How to Install a VST Plugin in Sound Forge

By Quinten Plummer

While Sony's Sound Forge audio-editing software come equipped with tons of effects and filters, VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugins can provide your work environment with even more power. VST plugins are essentially third-party effects. They're compatible with just about any audio-editing and sequencing application you're likely to come across. And if you've found some new VST plugins that you'd like to use in Sound Forge, all you need is a few moments to get them set up for use.

Click on the "Start" button, and then select the "Computer" option from the "Start" menu. In the "Computer" menu, click on the icon of the hard drive that contains your Sound Forge installation.

Open the "Program Files" folder on the hard drive. Right click on any empty area inside of the "Program Files" folder. Highlight the "New" option in the pop-up menu that appears, and then click on the "Folder" option. Name the folder "VST" or something to that effect.

Download a copy of your VST plugin. If your VST plugin is an installer file, double click on the file to install it to your VST folder. When prompted for an installation location by the VST's installation wizard, point it to your new VST folder. If the VST file has a .DLL extension, drop the file directly into your VST folder.

Launch Sound Forge. Click on the program's "Options" heading. Click on the "Preferences" heading in the "Options" menu. Click on the "VST Effects" tab in the "Preferences" menu.

Click on the "Browse" button next to the "Alternative VST search folder" field, and then point the program to the folder that contains your new VST plugins.

Click on the "Refresh" button in the "Preferences" menu to update Sound Forge's list of available VST plugins.

Scroll through the list of VST plugins in the "Preferences" menu to locate the newly added plugins. Check the boxes next to the VST effects you'd like to enable in the program. Click "OK" to return to Sound Forge's main menu.

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