PlugSearch Support

TROUBLESHOOTING

Most issues can be solved by resetting the preferences and Plug-in database. To do this:

  • quit PlugSearch
  • open a terminal and execute: 
    defaults delete com.speakerfood.PlugSearch
  • delete the folder at ~/Library/Application Support/PlugSearch
  • open PlugSearch

 

WRONG PLUG-IN SELECTED

If PlugSearch does not insert the correct Plug-in, please check the following:

  • OTHER MACRO APPLICATIONS
    If other macro applications are running that respond to 'single key' key commands, for instance GainControl, Keyboard Maestro, BetterTouchTool, replace these with key commands that contain key modifiers. So don't use single keys like 'a', 'p', etc. anywhere.
  • CUSTOM KEY COMMAND
    Only use key combinations as custom key command, not single keys.
  • PLUGSEARCH CATEGORY
    Make sure you set up the PlugSearch category as described below in Logic's Plug-in Manager. It must be named "PlugSearch" (no spaces). Put all Logic's native Plug-ins in this category, not 3rd-party ones.

  • WAVES PLUGINS
    If you are using Waves Plug-ins, you'll find a mono (m) and stereo (s) version for every Plug-in. Make sure to select a (m) Plug-in for mono insert slots and a (s) Plug-in for stereo insert slots, otherwise PlugSearch won't find the correct Plug-in.
  • BETTERTOUCHTOOL
    BetterTouchTool is a macro application that can interfere with PlugSearch. If you are running BetterTouchTool, follow the instructions below. If you are not running BetterTouchTool, make sure you uncheck the option 'Automatically Disable/Enable BetterTouchTool' in PlugSearch's Preferences window.

  • LANGUAGE
    Make sure Logic's language is detected correctly, by setting English, German, Spanish or French as your first system language, or otherwise English as the second system language. Quit and restart PlugSearch to detect the system language.

  • DISABLED PLUGINS
    If you try to insert a Plug-in that you have disabled in Logic's Plug-in Manager or which couldn't be validated by Logic, PlugSearch will not find the Plug-in and inserts the closest match.

  • CUSTOM COLOURS / IMAGES
    If Logic Pro was modified to have custom colours and images for the user interface, PlugSearch might not work properly.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

PlugSearch works on:

  • macOS High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina and Big Sur
  • from Logic Pro X 10.4.5 and up
  • Chinese and Japanese languages are not supported

INSTALLATION

To install PlugSearch:

  • Open the .pkg file
  • If you get a warning, open System Preferences -> Security and allow the installer to open
  • After installation, open PlugSearch from the Applications folder

    On opening for the first time, PlugSearch will ask for Accessibility privileges

    • Go to System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy
    • Click on Accessibility in the left column
    • Unlock
    • Find PlugSearch in the right column and enable access

    LOGIC PLUGIN MANAGER SETUP

    Follow these steps:

    • In Logic Pro X, open Preferences -> Plug-in Manager
    • Click on “Show All” in the top left corner
    • Remove all custom names
    • Create a new category by clicking the plus sign to the right of the label Category
    • Name the new category “PlugSearch”
    • Click "Logic" in the bottom left panel
    • Select all Logic Plug-ins and drag them to the category PlugSearch

    BETTERTOUCHTOOL SETUP

    Follow these steps if you are running BetterTouchTool:

    • Download the BTT preset for PlugSearch
    • Unzip the file
    • Double click the BTT preset file. This wil import the preset in BTT.
    • In the preferences of PlugSearch, enable 'Automatically Enable/Disable BetterTouchTool
    Each time PlugSearch triggers event to the system, BTT is temporarly disabled with the key command 'command-ctrl-shift-P'. Don't use this key command for other actions.

      UNINSTALL

      To uninstall, remove the following files and folders:

      • /Applications/PlugSearch
      • ~/Library/Application Support/PlugSearch

      And, if present:

      • ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.speakerfood.plugsearch.user.agent.plist
      • ~/Preferences/com.speakerfood.PlugSearch.plist

      REGISTRATION

      In order to activate PlugSearch, you need an internet connection.

      • From the menu bar icon, open Preferences
      • Click on License
      • Enter the License you received and click Activate
      • PlugSearch is now activated

      If you need assistance, please contact me.

      MULTIPLE SYSTEMS

      A purchase of PlugSearch allows you to install it on three different systems.

      OPEN AT LOGIN

      By default PlugSearch starts when you login. You can change this in the Preferences, which you can open from the top menu bar icon.

      QUIT PLUGSEARCH

      PlugSearch runs as a background menu-bar application. You can find it's icon in the top right menu-bar. From here, you can access Preferences and quit PlugSearch if you need to.

