VST plugins in Tabify on Windows: ASIO, installation and setup

How it works

• Plugins are VST3. Tabify scans the standard folders C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 and C:\Program Files\VST3 on its own. Any other folder can be added in the settings.
• Audio goes through ASIO. On Windows Tabify talks to your audio interface through an ASIO driver — that keeps the delay between hitting a string and hearing it in your headphones to a minimum.

1. Install an ASIO driver

If you have an audio interface (Focusrite, Steinberg, Behringer, M-Audio, PreSonus and so on), download and install its own driver from the manufacturer’s website — the ASIO driver comes with it.

If you have no interface and want to hear plugins through the built-in sound card, install the free universal ASIO4ALL or FlexASIO driver. For playing guitar in real time an interface is still better: lower latency and cleaner sound.

2. Pick the driver in Tabify

Open Preferences → Audio and choose:

• Audio driver — your interface’s ASIO driver;
• Audio input — the input your guitar is plugged into;
• Audio output — the output to your headphones or monitors;
• Buffer size — 128–256 samples is usually enough for playing live. A smaller buffer means less latency but more CPU load; if the sound crackles, raise it.

3. Install plugins

Run the plugin installer and, if it asks, choose VST3 and the default folder — C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3. Plugins that install through their own manager (Native Access, iLok License Manager and so on) go through it — they land in the same folder by themselves.

Tabify does not load plugins that only come in the old VST2 format (a single .dll file) — most modern plugins have a VST3 version.

4. Add the plugins in Tabify

1. Scan for plugins. Open the “VST Plugins” window and click “Scan” — or turn on “Rescan on launch” in Preferences → Plug-ins/VST.
2. Add a plugin to your guitar or to a tab track — find it with the search in the “VST Plugins” window.

If a plugin lives in another folder, add it in Preferences → Plug-ins/VST → “Add” or with “Add path” right in the “VST Plugins” window. If a plugin hangs or crashes while scanning, Tabify skips it and carries on with the rest.

If something goes wrong

• The plugin is not in the list. Check that the VST3 version is installed and where it went. If it is not in a standard folder, add the folder and click “Scan” again.
• No sound. Check that the right ASIO driver and output are selected in Preferences → Audio. Many ASIO drivers work with one program at a time — close your DAW and other programs that may hold the interface.
• The sound crackles or stutters. Raise the buffer size in Preferences → Audio.
• High latency. Lower the buffer. If you are on ASIO4ALL or FlexASIO with the built-in card, an audio interface with its own driver gives noticeably lower latency.

FAQ