How to Add a New VST to Reaper

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Steinberg's Virtual Studio Technology provides a platform that allows developers to create virtual musical instruments and audio effect plug-ins for use in digital audio production. VST plug-ins cannot run on their own: to use a VST instrument or effect, open it in a digital audio production workstation like Cockos Reaper. To enable a newly installed VST in Reaper, direct the program to the folder on your hard drive that contains the VST, then scan the directory for the new VST.

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Step 1

Open Reaper. Click "Options" in the top menu bar, then select "Preferences" from the menu that opens.

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Step 2

Click the "VST" link under the "Plug-ins" heading. Click the "Add" button in the top right-hand corner of the "Reaper Preferences" window.

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Step 3

Navigate to the folder containing the new VST plug-in. Click on it, then click "Open."

Step 4

Click the "Re-Scan" button. Reaper scans the directory for new VST plug-ins and adds them to its list of VSTs. Click "OK" when the scan completes.

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Step 5

Click "Insert" in the top menu bar, then click "Insert Virtual Instrument on New Track." Click "VST" in the left-hand column, then click on the new VST. Click "OK" to add it to a new track in Reaper.

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