        HOW TO USE

        SEARCH AND INSERT A PLUG-IN

        1. Open PlugSearch
        2. Hit Control (Ctrl) or use a custom key command on an empty Audio FX, Instrument or MIDI FX slot in Logic Pro X
        3. Type to search
        4. Hit enter, or double-click the Plug-in you want to insert

        Instead of Control, hit Command or the alternative key command to insert:

        • a mono-stereo Audio FX on a mono insert slot
        • a double-mono Audio FX on a stereo insert slot
        • a mono or multi-output Instrument (depending on availability)

        Note: mono->stereo versions are only available for some Plug-ins, for instance "stereo delay"

        SEARCH BY MANUFACTURER NAME

        Simply start the first search word with a capital: "Wa" will list all Plug-ins made by Waves and other manufacturers who's name start with "Wa". You can refine your search by adding words without capitals, to search for Plug-ins by name. For instance, use "Wav lim" to quickly list Plug-ins by Waves that contain the string "lim" in their name.

        REMOVE PLUGIN

        Press Control (Ctrl) or a custom key command on an occupied insert slot and PlugSearch will remove the Plug-in.

        RANDOM PLUGIN SELECTION

        Type "?" and hit enter. PlugSearch will enter a random Plug-in. Great way to create randomness in your production. 

        CUSTOM KEY COMMANDS

        Open the preferences to set custom key commands for PlugSearch. A custom key command has to be a combination of modifier key and alphanumeric key, for instance command-P.

        PLUG-IN DATABASE

        Open the Plug-in database to see all scanned Plug-ins on your system. It also shows information on how many times a Plug-in was inserted by PlugSearch, and how many Plug-ins were scanned.

        The following actions are available:

        • Custom names: use custom names for Plug-ins
        • Visibility: option to show/hide Plug-ins in the search results
        • Import or export these settings

        RESCAN PLUG-INS

        From the action menu, you can rescan all installed Plug-ins on your system. This is necessary when you installed new Plug-ins while PlugSearch is still running. It will keep the index of each Plug-ins.

        RESET INDEX

        The index determines the order in which Plug-ins appear in the search results. Each time a Plug-in is selected, it's index is set to 0 and all other indices are incremented by 1. You can reset all indexes from the action menu.

        TROUBLESHOOTING

         POPUP WINDOW APPEARS, THEN DISAPPEARS

        • Make sure you only press control or command, and don't control-click or command-click. The mouse click was needed in V1 of PlugSearch, but was dropped with V2.
        • Check if only one instance of PlugSearch is running in the top menu-bar. If two instances are running, check if PlugSearch was added to the start-up items in the System Preferences and remove it.

        PLUGSEARCH DOES NOT APPEAR

        If PlugSearch does not appear when you press control or option on an empty insert slot, please follow these steps:

        • Make sure your are running Logic Pro X 10.4.5 or up
        • Make sure PlugSearch is running. It's icon should be visible in the top right of the system menu-bar. PlugSearch is a standalone application, not a Plug-in.
        • If you run Logic in German, Spanish or French, make sure that in the System Preferences this language is the first language. Quit and restart PlugSearch and Logic Pro X.
        • If your system language is not English, German, Spanish or French, make sure the second language is set to English so Logic runs in English. Quit and restart PlugSearch and Logic Pro to detect the correct language.
        • Remove PlugSearch from the Accessibility list in the System Preferences, restart your computer, and open PlugSearch again.

        Please note: Chinese and Japanese is not yet supported.

        UNABLE TO ADD PLUGSEARCH TO THE ACCESSIBILITY LIST

        If you can't add PlugSearch to the Accessibility list, try to add another application, for instance Mail. If that doesn't work either, your Accessibility list system is corrupted. Solving this goes beyond the scope of our support, and it's best to contact Apple support.

        MIDI CONTROLLED EFFECTS

        MIDI Controlled Effects are different from other effects, as they are not flagged as such in their basic component description. The current version of PlugSearch doesn't support this category of Plug-ins yet. Our goal is to provide a way to incorporate them in a future update.

        ARA PLUG-INS

        PlugSearch does not list ARA Plug-ins yet, but I'm working hard to have these included in the next update.

        INSTALLING OR REMOVING PLUG-INS

        PlugSearch scans available Plug-ins on your system when it opens, it takes less than a second. If you installed or removed Plug-ins, you can rescan your Plug-ins from the Plug-in Database window.

        Note: if you moved or renamed the following folder:

        /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

        Your system will not have a correct registry of your installed components. A restart will fix this.

        PLUGINS ARE MISSING

        PlugSearch scans all installed plug-ins on your system when it opens. If you install new plug-ins, rescan your Plug-ins from the Plug-in Database window.

        To see which plug-ins have been detected, open the Plug-in Database.

          AT STARTUP, PLUGSEARCH IS OPENED TWICE

          Remove PlugSearch from the list of startup items in the System Preferences.

          ZOOM ACCESSIBILITY

          Unfortunately, PlugSearch can not move the mouse to the correct position when Accessibility zoom is enabled. Just before you select a Plug-in by double-clicking it, or pressing return, exit zoom mode. PlugSearch will now work as normal.

          If you are still experiencing issues, please contact me using the contact page. I usually respond within 2 to 3 business days.

             

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