Installing plugins

content/getting-started/installing-plugins/index.en.md

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+title = "Installing plugins"
+description = "How to install plugins for Ardour"
+chapter = false
+weight = 6
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+
+While Ardour already ships with some plugins, chances are that you will need
+more than that: a more sophisticated compressor or reverb, a sampler that
+can play a high-quality orchestra library, a polyphonic synthesizer etc.
+
+Ardour supports mutiple plugins APIs:
+
+- **Linux**: LADSPA, LV2, VST2.x, VST3
+- **Windows**: LADSPA, LV2, VST2.x, VST3
+- **macOS**: LADSPA, LV2, VST2.x, VST3, AU
+
+You can find a list of recommended free/libre plugins
+[in the appendix](../../appendices/plugins/).
+
+## Installing plugins
+
+### LADSPA and LV2
+
+These plugins mostly don't have binary builds for Windows and macOS, so on
+those systems, most of the time you will be dealing with VST2, VST3, or AU.
+
+On Linux, LV2 is a very popular option. If you only install plugins from your
+distribution's repository, there is nothing else you should do. Ardour will
+pick up new plugins easily. But if you do build a plugin from source code, the
+build script will typically attempt to copy a `plugin-name.lv2` folder either
+to `/usr/local/lib/lv2` or to `~/.lv2`.
+
+### VST2.x
+
+VST2 plugins do not have vendor-recommended location for installation, so what
+you can do is:
+
+1. Unpack all your VST2.x plugins to the same folder. (On Linux, `~/.vst` is
+commonly suggested.)
+
+2. In Ardour, go to _Edit > Preferences > Plugins > VST_ and in the VST2.x
+section, click the **Edit** button to add a new path to VST2.x plugins.
+
+3. Add the path to the folder you created in step 1. Ardour will ask if you
+want to rescan plugins. Say 'yes'.
+
+This approach works on each supported operating system.
+
+### VST3
+
+The VST3 specification has hardcoded system paths for storing plugins. On
+Windows and macOS, most of the time, you get your plugins installed to the
+right folder, so all you need to do is re-scan plugin folders.
+
+On Linux, in many cases you get a ZIP archive with a `plugin-name.vst3` folder
+inside. That folder needs to go to `~/.vst3` or, should you want all users on
+that computer to have access, to `/usr/local/lib/vst3`.
+
+### AU
+
+These macOS-specific plugins get installed from DMG to the correct folders.
+All you need to do is re-scan those folders.
+
+## Re-scanning folders for installed plugins
+
+Upon installation it is recommended to re-scan available plugins. This is
+typically done with the _Plugin Manager_ (_Window > Plugin Manager_).
+
+{{< figure src="en/plugin-manager.png" alt="Plugin manager" >}}
+
+If you only installed new plugins, discovering those will be sufficient. In
+the left sidebar of the _Plugin Manager_, click **Discover New/Updated**, the
+wait for the scan to finish.
+
+If you removed some of the previously installed plugins, it's best to do a
+full re-scan. Click **Re-scan All** instead and wait for the scan to finish.
+
+## Continuing
+
+Now that you know what to do if you want to install an effect plugin or a
+software synthesizer, let's learn how to record audio and MIDI to Ardour.
+
+Next: [RECORDING AUDIO](../../recording/recording-audio/)