How to Find Your Plugins in Cakewalk Sonar and Cakewalk by Bandlab

Jan 02, 2025

If you are trying to load your Waves plugins in Cakewalk Sonar or Cakewalk by Bandlab but you cannot find them, follow these instructions in order to make the plugins available.

Step #1 – Verify plugin software is installed

Check whether the relevant plugin file/s are correctly installed on your computer.

Go to:

Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Waves\Plug-Ins V16, (or whichever version is installed on your device, V15-V9)
Mac: Macintosh HD > Applications > Waves > Plug-Ins V16, (or whichever version is installed on your device, V15-V9)

The relevant plugin file will be named after the plugin, in this format: [PluginName].bundle. For example, the plugin file for Reel ADT will be named Reel ADT.bundle.

If the plugins you are looking for are not there, install the plugins by following the instructions in this link.

  • For V13-V9 plugins to show up in your DAW, their license must be activated. If you installed V14 (or above) plugins or Waves Creative Access, you can skip this step.

    Check whether the relevant plugin or bundle license/s are activated on your computer or USB Flash Drive:

    1. Launch Waves Central via Applications > Waves Central.
    2. Log into Waves Central using your Waves account information.
    3. Select the Licenses page.
    4. Select the Connected Devices tab. Use the arrow on the right to expand the list.
    5. Check if the missing plugin/s license are activated on this connected device.

    If the plugins are not activated, check if they appear in the Not Activated tab. If that’s the case, select the license/s and click ‘Activate’.

    If the plugin licenses are not found in the Not Activated tab, check if they appear in a device in the Disconnected Devices tab. If that's the case, refer to this article.

Step #3 – Rescan for Plugins

  1. In Sonar/Cakewalk, go to Edit > Preferences.
  2. In preferences, go to File > VST Settings.
  3. Under VST Scan Paths, make sure the following paths are listed (if not, add them):
    • C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VST3
  4. Under Scan Options, check-mark Rescan Failed Plug-ins and Rescan All Plug-ins.
  5. Click Reset.
  6. You will be presented with a message. Click Yes.
  7. Click Scan.

IMPORTANT: After going through this process, remove the checkmarks next to “Rescan Failed Plug-ins” and “Rescan Existing Plug-ins,” especially if you have “Automatic Background Scan” enabled. Leaving all of these options configured simultaneously could lead to a continuous scan loop.

If your plugins load in Demo mode (with periodic mutes), refer to this article.

None of the above worked? Contact Technical Support.