Native plugins
Plinken always has WCLAP plugins: CLAP plugins compiled to WebAssembly that run inside the browser engine with nothing to install. Plinken Run adds the plugins already installed on your computer.
Formats
Section titled “Formats”| Format | macOS | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| CLAP | Yes | Yes |
| VST3 | Yes | Yes |
| AU (Audio Units) | Yes | No, AU is a macOS format |
| WCLAP | Yes, in the browser engine and in the runner | Yes. Plugin windows need the WebView2 runtime, which Windows 11 includes |
Instruments and effects are both supported. Plugins keep their own editor windows.
Where the runner looks
Section titled “Where the runner looks”The runner scans the standard folders. It does not follow custom paths yet.
| Format | macOS | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| CLAP | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/CLAP, ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/CLAP | C:\Program Files\Common Files\CLAP, %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\CLAP |
| VST3 | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3, ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 | C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3, %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\VST3 |
| AU | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components, ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components | — |
VST3 plugins must ship a moduleinfo.json inside the bundle (standard since VST 3.7.5). Older VST3 builds without it are skipped silently; update the plugin or use its CLAP or AU version.
Scanning
Section titled “Scanning”- Connect Plinken Run.
- Open Settings → Plugins. The table lists WCLAP plugins (badge WCLAP) and every native plugin found on this computer, with format, MIDI support and status.
- Click Rescan all after installing new plugins. The first scan of a large collection takes a while.
- Validate on a row loads that one plugin in isolation to check it works.
When the runner is not connected the page shows plinken-run isn’t running and native rows are hidden. Include and exclude choices need the runner too, because they are stored on your computer.
One format per plugin
Section titled “One format per plugin”Many plugins install as CLAP, VST3 and AU at once. Plinken shows each plugin once and picks one format for it, in this order: CLAP, then AU, then VST3. You can override that per plugin in Settings → Plugins:
- choose a different format for that plugin;
- exclude a plugin so it never appears in the picker.
The choices are saved per computer in ~/.plinken/plugin-prefs.json and re-applied on every scan. Enable all includes every plugin again. Reset does the opposite: it excludes every plugin so you can re-include them one at a time after validating, which is the quickest way to isolate a plugin that crashes the scan.
Using a plugin
Section titled “Using a plugin”- Effects: open the Mixer, click Add FX on a strip and pick from the categories (EQ, Dynamics, Reverb, Delay, Filter, Modulation, Distortion, Utility). Native plugins appear only while the runner is connected.
- Instruments: add an Instrument Run track on the Grid and pick the instrument in its runner chain panel. Instrument Web tracks use WCLAP instruments only.
Each plugin in a chain gets a floating native editor window on your desktop. Closing the window hides it; the plugin keeps running. Bypass, mono/stereo and Remove are on the chain tile in the mixer.
Plugins that report latency are compensated automatically on playback. Armed tracks always take the fastest path, so what you hear while recording is never delayed for compensation.
Projects that need the runner
Section titled “Projects that need the runner”A project whose tracks use native plugins is marked as needing Plinken Run. Opening it without the runner still plays audio regions and WCLAP plugins; native inserts and Instrument Run tracks stay silent until you connect. Peers who open the project on a machine without the same plugins are in the same situation.