Ideas for keeping our plugins and VI's up-to-date

[stubbsonic]

I reached out to the developer of Pluginfo about ideas to have the app help with update notifications. It's already pretty helpful in that it shows the version number, architecture, and date.

My idea was to have two additional buttons. "UPLOAD" would send my list to a server where a master list is kept. Some process would compare my list to the master list, if any version seems newer on my list, it either updates it's master list or at least flags it to be checked by a human. The second button is "VERSION CHECK" will consult the master list and if anything on the master is newer than what is on my list, it marks it as such.

The developer was really nice, and gave very convincing reasons why this would be a very difficult and messy, but didn't rule out that something along those lines might happen.

Now that some developers have install managers, that either makes it easier to do, but harder to remember to do, or some kind of workflow is needed. I wish more developers just had a simple email list only to notify for updates. Some do.

Any other thoughts on this?

[James Steele]

It's a good idea, but sounds like somewhere along the line it would be a lot of work for somebody!

I theory, if you knew a URL where a new version was listed, or better yet if the developer could give you a directory where the download would be stored, and you could have it go out on the web and test for a change, that might help. I can't imagine something like that happening without getting cooperation and some sort of standardized reporting by developers. Like, for example if you could get all developers to maintain a text file called "currentpluginversions.txt" that had a plugin name and version number in a specific standardized directory... then an app could search for it and parse the contents and compare with last recorded version.

Seems like the best we can do is run the updaters from time to time and depend on word of mouth. Many developers ARE good about sending out email notifications, but many don't seem to bother and rely on forums to spread the world.

[James Steele]

I'd hasten to add, as someone who got bit by this, that you wouldn't necessarily want to update immediately. Case in point: Kontakt 7.6.1. What a debacle!!

[stubbsonic]

Your idea about developers maintaining a simple, but standardized bit of text is excellent.

The Pluginfo developer mentioned things like inconsistent version numbering schemes, and inconsistent metadata, and paid updates, etc.; but your idea does resolve that, if developers would willing to adopt a standard.

Needs a catchy name-- "Hive Matrixed Version Notifier" Hmmm. Back to the drawing board.

[bayswater]

I have a simple spreadsheet listing plugins that I made when I found myself buying plugins I already had.

As for updates, the experience of the last few years of half baked Apple and other updates have led me to only do an update if there is a good reason, and to avoid plugin makers that don’t issue update notices.

Finding I was spending a significant amount of screen time checking and managing updates, I took Groucho Marx’s advice and stopped banging my head against the wall, doing updates for the sake of doing updates. .

[stubbsonic]

Great points. And probably a much healthier approach. Perhaps I can have an annual refresh and check the important ones and chuck the unimportant ones. "The Check & Chuck". Hmmm. Back to the drawing board.

[Michael Canavan]

Be nice if iLok License Manager covered this for their supported plugins.

Another Avenue for this is to get the few developers that have a unified "product manager" to do what some, not all, do and provide information when you open the thing on whether or not your plugins are up to date. UVI, NI, Arturia, iZotope, EastWest, IK Multimedia all let you know which plugins are not up to date, but Plugin Alliance, Traction, AAS, and others do not.

[stubbsonic]

James just posted a bunch of updates for Plugin Alliance. I went to the unhelpfully named "PA-InstallationManager" and it has NO ability to show available updates. Dumb.

So, using a sledgehammer, I just downloaded and installed all my products. (And there's no way to de-select AAX from the installation.

The app isn't terrible, but it isn't super helpful, either.

[James Steele]

(And there's no way to de-select AAX from the installation.

Are you sure? I’m not at studio right now, but I know there are check boxes somewhere where you tell the PA app which formats to install. I have mine set to AU, VST3 and AAX.

[stubbsonic]

Are you sure? I’m not at studio right now, but I know there are check boxes somewhere where you tell the PA app which formats to install. I have mine set to AU, VST3 and AAX.

You're right, there are checkboxes for format, but it is labeled "Filter", so I assumed it was just a view filter. But looking again, I guess it does "filter" the installers as well. I can manually delete the AAX's so no harm done.

[bprendie]

I get your idea for the "UPLOAD" and "VERSION CHECK" buttons, but it sounds pretty complex. I also prefer simple email notifications from developers for updates.

