plug-ins

I chose the folder C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plugins to install it to (I don't know if it matters which folder to install it in).
Then I clicked Start\All Programs\Cakewalk\Cakewalk VST Adapter 4.
When the "Welcome to Cakewalk VST Adapter Configuration Wizard" box appeared, I clicked "Next"
and when the "VST Plug-In Search Paths" box appeared I clicked "Add" and then the picture in the attachment below appeared.

I then configured the plug-ins one by one after selecting one plug-in at a time and then clicking on Properties.
After having configured each plug-in I then clicked "Next" and the "Finished" box appeared with the message "Your VST plug-ins were configured successfully, and are now available to your DirectX applications". I clicked "Finish".

I then opened SONAR LE, clicked "Insert" and then "DXi Synth", and look at the following picture below ! I now have 11 plug-ins where I previously had only two plug-ins (compare to my picture in my post #6 above). I am happy !  I will try to see tomorrow what happens next.

Thanks for your help so far.

  Hi RobertB. Thanks for your response! "Sonar 4LE is a bit long in the tooth, but is well suited to run in the XP environment." Do I have Sonar4LE? I don't know which version I have. I see at the top left of the screen (see attached image at post #12 above) is written "SONAR1" and as mentioned in post #5 above, the date "2005" is printed on my SONAR LE installation CD. "Just out of curiosity, what Roland product did you get?" I bought a Roland JUNO-G a few years ago and worked with it without SONAR LE, because I did not have a PC until recently. The other day the LED screen of my JUNO stopped functioning, so with lack of cash to have it repaired and with my mind full of music ideas, I scratched out the SONAR LE CD and decided to learn to work with SONAR LE and software synths. "I would suggest starting with Triangle II. ... Here's the basic routine you will use with most all soft synths: ..." Thanks for your suggestion and tutorial bearing with my beginning phase of learning my first computer digital audio workstation ! Besides the Triangle II synth that was included in the Free VST Plug-ins that I downloaded from http://www.cakewalk.com/S.../reader.aspx/20090918, (Free VST plug-ins) I also downloaded Triangle DXi from the same page as the aforesaid link, and then noticed that the Triangle II synth included in the Free VST Plug-ins that I downloaded, looked different than the Triangle DXi synth I downloaded from the same page. I also found another Triangle II synth download at http://www.kvraudio.com/db/triangle_ii_by_cakewalk (T2111), that looked different to the above two mentioned Triangle II synths. See the attached images below to see the differences in appearance between the three. I installed all three of them, including a user manual that automatically came with it. I wonder why they all look different to eachother and what the differences are ... Thanks for your support. At least I got sounds now ! Strange sounds and cool to tweak and play with, but ... where are the drums, bass guitars, strings, brass instruments, wooden instruments, organs, pianos, etc. ?

 

I recommend Proteus VX. It's a dynamite synth with over 1,200 patches and they sound great.
Creative (Sound Blaster) doesn't have the link for the free download but I found it here:
http://en.audiofanzine.com/partner/a.proteusvx.html
You'll have to register on their site. I don't know if it's a legal copy, though.
I downloaded it on my Win 7 64-bit computer and it works in standalone mode, but I can't get it to scan in SONAR. The scanner keeps hanging up (not responding).
Works great on my XP DAW computer, an original download a few years ago from the Creative web site.

Where did you find it at Creative, Bob? I looked all over for it and they have no apparent search function.
Or did you already have the link? I do, too, now.