I installed a new plug-in, but it doesn’t show up in Cakewalk SONAR.

SONAR supports both VST and DirectX plug-ins. Determine which plug-in format you have, then follow the directions below to scan your plug-in into SONAR according to the format.

VST Plug-ins

When you install a new VST plug-in, pay attention to where it is installed. In most cases, you have the option of choosing your install location during installation. Common default locations include:

• C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\VstPlugins (this is the recommended location)
• C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins
• C:\Program Files\VstPlugins

VST plug-ins will appear in SONAR via the integrated VST scanner. If you have installed your new plug-in to a common folder, like one listed above, the scanner may automatically pick up the plug-in the next time you launch SONAR. If it does not show up, you may need to direct the scanner to the folder in which you installed your new plug-in. To do this:

1. Launch SONAR.
2. Click the Edit menu at the top and choose Preferences > File – VST Settings.
3. Under VST Scan Folder(s), click the Add button and browse to the folder to which you installed your new plug-in.
4. Select, or highlight, the folder that contains your new plug-in’s .dll file, click OK.
5. Click Scan VST Folders.
6. Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box. Your new VST plug-in should now appear in SONAR’s plug-in menus

DirectX Plug-ins

Normally, no additional setup is required for DirectX plug-ins. These will install globally into Windows are are seen by any DirectX host program, like SONAR. If your new DirectX plug-in is not appearing in SONAR, first check to make sure it is installed properly. If you are confident it is installed properly, then the plug-in may be excluded form your plug-ins list. To verify this:

1. Go to Utilities > Cakewalk Plug-in Manager to open the Plug-in Manager
2. Click Show Excluded in the lower left corner
3. In the Plug-in Categories list, select DirectX Audio Effects (DX) or DirectX Instruments (DXi) 
4. Verify if the plug-in appears in the Registered Plug-ins list, if so, the plug-in is excluded
5. To enable any excluded plug-in, select the plug-in in the Registered Plug-ins list, then click Enable Plug-in

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