MAS folder empty -- plugins a mess (iTunes update culprit?)

[JohnG]

Hi there,

The contents of my MAS folder ([your home folder]/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/MAS) somehow became deleted overnight. Moreover, the Components folder also is almost empty (one v.i. still there) ([your home folder]/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/Components). That one is important because it holds all the AU plugins.

The result is that most of my plugins (Native instruments, u-he, etc.) became unavailable.

I thought this was solved and thankful that I have a backup. However, it's extremely disconcerting.

I didn't even shut the computer down last night while I slept because I'd recovered them from a previous backup. Somehow, overnight, the entire contents of the MAS folder had been deleted.

Anyone seen this / know of a solution?

MacOS Sierra 10.12.6; DP 10.01

[edit: I may have updated iTunes and I guess that might have done it -- can't be sure]

Kind regards,

John

[magicd]

Are you sure you're looking in the right place? There are two Library folders. One is hidden and is in the user account. You typically get there by holding the Option key and choosing Library from the Go menu. That's not where DP installs and looks for plug-ins. DP looks for plug-ins in the general Library folder.

Hard drive>Library>Audio>Plug-Ins

I can't imagine why iTunes would have deleted any plug-ins...

Dave

[JohnG]

Hi Dave,

I am not sure iTunes actually did it -- but something definitely erased all the MAS and all but one (?) of the Component files. I mentioned the iTunes update because it's the only change I could think of that I made to that computer yesterday.

You're right about there being two different places to look; it's in the User one that the damage was done. When I opened DP it told me it couldn't find any of the (non-DP) plugins and they weren't available in Preferences either. The DP (MAS) plugins I had already restored, so those were in place, but the entire MAS folder had been empty.

I've saved the contents of both folders to a separate drive just so I have a good backup, but quite disconcerting.

[mikehalloran]

As pointed out, DP plugins do not belong in the users/Library directory. No installer puts them there.

The correct path is Library/Audio/Plug-ins

In the Plug-ins folder, you should have a number of folders; Components (for AUs), MAS, VST, VST3 plus a few others that some companies might install.

We need more information.

[jimchik]

Wow... great that I looked here. My problem is that the AU PI's are all of a sudden not showing up in DP. MAS PI's are there, VST PI's are there (deactivated in the list from the Preferences pane). Other apps (Mainstage, Finale, DSP Quattro) all have no problems and the AU PI's function normally. The AU PI's are in the HD/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/Components folder.

Yes, I also did some sort of an update that was triggered when I updated the iPhone to iOS 13. I assume it was an iTunes update as well, though there was no verification, other than needing to close iTunes for the update to work. 2+2=4, right?

I'm also still on Sierra, but using DP 8.07.

I tried booting into 32 bit mode; DP rescanned the PI's and they are visible in 32 bit mode, but not in 64 bit mode.

Help is greatly appreciated.

Best

[JohnG]

As pointed out, DP plugins do not belong in the users/Library directory. No installer puts them there.

The correct path is Library/Audio/Plug-ins

Bruv -- I can see you're knowledgeable about DP but I promise you I didn't do anything weird when installing. The installer put them where it put them.

I would prefer not to have a discussion about where they belong as to figure out how they were there at 3 o'clock yesterday and then at 5 AM this morning they were gone. FYI they are now in both places, just for the old belt-and-suspenders approach, and besides, maybe I typed wrong or something. Where they are is not so much an issue as where they went.

Also, Sound On Sound has an article titled, "Managing Audio Plug-ins In Digital Performer" that says they go here:

This is true of audio plug-ins, and to prove it there's a secondary Plug-Ins folder:

[your home folder]/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins

That's where I am looking.

[JohnG]

Help is greatly appreciated.

Luckily I had a very recent disk image of my boot drive and was able to copy them from the relevant folders into my current drive. If you don't have that you may be in for a lot of re-installing?

Downside is I can't link my phone and iTunes until some Future Date.

[mikehalloran]

Bruv -- I can see you're knowledgeable about DP but I promise you I didn't do anything weird when installing. The installer put them where it put them

Exactly — unless you changed the default.

I would prefer not to have a discussion about where they belong

Ok... but we're not the ones with the problem so that discussion is unavoidable.

Also, Sound On Sound has an article titled, "Managing Audio Plug-ins In Digital Performer" that says they go here:

This is true of audio plug-ins, and to prove it there's a secondary Plug-Ins folder:

[your home folder]/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins

That's where I am looking.

Yes, absolutely correct

If you re-run the installer and let DP install everything in the default location, they will install where they should and stay there.

[JohnG]

There is still a central question, which is: "What caused the plugins to disappear?"

I didn't move anything or delete anything. When the update for Digital Performer was released, I installed the standard install and didn't try to customise it. I have written three hours of music on this rig in the last nine months and have been on DP since it was v1.0 and only "Performer," so I'm experienced enough to know not to mess with things like folder hierarchies.

Maybe that's the problem? Based on the 2007 article, DP formerly did aim at the folders I'm using, so possibly I'm stuck in some legacy mode, or there is some way to point it to the different directories?

The only change I made to the system was to update iTunes, and I see that another user had the same problem, also after installing an iTunes update. [also saw on a different chat board another user with the same iTunes-triggered problem, so something is off]

Why that would cause a problem, IDK but it's working fine now.

If there is a way to "point" DP to the other folder, perhaps that would help.

[jimchik]

Help is greatly appreciated.

Luckily I had a very recent disk image of my boot drive and was able to copy them from the relevant folders into my current drive. If you don't have that you may be in for a lot of re-installing?

Downside is I can't link my phone and iTunes until some Future Date.

I’ve got Time Machine Backups so there’s no issue there. But having already tried that, AND given that it is only DP that is having this issue, I’m also stuck.

As to which folder they belong in and how they could have possibly moved, effecting ONLY DP, I’m open to ideas.

Thanks, everyone.

[jimchik]

Why that would cause a problem, IDK but it's working fine now.

So, do you know what happened to bring it back, I'm still stuck and had to starting the VST versions until it's solved.

TIA

[HCMarkus]

Di you see this thread?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=66786