Q: What are VST, AU, AAX, RTAS plugins?

VST (Virtual Studio Technology) Introduced by Steinberg in 1996 in Cubase ver. 3.02. It is the most known interface type for effects and instruments. As of today VST has evolved into its 3rd version and is commonly referred to as VST3. VST is the most widely implemented format in the industry and is supported by DAWs such as Ableton, Cubase, Sonar and more. AU (AudioUnits) Mac OS X audio plug-in format developed for Core Audio. Some programs, such as Logic Pro, support only the AU format, while others, such as Digital Performer or REAPER, along with AU support other formats, such as VST. In addition, the AU format is used in Mac applications such as GarageBand, Soundtrack Pro, Final Cut Studio, Ardor, and Ableton Live. AAX AAX is a unified plugin format which comes in 2 variations: AAX DSP, AAX Native. AAX was introduced as Avid created a 64-bit version of Pro Tools, and this meant that a plugin format with 64-bit processing was required. With AAX, you can share sessions between DSP-accelerated Pro Tools systems and native-based Pro Tools systems and continue using the same plug-ins. RTAS Real-Time AudioSuite (RTAS) is a format of audio plug-in developed by Digidesign, currently Avid Technology for their Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered systems, although they can be run on Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools TDM systems. RTAS plug-ins use the processing power of the host computer rather than DSP cards used in the Pro Tools HD systems. From Pro Tools 11 and forward, Avid has made the AAX plug-in the only format supported by Pro Tools. Pro Tools 10.3.8 is the last version that will support RTAS.

Question 1

Cookies & Privacy Policy

Accepted Answer

This is the Cookie & Privacy Policy for keep-forest, accessible from keep-forest.com

What Are Cookies

As is common practice with almost all professional websites this site uses cookies, which are tiny files that are downloaded to your computer, to improve your experience. This page describes what information they gather, how we use it and why we sometimes need to store these cookies. We will also share how you can prevent these cookies from being stored however this may downgrade or 'break' certain elements of the sites functionality.

For more general information on cookies see the Wikipedia article on HTTP Cookies.

How We Use Cookies

We use cookies for a variety of reasons detailed below. Unfortunately in most cases there are no industry standard options for disabling cookies without completely disabling the functionality and features they add to this site. It is recommended that you leave on all cookies if you are not sure whether you need them or not in case they are used to provide a service that you use.

Disabling Cookies

You can prevent the setting of cookies by adjusting the settings on your browser (see your browser Help for how to do this). Be aware that disabling cookies will affect the functionality of this and many other websites that you visit. Disabling cookies will usually result in also disabling certain functionality and features of the this site. Therefore it is recommended that you do not disable cookies.

The Cookies We Set

Account related cookies

If you create an account with us then we will use cookies for the management of the signup process and general administration. These cookies will usually be deleted when you log out however in some cases they may remain afterwards to remember your site preferences when logged out.
Login related cookies

We use cookies when you are logged in so that we can remember this fact. This prevents you from having to log in every single time you visit a new page. These cookies are typically removed or cleared when you log out to ensure that you can only access restricted features and areas when logged in.
Email newsletters related cookies

This site offers newsletter or email subscription services and cookies may be used to remember if you are already registered and whether to show certain notifications which might only be valid to subscribed/unsubscribed users.
Orders processing related cookies

This site offers e-commerce or payment facilities and some cookies are essential to ensure that your order is remembered between pages so that we can process it properly.

Third Party Cookies

In some special cases we also use cookies provided by trusted third parties. The following section details which third party cookies you might encounter through this site.

Third party analytics are used to track and measure usage of this site so that we can continue to produce engaging content. These cookies may track things such as how long you spend on the site or pages you visit which helps us to understand how we can improve the site for you.

Financial Information

The website does not store your credit card and payment details on our server. The website retains details of your purchases and purchased products in your account, but no sensitive details relating to your payment methods are stored or handled by Keepforest.

Hopefully that has clarified things for you and as was previously mentioned if there is something that you aren't sure whether you need or not it's usually safer to leave cookies enabled in case it does interact with one of the features you use on our site.

However if you are still looking for more information then you can contact us through Communication or support@keep-forest.com

Question 2

How to download and install my product?

Accepted Answer

After purchased a product, you will be able to download in My purchases. You have to download the Keepforest Download Manager first. After that log in to the download manager using your account. The purchased products will be synchronized automatically with your account and ready for download.

Question 3

How to install Keepforest File Manager on MacOS Sierra or later?

Accepted Answer

If you get this dialog when trying to install the Keepforest Download Manager: "KeepForest Download Manager-1.0.x.dmg" can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software. This software needs to be updated. Contact the developer for more information."

