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1. Download your plugin

Demo version installers

Download the latest demo installers from the Cableguys products page.

Full version installer

Download the latest full version of your Cableguys plugin installer from your user account. Note that demo versions cannot be unlocked, so if you have the demo version of a Cableguys plugin installed and you then buy that plugin, you need to download the full version installer from your user account.

ReverbShaper, TimeShaper 3, DriveShaper 2, NoiseShaper 2, FilterShaper Core 3, LiquidShaper, CrushShaper 2, VolumeShaper 7, PanShaper 4 and WidthShaper 3 run in ShaperBox. So if you own any of those, it's ShaperBox that you need to download.

You also need to download the license file for your plugin from your user account and store it on your hard drive. The plugin will ask you to import the license file the first time you load it in your DAW. More on this later.

2. Install your plugin

Windows

Please make sure you're running Windows with admin rights. Unpack the .zip-file that you have downloaded, and double-click the .exe-file.

The setup dialog will ask you for the location of your VST and – if the plugin is AAX-compatible – AAX Plugins folders. The VST version must be installed in the VST Plugins folder that you have specified in your DAW, while the AAX version must be installed to the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins directory. If you've never changed the VST Plugins folder used by your DAW, you should be fine to leave the installer at its default folder setting.

If you have installed an older version of the plugin before, please install the new version to the same folder. This will overwrite the previous version. Major versions (for example 1.x or 2.x) have different file names and unique IDs, so older major versions won't be replaced by newer major versions.

macOS

Unpack the .zip file that you have downloaded, then double-click the .pkg file. Note that some browsers unpack the .zip file automatically.

If you've installed an older version of the plugin before, the new version will automatically replace it, assuming both versions were/are installed to the default location.

If you manually organise your plugins in subfolders, remember to move the .vst or .component plugin file into your chosen subfolder to overwrite the old version after installation. Major versions (for example 1.x or 2.x) have different file names and unique IDs, so older major versions won't be replaced by newer major versions.

AAX plugins should always be installed to the default AAX folder: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins.

Troubleshooting
I've downloaded the installation file, but when I double-click it, nothing happens, or my virus scanner is reporting a virus. Is the installer broken?

Anti-virus software can silently block our installers, or might erroneously report a virus in an installer.

It's rare that this happens, but if it does, we can assure you that it's a false alarm (assuming you've downloaded the software directly from the Cableguys website, of course). Please disable your virus scanner during installation and turn it back on immediately afterwards.

If you're unsure, you can upload the installer to an online virus scanner to have it checked by multiple virus scanners.

3. Restart your DAW and open the plugin

Having installed your plugin, restart your DAW – Ableton Live, Logic, Cubase, FL Studio, etc – and load the plugin onto a track/channel in the usual way.
Please note that our plugins do not work as standalone programs – they can only be used in a host DAW.

Troubleshooting
The full version of the plugin is installed, but the demo version is still loading.

On macOS, a restart might help. If it doesn't, it means the demo version is still installed. To solve this:
  1. Close your DAW.
  2. If you're using macOS, manually remove the plugin from these folders (in Finder, press SHIFT-CMD-G and enter a folder name in the dialog to open it directly):

      The Library folder for all users:
    • VST version: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST
    • AU version: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
    • AAX version: /Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins

      Your home folder:
    • VST version: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST
    • AU version: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

    If you specified a custom location during installation, please remove the plugin from there, too.
  3. On both Mac and Windows, check whether there's an additional VST folder set up in the preferences of your DAW, and if so, remove the plugin from that folder manually as well.
  4. Install the full version again.

Troubleshooting
After installation, the plugin doesn't show up in an older version of macOS or Windows

Please check the System Requirements at the bottom of the plugin's page.

Troubleshooting
After installation, the plugin doesn't show up in macOS

Please restart your Mac after installation. Many DAWs, including Logic Pro X and Ableton Live, may not recognise the plugin otherwise.

Troubleshooting
After installation, the plugin doesn't show up in Logic

Please restart your Mac after installation. Some DAWs (including Ableton Live and Logic Pro X) may not recognise the plugin otherwise.

If the plugin in question is Kickstart, be aware that it appears in the Nicky Romero folder in Logic's Audio FX menu, not the Cableguys folder.

Some of our plugins only work on stereo tracks. In Logic, a newly created audio track is mono by default.

If the plugin also doesn't appear on stereo tracks, open Logic's Preferences > Plug-in Manager and check that the plugin is listed and activated.

If you still can't see the plugin in Logic, browse to this folder and check that the plugin is installed there (in Finder, press SHIFT-CMD-G and enter a folder name in the dialog to open it directly):

~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST

If it is, make sure Logic is closed, remove the plugin manually and install it again. Make sure you have admin rights when you install the plugin.

