Hi All - I have just downloaded the latest version of VCV Rack (v. 1.1.6.) from the official website. I unzipped & copied to Applications, as advised. I opened Rack, clicked on Library/Manage plugins. Subscribed to a module then quit & restarted Rack. I have gone through this procedure several times but the full Library of plugins does not appear. Only the VCV Rack Basics (please see pic). What am I missing or doing wrong - can anybody tell me please?
Many thanks.
When you subscribed to some modules from the library
you should see a red dot beneath the library tab when you open rack,
you need to download the modules from this tab
then close and restart rack to load these in your internal library.
Sure you are using the same login in Rack and library.vcvrack.com ?
Got enough free space in your user folder? - all plugins space requirement is around 1.2 GB https://vcvrack.com/manual/FAQ#Where-is-the-Rack-user-folder
Any third-party software interfering with/locking the user folder? (Microsoft Onedrive on Windows, Antivirus)
The first step in debugging is starting Rack using the commandline. Look for any messages.
Thanks Guys. Does this help?
This particular error has been covered roughly 972 times on this forum 
TL;DR that usually solves it: Right-click on the Rack app in Finder and select Open and say yes at the “it’s dangerous blah blah” prompt. Do it a couple of times and from then on the app should open fine on regular double-click.
Thank you Lars. I have tried your suggestion several times just now. Sad to say it doesn’t work for me. The only way I can open Rack (and see the full Library) is via Applications/Rack.app/Show Package contents/Contents/MacOS/then click on the Terminal avatar. It then opens with Terminal.
When you installed Rack from the zip file, did you use Finder to unzip it or another un-zipper?
I downloaded the Rack file. Dragged it from Downloads into Applications (it wouldn’t Copy, as Andrew suggests). Then double clicked on the file to open. Did I do something wrong?
What I mean is:
The reason I’m asking is, that I suspect from my own observation, and stuff read online, that only using Finder is the right/best way, as MacOS applies some “magic thinking” behind the scenes, to make permissions right, and determine what’s “safe” or not.
What I’m further saying is that, when you have dragged the Rack.app into Applications, the first couple of times you should not double-click it, but instead right-click it, select Open, and go through the Apple dialogs to tell it that, yes, it’s actually safe and you actually want to run it. Observe that Rack actually opens correctly. Only after that you can use the normal routine of double-clicking the app to run it, like normal.
O.K. I started again from scratch. I deleted the Rack app from the Downloads & Applications folders. Also from the Trash Bin. Redownloaded the app from the official VCV Rack site. It is delivered into my Downloads folder inside Finder. I left it there & followed your suggestions as below:
- “The downloaded Rack file” is a .zip file, yes?
Yes.
- So what exactly did you do with the .zip file?
- If you simply located the downloaded .zip file in Finder, and double-clicked it to extract it, then you used Finder to extract.
This is exactly what I did.
- When you have extracted/un-zipped the zip file you have the Rack.app file.
Yes.
The reason I’m asking is, that I suspect from my own observation, and stuff read online, that only using Finder is the right/best way, as MacOS applies some “magic thinking” behind the scenes, to make permissions right, and determine what’s “safe” or not.
Yes, understood.
What I’m further saying is that, when you have dragged the Rack.app into Applications, the first couple of times you should not double-click it, but instead right-click it, select Open, and go through the Apple dialogs to tell it that, yes, it’s actually safe and you actually want to run it.
Exactly what I have done (although this time I left the file in Downloads - I didn’t move it to Applications).
As a result I got this error message:
and the full library is still missing.
I would advice not to run it from Downloads but to instead - using Finder - drag/move it into Applications - don’t copy it, move it.
O.K. Thanks. Have moved the Rack file into Applications - but full library still not loading up. Last night I Installed VCV Rack on a second iMac. Followed your procedure & everything loaded up fine. I guess this indicates that the problem is somehow with my first Mac. Turned off Firewall briefly but that didn’t help. Don’t know what else to try really.
Did you ever get the library to load? I was just subscribing to different plugins and where they once were showing up, now there’s nothing.
still not working, in my case installed the free rack VCV 2.0 on Macos M1 Monterey, it was working fine, then i cancelled, also using AppCleaner, and installed VCV for m1 the ARM package, since that moment i have only the 44 inbuilt modules and no way can retrieve new ones. on the site they figure out as added, but restarting VCV and selecting the menu library it says all is updated, but is not the case. I guess is a bug because reinstalling the not arm version it works flaweless, I signaled the bug in github and no way i am going to use the x64 that takes 200 per cent of the processor in seconds, making the mac dangeorously hot
Then you have to wait a wile, because there are no other modules than the 44 inbuild ones because this version of rack is made for developers to test their Arm modules, and the Library does not contain any Arm modules at the moment.
As stated on the vcv website :
fair enough for such a cool product, i can 1) use cardinal in the meantime 2) allocate in parallels a virtual machine in linux/windows so that can keep in check ram/processor usage 3) buy soon a pro version to sustain this fantastic company
For what concern number 2 I am not sure because I guess parallels has arm versions for m1 of the operative systems, not sure is not vmware, but will give a try
This is what worked for me in macOS:
In Applications, control-click on “VCV Rack 2 Free” and select “Show Package Contents”. Click on the “Contents” folder, then the “MacOS” folder. Control-Click on the file called “Rack” and choose “Open With”, then “Terminal”.
You will be prompted to allow VCV Rack to access your “Downloads” folder. Allow it access. Things should boot as normal now.
The problem seems to stem from not allowing VCV access to the Downloads folder during installation. Hope this helps someone.
EDIT: I did the step you suggested from X64, and VCV racks runs, but… Activity Monitors signals 205 CPU still
EDIT2: NO you are referring to ARM, I took the official one indicated from the site, loading as you suggest I got indeed the red balls on top of library and “help”(?)
It does NOT ask for download permissions(maybe) because of my settings I can now see the plugins
and this is what i get Screenshot-2023-03-30-at-17-05-46 hosted at ImgBB — ImgBB
EDIT: I see why i get the red ball on top of help, is because i can update to version 2.3.0, but if I do I lose also the “red ball” and the plugin names in the bar menu Screenshot-2023-03-30-at-17-10-09 hosted at ImgBB — ImgBB
EDIT2: I am wondering if there is a version ARM with the plugins compatible ALREADY uploaded, i saw in the forum a post, but the link is dead.
EDIT3: I see now that also ARM packages create really high CPU consumption, I read in other threads that is not a matter of concern, but I started to chicken out since yesterday for the fist time my M1 was really hot, so for sure if I leave it running is going to short the lifecycle of my Mac
