Support & FAQ

ForgeDSP is one developer, which means your support ticket is read by the person who built the plugin. Most answers you need are below; anything else, email support@forgedsp.com and include your DAW, your operating system (Windows or macOS version), and order number.

Installation on Windows

How do I install on Windows?
Run the installer from your download link. It places the VST3 in the standard folder (C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3), which every major DAW scans automatically. Restart your DAW, rescan plugins if it does not appear, done. The installers are signed, so Windows has nothing to approve.

My DAW doesn't see the plugin.
Three checks, in order: 1) Your DAW is 64-bit and scanning the standard VST3 path above. 2) You restarted the DAW after install. 3) Your DAW's plugin manager has not quarantined it after a scan; rescan or reset the blocklist. Still stuck? Email us the DAW name and version.

Which DAWs are supported?
Any 64-bit VST3 host on Windows 10/11 or macOS: FL Studio, Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, REAPER, Bitwig, and more, plus Logic Pro and GarageBand through the AU on a Mac. No AAX (Pro Tools) and no 32-bit hosts.

Mac install

Which Macs and DAWs are supported?
Every ForgeDSP plugin ships for macOS as a universal build, so it runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. You get VST3 and AU: the AU covers Logic Pro and GarageBand, the VST3 covers the Mac versions of FL Studio, Ableton Live, REAPER, Studio One, Cubase and Bitwig. No AAX, so no Pro Tools. Minimum macOS: 10.13 for Kick Alchemist, OrbitForge, GhostForge and JerseyClubinator; macOS 11 for AuraScope, Aurichord, PitchForge and Bassmith.

How do I install on a Mac?
1) Quit your DAW. 2) Open the .dmg from your download link and read the install file inside. 3) Most plugins install by drag and drop: drag the .vst3 onto the VST3 folder shortcut, and for Logic Pro and GarageBand also drag the .component onto the Components folder shortcut. AuraScope, Aurichord and PitchForge install with an Install.command instead (Bassmith offers both): double-click it and it copies everything into your user Library for you. 4) Open your DAW and rescan plugins.

macOS says the plugin "cannot be opened" or "cannot be verified", or my DAW skips it.
Expected, and a one-time fix. ForgeDSP's Mac builds are not notarized by Apple yet, so the first time your DAW loads a plugin, macOS asks you to approve it:
1) Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security.
2) Scroll down to Security. You will see a line saying the plugin was blocked.
3) Click Open Anyway and confirm with your password or Touch ID.
4) Restart your DAW and rescan plugins.
You do this once per plugin, not every session.

There is no Open Anyway button.
Some DAWs scan plugins in a way that never shows it. Open Terminal, paste one line per plugin file, press Return after each, then restart your DAW and rescan. Each line removes the download quarantine flag from that one file and changes nothing else. For example, for GhostForge:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/GhostForge.vst3"
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/GhostForge.component"
Swap in your plugin's file name. If it was installed in your user Library (Install.command does this), start the path with ~/Library instead of /Library.

Where do the plugins show up in Logic Pro?
Under Audio Units, ForgeDSP. Kick Alchemist, Aurichord and JerseyClubinator are instruments: load them on a Software Instrument track. AuraScope, OrbitForge, GhostForge, PitchForge and PitchForge Song Listener are audio effects. Bassmith and PitchForge Voice MIDI are MIDI effects: on a Software Instrument track, click the MIDI FX slot above the instrument and choose Audio Units, ForgeDSP, then the plugin. GarageBand has no MIDI FX slot, so those two run in Logic Pro or a VST3 host instead.

How do I hear Aurichord's chords in Logic Pro?
Aurichord plays MIDI; another instrument makes the sound. In Logic Pro 10.8 or later, create a second Software Instrument track with the sound you want, set its Internal MIDI In to the Aurichord track, record-enable it (or turn on input monitoring), and play. GarageBand cannot route MIDI between tracks, so drag your chords out as MIDI regions and use Aurichord's Internal Sound to hear them while you write.

Does activation work the same on a Mac?
Yes. Paste the key from your purchase email into the plugin's license panel. The key is checked on your Mac and nothing is sent anywhere; no internet connection needed.

License keys & activation

Where is my license key?
Emailed to you automatically after checkout, along with your download link. Keys look like FDSP1-XXXX-XXXX... Search your inbox for "ForgeDSP" and check spam before writing in.

How do I activate?
Open the plugin, click the license area, enter your key exactly as emailed. That's it. Activation is offline: the plugin verifies the key on your machine.

My studio computer has no internet. Am I stuck?
Not at all. Activation is fully offline by design. Buy on any device, move the key to your studio machine however you like (USB stick, typed by hand), and enter it in the plugin. No server call, ever.

How many computers can I use?
Your license is personal: install on up to 3 computers you own and use yourself, Mac or Windows in any mix. One license covers both. Don't share or publish the key; each one is tied to your purchase.

I lost my key.
Email support from the address you bought with and include your order number if you have it. We will resend it.

Purchases & refunds

What payment methods do you take?
Checkout runs on Shopify Payments: major cards and the express options shown at checkout. Prices in USD; US, UK, Canada, and Australia at launch.

What is the refund policy?
14 days, no interrogation, with one honest ask: try the free demo first, because "it is not for me" is cheaper to discover before buying. Full policy on the Refund Policy page.

Is anything on this site a subscription?
No. Every product is a one-time license. There is nothing to cancel because nothing recurs.

Plugin questions

Do ForgeDSP plugins phone home or collect data?
No telemetry, no analytics, no account. Audio never leaves your machine. Details in the Privacy Policy.

Will updates cost money?
Bug fixes and updates within the version you bought (1.x) are free. Paid major versions, if they ever happen, are a new purchase and a clearly labeled choice.

I found a bug.
Tell us! Email with your DAW, your operating system, and steps to reproduce. One-developer shop means bugs get fixed by the person who caused them, which is efficient and humbling.