If you are already using any of these programs/plugins, and you want to update any of them, you should update them all. The NetVST protocol is not yet stable, so some changes may not be fully backwards-compatible.
Item | Last updated |
---|---|
32-bit Windows programs (NetVSTHost plus NetFilter and NetSynth plugins) | Feb 4, 2018 |
32 NetVSTHost.exe for Windows XP | Mar 18, 2018 |
64-bit Windows programs (NetVSTHost plus NetFilter and NetSynth plugins) | Dec 24, 2020 |
Mac AU plugins (NetFilter and NetSynth) | Dec 26, 2017 |
NetVSTHost for Mac (made with WineBottler) | Dec 26, 2017 |
See Change Log.
On Windows:
C:\Program Files\Vstplugins
C:\Program Files (x86)\Vstplugins
On Macintosh:
~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
On Linux (new!):
These instructions are just to get you started. See YouTube Videos and More about NetVSTHost.
The NetFilter and NetSynth plugins can only work with buffer sizes up to 2048 samples. A few VST host programs (most notably Hermann Seib's SaviHost and VSTHost will use a larger size by default (Seib's programs use 4410). This will usually cause the connected NetVSTHost, and probably also the DAW, to CRASH, so it's vitally important to set your buffer size before starting to use the NetVST plugins. This issue will be fixed in a later release of the NetVST software.
The buffer-size setting is DAW-specific. See Working with specific DAW (plugin host) programs.
NetFilter and NetSynth can be used like any other VST filter or instrument plugins in your DAW or other VST host program. On Windows, either one will present a simple GUI like this:
To use the default loopback IP address 127.0.0.1 and default port number 27016, just check the “Enable Network Communication” box. To change the address and/or port number, enter a new one in the text box and click the Update button. IP address is four numbers separated by periods, then a colon, then the port number which should be in the range 27016–27031.
Remember to un-check the “Enable Network Communication” box when you are finished, before closing your DAW.
NetFilter and NetSynth can be used like any other VST filter or instrument plugins in your DAW or other Audio Unit host program. Either one will present a simple GUI like this:
Unlike the Windows versions, the individual parts of the IP address and port number are separated, each with its own separate edit box. On newer versions of Mac OS, you can use the Tab key to advance from one edit box to the next; on older versions, you may have to use the mouse to click in each box individually.
If you are running the Mac version of NetVSTHost, you will enter the same IP address (the one for your wired Ethernet port) you used when setting up that program. In this case, you are effectively using the loopback connection; nothing is sent over the physical LAN. (You can't use the actual loopback address 127.0.0.1, because Wine interprets this differently.)
Remember to un-check the “Enable Network Communication” box when you are finished, before closing your DAW.