If the plugin is still not found, close Logic, then delete your cache file, if it exists:

~/Library/Caches/com.apple.audiounits.cache

Also, remove this folder:

~/Library/Caches/Logic/AudioUnitCache

If you're running macOS 10.14 Mojave, you could also check again after another hour of computer usage. It seems strange, but some users have reported that after an hour of waiting, Logic's Plug-ins Manager has listed the plugin.

If the plugin is still not showing up, try moving the .component file from /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components to your 'personal' plugins folder:

~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

Troubleshooting
After installation, the plugin doesn't show up in Ableton Live

Please open Ableton Live's Preferences and navigate to the 'File/Folder' tab. There you'll find a section called 'Plug-in Sources'. Make sure that at least one plugin folder is activated.

If you have a custom folder set up, browse to that folder and see if the plugin is installed there.

Troubleshooting
After installation, the plugin doesn't show up in FL Studio

FL Studio needs to find the plugin before it can be used, so check that the 'VST Plugins extra search folder' in FL Studio's Preferences is the one that you installed the plugin to.

Then restart FL Studio. Click Channels > Add One > More and a list will appear. The plugin should be in that list, and you can activate it by clicking the little box in front of it.

Troubleshooting
After installation, the plugin doesn't show up in Pro Tools

Check that the plugin’s .aaxplugin file is in this folder:

macOS: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins

Windows: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins

If it isn’t there, reinstall the plugin, then check again. If it still fails to show up after that, or the .aaxplugin file is there but the plugin still isn’t appearing in Pro Tools, please contact us.

Please note that only HalfTime and ShaperBox are available in AAX format.

Our other plugins are currently VST/AU-only, so will not show up in Pro Tools. However: They might work well with plugin wrappers such as Blue Cat's PatchWork, but we haven't tested this ourselves. Blue Cat offers a demo version, so give it a try.

Troubleshooting
Cubase 9 or 10 blacklists the plugin

Cubase 9 (and sometimes 10) blacklists Cableguys plugins that have run without problems in Cubase for years. To fix this, simply open Cubase's Plugin Manager and reactivate the plugin.

Troubleshooting
After installation, the plugin doesn't show up in Cubase on macOS

Sometimes Cubase stores a blacklist of plugins that have caused trouble in the past (unfinalised beta versions, for example). We recommend that you delete the blacklist file - or temporarily rename it, so that you can restore it if necessary. Find it here (in Finder, press SHIFT-CMD-G and enter the folder name in the dialog to open it directly):

~/Library/Preferences/Cubase [9, 9.5, 10 or 10.5]/Vst2xBlacklist Cubase.xml

4. Import your license file (full versions only)

Old plugins (Curve 1, FilterShaper 1 or 2, VolumeShaper 1 or 2)

Unzip your license file and open the plugin in your DAW. The plugin will ask you to enter your registered email address and locate the unzipped license file – 'Curve_License.dat', for example.

If the plugin doesn't present the option to choose the license, you're either using the demo version or you've already unlocked the plugin. If you're using the demo version, please download the full version installer from your Cableguys user account.

Newer plugins

Open the plugin in your DAW. It will ask you to locate your license file – 'Cableguys-Curve2-License.zip', for example. If your browser has automatically unpacked the .zip-file, you will see a .lic-file instead – 'Curve2_License.lic', for example. You can select either the .zip or .lic file in the plugin dialog.

If the plugin doesn't show you the option to choose the license, you're either using the demo version or you've already unlocked the plugin. If you're using the demo version, please download the full version installer from your user account.

If you've bought a new Shaper to add to an existing ShaperBox installation, download your new license file, then import it into ShaperBox, by clicking the 'Import Licenses' button in the Shaper selection screen.

Troubleshooting
The plugin reports the license file as broken or says it can't be parsed

Please download and install the latest full version and license file from your user account.

If that doesn't help and you're using the .lic license file, try again with the original .zip file. If you're using the original .zip file, unzip it and try the .lic file.

Troubleshooting
Unlocking the demo version

It is not possible to unlock the demo versions of our plugins. Please download the full version from your Cableguys user account.

On macOS, the full version installation will automatically overwrite the demo version, as long as you install to the default locations.

On Windows, the VST version must be installed to the 'VST Plugins' folder specified in your DAW, and the AAX version must be installed to the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins directory. If you've previously installed the demo version, please install the full version to the same folder. This will overwrite the demo with the full version.

Common plugin issues

If you're experiencing crashes or graphics issues with your Cableguys plugin, it's likely that your computer is running out of available RAM. If you're running a 32-bit DAW, it can only address up to 2GB/4GB of RAM. With bigger projects, where more RAM is required than can be addressed, all kinds of strange things can potentially happen with any plugin from any vendor. There is no such RAM limitation with 64-bit DAWs.

All position-synced plugins from all vendors are affected by Ableton Live's known timing issues. For a workaround, check our FAQ page.

For any other issues, please check our FAQ page — there's a good chance that the solution to your issue can be found there.

Be sure to check out our YouTube channel, too, where you'll find lots of tips-and-tricks videos, or visit the plugin pages for more information.