Best Of

@TwelveTwelve said:
To reiterate and summarize:

• VST2 has long since been discontinued. Users have been asking for a VST3 version.
• If you have both VST2 and VST3 versions installed, the VST3 version should take priority and that's the one the user accesses.

VST2 has not been discontinued across the board, just because Steinberg came up with the VST format does not mean other software/plugin makers are following suit and discontinuing support for it. Could you imagine the nightmare of old projects being brought up for remixes and remasters from years ago to have to redo everything from scratch cause CuBase decided it doesn't want to use VST2 plugins anymore? I think you're making hay unnecessarily here

• Sessions containing the VST2 version should automatically migrate to the VST3 version. The user should be able to remove all VST2 versions from the system and have the sessions open with the VST3 version now and continue from there.

I can can guarantee you that most plugin manufacturers do not do this, and their option is the workaround that has been presented here (I've had to do it with Toontrack, Slate, many others). Sure it would be nice but this isn't an industry standard

• If you want to continue to use the VST2 version for whatever reason then don't install the VST3 version.

The option to install either/or is in most plugin installers though?

• Having VST2 and VST3 versions with different IDs creates an administrative headache for the end-user. Having to open every single instance, save a preset, load the VST3 version, load that preset is frankly an insane and time consuming "workaround". It might be easy if you use the same preset all the time but when you tweak settings in a mix and almost every session is unique then it's a huge amount of extra effort.

Update your ongoing working projects with the VST3, I've done it, many others have too - yes it is time consuming. Oh well, cry or get to work!

Again, please reconsider. As it is now the VST3 version is next to useless unless you're starting fresh.

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YESSS!!!! Thank you, it's such a relief to finally be able to use my beloved PCM reverb bundle again!! Installed and working now )))

@plf said:
Regarding the requests for more modern GUIs that others have made:

It‘s amazing to hear that high-res and scalable GUIs are in the works!

But other than that, I actually like the old school look of these plugins and I don‘t think this look needs to change into something more modern necessarily.

I mean, they look like the PCM 96 hardware, just like a thousand other plugins look like the hardware they emulate, and nobody is complaining or asking for a more modern GUI there.

What would be a nice workflow enhancement though is if all seven PCM reverb plugins were merged into one single reverb plugin with a switch for the algos. It‘s just faster to switch the algorithm within an existing plugin instance than to have to load up a new plugin every time you want to switch from e.g. hall to chamber.

+1 for an all-in-one plugin with all algos!

Very good to be 'back in the room'! Have missed PCM a lot!

So excited! Thanks for the update. I agree that the VST3 version ID should match the old versions so your projects open seamlessly. I for one only have a few projects so far with the old version as I only purchased the bundle a few months ago. Still, if I had tons of older projects I'd like to open, that would be a pain.

Let's be honest though... Who REALLY goes back to hundreds of OLD projects and remixes them?

What's stopping you (us) from keeping the old versions in a backup folder and just use them when you need to load an older project? Maybe I'm missing something.

Looking forward to resizable GUI and maybe a slightly updated Look?

Thanks heaps for the update, really happy that it finally took place. I am okay with the plugins looking the same as before, maybe could ask for resizing in the future but I would rather have stable and working plugins than other stuff as of right now.

@TwelveTwelve said:

@ab459 said:

@TwelveTwelve said:
I'm not sure there is an understanding about best practices with regards to VST2 and VST3 then? They should share the same ID.

Hi TT, with all due to respect, but this is not always the case. Rather may vary by the vendor.

Examples (who use method with differ ID, for vst2 and vst3): Softube, UJAM, Plugin Boutique, Korg, and many more.

(Examples with the same ID ("replacing" method): Native Instruments, Izotope etc)

So, this is definitely not a rule.
Although, i can understand you as musician with needs for projects compatibility.
But, there is some cases when "differ ID" method can be usefull too, for direct comparison one and the same version build behavior (inside the same DAW session), or betatesting needs for example.

Just saying.

Steinberg who developed the VST2 and VST3 spec outline best general practices. Of course not all developers adhere to those recommended practices.

https://steinbergmedia.github.io/vst3_dev_portal/pages/Tutorials/Guideline+for+VST3+replacing+VST2.html

I'm not sure about you but I would prefer to to open sessions and have it "just work" rather than spending time comparing VST2/VST3 versions. So you do a comparison once - great. That's a one-time thing versus opening sessions. As mentioned, VST2 has been long since discontinued so it's a bit of a moot point.

I've also yet to hear a compelling argument as to why you'd want separate VST2 and VST3 versions (outside of comparison testing) with different IDs. Ultimately it creates more headache for the end user.

For what it's worth I'm a mixing engineer and need project compatibility which (nearly) every other developer who migrated from VST2 to VST3 with their plugins does. Time in the day is short and my energy is better spent on the jobs rather than trying to do workarounds in software.

Ok, I understand. Well, then the main thing I wanted to convey is that this is not an obvious error. Since other major vendors also use the method of different IDs.

@thematix said:
It's April 2025 - PCM Bundle Last Updated: Dec 15, 2021.

A plethora of promises, stories & excuses for years regarding "the upcoming update" that is never coming from a negligent company who has taken advantage of its buyers.

Simply pathetic. Let's just accept - we've been ripped off and this forum is useless in helping the situation.

I admire your tenacity to come here and complain about it though for several years