Sonar X1 Essential Help : Plugins

Hello guys,

I've been a sonar user for quite a while now and I'm loving X1 in general. I had X1 Essential running on a windows 32 bit machine for the last 6 months with a dual core processor. Last week I decided to buy a more powerful system (i7, 8GB Ram, 1.5TB) for my audio projects. I have installled everything (Sonar X1 & X1a, X1b, X1c & X1d) and everything is working fine apart from one factor.

When I install any 3rd party plugins(VST) Sonar just doesn't recognise them during a session. I have installed them to c:\prgoram files\cakewalk\vstplugins. I have about 20 plugins (.dll) sitting in the folder, but sonar wont recognise them when I look to use them during a session. This wasn't a problem on my old system, they just appeared in the vstplugins drop down menu when selecting 'audio fx'. I have re-installed every vst and re-installed sonar various times, but they still aren't recognised. The only 3rd party plugin that is recognised in AmpliTube X-Gear which came with Sonar X1 Essential.

This is really frustrating me as I need my 3rd party plugins for my mixing projects due to Essentials basic plugin package. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I really have no idea what so ever.

Cheers

You have to run a VST scan anytime you add new VSTs. Go to Utilities-Cakewalk Plug-In Manager and press the Scan VST Plug-ins button. 

Thanks for the replies folks, I have scanned for VST's and the box is checked to scan on sonar startup. When scanning, sonar seems to be finding my 3rd party plugins as I they are appearing on the scanning window, but they are still nowhere to be found when inserting audio fx.

the help is appreciated as this is really annoying me.

Look in the VST or VST plugin section of the Fx pulldown. It might be hiding there. 

Are you running 64-bit?  Sometimes plug-ins and VIs have both 32 and 64 bit versions and put dlls in both the 32 and 64 bit folders.  If the scan finds the wrong one first, it messes up.

So, two things: you have to make sure the dlls are where Cakewalk thinks they are and that you don't have 32 and 64 bit version duplication.  (You can rename the version you don't want instead of deleting it.)

This is a real pain and everytime I install something I have to mess with this.

I'm going with the guys who suggest the OS might be 64 bit, and the plugs are 32 bit as you mentioned in the first post. 

If that is the case, the 32 bit plugs will not run on the 64bit OS.  You need to update the plugs to 64 bit versions OR run X1 in the 32 bit mode. 

I think that (running in 32 bit mode) is still an option on W7/64. 

Knowing this.... is the reason when I built my custom machine a while back, that I opted to install XP as the OS.  The situation I now find myself in with more frequently, is that many of the new programs and even the updates are now 64bit.  But as long as I don't fret over the latest upgrade, this system runs like a champ.