validate-vst3

name	validate-vst3
description	Validate VST3 plugins (.vst3 bundles) using Steinberg's official validator tool. Use when user says "run VST3 validator", "validate VST3", "test the .vst3", or needs Steinberg-specific test suites. Prefer this over pluginval for multi-bus VST3 plugins.
compatibility	macOS, Windows, Linux. Built from VST3 SDK source.
metadata	{"author":"Oli Larkin","version":"0.0.1"}

VST3 Validator

Plugin Install Locations

The validator accepts a direct path, but validator -list only scans standard locations.

Platform	User Location	System Location
macOS	~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/	/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
Windows	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\VST3\	C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
Linux	~/.vst3/	/usr/lib/vst3/ or /usr/local/lib/vst3/

Instructions

1. Locate the built .vst3 bundle (in your build output directory or one of the standard locations above)
2. Locate the validator binary (see Common Binary Locations below)
3. Run: validator /path/to/plugin.vst3
4. For thorough testing add -e: validator -e /path/to/plugin.vst3
5. Check output for FAILED lines — see Common Issues below for fixes

Basic Usage

# Validate a VST3 plugin (validator location depends on your VST3 SDK build)
validator /path/to/plugin.vst3

Common Binary Locations

Platform	Path
macOS	<vst3sdk>/build/bin/Release/validator or /usr/local/bin/validator
Windows	<vst3sdk>\build\bin\Release\validator.exe
Linux	<vst3sdk>/build/bin/Release/validator

Options

# Run extensive tests (takes longer but more thorough)
validator -e /path/to/plugin.vst3

# Quiet mode - only print errors
validator -q /path/to/plugin.vst3

# Run only a specific test suite
validator -suite "General Tests" /path/to/plugin.vst3

# Test only a specific processor class ID
validator -cid "ABCD1234..." /path/to/plugin.vst3

# Use local instance per test (isolates tests)
validator -l /path/to/plugin.vst3

Listing Plugins

# List all installed VST3 plugins
validator -list

# List snapshots from all installed plugins
validator -snapshots

Test Suites

Suite	Description
General Tests	Basic plugin loading and info
Single Precision	32-bit audio processing
Double Precision	64-bit audio processing
Bus Activation	Bus enable/disable handling
Bus Arrangement	Channel configuration
Parameters	Parameter handling and automation
State	Preset save/restore
Editor	UI creation/destruction
Process Context	Transport and tempo handling

Building the Validator

Clone the VST3 SDK if you don't have it, then build:

cd <vst3sdk>
cmake -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build build --target validator

Common Issues

Plugin Not Loading

• Check the binary architecture matches (arm64 vs x86_64 on macOS, x64 vs x86 on Windows)
• Verify all dependencies are bundled or available
• Check logs: Console.app (macOS), Event Viewer (Windows), or stderr (Linux)

Test Failures

• State tests: Ensure getState/setState are implemented correctly
• Parameter tests: Check parameter IDs are stable and unique
• Bus tests: Verify channel configurations are valid

Extensive Test Failures

The -e flag runs stress tests that may reveal:

• Memory leaks
• Thread safety issues
• Edge cases in parameter handling