Many plugins are combinations of filters, synths, and/or samplers. Putting them into a single category hides other features that I would like to be as convenient as the one that is chosen by default.
Specifically, PianoTeq is a synth, a really high-end model based piano. The cool part about this plugin is that you can use a good portion of that model as a filter on sources from anywhere else. I have tried it with PadShop. The problem is that it is an instrument first, so I have to remember to look there instead of filters.
There are several other cross-boundary plugins that do this too. We need a multi-category way to find stuff. Something I can teach my less technical creators.
Thanks for this suggestion. I currently use this now. But, we are in an expansion phase. I have added several plug-ins in the last few months and have to keep updating those lists. We have been working with special sound effects so we have some weird categories too. I just don’t want to spend a lot of time inventing naming strategies, if Steinberg could just tweak things a bit for everybody.
For VST3 plugins, the categories you talk about are decided by the plug-in manufacturer. That said, I don’t think the VST3 API supports multiple categories.
I suspected as much. Maybe that is what I am asking for, a change to VST3 that allows a multiple category list. They are kind of doing it now with Instrument and FX prepended to the actual category, (Steinberg’s VST MultiPanner notwithstanding - Spatial | Fx).
It looks like UVI Falcon already reports like this Instrument | Sampler | Synth. Crazy as it may seem Halion 7 reports as just Instrument | Sampler. What?!? not synth? Halion Sonic reports as both.
Clearly vendors are putting more and more info in this variable because they think they should. It would be nice if they made it a list so that we could search and sort on it.
I really think @farfaraway has the right answer here. Creating custom plugin collections is much more powerful than relying on what the manufacturer labels them as.
Simple example:
Note the same two plugins are used in two different folders. And that is just one “collection”. You can create as many collections as you wish. I’m not aware of any other DAW that has something like this.
Yes, this is what I do now. But it puts the responsibility on one person, me, to keep all of these lists up to date and otherwise managed.
If the vendors kept those data in their plugins, the work, storage, coordination, etc. would be distributed. It would self update when I install a new plugin.
I’ve seen less convenient things added in the past. It would be nice to see this.
Horses for courses I guess.
Personally I love having plugin collections and utilize them to the fullest. I couldn’t care less what plugin makers label their plugins as since I organize them in different manners anyway. Further more, since the category label is left up to the individual plugin makers to decide, you are bound to have inconsistencies.
