Any music players with VST3 plugin capability?

Steinberg Lounge
1

I know this is not exactly related to Cubase, but at the same time, it is something that if it exists, there’s a good chance Cubase users might know.

I had a thought that would make some developer a decent amount of money (and I mean decent literally, I don’t think anybody would get rich, but they would still make a decent amount of money).

In both Mac and PC there are some decent music players, some that suck and none of them seems to be excellent, but at least there are some that allow you to load all the FLACs you buy on HD Tracks, Qobuz, etc, and your own CD rips into a library that can play them and are not the hellish experience that is Apple Music with its one-for-all disaster that used to be called iTunes and now simply “Music”. On macOS, because on Windows it’s still called “iTunes”, which is also the name of the Apple service where you can still buy music and I’m gonna stop before I blow a fuse. :face_with_peeking_eye:

But let’s say you have something like Flacbox or Pine Player on Mac, or Music Bee on Windows. Player that allow you to keep your purchased library of FLACs without messing it up, displaying album covers and whatnot. Usually come with an EQ, although the phone ones come with more stuff.

But what if you could load any VST3 FX plugin you have installed in your system, like you can with Cubase, Nuendo, Wavelab, and any other DAW. I’m only referring to audio FX plugins, not virtual instruments of course.

I didn’t find anything like that in my search, at best there is something called Gig Performer for musicians, but that’s obviously a different type of program.

But imagine if you could load Frequency2 or FabFilter Q3 to any album you’re listening to, especially those that don’t sound that well. Sure, you can drag and drop all the files in an album in Cubase, save it as a project, and so on, but it’s not exactly the fastest thing if you want to do that to several albums.

I’m just talking about a simple music player that allows you to use any VST3 FX plugins you have in your system. I think it would be a fantastic idea, but let’s do a little poll and see, since today is election day, let’s have on of our own:

  • It’s the best idea in the history of the world!!!
  • It’s a decent idea, I like it. I’d pay ten or twenty bucks for a player like that, if the player itself doesn’t suck
  • I don’t think it’s that worth it. If it’s free I’d give it a try.
  • No. No. Just, no.
0 voters
2

I think there’s no need for an audio player plugin in a DAW (e.g. Cubase). First, you can import any number of audio files and apply FX on them. Second, if an external audio player is available on the computer (and this is almost always the case), with a decent audio interface you can simply route its output via an input into the DAW and add any effects, listen to it and record it.
Apart from that, I voted “I don’t think it’s that worth it. If it’s free I’d give it a try” anyway.

3

Hi,

for foobar2000 ist a VST Plugin available, claiming VST2 and VST3 support.

There is also a VST Plugin for Winamp.

1 Like
4

Sorry, you misunderstood. I didn’t say anything about adding a player to Cubase. I meant a standalone player like the ones I mentioned, Flacbox, Pine Player, Music Bee.

5

OK, I understand. Still no need.

6

You can host a plug on your sytem audio so it works with any player you want to use, plus browser audio etc. I do this with Blue Cat Patchwork but there are quite a few options including free ones though they are quite clunky.
IMO this makes much more sense than putting in a single player…but as said Foobar does it if that’s all you want.

7

I’m on Windows 11…

I’ve been piping everything audio and MIDI through a standalone bidule (PC and Mac versions exist) instance for years. It serves as a kind of patch bay, and I can insert whatever chain of audio and MIDI plugins I like. On windows it supports VST2/VST3/CLAP (Maybe the pro-tools one too?). On Mac it does all those plus AU.

Personally, I also use ASIO Link Pro (Windows only…Do Macs use ASIO at all?), and keep most things in the ASIO realm, but bidule will work with the other device types too (MME/WDM/WASPI).

8

I moved the topic to the Lounge as it has no direct connection to Cubase.

2 Likes
9

Soundsource lets you apply plugins to any audio app.