z3ta+.dll, z3ta+_fx.dll and z3ta+_fx2.dll are in their own folder in Cakewalk's Vstplugins folder

There's also a z3ta+ resources folder in the main Cakewalk folder

z3ta+_fx and z3ta+_fx2 appear in the VST Audio Effects (VST) list in the plug-in manager
z3ta+ appears in the VST Instruments (VSTi) list in the plug-in manager

z3ta+_fx and z3ta+_fx2 appear in the Legacy Wrapped VST Audio Effects (VST) list in the plug-in manager
VST z3ta+ appears in the Legacy Wrapped VST Audio Effects (VSTi) list in the plug-in manager

I couldn't find z3ta+ either, but I did find Waldo!

http://www.findwaldo.com/widget.html

EDIT:

I think z3ta+ is one of the cooler sounding soft synths. However, this is coming from someone who doesn't use soft synths very often.

Just turn the sound down.

I think Beethoven set the levels

z3eta+ is not only a VST(i) instrument but a VST fx plugin as well

That was actually my motivation for having a look at z3ta, after reading a post by Texrat describing how he used z3ta as an effect. On the master bus of all things. It piqued my curiosity.

I'm not a big soft synth guy either, preferring natural-sounding instruments and emulations of classic synthesizers. But you never know when you'll stumble onto a new and useful addition to your sonic palette, so I'm always trying out goofy synths and assorted sound manglers. The sheer breadth of opinions on z3ta alone make it worth investigation.

Unfortunately, z3ta remains inaccessible. When I scan plugins with the Plugin Manager, I see z3ta+ flash in the little progress window, so SONAR appears to be finding and initializing it.

So I've now shifted my attention to the registry. z3ta's all over the place in there, but I did find an anomaly. Perhaps someone would be so kind as to look and see if this is how it's supposed to be? Or better still, export the contents of their own three z3ta+ keys and post them?

Under HKCU\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\Cakewalk VST\Inventory there is a key for each VST, including z3ta+. However, while the other keys contain 37 values, the z3ta entry contains only 2: "isVst" (value zero) and "touch" (value 1). It would appear that a great deal of information is missing.

Here are the values for Kontakt3 for example:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\Cakewalk VST\Inventory\c:/program files/cakewalk/vstplugins/Kontakt/Kontakt 3.dll]
"clsidPlug"="{141AC902-4E69-4B33-4B4F-4E54414B7E34}"
"clsidProps"="{141AC903-4E69-4B33-4B4F-4E54414B7E34}"
"FullName"="Kontakt 3"
"FullPath"="c:\\program files\\cakewalk\\vstplugins\\Kontakt\\Kontakt 3.dll"
"Vendor"="Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH"
"DosName"="KONTAK~4"
"PresetPath"=""
"isBad"=dword:00000000
"isSynth"=dword:00000001
"isVst"=dword:00000001
"isX64"=dword:00000000
"numInputs"=dword:00000000
"maxUsedInputs"=dword:00000000
"numOutputs"=dword:00000020
"numPrograms"=dword:00000001
"numParams"=dword:00000200
"progsChunks"=dword:00000001
"registerAsPlug"=dword:00000001
"registerAsSynth"=dword:00000001
"uniqueId"=dword:4e694b33
"wantEvents"=dword:00000001
"cxEditor"=dword:00000000
"cyEditor"=dword:00000000
"forceStereo"=dword:00000001
"nrpnPassThrough"=dword:00000000
"delayCompensation"=dword:00000001
"registerAsTempoBasedEffect"=dword:00000000
"generateEvents"=dword:00000001
"isShell"=dword:00000000
"isShellRoot"=dword:00000000
"forceSuspendOnStop"=dword:00000000
"vstVersion"=dword:00000001
"forceMono"=dword:00000001
"translateProgramChanges"=dword:00000000
"addVstPrefix"=dword:00000001
"touch"=dword:00000001
"modStats"=hex:00,e8,11,f7,74,7a,c8,01,60,46,8f,01

Now here's the entry for z3ta+:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\Cakewalk VST\Inventory\c:/program files/cakewalk/vstplugins/z3ta+/z3ta+.dll]
"isVst"=dword:00000000
"touch"=dword:00000001

The value of zero for isVst probably explains why z3ta's not listed in the context menu.

From my zeta+ 1.5.3 on XP SP1

---

here is the synth proper
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\Cakewalk VST\Inventory\d:/cakewalk/vsti/z3ta+/z3ta+.dll]
"clsidPlug"="{141AC902-7A33-7461-5A33-54415F7E3100}"
"clsidProps"="{141AC903-7A33-7461-5A33-54415F7E3100}"
"FullName"="z3ta+"
"FullPath"="d:\\cakewalk\\vsti\\z3ta+\\z3ta+.dll"
"Vendor"="rgc:audio software"
"DosName"="Z3TA_~1"
"PresetPath"=""
"isBad"=dword:00000000
"isSynth"=dword:00000001
"isVst"=dword:00000001
"numInputs"=dword:00000002
"numOutputs"=dword:00000002
"numPrograms"=dword:00000300
"numParams"=dword:0000024c
"progsChunks"=dword:00000001
"registerAsPlug"=dword:00000001
"registerAsSynth"=dword:00000001
"uniqueId"=dword:7a337461
"wantEvents"=dword:00000001
"cxEditor"=dword:00000000
"cyEditor"=dword:00000000
"forceStereo"=dword:00000001
"nrpnPassThrough"=dword:00000000
"delayCompensation"=dword:00000001
"registerAsTempoBasedEffect"=dword:00000000
"generateEvents"=dword:00000001
"isShell"=dword:00000000
"isShellRoot"=dword:00000000
"vstVersion"=dword:00000001
"forceMono"=dword:00000001
"translateProgramChanges"=dword:00000000
"addVstPrefix"=dword:00000001
"modStats"=hex:00,bf,05,a8,54,75,c7,01,00,60,0f,00
"forceSuspendOnStop"=dword:00000000
"isX64"=dword:00000000
"maxUsedInputs"=dword:00000002
"touch"=dword:00000001

