Syntheway VST (.vst) and Audio Units (AU .component) Plug-ins in Mac OS X

Syntheway VST and AudioUnits (AU) are the two native plugin formats for Mac OS X. Although there are other DAW specific formats for plugins, VST and AudioUnits are more common and compatible across various DAWs like Cubase, Logic, etc. There is an abundance of VST and AU plugins for expanding your DAW and building your collection of effects. However, it can be difficult to know how to get those plugins running on your computer. Especially if they are free and do not come with installers or instructions. I’ll help you get those files in the right places and make them appear in your plugin stacks.

Finding the Audio Plugins folder

The plugin folder is nested in the Macintosh HD Library. There are usually a minimum of two Libraries on your Mac, one in Macintosh HD and another in your user account. You should only place the plugins in the Macintosh HD Library so that it can be accessed by all users on the computer. The usual location of the folder should be:

Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

Macintosh

HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST

How to Install VST Plugins

Unzip the downloaded file if it is an archive like .zip or .rar. You should only see a file with a .vst extension. This is the actual file required for the plugin.
Move the .vst file to the VST folder in your audio plugins folder.
If your DAW is running, close it and restart it. When your DAW starts up, it will rescan your plugins folder and detect your recently installed plugin.

How to Install Audio Units Plugins

Unzip the downloaded file if it is an archive like .zip or .rar. You should only see a file with a .component extension. This is the actual file required for the plugin.
Move the .component file to the Components folder in your audio plugins folder.
If your DAW is running, close it and restart it. When your DAW starts up, it will rescan your plugins folder and detect your recently installed plugin.

How to Install Audio Units Plugins. Syntheway VST and AudioUnits (AU) are the two native plugin formats for Mac OS X. Although there are other DAW specific formats for plugins, VST and AudioUnits are more common and compatible across various DAWs like Cubase, Logic, etc

Other Plugin Formats

You might come across another folder labeled VST3, this is for VST3 plugins which are not as common as of yet. They can be identified with the .vst3 file extension. MAS is used for MOTU Audio System. HAL is Hardware Abstraction Layer and you should not be needing to change anything there.

Syntheway Virtual Musical Instruments AU Audio Units (.component), VST (.vst) Sample Libraries were made specially for Mac users in order to use it on Apple Mac OS X v10.6 "Snow Leopard", Mac OS X v10.7 "Lion", Mac OS X v10.8 "Mountain Lion".

It has been meticulously tuned and adjusted and particular care has been taken in the reproduction of the original realism of each VST Instument. Both versions (AU and VST) are compiled in Universal Binary format, so they are compatible and runs natively on Intel-manufactured IA-32 (Intel Architecture, 32-bit) or Intel 64-based Macintosh computers.

We are developing best program options for Mac users and go gradually incorporating several virtual musical instruments. If you need some of them and it is not listed, please contact us at support@syntheway.net and we will make every effort to resolve your request of the fastest way possible.


	::: Audio Units (AU) are a system-level plug-in architecture provided by Core Audio in Mac OS X developed by Apple Computer. Audio Units are a set of application programming interface services provided by the operating system to generate, process, receive, or otherwise manipulate streams of audio in near-real-time with minimal latency. It may be thought of as Apple's architectural equivalent to the other popular plug-in format, Steinberg's VST. Because of the many similarities between Audio Units and VST several commercial and free wrapping technologies are available (e.g. Symbiosis and FXpansion VST-AU Adapter).VST and AudioUnits (AU) are the two native plugin formats for Mac OS X. Although there are other DAW specific formats for plugins, VST and AudioUnits are more common and compatible across various DAWs like Cubase, Logic, etc. There is an abundance of VST and AU plugins for expanding your DAW and building your collection of effects. However, it can be difficult to know how to get those plugins running on your computer. Especially if they are free and do not come with installers or instructions. I’ll help you get those files in the right places and make them appear in your plugin stacks. Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah March 24, 2001 10.0.4 (June 22, 2001) Mac OS X 10.1 Puma July 18, 2001 September 25, 2001 10.1.5 (June 6, 2002) Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar May 6, 2002 August 24, 2002 10.2.8 (October 3, 2003) Mac OS X 10.3 Panther June 23, 2003 October 24, 2003 10.3.9 (April 15, 2005) Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger May 4, 2004 April 29, 2005 10.4.11 (November 14, 2007) Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard June 26, 2006 October 26, 2007 10.5.8 (August 5, 2009) Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard June 9, 2008 August 28, 2009 10.6.8 v1.1 (July 25, 2011) Mac OS X 10.7 Lion October 20, 2010 July 20, 2011 10.7.3 (February 1, 2012) OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion February 16, 2012 Late Summer 2012 DP3 (April 18, 2012) Syntheway Virtual Instruments AU Audio Units (.component), VST (.vst) Sample Libraries were made specially for Mac users in order to use it on Apple Mac OS X v10.6 "Snow Leopard", Mac OS X v10.7 "Lion", Mac OS X v10.8 "Mountain Lion". Apple Mac OS X: Magnus Choir is also available for Apple Mac OS X (Audio Unit, VST for Mac, NI Kontakt NKI Files, Apple Logic EXS24 MkII Sample Library) http://syntheway.com/Magnus_Choir_for_Mac_OS_X.htm Magnus Choir for Mac OS X: Has been adapted as Sampler with internalSample Library made specially for Mac users in order to use it as .component (Audio Unit) and / or .vst format (Cubase for Mac) (Compiled in Universal Binary format, so they are compatible and runs natively on Intel-manufactured IA-32 or Intel 64-based Macintosh computers. Mac OS X 10.6 or later). http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Magnus_Choir_Sampler_Audio_Unit_and_VST_Format_For_Mac.htm Magnus Choir also is available in NKI Sample Library version made specially for Mac users in order to use it on Native Instruments Kontakt. It has been meticulously tuned and adjusted and particular care has been taken in the reproduction of the original realism of Magnus Choir. http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Magnus_Choir_NKI_For_Kontakt_Mac.htm Magnus Choir also is available as EXS24 mkII is a Sample Library version, made specially for Mac users in order to use it on Logic EXS24 and EXSP24 Samplers. If you use Logic 5.5 or above, your EXS is automatically changed to the EXS mk II. http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Magnus_Choir_EXS24_For_Mac.htm .............................................................................................................................................................................. Apple Mac OS X: Master Hammond B3 Organ is also available for Apple Mac OS X (Audio Unit, VST for Mac, NI Kontakt NKI Files, Apple Logic EXS24 MkII Sample Library) http://syntheway.com/Master_Hammond_B3_for_Mac_OS_X.htm Master Hammond B3 Organ for Mac OS X: Has been adapted as Sampler with internal Sample Library made specially for Mac users in order to use it as .component (Audio Unit) and / or .vst format (Cubase for Mac) (Compiled in Universal Binary format, so they are compatible and runs natively on Intel-manufactured IA-32 or Intel 64-based Macintosh computers. Mac OS X 10.6 or later). http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Master_Hammond_B3_Organ_Sampler_Audio_Unit_and_VST_Format_For_Mac.htm Master Hammond B3 Organ also is available in NKI Sample Library version made specially for Mac users in order to use it on Native Instruments Kontakt. It has been meticulously tuned and adjusted and particular care has been taken in the reproduction of the original realism of Master Hammond B3 Organ. http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Master_Hammond_B3_Organ_NKI_For_Kontakt_Mac.htm Master Hammond B3 Organ also is available as EXS24 mkII is a Sample Library version, made specially for Mac users in order to use it on Logic EXS24 and EXSP24 Samplers. If you use Logic 5.5 or above, your EXS is automatically changed to the EXS mk II. http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Master_Hammond_B3_Organ_EXS24_For_Mac.htm .............................................................................................................................................................................. Apple Mac OS X: Percussion Kit (Orchestral, Mallet, Latin, and African Percussion) is also available for Apple Mac OS X (Audio Unit, VST for Mac, NI Kontakt NKI Files, Apple Logic EXS24 MkII Sample Library) http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Percussion_Kit_Orchestral_Mallet_Latin_African_Kit_for_Mac_OS_X.htm Percussion Kit (Orchestral, Mallet, Latin, and African Percussion) for Mac OS X: Has been adapted as Sampler with internal Sample Library made specially for Mac users in order to use it as .component (Audio Unit) and / or .vst format (Cubase for Mac) (Compiled in Universal Binary format, so they are compatible and runs natively on Intel-manufactured IA-32 or Intel 64-based Macintosh computers. Mac OS X 10.6 or later). http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Percussion_Kit_Orchestral_Mallet_Latin_African_Kit_Sampler_Audio_Unit_and_VST_Format_For_Mac.htm Percussion Kit (Orchestral, Mallet, Latin, and African Percussion) also is available in NKI Sample Library version madespecially for Mac users in order to use it on Native Instruments Kontakt. It has been meticulously tuned and adjusted and particular care has been taken in the reproduction of the original realism of Percussion Kit (Orchestral, Mallet, Latin, and African Percussion). http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Percussion_Kit_Orchestral_Mallet_Latin_African_Kit_NKI_For_Kontakt_Mac.htm Percussion Kit (Orchestral, Mallet, Latin, and African Percussion) also is available as EXS24 mkII is a Sample Libraryversion, made specially for Mac users in order to use it on Logic EXS24 and EXSP24 Samplers. If you use Logic 5.5 or above, your EXS is automatically changed to the EXS mk II. http://syntheway.com/Syntheway_Percussion_Kit_Orchestral_Mallet_Latin_African_Kit_EXS24_For_Mac.htm