Benefits of enabling "VST3 Support" in Settings

[Eskano]

What are the benefits of supporting VST3?

[d.healey]

• VST3 is a free format licensed under the GNU GPL, VST2 is proprietary.
• VST3 has some features that VST2 doesn't (I forget what they are)
• VST2 is no longer supported by Steinberg
• VST3 will become the new standard (although it's taking a long time to get there).

[Eskano]

@d-healey Thanks for the info.

Steinberg is no longer supporting VST2. What does this mean in terms of making VST2 plugins?

How long do you expect it will be until VST3 becomes the new standard?

[d.healey]

@Eskano Officially VST3 is the standard, but not all DAWs support it yet. Steinberg will no longer provide licenses for developers to release VST2 plugins.

[Eskano]

@d-healey So by checking VST3 Support my exported plugin is VST3. Is that correct?

Conversely, if it's unchecked my exported plugin is VST2?

[Lindon]

@Eskano said in Benefits of enabling "VST3 Support" in Settings:

@d-healey So by checking VST3 Support my exported plugin is VST3. Is that correct?

Conversely, if it's unchecked my exported plugin is VST2?

You select your plug-in target on export, but as Dave says "Steinberg will no longer provide licenses for developers to release VST2 plugins."

So unless you registered for a license (I think I registered about 2 years ago) then you dont have a license to release VST2 plug-ins....

[ustk]

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/vst-2-4-vs-vst-3-0-who-cares-you-do/

[Eskano]

@Lindon Got it. That makes sense. Can you legally release vst2 plugins for free without a license from Steinberg?

@ustk Thanks for the link!

[d.healey]

@Eskano

Can you legally release vst2 plugins for free without a license from Steinberg?

I'm not 100% sure of the rules. Christoph has a license for VST2 so I think you're okay as long as you're not redistributing the SDK but I could be wrong.

If you're making a non-proprietary plugin then there is also the option of using the GNU GPL licensed alternative - https://git.iem.at/zmoelnig/FST

[Lindon]

@d-healey said in Benefits of enabling "VST3 Support" in Settings:

@Eskano

Can you legally release vst2 plugins for free without a license from Steinberg?

I'm not 100% sure of the rules. Christoph has a license for VST2 so I think you're okay as long as you're not redistributing the SDK but I could be wrong.

If you're making a non-proprietary plugin then there is also the option of using the GNU GPL licensed alternative - https://git.iem.at/zmoelnig/FST

I think the answer is "no". You will need to enter a company code in your plug-in setting/preferences in HISE - this is the code issued to you by Steinberg when you got your VST2 license.

VST2 does not have any sort of open source license, it's entirely proprietary, to issue (sell, give away, distribute) a VST2 plugin you need a license from Steinberg - or that was how I read the license agreement when I got it, but as I say it was a while ago now.