Where is the plug in folder in PT Express?
 

Hi folks,

I am running PT Express [10] bundled with an M-Audio M-Track Plus interface on a Win 7 (64-bit). Now the Avid instruments (XPand, Vaccum, etc.) all show up in PT but so far I haven't been able to install any 3rd party plug ins (e.g., Softube Saturation Knob does not show up in PT.)
I guess the problem is that I don't know where the plug-ins are... after browsing the internet for 2.5 days I now actually know where the plug-in folders are in PT 7-11, both on Win and on a Mac, but ridiculously enough I can't find any of them on my PC, or any correct information for PT Express.

I found a couple of .dll here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Avid\Pro Tools\DAE\Controllers, but they have names like HWC.dll.
I also found folders with the right names (Boom, MiniGrand, Structure Free) here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Avid\Avid Virtual Instruments, but these folders contain only a single .big file each. (???)

So, if anyone has ever successfully installed 3rd party plug-ins for use in Pro Tools Express (not other PT versions) -- would you be so kind as to let me know?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Best,
Stefanie

Re: Where is the plug in folder in PT Express?
 

The .big files are how AIR packages/compresses their samples/audio data and such.

What version of Saturation Knob are you installing (i.e. VST, AU, AAX32, AAX64, RTAS)? As far as I know PT Express uses RTAS and AAX 32 bit 3rd party plugins.

Re: Where is the plug in folder in PT Express?
 

Hi,

thanks for the quick reply, and for clarifying the .big files.
I have tried to install the Saturation knob AAX 32-bit version.

I was initially confused about what version I had, so I checked. Avid says: "Pro Tools Express supports AAX Native, RTAS, and AudioSuite plug-ins from Avid and our development partners." and that "Like Pro Tools 10, Pro Tools Express is compatible with Mac and Windows 64-bit operating systems. However, it does not run natively as a 64-bit application at this time."

I checked with M-Audio support and they said:
If you installed the Pro tools Express that came with one of our products and did not go through any updates or anything, then you have a 32-bit version of Pro Tools Express. That means that only 32-bit plugins will function.

So – what kind of third-party plugins function in it?

32-bit RTAS plugins and 32-bit AAX plugins (most AAX is 64-bit because Pro Tools 11 is 64-bit native)


One perhaps strange thing about PT Express is that I cannot indicate any preferences for how plug-ins are listed in the Preferences Menu. This seems to be different for 'normal' PT versions... I think?

Thanks!
Stefanie

Re: Where is the plug in folder in PT Express?
 

Hi,

ok, so apparently no one has ever got a third party plug-in to work in PT Express.(?)
Could anyone tell me the name of the dll that come with the Avid plug ins -- e.g., is that boom.dll? vacuum.dll?
(I have searched for those filenames and couldn't find them though they work in PT; but part of my problem is that I don't know what the names are...)

Thanks!

Where is the plug in folder in PT Express?
 

Few people here use or ever touch Express.

.dll and .big are not plugin files. AAX plugin file extensions are .aaxplugin and rtas file extensions are .dpm


Pro Tools 10 (and express) support RTAS plugins and AAX-32 plugins (but not AAX-64 plugins). You need to make sure you are trying to install a supported RTAS or AAX-32 plugin type (not say AAX-64, AU or VST formats). RTAS is only ever 32 bits, it makes no sense to talk about 32 bit vs 64 bit RTAS.

A plugin installer should just run and install the plugin in the correct location, you normally don't need to know where that is. So did you just run the isntaller? What happened? What error messages if any? Where you trying to install RTAS or AAX versions of the plugin? And for the Avid distributed Saturation Knob I do not know if its installing different 32/64 bit AAX versions of a combo 32/64 bit version. I would hope the installer runs and you answer any questions and it just does the right thing.

Pro Tools 10 Express should use the same plugin location as Pro Tools 10. And a simple search would turn up that information, such as at here... http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...older-location

Re: Where is the plug in folder in PT Express?
 

Hi Darryl,

ok one mystery is solved. I'm running Win 64-bit, so I have two Program Files folders; and the plugins are not in "Program Files" but in "Program Files (x86)". This makes total sense, given that PT Express does not run natively on 64-bit...

Problem No 2 of not-working plug-ins still isn't solved, unfortunately.

The Saturation Knob (AAX 32-bit) installed without complaints but all I'm seeing in the folder is a pdf file and an uninstall file.
I've also tried to install the 4FrontPiano, an RTAS plug-in and followed the instruction to put the 32-bit .dll into my newfound plug-in folder. But when I try to add an instrument to an instrument track in PT Express, it does not show up.

I got the 4FrontPiano here: http://www.yohng.com/software/piano.html and it looks simple enough yet it is not working. The plug-in is among the free plug-ins recommended for PT (here: http://www.pro-tools-expert.com/free...ools-plug-ins/).

Do I need to do anything else in Pro Tools to get it scanning available plug-ins or something like that?

Thanks!
Stefanie

Re: Where is the plug in folder in PT Express?
 

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins.