Hi everyone, this is my first post here and I'm somewhat new to plenty of things audio related. 😃
I own the PC version of Sound Forge Pro 11. I've updated it to the latest Magix version (build 345). It doesn't recognize a trial version of  iZotope Nectar 3 Plus. Is that because Sound Forge Pro 11 is simply too old, or because I should have instructed the iZotope Nectar 3 Plus installer to do something other than its default setup procedure?
Thanks.
Third party plugins usually don't automatically get identified by Sound Forge Pro (SFP); consequently, it is necessary to point SFP to the folder/s where the plugins are stored on the C drive. To do this in SFP, select Options/Preferences/VST Effects (tab). There, you should find 2 empty search fields. Use one of them to locate and select C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg. SFP will then load all the vst plugins in that folder and its subfolders. This is the folder to which iZotope plugins usually install; however, if they are not there, have a look under C:|Program Files (x86)\VSTPlugins.
The above will load the 32 bits vst plugins. The 64 bits vst plugins can be found in C:\Program Files\Steinberg and/or C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins, but I cannot recall if SFP 11 works with 64 bits vst plugins.
Once loaded into SFP, the plugins can be found by selecting FX Favorites and then Organize.
Thank you. I hadn't thought about the possibility that new iZotope plugins are 64-bit only and Sound Forge Pro 11 is 32 bit only — which is the case. So SFP 11 is just too old.
It's a little surprising to me that SFP 15 comes with two basic iZotope plugins but iZotope does not return the favor by listing SPF as an officially supported host.
Most of the iZotope's plug-ins have a VST-2 versions to use on 32 bit PCs and host apps.
OTOH, 32 bit VST plug-ins typically run just fine on 64 bit hosts., With Direct X plugs, some do, and some don't.
As @condex stated, default and alternate search folders must be assigned in SF. FWIW, and most VST files <.dll>, are by default installed to the 'Program files>Steinberg > VST' folder. For 32 bit VSTs, 'Program Files (x86)> Steinberg'. The <.dll> files can usually be moved to a alternate folder if that makes things easier.
btw. @Damon-Lynch welcome to the Magix Sound Forge users forum.
HI Jeff, no wrapper is needed (as was the case when SF was Direct X only), most of (if not all of) my 32 bit VST plug-ins run just fine in 64 bit versions of Vegas Pro and Sound Forge Pro. I think they must be placed in one of the x86 Program Files VST folders though ('Steinberg> VST' for instance), and this is where I place the <.dll> file if adding them manually. Otherwise, they are usually placed there if the plug-in has an installer.
I do not think the SF AS (Audio Studio) version would be any different.
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Thanks again everyone, and thanks for the welcome! I chatted with iZotope support. Some of their plugins that were recently 32 bit compatible no longer are e.g. Nectar 3 Plus (64 bit only) replaces Nectar 3 standard (32 bit compatible). As an aside their plugins look very nice and lovely, but they sure are expensive.
As an aside their plugins look very nice and lovely, but they sure are expensive.
The "Elements" versions are cheap - if that's enough for you.
There are also promotions every now and then where things get really cheap.
@Damon-Lynch, If you still have (or can get) the 32 bit Nectar installer, and had previously activated it though iZotope, it should still reactivate and work.
As @Walter.I stated, iZ occasionally has very attractive sales, For instance, their holiday sale in Dec. offered Ozone, RX and Nectar, and another of the Elements series for $30 (usd).
using sound forge version 15.0 (Build 27) 64 bit
using nectar for several months
below is what is installed
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Sound Forge Pro 12 and later versions support VST-3. SF-11 does not. SF-11 needs the VST-2 (32 bit) plugs.
(AAX is typically a Pro Tools plug-in format and is not supported by any version of SF (or Vegas).