The new Plugin Manager uses a different ID now to identify the VST plugins, which the old Sonar 8.5 doesn't understand. No idea if this is an intentional change or a bug. But probably it is by intention when the new Sonar understands the new IDs. In that case, it would have been smarter to use new ID in addition to the old to keep backwards compatibility.
 
The simplest way to handle this is to keep a copy of the old plugin manager (PluginManager.exe). Plugin manager is a stand-alone program, it should work independently from the rest of the Sonar installation. You will loose the option to call it from Sonar directly, instead you have to use the open button to locate existing PGL files for Sonar 8.5. (Or you try to make it write protected, so it is not updated by the Sonar installer.)

Thanks ralf.
 
It's a little over my head on what to do with that information. Not sure How i could 're-do' the Plugin Manager the way the file structure is now.
Maybe you could advise me:
 
I prefer to use, at this point, Sonar 8.53. I am trying to get used to Splat when I have time.
What I was thinking was to uninstall all things Cakewalk and re-install 8.53 and Splat again pointing the installers at say:
C:/program files/Cake853
and
C:/program files/CakeSplat
(Also, 32 bit versions.so 4 installs)
 
With keeping them separate like this I may avoid all the conflicts. What I don't know is how all the registry and file structure stuff built into the install programs will handle this. 
 
Any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
Thanks
 

No matter how and where you install Sonar, the plugin manager as a shared utility will be overwritten by the installer that comes last. And this will be the monthly updates for Platinum.
 
Assuming that you currently have a PluginManager installed that works for Sonar 8.5, do the following:
Go to the "Shared Utilities" folder for Sonar and rename "PluginManager.exe" to "PluginManager85.exe". This prevents that it is replaced when installing newer versions of Sonar.
 
The full path for the shared utilities is stored in the Windows registry under the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Cakewalk Music Software\Shared Components
 
If you want to be able to call plugin manager from Sonar, do the following:
1. In the Windows registry, export the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Cakewalk Music Software\Tools Menu\Plugin Manager
2. Rename that key from "Plugin Manager" to "Plugin Manager 85", and then change "PluginManager.exe" in "ExePath" to "PluginManager85.exe" and "MenuText" to "Cakewalk Plugin-&Manager 8.5" on the right side.
3. Import the registry file that you saved in step 1.
 
The tools menu is also shared, so you will now have two entries in Sonar 8.5 and Platinum. One will call the old plugin manager, the other the actual version.
 
I haven't tested this myself, because I don't have Sonar 8.5 installed. But this should do the trick, if the changed ID depends only on PluginManager.exe (and not VstScan.exe or some DLL).

Thanks ralf.
 
Seems a little daring. LOL. 
 
The PIM for 8.53 is functioning but it has some weirdnesses. Such as, sometimes when opening PIM in Sonar32, the PIM64 opens. Other than that I think it works OK. But, it IS the Splat PIM.
 
So, export the reg file and I’m assuming that I can just edit it in notepad.exe, right ??.
 
I’m assuming these are instructions for Sonar 64.
would this cover both 32 and 64?
 
thanks ralf. much appreciated.

On my old computer with X1, X2 and X3, one of those will not even open Plugin manager at all. On the new computer with X1 thru Splat, they all work.

timidi
Thanks ralf.
 
Seems a little daring. LOL. 
 
The PIM for 8.53 is functioning but it has some weirdnesses. Such as, sometimes when opening PIM in Sonar32, the PIM64 opens. Other than that I think it works OK. But, it IS the Splat PIM.
 
So, export the reg file and I’m assuming that I can just edit it in notepad.exe, right ??.
 
I’m assuming these are instructions for Sonar 64.
would this cover both 32 and 64?
 
thanks ralf. much appreciated.

Another idea that doesn't involve registry tweaks...  uninstall both, install 8.5, then copy and rename the shared utilities folder.   Next install SPlat, allowing it to overwrite the shared utilities folder.   You can then choose which version is active based on which folder uses the Shared Utilities name. 

stevec

timidi
Thanks ralf.
 
Seems a little daring. LOL. 
 
