I'm sure others do it very differently, but here's what I do for VST plugins. If offered to specify a location, it is in one of several places under my d:\AppsData\VST folder. The VST folder contains both VST effects and VSTi instruments. When offered, I install both 32-bit and 64-bit plugins.
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only
So if the product has both 32-bit and 64-bit VST's, I install 32-bit VST's into the "32-bit" folder and the 64-bit VST's into the "64-bit" folder.
If a product has only a 32-bit version, then I install into "32-bit only" and if it only has a 64-bit version, then I install into "64-bit only".
If a product doesn't let me specify, I make note of where the VST is placed and then move it to the appropriate folder.
I also have jBridge installed. You don't have to do anything for DAW's that automatically sense jbridge is installed, but for DAW's that don't automatically "bridge" VST's, I run the jbridger.exe utility. For this, I set up two folders called:
- d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\32-bit VST for 64-bit DAW
- d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\64-bit VST for 32-bit DAW
I then run the jbridger utility and select the "d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only" folder as the source for "32-bit VST for 64-bit DAW" destination.
I run the jbridger utility again and select the "d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only" folder as the source for "64-bit VST for 32-bit DAW" destination.
I don't need to run jbridger on the other folders, since there is already a corresponding VST.
For apps such as Sonar which automatically scan VST's and perform automatic bridging, in the 64-bit version, I select the following folders to scan:
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only
In the 32-bit version of Sonar, I select the following folders to scan:
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only
In a DAW that automatically scan's VST's, but does not perform automatic bridging, in the 64-bit DAW version, I select the following folders to scan:
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only
- d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\32-bit VST for 64-bit DAW
In a DAW that automatically scan's VST's, but does not perform automatic bridging, in the 32-bit DAW version, I select the following folders to scan:
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
- d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\64-bit VST for 32-bit DAW
For such 32-bit apps as BIAB or RealBand, which do not automatically scan VST's, but do automatic bridging, I just select the individual VST's from the following folders, being careful not to load both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions concurrently (because you have to unload one to load the other properly). I don't need to select the jbridge folder, since BIAB/RealBand automatically bridge the VST's.
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only
For any apps don't automatically scan and don't automatically bridge, I select individual VST's from the following folders for 64-bit apps:
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\64-bit only
- d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\32-bit VST for 64-bit DAW
and individual VST's from the following folders for 32-bit apps:
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit
- d:\AppsData\VST\32-bit only
- d:\AppsData\VST\jbridge\64-bit VST for 32-bit DAW
Clear as mud?!? Yep, I know it's pretty anal, but it keeps things straight.