Machine | Format(s) | Architecture(s) | Native Processor(s) | OS Supported | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PC | VST3 | X64 | INTEL | Windows 10 or higher | |
Mac | VST3, AU | X64 | INTEL/ARM | Mac OS-10.14 or higher |
On PC you need the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Version.
go there:
vc_redist.x64 and download/install the X64 version.
Direct link seems to be
this
VST3 presets are needed and are selected by default on install, if in the future you wish to install them back or revert to default you can also install just presets from the installer
Don't miss the part in the Presets Installer where it says to "change install location" and choose "install for me only", presets need to be installed for the current user so the plug-in can access them.
They are Universal 2 that means they both are Native Silicon and Native Intel at the same time, the processor will choose its prefered native code. Complete compatibility info is right here
VSDSX like all my newer plug-ins do not use "drag resize" capability yet, nevertheless
it uses "DPI awareness" which makes the plug-in GUI follow DAW (or the whole system) DPI
settings..
.aupreset can also be loaded by the PC version along vst3 ones.
Presets can be loaded/saved in .vstpreset, .aupreset and .xmlpreset/.xmlbank formats.
In order to design new presets, start with the a base preset and have fun messing around.
Export as .xmlpreset format which is a plain text easily editable and sharable.
PROM and PROM2 are factory loaded with internal EPROM
You can find a big pack at the download section with original Simmons EPROMS you can load.
The default location the plugin is looking at is:
Most parameters can be right clicked and "midi learned"
If you messed up just select "unlearn" for that control.
The triggers are by default mapped along the GM MIDI standard for the most part, it is pretty
straight forward but you can customize if needed.
The MIDI map is global and shared by all instances.
VSDSX 2.3 have 2 additional voices, TOMB (Tom Bass) and a second PROM voice, the MIDI Map file is also changing: on first launch it might state that you are using a "CUSTOM MAP" because it imported the old one, if you want to keep it like that just click SAVE, if you want to use the new mapping listed above select RESET.
Most presets come from previous versions excepted the Initial one and don't use the new features,
experiment with it, I will explain them deeply in the upcoming v 2.3 Manual.
A key feature is the Global Circuit Mode which gives you the original VSDSX (
LEGACY ) behavior or the SIMMONS typical one, you can find a diagram on the INFO panel explaining
the differences and you can also monitor the behavior visually via the "Tone Bend Visual Indicators"
activated on the SET page.
More info soon on videos and social media snippets!
Prior to v2.3 all presets were using the LEGACY mode.
If you have saved custom presets they are compatible and can be loaded in 2.3, all new parameters
will default to OFF or zero without affectign the preset.
However you need to adjust two parameters from the SETTINGS panel that were not
there before.
These are:
Differences will appear on Hihat, Cymbal and Prom as those internal circuits have been changed more
or less,
notably Cymbal and Hat now have a proper "FM Bell" sound instead of a Noise "Click part", filter,
bend direction and dymanic range also changed, so expect differences in those, again the manual will
feature details about all that.
All new parameters and settings can apply to previous presets, try to add some EG Decay time
modulation, increase Tone Click Leakage, Open HH Bias etc, these features will be detailed in the
new 2.3 manual.
Note that if you want to somewhat replace v2.0 in an existing session with latest 2.3, it is better to first save the plugin current settings in a custom preset on disk.
The plugin state (memory saved in a previous session made with v2.x) itself might not recall exact settings, if you pulled up a session made with prior version, the state might be messed up. There are reasons for this:
VSDSX can load EPROM binary images in .bin format, this is a data dump of the exact content of an
EPROM chip where samples where stored back in the days.
PROM and PROM2 can do that, they are loaded by default with:
Coming from 2.0.x you MUST uninstall previous version before updating to ensure a smooth transition. It's better to be safe than sorry.
The internal structure of the VST3 file has been updated to a more modern format so it is important to remove previous version first to avoid ending up with two plugin files with the same ID being actually different, that would crash a DAW.
To avoid issues such as mismatched parameter values, it's advisable to use this new version with fresh sessions rather than replacing it in existing ones.
See Coming from v2.0.x above
VSDSX.component
in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/
and
delete it.Users/YourUserName/Library/Audio/Presets/VSDSX/
Users/YourUserName/Library/Audio/Presets/AlyJamesLab/VSDSX/
.aupresets
files in these directories.
Users/YourUserName/Library/Audio/Presets/AlyJamesLab/PlugInName/
Updating your software with these steps ensures a clean installation and helps prevent potential issues.
VSDSX 2.0 shouldn't mess with your previous works as it is a 64bit plugin with a new ID. It is a complete rework so no preset sharing between v1.0 and v2.0 are possible ATM.
While Windows 7 is not marked as "supported" it should run on it as well.
In case of graphics glitches or crash on legacy Windows 7 systems not updated, the system requires
the installation of the Microsoft platform update.
This is an update from 2013 but I know some of you might still have old systems with updates turned
off for
years ;)
platform update info link
Direct link seems to be
this