If you use sub-folders to organize your effects within your Windows VST
Plug-ins folder then you are able to reproduce and display this folder structure
within REAPER's FX Browser. This feature is toggled on and off using the
Options,
Show VST Folders command.
You can then select any of the folders listed in the left pane to display in the
right pane the FX contained in that folder.
You can right click over any displayed folder name (see right) to display a
menu of options which includes
Show full paths to VSTs and
Include plug-ins found in sub-folders.
As in Windows Explorer, you can collapse or display the various levels of
subfolders at will. REAPER will remember your settings so that each time the
browser is opened it will recall the layout that was last used before it was
closed.
Enabling Plug-ins
There’s one further Preferences screen you will probably want to visit
before you get started –
VST Plug-ins.
As with Audio Preferences, REAPER has several pages of Plug-in Preference
screens, but these can (at first at least) be left to their default settings.
However, if you already have a collection of VST and/or VSTi Plug-ins on your
computer, you will need to tell REAPER where to find them.
To do this, choose the
Options, Preferences command,
then select VST under
the Plug-ins section.
You can leave most settings as they are (at least for now), but you will need
to click on the
Add button
to specify the location(s) of the folder(s) where your VST plug-ins are stored.
If your VST plug-ins are spread across more than one folder (this is not
unusual), you will need to click on the
Add button
several times, each time selecting one of your folders. Remember to use the Apply
button after doing so. When you
specify a folder for your VST and VSTi plug-ins, REAPER will automatically also
scan any subfolders below that folder. Of course, if you miss any, you can
return to this screen at any time and add them to your selection later.
When you have finished specifying the location(s) of your VST Plug-ins,
clicking on
OK will
close this screen and cause your settings to be remembered.
You can use your favorite third party VST and DirectX plug-ins with REAPER,
such as Syntheway Instruments, and so on. Many of these plug-ins are supplied
with a number of Presets. It’s worth noting that the method of accessing these
plug-ins will vary depending on such factors as the plug-in’s native interface
and the type of plug-in (for example, whether VST or DirectX).