[stubbsonic]

I get your idea for the "UPLOAD" and "VERSION CHECK" buttons, but it sounds pretty complex. I also prefer simple email notifications from developers for updates.

Yea, the Pluginfo developer gave very convincing reasons why this is a bad idea. (not her words).

I suppose if I get into the habit of sending out a little nag to developers saying:

"Hey I just happened to check and noticed that an update for widgetplug has been out for 8 months. Is there some email list I can get on to be notified about updates?"

That seems pretty polite, I think.

[James Steele]

I get your idea for the "UPLOAD" and "VERSION CHECK" buttons, but it sounds pretty complex. I also prefer simple email notifications from developers for updates.

Yea, the Pluginfo developer gave very convincing reasons why this is a bad idea. (not her words).

I suppose if I get into the habit of sending out a little nag to developers saying:

"Hey I just happened to check and noticed that an update for widgetplug has been out for 8 months. Is there some email list I can get on to be notified about updates?"

That seems pretty polite, I think.

You know... one very useful feature Pluginfo could incorporate is the ability to directly delete plugins from the UI. Case in point: After installing a new plugin I often immediately launch Pluginfo, find the plug I just installed and delete the VST(2) version and keep only the VST3. To do this currently you have to select the plug in Pluginfo and then right-click on it and choose "Select in Finder" and THEN delete the plug. Being able to delete the particular plugin file directly from Pluginfo would save a step.

IMPORTANT WARNING: Do not necessarily immediately delete the VST if there's a VST3. Check to see if the VST and VST3 are approximately the same file size first. For example here's listing of Arturia SQ80 plugin in Pluginfo. Notice the file size is 49.7MB for both so seems clear the VST3 is not just a "shell" for the VST2:

sq80size.jpg (20.69 KiB) Viewed 4256 times

Although I do admit i got scared when. I say that the AAX was only 921.6KB. Is the AAX a shell for the VST, VST3 or the AU? Is it okay to delete the VST? Well, I just checked and it turns out that I have a directory on my external Sample Libraries drive for Arturia instruments that require samples. Looks like Arturia stashes a copy of the VST and VST3 plugin over there according to this screen shot of that folder. So maybe the AAX is wrapping one of those? Either way, I checked and the AAX works fine if I delete the VST out of the VST folder on my boot drive.

artuiaplugsonexternaldrive.jpg (35.56 KiB) Viewed 4256 times

But here's a situation where I decided NOT to delete the VST. This is from the Korg Collection and this is the M1. It's older than some of the others in the collection and if you look at the file size you 'll see that the VS3 is by far much larger than then other files. It's 86.4MB, whereas all the other plugin formats are very small files. My hunch is if you delete the VST in this case, the others are acting as some sort of hook/shell and they won't work? Unless perhaps those other formats are accessing some file/code elsewhere on my Mac like Arturia might be doing. If I'm feeling inquisitive maybe I'll look into that.

KorgLegacy.jpg (22.22 KiB) Viewed 4256 times

Bottom line, it would be nice to delete plugs directly from the Pluginfo UI... but one must use that capability with some prudence and caution.

[bayswater]

IMPORTANT WARNING: Do not necessarily immediately delete the VST if there's a VST3.

Exactly. And there are other similar instances. I've had plugins that share code. In one case, one AU didn't work unless another was installed, even when the second was not licensed. So deleting the unused and unlicensed plugins prevented the licensed plugins from working.

[James Steele]

IMPORTANT WARNING: Do not necessarily immediately delete the VST if there's a VST3.

Exactly. And there are other similar instances. I've had plugins that share code. In one case, one AU didn't work unless another was installed, even when the second was not licensed. So deleting the unused and unlicensed plugins prevented the licensed plugins from working.

Old habits die hard. I'm used to the days when disk space was expensive and so anything not necessary was deleted from my drive. And even though we have much larger drives, on principle, the the thought of unnecessary files on my Mac is annoying. I'm not sure I can or even want to adjust my thinking on this.

Recently, on the UA forum, I asked if there was any harm now that the UAD-2 plugs now have a VST3 version in deleted the older VST2s since I am running all my DAWs in Apple Silicon native mode? The roundabout answer was that yes you can, but that it's not really reclaiming much disk space, so why bother? So far I haven't deleted the VST versions of my UAD-2 plugs, but it's probably coming.