3rd-party Plug-in Support

Flow® Studio now gives you hands-on control over VST3 plug-ins, bringing your favorite production tools into the world of Flow.

Load compatible VST3 plug-ins. Control them directly from Flow Studio. Combine them with other plug-ins and create custom signal chains. Stay in your flow with even more plug-in options.

How does it work?

The Flow Mixing Suite plug-in scans for compatible VST3 plug-ins and makes them available inside the Flow Mixing Suite. Once loaded, you can control them using the knobs on Flow Studio, just like you can with Softube plug-ins.

What's included in this update:

  • Third-party VST3 support: use compatible VST3 plug-ins from other developers with Flow Studio and the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in 

  • Hands-on control: adjust third-party plug-in parameters directly from your Flow Studio hardware 

  • Single Plug-in Flows: load and control individual third-party plug-ins 

  • Custom signal chains: combine third-party and Softube plug-ins in your Flows. 

  • Free update: available to existing Flow Studio owners and Flow Mixing Suite subscribers at no additional cost. 

Current officially supported plug-ins

The first phase of 3rd-party Plug-in Support is aimed at ensuring stability and quality and is therefore currently available for a selection of tested and supported VST3-only plug-ins – with more to come!

FabFilter Pro-Q 4
FabFilter Saturn 2
Neural DSP Mantra
oeksound soothe3
oeksound bloom
Plugin Alliance Black Box Analog Design HG-2
Plugin Alliance Black Box Analog Design HG-2MS
Plugin Alliance bx_subsynth
Plugin Alliance Maag EQ4
Plugin Alliance Maag EQ4 MS
Plugin Alliance Purple Audio MC 77
Plugin Alliance Shadow Hills Class A Mastering Comp
Plugin Alliance Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor
Plugin Alliance SPL Machine Head
Safari Audio Bull Sub Machine V2
Safari Audio Camel Strip V2
Safari Audio Cobra Fuzz V2
Safari Audio Cosmic Parrot Echo
Safari Audio Flamingo Verb
Safari Audio Flamingo Verb V2
Safari Audio Fox Echo Chorus V2
Safari Audio Gorilla Drive
Safari Audio Gorilla Drive V2
Safari Audio Lion Master
Safari Audio Mastering Console V2
Safari Audio Noam’s Mastering Console
Safari Audio Owl Control
Safari Audio Rabbit Tape V2
Safari Audio Silver Llama Amp
Safari Audio Sun Bear Bus Compressor
Safari Audio The Herd V2
Safari Audio Time Machine V2
Soundtoys Decapitator
Soundtoys EchoBoy
Soundtoys EchoBoy Jr.
Soundtoys Little AlterBoy
Soundtoys Little Plate
Universal Audio UADx 1176 AE
Universal Audio UADx 1176 Classic FET Compressor
Universal Audio UADx 1176 LN Rev E
Universal Audio UADx 1176 Rev A
Universal Audio UADx EMT 250 Electronic Reverberator
Universal Audio UADx Empirical Labs Distressor
Universal Audio UADx Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb
Universal Audio UADx Teletronix LA-2
Universal Audio UADx Teletronix LA-2A Gray
Universal Audio UADx Teletronix LA-2A Silver
Universal Audio UADx Teletronix LA-2A Tube
Valhalla DSP VintageVerb
XLN Audio DB-30 Drum Butter
XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color

 

 

How do I get started?

Getting started with third-party plug-ins in Flow is easy

  
1. Update the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in to the latest version using Softube Central. 

2. Open the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in in your DAW. 

3. Click the + button and select SCAN THIRD-PARTY PLUG-INS. 

4. Click to scan for VST3 plug-ins. 

5. Load a compatible plug-in into your Flow with the plus sign and start controlling it from Flow Studio. 

How do I show the plug-in screenshots? 

The Flow Mixing Suite plug-in will automatically capture and display GUI screenshots of your third-party plug-ins, so you can quickly see what plug-in you are controlling. Support for this feature varies depending on OS, DAW, and plug-in. 

The first time you open a third-party plug-in, the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in will attempt to create a thumbnail of the plug-in GUI. Your DAW may ask for screen recording permission, which is required for this feature to work. 

Simply touch a knob on Flow Studio that controls a third-party plug-in parameter, and the plug-in GUI will appear both on the hardware screen and in the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in. 

If you need to capture a new screenshot, simply click the camera icon under the VST3 plug-in in the signal chain.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

Why aren't my third-party plug-in screenshots showing?

First, make sure you're running the latest version of the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in and that you have successfully scanned your VST3 plug-ins.

Then, try loading a third-party plug-in into a Flow or opening a Single Plug-in Flow directly from Flow Studio.

If the screenshot still does not appear, check that your DAW has permission to record your screen.


How do I enable screen recording permissions?

Your DAW needs screen recording permission to capture third-party plug-in thumbnails.

When the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in first attempts to capture a screenshot, your operating system may prompt you for screen recording permission.

If you have denied permission previously, you may need to enable it manually.

On macOS:

1. Open System Settings.

2. Go to Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording.

3. Find your DAW in the list and enable permission.

4. Restart your DAW if required.


Does Flow® support all VST3 plug-ins?

This release adds support for a selection of third-party plug-ins by brands that Softube has worked closely with to ensure that the implementation is as smooth as possible. However, you can enable the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in to scan all installed VST3 plug-ins. A small word of warning though, this will scan plug-ins that might not work well in the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in, and the scanning can take a long time depending on the number of installed plug-ins. Compatibility may vary depending on the plug-in.


Do I need to purchase third-party plug-ins separately?

Yes. Third-party Plug-in Support lets you use compatible VST3 plug-ins you already own. It does not include licenses for third-party plug-ins.


Is third-party plug-in support free?

Yes. Third-party Plug-in Support is included as a free update for Flow Studio owners and Flow Mixing Suite subscribers.

 

COMING SOON: Console 1 third-party VST3 mapping support via the Flow Mixing Suite plug-in

Get ready to put even more possibilities at your fingertips with greatly expanded third-party VST3 plug-in support for your Console 1 hardware. Stay tuned via our newsletter to learn more.

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