Utility to inspect plug-in settings/preset?

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ChristopherM
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2016/01/04 04:08:36 (permalink)

Utility to inspect plug-in settings/preset?

I am revisiting a lot of older projects presently and a frequent issue is that one-or-more plugs is reported as missing. This is often because of minor changes in the update history of the plug that cause Sonar to see the latest version of the plug as not acceptable (perhaps associated with a 32- to 64-bit migration). Sometimes it is because I formerly used a DXi and now have the equivalent VSTi installed. Sometimes it is connected with "new and improved" substitutes (e.g. Rapture Pro).
 
In theory, it is a simple matter to reinstall the missing plug. In practice, not so, for a wide variety of reasons, including platform obsolescence, licensing, copy protection and just general tedium. The whole process is made much more time consuming because 1) it is not always obvious which specific version of the plug is missing and 2) even where it is obvious which current plug is the equivalent, the preset or settings are not apparent. Even when I can remember the exact sound in my head actually recreating it is a time-consuming challenge.
 
Preamble over, I'll get to the point - Does anybody know of a means (utility or improvised) that allows me to inspect a saved SONAR project to extract the specifics of a missing plug and its particular settings in that project? Of course, they must be embedded in the file, because on the odd occasions when I can reinstall the plug, SONAR happily recalls everything. All suggestions gratefully received.
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    mettelus
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    Re: Utility to inspect plug-in settings/preset? 2016/01/04 14:58:49 (permalink)
    This is a difficult issue. One thing that can help is disabling VST3 migration (Preferences->File->VST Settings and uncheck both boxes in "VST3 migration"). This will only help odd-ball cases though.
     
    One utility that is nice is "ProjectScope" from this thread. It has been a while since I used it, so not sure if it will specifically pull plugin settings from a project file (and doubt to the detail you are asking), but it will give a nice breakdown of what that file contains. An update to the utility (or one made by Cakewalk), which could display "parameter values" for a plugin saved with a project would be rather nice.
     
    Unfortunately, the only real solution is to have the plugin installed that the project references, but there are also occasions where the new SONAR may no longer like that plugin.

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    ChristopherM
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    Re: Utility to inspect plug-in settings/preset? 2016/01/04 15:05:08 (permalink)
    As far as I can see, ProjectScope doesn't dig deep enough, unfortunately. Maybe someone will write PeriScope to go a little more deeply. I already have unchecked the VST3 migration thing, partly because certain vendors seem to be having difficulties making them work reliably, but largely because the whole question of presets seems to become really painful. That you can't load VST2.x presets into the equivalent VST3 seems a big problem to me.
     
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    msorrels
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    Re: Utility to inspect plug-in settings/preset? 2016/01/04 15:57:28 (permalink)
    Every VST plugin can store it's settings however they want into the project file.  So there isn't any generic way to convert the blob of VST setting data into something human understandable.  I've dumped projects with string utilities to try and get a clue but rarely has that helped (once in awhile a preset name will appear, but that is rare).
     
    It would be nice if Sonar would let users pick another plugin to try and load the data with.  Some VST plugins will convert/load their old data.  But right now there isn't anyway to get Sonar to even try another plugin (even though there is a fair chance it would just crash).

    -Matt
     
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