Manuals
Install
Every plugin comes as an installer for Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). The demo and the paid version are the same download, so there's nothing to reinstall after you buy. Get them from the download page.
- Download the installer for all the plugins (it lets you tick the ones you want), or the installer for just one.
- Run it. Windows may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" box, because the installer is new; click More info, then Run anyway.
- The plugins go to
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Brightwork Audio, and each one also installs as a standalone app in your Start menu. - Open your DAW and rescan plugins if it doesn't do it by itself.
Ableton Live: open Settings → Plug-Ins, turn on Use VST3 Plug-In System Folders, and click Rescan. The plugins appear under Plug-Ins → Brightwork Audio. Instruments (Ingot and Anvil) go on MIDI tracks; everything else goes on audio tracks.
Other DAWs: the plugins are standard 64-bit VST3s, so any DAW that loads VST3 plugins should run them. We test in Ableton Live.
Standalone: each plugin also runs as its own app, without a DAW. Open its audio settings to choose your interface.
Mac: not yet. A Mac version is planned.
The demo
Every paid plugin is a free, full demo with no time limit. Everything works, and you can save presets and sessions. Until you add a key, the sound fades out for about two and a half seconds every 45 seconds, and a DEMO pill shows in the plugin's header. A few extra limits:
- Gild: files exported in Song mode include the gaps.
- Ingot: the factory presets play in the demo; extra preset packs need a key.
Sessions you make in the demo open exactly the same once you've bought the plugin. Earshot is free and has no demo limits at all.
Your licence key
When you buy, the key appears on the page straight after checkout, and arrives by email with the key file (.bwlicence) attached. One key covers everything on that order; the bundle's key covers every plugin.
To add your key:
- Open any Brightwork plugin and click the DEMO pill in its header.
- Paste the key from your email, load the key file, or drag the key file onto the panel.
- Every other Brightwork plugin on that computer finds it within a few seconds, including ones that are already open. You only do this once per computer.
No internet needed. The key is checked on your computer. The plugins never connect to the internet, so studio machines that are never online work the same as your laptop.
How many computers? All of your own. The key carries your name and order number, so please don't share it.
Lost your key? Reply to your key email, or contact us with your order email, and we'll send it again.
Updates
Updates that fix problems or add features are free. A major new version might cost something one day, but the version you bought keeps working. Download the latest installer and run it over the old one; your key, presets and sessions are kept. Your purchase is also covered by the licence agreement.
Presets and settings
Your own presets are plain files in your Documents folder, one folder per plugin (for example Documents\Bellows\Presets). Your keys are kept in %APPDATA%\Brightwork Audio\Licences. Copy them to move them to another computer. Window size and look are remembered per computer. Your project saves everything else, including any NAM captures and samples you loaded.
NAM captures
Quench, Cathode and Tuff can play Neural Amp Modeler captures (.nam files): recordings of real amps and pedals made by players around the world. Thousands are shared free at tone3000.com. Download one, then drag it onto the plugin, or click LOAD.
- Standard captures use more processor than the built-in amps. One per track is comfortable on most computers.
- The capture is saved inside your project, so the session still opens if you move the file.
- CALIBRATE plays into a capture at the level the real amp heard. Set it to your audio interface's maximum instrument input level, in dBu, which is listed in its manual.
Common problems
The plugin doesn't show up in my DAW. Check that your DAW scans C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 and rescan. If you tried test versions of the plugins before launch, the installer moves those out of the way so they aren't listed twice. In Ableton, turn on Use VST3 Plug-In System Folders. Make sure you're on 64-bit Windows.
The sound fades out every 45 seconds. That's the demo. Add your key to stop it.
I added my key but it still says DEMO. Check you pasted the whole key, with nothing missing from the start or end, or load the .bwlicence file instead. Each key unlocks the plugins on its own order, so a key for Cathode won't unlock Quench.
Crackles or high CPU. Raise your audio interface's buffer size (256 or 512 samples is a good start). On the amps, lower QUALITY while you're writing and raise it before you bounce. In Ingot, turn off HQ.
The timing is off. Make sure your DAW's delay compensation is on. Bellows, Gild and Triphammer report their delay to the DAW so it can line everything up. Change Bellows' Low Latency setting while playback is stopped.
The window is too big or too small. Drag the corner of the plugin window to resize it. Most plugins remember the size you leave them at.
Refunds
If a plugin won't run on your computer, tell us within 14 days and we'll refund it. Try the demo first, so you know it works for you.
Contact
Email support email goes here with your question, your Windows version, your DAW and which plugin it's about. We're a small studio; we answer every email ourselves, usually within two working days.