VST plugin "favorites" list?

[Mr D]

Hi folks,

I've got a ton of plugins installed on my Peecee, but probably actually only use about 20 regularly.

Is there a way to create a sort of "favorites" list of plugins in Ableton so that i only see these plugins, instead of having to search through a million Waves and Melda plugins that i never actually use?

Thanks!

[chris vine]

If you don't want to delete any of the plugins: on yr PC, just make a new folder for the VSTs you prefer to use and copy the plugin DLL files over to that folder and then make that the default plug ins folder in Live's prefs.

[Mr D]

It's easier than that (i just discovered), simply drag whichever plugin you want from the plugin list to a "collection"!

[Mr D]

Strangely, Live creates a seperate xmp file for every plugin you add to a favorites collection.

You can find it here: \Users\username\Documents\Ableton\User Library\Ableton Folder Info

I added around 15 plugs to a collection, and now i see this list (below). If i remove one file, one plug will disappear from the list.

Kinda wierd system!!!....... it would have been nice if the xmp files were given the same name that appears in the collection!

0083d95a-b842-5714-9060-128cec58514d.xmp
1b7646f8-1fa9-576e-908c-0c65db932d6a.xmp
1cf848f9-7d6a-5760-a0c6-7edd2827673d.xmp
2ff0f732-0549-5ef1-8f25-2053d038c135.xmp
30e08b5b-c3e8-53e1-828b-b5efc42da2b4.xmp
503f6ba4-f104-592e-9d6d-13fbe9d2d58c.xmp
591445de-f8c8-549c-a471-b6ec34b60613.xmp
6857e239-0d4d-514a-907b-ae22ab38f32b.xmp
69730087-a6a0-52ed-a5b7-e09b2daf33e2.xmp
6db2413d-0edf-59a5-bc05-d5a18084087d.xmp
74be4388-e230-50a2-865f-4aad707952e6.xmp
83646efa-c813-5e69-8d56-e9c0b3a18670.xmp
afa4100b-3480-5e3e-a9ea-9bc93d4db7d6.xmp
b42d107c-ef06-5598-be81-8902a193556d.xmp
beee0873-2978-546b-a3fc-3ca17ad05269.xmp
ee51c3dc-4df7-5b42-ac20-6a7594c73adc.xmp

[H20nly]

nice.

Thanks Mr. D.

i'm by no means a plugin whore, but i have enough Waves plugins to have too many different versions of (practically) the same thing that I always find it a little annoying when i reach for one. i use about 4 of 45. it hasn't been quite annoying enough to do anything about it... yet, but that day was approaching. i would have taken chris vine's approach and used the folder structure when i finally got motivated.

if i'd have realized it was this easy, i would have done it years ago.

[jestermgee]

I'm in the same boat. I have Waves Mercury which is loaded with a heap of useful tools but I find it painful to find what I am after when they are stored within like 4 shell files. Along with that I have sound toys and a few others I like to use but sometimes it gets really laborious to try and locate what I am after.

To solve this issue I created a custom user folder for ALL effects and even moved all Lives effects into this too. It's sorted logically:

[Effects]
--{Favourites}
--Compressor
--Delay
--EQ
--Filter
--Mastering
--Reverb
....

Just place VST effects within a rack in Live then save into the required folders and it makes it so much easier to manage. I then have my favourites folders and racks I build or export from other tracks. No need to use the "plugin" section in Live, do it all via a custom user folder. One reason I also have no need for the favourite system in Live either.

Takes some time but I believe it's well worth it to organise things the way you personally like.

[Mr D]

One more thing, you can rename those ridiculous files anything you like, even when your Live session is open.

So you can change "ee51c3dc-4df7-5b42-ac20-6a7594c73adc.xmp" to "XFer Serum.xmp".

Obviously you'll need to do it at the moment you add the plugin to the collection and watch out for which is the newest file created.