VST Effects Plugin

[Jeremy Meunier]

Thanks for your quick reply. Does that mean that they will be useless forever or is it planned to have a 64 bits version of MB somewhere in a near future ?

[phred]

Thanks for your quick reply. Does that mean that they will be useless forever or is it planned to have a 64 bits version of MB somewhere in a near future ?

Probably useless forever as there's been no mention of MB's developer releasing a 64bit version. I'm not saying it won't happen. Only that it doesn't appear to be on the roadmap.

[hiccup]

Thanks for your quick reply. Does that mean that they will be useless forever or is it planned to have a 64 bits version of MB somewhere in a near future ?

Probably useless forever as there's been no mention of MB's developer releasing a 64bit version. I'm not saying it won't happen. Only that it doesn't appear to be on the roadmap.

I am not sure about all this, but I think the main and essential problem is that the VST plugin needs to be 64bit.

And while the BASS_VST.dll was released by the BASS developer (who is responsible for most audio-related dll's in MusicBee), it was originally coded/created by somebody else, who seems to have completely left the stage.
So chances are extremely small that there will even be a 64bit version of BASS_VST.dll that MusicBee could then use.

edit
It seems I was wrong, and the BASS_VST.dll should already support 64bit plugins.

But the next obstacle then would probably indeed be if MusicBee is 64bit.
What I am not completely sure about is if perhaps such a 64bit plugin then could work on 32bit MusicBee.
I am guessing not though, since pretty much all software that I know that uses plugins require the two to match.

cut-to-the-chase: This is most likely never going to happen.

edit:
The people involved in this thread will already know this, but I thought it might be good to add this to this thread for posterity.

- VST was designed by a company with very deep pockets and a very large budget (Steinberg, owned by Yamaha), and is intended for use in professional audio software created by companies that also have deep pockets and large budgets.
- VST is not, and was never intended for use in consumer applications.

Considering the complexities involved, it would pretty much be a miracle if some single person would be able to create a reliably working plugin.
And do it for free.

P.S.
And, as a non-coder I always assumed: 'how hard can it be to update an existing piece of software from 32bit to 64bit?
And then I gooooooogeled  gooooogl'd  gooogeld  performed some searches on the matter and shut-up.  ;-)
(hmm, somebody in the future using a coding plugin for ChatGPT might type: "write 64bit versions of MusicBee and BASS_VST.dll". So perhaps keep your hopes up…)

[sveakul]

Just some comments:

The bass_vst.dll has been released in both 32 and 64-bit versions as long as I can recall;  the latest 64-bit version is 2.4.1.6 from 8/31/2023.  The MusicBee vst host, mb_VST.dll, has only been available in 32-bit, like the MB application itself.

Of great interest to me is the fact that the Foobar2000 developer released a vst host plugin for his player (https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_dsp_vst3) that allows either 32 or 64-bit VST plugins (in VST2 or VST3 spec) to be used in either 32 or 64 bit versions of Foobar.  In other words, if your OS architecture is 64-bit, you can use even a 32-bit Foobar with 64-bit VSTs.  It's quite a piece of work and I can attest it works beautifully in both versions.  So, given that "What one man can do, another can do,"  there is still hope on the horizon given the restraints of personal time and interest.

[hiccup]

Just some comments:
The bass_vst.dll has been released in both 32 and 64-bit versions as long as I can recall;  

Thanks for correcting my assumptions.
As some weak excuse: they were partly based on what the BASS website shows:

But I now realise that only refers to the Windows version, and not to the plugin itself.

So as a hypothetical, perhaps something might be done with MusicBee so that the existing (and 4 years old) VST plugin could be made to work for 64bit VST plugins?
Without 'upgrading' MusicBee to a 64bit application as a whole?

[Jeremy Meunier]

I did try to replace bass_vst.dll in MB folder by the last 64 bits version but it doesn't work either. (Should I replace all the bass dlls maybe ?)
Tried also the Foobar component which works like a charm indeed (and Foobar is x86 also), so my guess is that this is the bridge that should be modified accordingly
Thanks for your replies gentlemen

[sveakul]

Do not use 64-bit BASS dlls (or any other 64-bit dll!) in 32-bit MusicBee, they will not function.  As long as you have the latest 32-bit bass dlls supllied by the MusicBee patch you should be fine (and the latest mb_VST.dll from the Add-Ons section).

For those braver than I, there is a tool that is supposed to make vst3 plugins work in vst2-only hosts (still must be the correct bit architecture), somebody with more time than I can try and report:

https://audiosex.pro/threads/free-vst3-to-vst2-converter.58250/

[hiccup]

Tried also the Foobar component which works like a charm indeed (and Foobar is x86 also), so my guess is that this is the bridge that should be modified accordingly

foobar2000 v2.x is available in both x86 and x64 versions.
Are you sure you are using foobar2000 x86 with a x64 component?

[Jeremy Meunier]

I'm positive !

[sveakul]

Tried also the Foobar component which works like a charm indeed (and Foobar is x86 also), so my guess is that this is the bridge that should be modified accordingly

foobar2000 v2.x is available in both x86 and x64 versions.
Are you sure you are using foobar2000 x86 with a x64 component?

The host component itself, foo_dsp_vst3, installs as either an x86 or x64 dll depending on the Foobar v2 architecture, but even the x86 version is able to host 64-bit VST plugins with a x86 Foobar.  The 32-bit dll runs both a 32 and 64-bit VSTHost.exe, and even the last 32-bit v1 version of the player (1.6.16) can use it.  Quite a piece of work.

[wealstarr]

Just host Exite audio KHSMR Chain as a 32 bit VST2 inside Musicbee and then host all your various vst2/3 32bit/64 bit plugins inside it.
Works well.

Edit: KSHMR can't host cross architecture stuff. My bad. I work with so much stuff, I forget what does what. Maybe Bidule or Metaplugin ?

[wealstarr]

And while I'm here, to all you music lovers out there. Get this while black friday is on, it's a steal

https://www.nomadfactory.com/products/p724-All-Tec-EQs-v2/



Altec lansing FTW!!!

I think Universal audio also makes Altec lansing emulations but theirs cost more.

You play the music with it, you don't want to turn it off.

[gaiastar]

hi
can I know which is the last BASS_VST version ?
I use the last musicbee portable version and it's 2.4.1.0
should i upgrade it?
thanks in advance

[hiccup]

can I know which is the last BASS_VST version ?

That's not so difficult, go to the source:
https://www.un4seen.com/

[sveakul]

Often the latest version of a Bass plugin isn't posted on the public release page, but at their "stuff" subdirectory, e.g. https://www.un4seen.com/stuff/bass_vst.zip .

The developer has stated those are "...'in development' updates that are made available between releases. They are still 'release' builds and usually fine for production use."  I live dangerously and use these all the time, never had a problem but have had them FIX problems.  The latest bass_vst.dll version there is 2.4.1.6 from 8/31/2023.