Guide to processing system sound with VST plugins using VAC and VSTHost?

[Joe Bloggs]

I've grown totally addicted to the sound I'm getting from my Philips SHE3580 canalphones when processed through Electri-Q in foobar.  But that limits me to just music that foobar can play.
 
I know that in theory I should be able to use Virtual Audio Cable to pipe all system sounds to an internal digital output that feeds VSTHost, which would host a VST plugin like Electri-Q, which would feed to the real sound output.  But I kept crashing VSTHost at the last part

 
Is there anyone who can walk me through getting this done?

System is Windows 7 x64 Ultimate.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Scratch that, the system I actually had trouble on was actually a WinXP netbook.  I had put off trying again on the Windows 7 desktop anticipating much trouble but actually everything went without a hitch!

 
Well, except for this tiny bit of crackling / stuttering I'm getting every now and then.  Do I need to set the buffer to be longer?  Or maybe VSTHost needs to be promoted to a Realtime process in thread priority?

 

[jiiteepee]

EDIT, you were faster ...
 
Do you have the latest version (64-bit) of VSTHost running there?
 
You should find needed instructions by searching here in Computer Audio forum.
 
Just try those buffer settings to solve issues.
 
jiiteepee
 

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Alright, I'm pulling my hair out now...
Nothing I tried has made things better.  Upping VSTHost's thread priority actually made things worse.  Installed ASIO4ALL and now I have at least 2 sets of buffer settings to play with (one in VSTHost, one in ASIO4ALL) and still nothing I do helps??  I'm just pulling sliders blindly now, I suppose a larger buffer is supposed to help but the audio gets delayed?
 
Is a bit of glitching always to be expected with this kind of setup?

 

[fallencreations]

I know this thread is almost 2 months old, but since I just got this setup properly the other day I will explain what worked for me.
 
1. I installed both VAC and VSTHOST.
2. I selected my default playback device in Window$ to be the VAC.
3. I left everything default in the VAC Control Panel except I changed the Stream fmt to "Cable format" (I was getting pops and crackles with this set any other way) and checked "Volume Control".
4. In VSTHOST I went into "Devices" - "Wave" and selected the "DS: VAC" for input and my "DS" output driver for output. I left everything default here as well.
5. I then pointed VSTHOST to my plugin directory (I happen to be using the tonebooster suite) and WALLA! 
 
Hope this helps somebody.