A Way to Identify Kontakt 5 plug-in as 32 bit or 64-bit. PLEASE

Having problem after problem with sequencers using a 32 bit version of kontakt on a 64 bit windows OS and a 64 bit sequencer application. It would seem to be so trivially easy for kontakt to name itself, or show in the about display, or in the info panel: YOU ARE VIEWING A 32 BIT PLUGIN vs YOU ARE VIEWING a 64-BIT PLUGIN. Would really help in eliminating wasted time and problem finding.

 

The way I deal with this is I have a separate VST folder for 32-bit and separate folder for 64-bit VSTs. Then when installing I set each variant of the plugin to go to the designated folder. This is how I know which is which. In most cases I just delete the 32-bit VST as I don't need it since I'm using a 64-bit host too (Reaper).

 

... rename the 32-bit plug-ins so that your sequencer no longer picks them up?

 

Renaming doesn't help. Deleting works, of course ... but so far the Kontakt update installation has secretly put them back in. We'll see in future updates.

 

Renaming plugin files is not a great idea with NI stuff. It can mess with Service Center, Maschine, and Komplete Kontrol.

The best practice is to keep your 32-bit and 64-bit plugins separate, and make sure your DAW/host only looks in one of those two locations. (64-bit DAW looks in 64-bit plugins folders, etc.)

Moving NI plugin files post-install also results in a lot of unexpected behavior (again, especially with Service Center, Maschine, and Komplete Kontrol), but this can be fixed. I wrote a tool that can repair Native Instruments app, plugin, and content locations after you move your files around. It can also help you weed out duplicate plugin versions (and incorrect versions- for example, it tells you if it finds 64-bit plugins in a 32-bit plugin folder). (Tutorial and download links here. Windows only.) Native Instruments also published a tool that just locates all your 32-bit and 64-bit plugin files, shoves them into separate folders, and fixes the plugin paths.

EDIT: After re-reading the OP, I believe that most if not all NI plugins actually do mention their bitness in their "About <product>" popups. They will say 32-bit or 64-bit in the same screen where they list version and credits.

 

I've renamed them, adding .old to the end of the file, after .dll,, so they seem like a different type of file. But I agree that renaming can confuse Service Center et al, so tread carefully.

 

I'm a newbie planning my upcoming install of full Kontakt under Windows. I plan on running 64bit Reaper under 64 bit Windows 10 and installing the 64 bit Kontakt version. If I keep my 32 bit & 64 bit VST's in separate folders, do I just have to make sure that all my loaded 32 bit VST's go into the same instance of Kontakt for things to work properly? Thanks

 

Kontakt doesn't load VSTs.

 

Thanks...I guess I spoke incorrectly. I mean't plugins. Also...if you have both the 32bit and 64bit versions of Kontakt installed as NI recommends (http://www.native-instruments.com/e...ns-and-plug-ins-on-windows-64-32-bit-systems/) will the DAW (Reaper) differentiate between the two versions in their naming convention when you try to load them?... and then I guess I need to keep the 32bit and 64bit versions of the plugins isolated to their respective instances of Kontakt. Correct?

 

You don't need to install both versions of the same plugin if you intend on only using one of them... Well NI installers install 32-bit by default, but I always manually remove them.

As for Reaper, you can have multiple plugin paths defined, separated by semicolons. I think the last one defined takes precedence (I don't recall - if it doesn't work, it's the other way around!), so you would first define the 32-bit path, then the 64-bit path. Then if both bit-versions of the same plugin are installed, 64-bit one will take precedence. NI 32- and 64-bit plugins have exactly the same filename, so this is the preferred way of working with Reaper (defining both plugin paths).

 

Thanks again... Sorry..but I'm still a bit confused, I don't plan on having two versions of any plug installed. I'll install a plugin as a 64 bit version except where only 32 bit versions are available. I guess I was under the impression from the above that Kontakt has an issue if you try to load 32 bit plugins along with 64 bit plugins in the same 64 bit instance of Kontakt....or am I reading the above incorrectly (which is entirely possible). Therefore I need to be able to separately instance a 32 bit version of Kontakt to load the 32 bit plugs that I will use... and Reaper will tell me by the naming convention which is which when I load FX for that channel. Is that correct?

 

Definitely use two separate VST folders as suggested above. When Kontakt is installed, just remove the 32-bit DLL. Et voila. I am not aware of any issues running 32-bit plugins along 64-bit ones in Reaper... it works just fine over here. Reaper's bit bridge is probably the best in the industry.

 

Got it!! So Kontakt does not have an issue if you try to load 32 bit plugins along with 64 bit plugins in the same 64 bit instance of Kontakt? ... so nuke the 32 bit version of Kontakt at install time, keep your plugins in two separate VST folders as outlined above and your good to go?

 

You mean in the same 64-bit instance of REAPER, not Kontakt

Yeah, Reaper's bit bridge takes care of things.

 

THanks

 

How can you locate the 64 bit and 32 bit versions? After I installed and changed my playback configuration on Sibelius the program just crashes. I have read that it doesn't like the 32 bit version so I have tried various playback devices without success. I am thinking it may be the 32 bit version somehow. Though, I don't know how to locate them.