The PIM for 8.53 is functioning but it has some weirdnesses. Such as, sometimes when opening PIM in Sonar32, the PIM64 opens. Other than that I think it works OK. But, it IS the Splat PIM.
 
So, export the reg file and I’m assuming that I can just edit it in notepad.exe, right ??.
 
I’m assuming these are instructions for Sonar 64.
would this cover both 32 and 64?
 
thanks ralf. much appreciated.

Another idea that doesn't involve registry tweaks...  uninstall both, install 8.5, then copy and rename the shared utilities folder.   Next install SPlat, allowing it to overwrite the shared utilities folder.   You can then choose which version is active based on which folder uses the Shared Utilities name. 

Not sure I follow.?
Do you mean (this would probably be easier), Install 8.5, copy the shared utilities folder and paste it somewhere as a backup, install Splat. copy the Splat shared utilities folder and paste it somewhere as backup. And then depending on which version I'm going to use, copy/paste/replace the contents of the default shared utilities folder?
So, I'd always have a copy of both that I would interchange when needed? 
Not a bad idea except if something could go wrong it probably will with the registry or the user/appdata stuff.
 
I don't know. I'm just pretty sick of it all. Why did they have to break Sonar?

timidi

stevec

timidi
Thanks ralf.
 
Seems a little daring. LOL. 
 
The PIM for 8.53 is functioning but it has some weirdnesses. Such as, sometimes when opening PIM in Sonar32, the PIM64 opens. Other than that I think it works OK. But, it IS the Splat PIM.
 
So, export the reg file and I’m assuming that I can just edit it in notepad.exe, right ??.
 
I’m assuming these are instructions for Sonar 64.
would this cover both 32 and 64?
 
thanks ralf. much appreciated.

Another idea that doesn't involve registry tweaks...  uninstall both, install 8.5, then copy and rename the shared utilities folder.   Next install SPlat, allowing it to overwrite the shared utilities folder.   You can then choose which version is active based on which folder uses the Shared Utilities name. 

Not sure I follow.?
Do you mean (this would probably be easier), Install 8.5, copy the shared utilities folder and paste it somewhere as a backup, install Splat. copy the Splat shared utilities folder and paste it somewhere as backup. And then depending on which version I'm going to use, copy/paste/replace the contents of the default shared utilities folder?
So, I'd always have a copy of both that I would interchange when needed? 
Not a bad idea except if something could go wrong it probably will with the registry or the user/appdata stuff.
 
I don't know. I'm just pretty sick of it all. Why did they have to break Sonar?

Sorta...  you wouldn't need to copy the SPlat version for "exchange" purposes, only if you wanted a backup.  But it's really a matter of folder names, no to copy and past contents.  Whichever folder is name "\Shared Utilities" is the one SONAR would find, where something like "\85_Shared Utilities" or similar would not.    I don't use 8.5, but I did this type of thing some years ago around the X1/X2 era and it seemed to work. Fortunately I haven't needed anything remotely similar since.
 

Editing the registry is only to adjust the tools menu of Sonar, so you can call both versions of Plugin Manager from within Sonar. Sure, instead of changing it in the registry and reloading the original, you can also change the reg-file in a text editor and load the changes.
 
Which version of Plugin Manager is called should not depend on the Sonar or Plugin Manager version, but only on the path in the registry for the tool menu entry.
 
For 32bit on 64bit systems, the Windows registry stores the 32bit data under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node instead of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE. Otherwise, it is the same. I'm not sure how the Cakewalk shared utilities folder is handled for 32bit and 64bit. If there are separate folders, the registry will tell you. Otherwise, there should be 32bit and 64bit versions for each program in the shared folder.
 
Renaming the shared folder after the first install will save its content from overwriting, but it will not be used by Sonar. Sonar uses the shared folder path that is stored in the registry, and the only way to have them different for 8.5 and Platinum would be to use one only in 32bit, the other only in 64bit, because they will use different registry paths then as just described.

ralf
 
 the only way to have them different for 8.5 and Platinum would be to use one only in 32bit, the other only in 64bit, because they will use different registry paths then as just described.

Ahh.. Good idea ralf. Thanks for your efforts on this. Much appreciated.