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FAQ

Installation

What plugin formats does Goodhertz offer?

All of our plugins can be downloaded in the following 64-bit formats.

  • For Mac:

    • AU
    • AAX
    • VST
    • VST3

  • For Windows:

    • AAX
    • VST
    • VST3

A single license for any given plugin entitles you to all formats; that is, formats need not be purchased separately.

Why are your plugins only 64-bit?

When Goodhertz was founded in 2014, the industry was already transitioning away from 32-bit architectures, with most DAW makers focusing on 64-bit systems. Consequently, we dedicated our efforts to developing high-quality 64-bit software compatible with all major DAWs.

Adding legacy 32-bit support would limit our ability to create advanced & efficient plugins, and we currently have no plans to release 32-bit versions.

What Mac OS and Windows versions do you support?

OS X 10.13+ and Windows 10+

Our version 1 and 2 plugins (available at the bottom of the downloads page), are Mac-only and do work with Mac 10.7 and 10.8.

Why aren’t the plugins showing up in Windows 11?

Some Windows 11 installations are missing an important Microsoft runtime library that our plugins require. You can manually install it from here. A future release will install this automatically for you.

Are Goodhertz plugins compatible with macOS Sonoma (14.0)?

Yes, our plugins are fully compatible with macOS Sonoma. If you experience an issue you believe is related to Sonoma, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Are Goodhertz plugins compatible with Apple silicon native Pro Tools?

Yes, our latest releases (≥ v3.8.0) have native support for Pro Tools with Apple Silicon.

Are Goodhertz plugins compatible with Apple silicon computers?

Yes, our latest releases (≥ v3.7.0) have native support for Apple silicon computers.

Why are the plugins crashing my unsupported Mac or Hackintosh?

Our plugins will not work properly if your hardware is incompatible with the OS (i.e. if you’ve upgraded your computer beyond its maximum compatible OS version). Because we use hardware-accelerated math operations, if the computer doesn’t have the appropriate hardware, it can lead to crashes. For that reason, we do not recommend using an OS “patcher” or Hackintosh.

How do I uninstall older versions of Goodhertz plugins (or even the current version)?

On Mac, just use our uninstaller app and select the version you wish to uninstall.

On Windows, go to “Apps & Features” then look for the Goodhertz installer/uninstaller. There you’ll be able to launch the Goodhertz installer/uninstaller, and you can select “Uninstall.”

How can I route my computer audio through CanOpener Studio as a system-wide plugin?

We are hoping to offer a standalone version of CanOpener Studio as a system-wide application in the near future, but in the meantime we recommend the following third-party tools.

On Mac, we suggest using an audio routing software like SoundSource by RogueAmoeba that can host plugins like a DAW.

On Windows, there are a variety of options including media players like Audirvana or JRiver. In particular, JRiver has a virtual driver that allows routing of computer audio through plugins.

Licenses

How do the free trials work?

You get 30 days to trial each of the plugins. These trials start when you hit the “Start Free Trial” button in the plugin. You can use the trials on as many computers as you’d like.

To get started, simply download the plugins and register a goodhertz.co account. To begin a free trial, you must have an internet connection (sorry, no offline trials). All trials automatically reset anytime you make a purchase on the Goodhertz store.

How does the Goodhertz Free Series work?

Plugins that are part of the Goodhertz Free Series (currently: Loudness & Midside Matrix) are completely free and have no time restriction.

Goodhertz Free Series plugins function exactly like our regular paid plugins, which means that they also require a Goodhertz account. Part of the purpose of the Goodhertz Free Series, aside from just giving away nifty audio tools, is to get users to experience the regular flow of being a Goodhertz customer. This (hopefully) lowers the barrier to entry when someone decides to make a purchase, since, if you're already logged into a Free Series plugin, nothing is needed on the user end, and the new plugins will just automatically be authorized. To us, this is a big win, since many plugin manufacturers have extremely onerous copy protection schemes, and we want to showcase how simple ours is. We understand this requirement may be “annoying” to some, but we feel that it provides the best user experience, especially if you need to contact customer support or we need to issue a critical update or bugfix.

If I own version 2 plugins, do I have to re-purchase version 3?

You do not! Version 3 is a free upgrade for version 2 (and version 1) license-holders.

Can I use my Goodhertz plugins on multiple computers?

Yes! — as long as you are the one using them. Goodhertz plugins can be authorized on as many computers as you like as long as they are not used simultaneously.

For studios or larger facilities that use plugins on multiple machines at the same time, please purchase the number of seats needed simultaneously.

Can I permanently authorize my Goodhertz plugins for offline use?

Yes, you can! To do so, simply log into any Goodhertz plugin while internet is disabled, and you will be prompted to create a “challenge” file that you can send us at support@goodhertz.com. (There's no need to send multiple challenge files — one file will authorize all the plugins you own).

Once we send you a “response” file, simply drop it onto your computer's desktop and reload the plugin, or drag and drop the file onto a running instance of the plugin. (Please make sure that the file extension is .ghz3 and not .txt or the authorization will fail). After that, the plugins should be authorized for offline use.

Can I transfer a plugin license to someone else?

Yes, you can. The license transfer fee is $15. If you would like to transfer a license, please purchase a license transfer here: goodhertz.com/license-transfer, and then contact us via email at support@goodhertz.com to set up the transfer. In your email, please include the original purchase confirmation number, the account email of your own account, as well as the email of the account you’d like to transfer the license to.

Please note: the new owner must have an active Goodhertz account in order for us to complete the transfer.

Note also: a single license transfer purchase covers a single license transfer request (which can be for multiple licenses); i.e. if you purchased 5 licenses from someone, you only need to buy a single license transfer and we will transfer the 5 licenses. But if you purchase 3 more licenses from them months later, you will need to purchase a new license transfer to cover those 3 licenses.