---

fx.dll
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\Cakewalk VST\Inventory\d:/cakewalk/vsti/z3ta+/z3ta+_fx.dll]
"clsidPlug"="{141AC902-7A33-7466-5A33-54415F5F7E31}"
"clsidProps"="{141AC903-7A33-7466-5A33-54415F5F7E31}"
"FullName"="z3ta+_fx"
"FullPath"="d:\\cakewalk\\vsti\\z3ta+\\z3ta+_fx.dll"
"Vendor"="rgc:audio software"
"DosName"="Z3TA__~1"
"PresetPath"=""
"isBad"=dword:00000000
"isSynth"=dword:00000000
"isVst"=dword:00000001
"numInputs"=dword:00000002
"numOutputs"=dword:00000002
"numPrograms"=dword:00000300
"numParams"=dword:0000024c
"progsChunks"=dword:00000001
"registerAsPlug"=dword:00000001
"registerAsSynth"=dword:00000000
"uniqueId"=dword:7a337466
"wantEvents"=dword:00000001
"cxEditor"=dword:00000000
"cyEditor"=dword:00000000
"forceStereo"=dword:00000000
"nrpnPassThrough"=dword:00000000
"delayCompensation"=dword:00000001
"registerAsTempoBasedEffect"=dword:00000001
"generateEvents"=dword:00000000
"isShell"=dword:00000000
"isShellRoot"=dword:00000000
"vstVersion"=dword:00000001
"forceMono"=dword:00000001
"translateProgramChanges"=dword:00000000
"addVstPrefix"=dword:00000001
"modStats"=hex:00,b8,fa,15,4e,75,c7,01,00,60,0f,00
"forceSuspendOnStop"=dword:00000000
"isX64"=dword:00000000
"maxUsedInputs"=dword:00000002
"touch"=dword:00000001

---

fx2.dll
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\Cakewalk VST\Inventory\d:/cakewalk/vsti/z3ta+/z3ta+_fx2.dll]
"clsidPlug"="{141AC902-7A33-6632-5A33-54415F5F7E32}"
"clsidProps"="{141AC903-7A33-6632-5A33-54415F5F7E32}"
"FullName"="z3ta+_fx2"
"FullPath"="d:\\cakewalk\\vsti\\z3ta+\\z3ta+_fx2.dll"
"Vendor"="rgc:audio software"
"DosName"="Z3TA__~2"
"PresetPath"=""
"isBad"=dword:00000000
"isSynth"=dword:00000000
"isVst"=dword:00000001
"numInputs"=dword:00000002
"numOutputs"=dword:00000002
"numPrograms"=dword:00000300
"numParams"=dword:0000024c
"progsChunks"=dword:00000001
"registerAsPlug"=dword:00000001
"registerAsSynth"=dword:00000000
"uniqueId"=dword:7a336632
"wantEvents"=dword:00000001
"cxEditor"=dword:00000000
"cyEditor"=dword:00000000
"forceStereo"=dword:00000000
"nrpnPassThrough"=dword:00000000
"delayCompensation"=dword:00000001
"registerAsTempoBasedEffect"=dword:00000001
"generateEvents"=dword:00000000
"isShell"=dword:00000000
"isShellRoot"=dword:00000000
"vstVersion"=dword:00000001
"forceMono"=dword:00000001
"translateProgramChanges"=dword:00000000
"addVstPrefix"=dword:00000001
"modStats"=hex:00,bc,3b,95,4d,75,c7,01,00,60,0f,00
"forceSuspendOnStop"=dword:00000000
"isX64"=dword:00000000
"maxUsedInputs"=dword:00000002
"touch"=dword:00000001

* ignore *

If it helps any, mine matches scook where "isVst"=dword:00000001, not 0 as in your case.

Thank you, Steve. I'm going to try importing your registry values and see what happens.

(Maybe it all comes down to the "isBad" value. I wonder what it means when isBad = 1. Bad like Michael Jackson, or bad like Ashlee Simpson?)

Woohoo! That did the trick. z3ta+ is now on the menu.Thanks again, Steve Cook.

ORIGINAL: bitflipper

(Maybe it all comes down to the "isBad" value. I wonder what it means when isBad = 1. Bad like Michael Jackson, or bad like Ashlee Simpson?)

"Cool is the rule but sometimes bad is bad"

Glad I could be of assistance. BTW, if you want classic sounds for z3ta+ check out the Muz3um patches. http://forum.cakewalk.com/fb.asp?m=1720034