LMMS VST NOT WORKING (FIXED IN SECONDS)

LMMS VST Not Working (Fixed in seconds)

I have recently started using LMMS again after about a year away from it. However, since starting back up, I have been experiencing quite a few problems that I had no idea how to fix, specifically with LMMS VST Not Working.

I’m assuming that they are related to the version of LMMS I’m running, which is LMMS v1.2.2. I have yet to try out 1.3.0-alpha.1 – but check back with us and we will post our thoughts here.

I have already tried uninstalling and reinstalling LMMS several times. Even though the plugins I use are still installed in the user directory, the ones I’ve tried reinstalling seem to have no effect on LMMS.

I fixed my issues by uninstalling LMMS completely, removing all my VSTs from the LMMS VST folder, and then rebooting my Windows computer. This fixed my issues and is the method I recommend as it is super easy, and worked for my Windows computer.

Try upgrading to the latest version. There is a Windows, Linux and macOS version available.

lmms-download-page
LMMS Download Page
https://lmms.io/download#windows

VST Not Working in LMMS, Can you use VST in LMMS?

Yes, LMMS is famous for working very well with VST plugins. In fact, if the VST SUPPORT LMMS for VST format didn’t work with LMMS, then LMMS would not be anywhere near as popular as it is now.

The possibilities of musical creativity are almost endless with LMMS, thanks to its slick user interface and rugged back end, which makes plugin support quite robust.

The first thing to do if your plugin is not working is to check the path to your plugins is correct, and that you are using the native Win32 API under General Settings.

plugin-embedding-lmms
Plugin Embedding LMMS

Your LMMS directory structure should look like this:

lmms-directories-for-plugins
LMMS Directories for Plugins

Your LMMS sound settings should also look like this:

lmms-audio-settings
LMMS Audio Settings

Is LMMS compatible with VST3?

No, LMMS is not yet compatible with VST3 plugins. This will probably change in later releases, but because LMMS is a community based project it will take a while before it is added into the source code of this application.

How do I open LMMS plugins?

LMMS plugins are opened by clicking on Tools and then LADSPA Plugin Browser. From here you can select the plugins that you wish to use.

lmms-audio-settings
LMMS Audio Settings

Does LMMS support 64 bit?

Yes LMMS supports 64 bit plugins, although your success will vary – depending on a few factors. These are things such as the plugin version and stability, compatibility with the VST engine that LMMS runs, and your system. 

I think that I am not alone when I say that the occasional 64 bit plugin has caused a blue screen on my Windows computer, and a kernel panic on my Linux work horse. But to be fair, I like to break things – so there’s that.

Is LMMS virus free?

Yes, provided you download them from official sources like https://lmms.io/download#windows . Having said that, I can personally vouch for this specific version as I run it myself, and I have recently upgraded to the latest version. LMMS Linux VST support is naturally also a thing, so yeah, multi-platform solution it certainly is.

It runs so smoothly on my old recording platform – a trusty fourth gen i7 Lenovo ThinkPad with 16GB of RAM. I picked this beast up for a mere $200 from a refurb place, and man it never disappoints.

Ok, well the keyboard doesn’t work but you know, you can’t win every time.

Is LMMS Studio free?

Yes, LMMS is a free and open source project, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t any good. To the contrary, not only is LMMS (Linux MultiMedia Studio) a free and open source audio sequencer, DAW, MIDI sequencer and live performance application but it is free!.

LMMS has a powerful user interface, a robust plugin architecture, a flexible MIDI engine and a large collection of high quality instruments and effects.

LMMS is an all-in-one music production environment for Linux, which includes a DAW (digital audio workstation), a MIDI sequencer, a mixer and a live performance application. It’s designed to be simple to use, but at the same time extremely powerful and feature rich.

It is hard to pass up all of these features without needing to even spend a penny.

Is LMMS as good as FL Studio?

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Some people swear by LMMS, while others will prefer using FL Studio. It depends in large part on what you are used to.

If you learned how to make tracks with a more traditional DAW like Reaper or Pro Tools, then either LMMS or FL Studio will be right up your alley. The key to success is to make sure that you spend at least the duration of an entire project with both. 

In order to give anything in life a fair shake, you need to give it the benefit of the doubt, a fair shake, if you will.

So go ahead and give them both a try – you will thank yourself later when you are sipping a strong cup of coffee and listening back to your musical masterpiece after you hit export for the final time.

Is LMMS good for professionals?

There are real benefits to using LMMS as a professional over anything else. Sure, it is free and open source in nature, and the design of the application is easy to use and intuitive.

The truth of the matter is that if you use any DAW application enough, you will soon find a workflow that is conducive to writing the best music for your project. 

As a professional mixing and mastering guru, you will no doubt find your favorite DAW with time, and getting into the swing of how the application works will come with time.

If you are starting out with little to no budget, then using a free and open source application makes a lot of sense. We are also thinking about covering Vestige LMMS in the near future, so please let us know if that is something that you would enjoy reading.

Is LMMS better than Ableton?

That is a completely subjective choice for you to make, but if you are in a position to afford Ableton, or have access to it then you can easily make that determination by using both.

A good exercise that no one really thinks about is to have a project in mind that needs to be worked on.

Make a duplicate of your project, and work on it in both DAW applications. A winner is sure to emerge, with objective results.

Let’s summarize:

  • I have recently started using LMMS again after a year away, but I have been experiencing quite a few problems that I have no idea how to fix. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling LMMS several times, but the problems persist.
  • If your plugin is not working, check that your plugin directory is correct and that you are using the native Win32 API under General Settings.
  • LMMS supports 64 bit plugins, although your success will vary – depending on a few factors such as the plugin version and stability, compatibility with the VST engine that LMMS runs, and your system.
  • LMMS is virus free, provided you download them from official sources like https://lmms.io/download#windows . It runs so smoothly on my old recording platform, a trusty fourth gen i7 Lenovo ThinkPad with 16GB of RAM.
  • LMMS Studio is a free and open source audio sequencer, DAW, MIDI sequencer and live performance application for Linux, which includes a DAW, a MIDI sequencer, a mixer and a live performance application.
  • It depends on what you are trying to accomplish, and if you are used to a more traditional DAW like Reaper or Pro Tools, either LMMS or FL Studio will be right up your alley.
  • LMMS is a free and open source music production software application. It is easy to use and intuitive, and you will soon find a workflow that works for you.
  • If you have access to Ableton and can afford it, make a duplicate of your project and work on it in both DAW applications. A winner will emerge.

Conclusion

I’m not personally a fan of these ‘Which is best’ comparisons, even though the powers that be seem to LOVE them. 

What I will say is that you can make a great track with nothing but a tape recorder, a guitar, and some free time – so don’t get too hung up in the minutia of recording with a DAW. Just do it, and learn as you go. 

If you wish to dive into the details of this behemoth of an application, and get your LMMS plugins working again, then be sure to check out the LMMS manual here. Until next time my friends.