Orders

Can I buy a Goodhertz plugin as a gift or without making a Goodhertz account?

Yes, we have an order form for purchasing plugins without a Goodhertz account. When you make a purchase at https://goodhertz.co/gifting, you can buy plugins and plugin credits without an account. When you make a purchase, an email will be sent to you with a link that can be used to add the licenses to any Goodhertz account at a later time.

Do you have any educational discounts, or any discounts for that matter?

We occasionally run sales (follow us on Twitter or Instagram to be notified), but we don’t have any educational discounts. That said, we do have something better — & it’s for everyone, not just students. Here it is: If you use a Goodhertz plugin trial and post a public video or track on social media (e.g. SoundCloud, Instagram, or YouTube, etc.) (like this), along with the Goodhertz plugin settings somewhere on the page (like this), let us know at music@goodhertz.com. If you do, we’ll send you a one-time 50%-off coupon (good for any combination of plugins, one-time per customer).

Learn how to copy/paste Goodhertz plugin settings here.

If you’re wondering if Instagram Stories qualify — they do! Just make sure to tag us @goodhertz.

Please note: licenses purchased with these custom coupon codes cannot be used to purchase gifts and cannot be transferred to other accounts.

Do custom coupons combine with site-wide sales?

They do! That said, coupons do not combine with bundle discounts. You can either apply a coupon to a purchase, or use the automatic bundle discount (but not both).

Do you have any special “deals” for artists or producers?

In the broadest sense, all Goodhertz users are artists and/or producers in some capacity, and we don't give preferential pricing for specific job titles or professions.

Instead, we try to keep our plugins affordable for everyone who works with audio, whether you're just starting out or you're an established multi-platinum mixer.

What if I'm famous and/or extremely successful?

One thing you learn when you run an audio plugin company is that lots of artists & producers would like a free copy of your software, and that plenty of those artists & producers think they deserve free software because of their fame/success. While it is fun to know that our plugins are used by many big-name producers on big-name tracks, if we gave away free plugins to every famous person that asked for them, the only people left paying for the software (and keeping the lights on at Goodhertz) would be aspiring artists. Which, put plainly, doesn't feel right to us.

If you are in the fortunate position of being extremely successful in this industry, please consider supporting the businesses that support your success. And if you want a discount, just check out our custom coupon FAQ.

Do you have any bundles or bundle pricing?

We don’t have bundles, but we do have bundle pricing for plugins purchased at the same time.

  • Buying three (3) plugins? — Save 15%

  • Buying four (4) plugins? — Save 20%

  • Buying five (5) or more? — Save 25%

This works for multiple seats of the same plugins, or single seats of different plugins. (Or a mixture thereof.)

Troubleshooting

Why can’t I authorize my Goodhertz plugins?

If you’re having trouble unlocking your plugins, please make sure that you have a stable internet connection and double check that the DAW is not blocking access to the internet via a firewall. Alternatively, you can permanently unlock the plugins for offline use with challenge/response files. Find out how to authorize your plugins offline here.

Why won’t the plugins show up in my DAW?

  • For Audio Unit plugins: This is most likely because the DAW is running in a 32-bit mode. If you launch the DAW in 64-bit mode, you should be able to see & hear our plugins. Some information on 64-bit operation in Logic 9 and Ableton Live.

    If you’re already using a 64-bit version of Ableton Live and can’t see our plugins, make sure that “Use Audio Units” is turned “On” in Preferences > Plug-Ins > Plug-in Sources.

    In rare circumstances, it may be necessary to clear your Audio Units cache in order to get newly-installed AU plugins to show up. This generally only happens if the cache has somehow been corrupted. Find out how to clear your cache here.

  • For AAX plugins: Most likely because you’re running an older version of Pro Tools that doesn't support 64-bit plugins. Goodhertz plugins are compatible with Pro Tools 11 and above.

  • For VST plugins: Depending on the DAW, your host may be looking for the plugins in C:\Program Files\Vstplugins while the default Goodhertz VST plugin install location is C:\Program Files\Steinberg\Vstplugins. This can be changed during installation in the "Set custom install locations" screen, or you can adjust the plugin scanning directories in your host's preferences.

Please note that several of our plugins (CanOpener Studio, Panpot, Midside, Midside Matrix, etc. ) require stereo inputs and/or outputs to operate and will only show up on tracks with the correct layout.

How do I clear my Audio Units cache?

This isn’t usually necessary, but if it is, here’s how you can clear your Audio Unit cache:

  • In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder… from the menu bar.
  • Type ~/Library/Caches in the “Go to the folder:” field & press the “Go” button.
  • Remove the folder (if it exists): AudioUnitCache
  • Remove the file (if it exists): com.apple.audiounits.cache

Where are the Goodhertz user/factory presets located on my hard drive?

  • Mac:

    1. Factory Presets: stored within the plugin bundle file
    2. User Presets: ~/Music/Goodhertz/GhzUserPresets.json

  • Windows:

    1. Factory Presets: C:\ProgramData\Goodhertz\PluginID\
    2. User Presets: C:\Users\Documents\Goodhertz\GhzUserPresets.json

Miscellaneous

How do I copy/paste Goodhertz plugin settings?

In Goodhertz plugins, an entire plugin’s settings can be copied and pasted as a URL like this one: https://goodhertz.co/tone-ctrl/settings?bg:2/tf:1000/tg:4.5/ts:84.

To copy a settings URL, right-click anywhere in a Goodhertz plugin and choose: “Copy all settings as URL to Clipboard.”

To paste, right-click anywhere and choose: “Paste all settings from Clipboard.”