Please follow these steps to allow apps from anywhere on MacOS Sierra and later:

Open Terminal on your Mac
Copy and paste this command sudo spctl --master-disable
Hit Enter, type in your password.
Go to System Preferences – Security & Privacy. You can see the third option “Anywhere” is selected. Now you can install the app downloaded from everywhere.
To turn off this option. Open Terminal and paste: sudo spctl --master-enable
Hit Enter and your permission is back to default.

Or try this video instruction

Install Keepforest Download Manager for MacOS

Question 4

How to request manual links for products?

Accepted Answer

If you are experiencing problems with downloading via Keepforest File Manager, you can request manual links for products.

1. Go to My Purchase menu
2. Choose a product that you want to download
3. Click on Download button
4. A new window appears and your can choose Request Manual Link. The links will be delivered to your email within 24 hours.

Question 5

I can’t find the links for Keepforest Download Manager.

Accepted Answer

When you click on Download on My purchases. It will open a new window with the link for the Keepforest File Manager.

For Mac users, the Keepforest File Manager is available on Appstore.

Question 6

My download keeps on failing? Do I have another try?

Accepted Answer

You can download your product as many times as you would like. If your installation fails then we recommend you do the following:

Delete the downloaded file completely off your system

Restart the Keepforest File Manager

Uninstall and reinstall the Keepforest File Manager. Make sure you are installing the latest version of the app

We also always recommend using a stable, wired internet connection as using WI-FI to download larger files can sometimes result in dropouts, therefore corrupting the download and deeming it unusable.

If you try all of the above and are still experiencing issues, please feel free to contact us on support@keep-forest.com with the following information:

Operating system you are using including its version number

Screenshots showing any errors you're receiving

Question 7

Do you offer educational discounts?

Accepted Answer

If you are a student, teacher or professor at any accredited institution worldwide (Berklee College of Music i.e, or other universities, schools, departments of music), you are eligible for 30% off the full price of all Keepforest products and discounts are not cumulative. You may provide us unexpired student ID cards and acceptance letters for students, and redacted contracts of employment or staff ID cards for teachers. If in doubt, please provide us with a couple of documents to look over. Please also ensure that any photos/scans are clear and readable. If your documentation is not in English, please consider including a translation.

Students of online music courses are not eligible for educational discounts.

Keepforest

Question 8

Difference between Kontakt And Kontakt Player

Accepted Answer

Keepforest offer a lot of sound libraries and virtual instruments for Kontakt and Kontakt Player software developed by Native Instruments. You may be aware of important difference between the two softwares.

Kontakt Player is a free sampler software engine that powers many of virtual instrument products. Instruments manufactured for the free Kontakt Player will run in the full version of Kontakt.

Kontakt is the industry-standard sampler sofware that many of virtual instruments and libraries require. Most of them won't not run on Kontakt Player and require a full paid version of Kontakt in order to work.

Question 9

The graphics of my instrument are not showing properly in Kontakt

Accepted Answer

You may have some errant data in the resources container. To resolve this, close Kontakt and navigate (in Finder or Windows Explorer) to the library with which you are experiencing the issue. Open the 'Samples' folder, and delete any files with a '.nkc' extension. Re-open Kontakt and open a preset from the library; the GUI issue should now be resolved.

Question 10

What are VST, AU, AAX, RTAS plugins?

Accepted Answer

VST (Virtual Studio Technology)

Introduced by Steinberg in 1996 in Cubase ver. 3.02. It is the most known interface type for effects and instruments. As of today VST has evolved into its 3rd version and is commonly referred to as VST3. VST is the most widely implemented format in the industry and is supported by DAWs such as Ableton, Cubase, Sonar and more.

AU (AudioUnits)

Mac OS X audio plug-in format developed for Core Audio. Some programs, such as Logic Pro, support only the AU format, while others, such as Digital Performer or REAPER, along with AU support other formats, such as VST. In addition, the AU format is used in Mac applications such as GarageBand, Soundtrack Pro, Final Cut Studio, Ardor, and Ableton Live.

AAX

AAX is a unified plugin format which comes in 2 variations: AAX DSP, AAX Native. AAX was introduced as Avid created a 64-bit version of Pro Tools, and this meant that a plugin format with 64-bit processing was required. With AAX, you can share sessions between DSP-accelerated Pro Tools systems and native-based Pro Tools systems and continue using the same plug-ins.

RTAS

Real-Time AudioSuite (RTAS) is a format of audio plug-in developed by Digidesign, currently Avid Technology for their Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered systems, although they can be run on Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools TDM systems. RTAS plug-ins use the processing power of the host computer rather than DSP cards used in the Pro Tools HD systems. From Pro Tools 11 and forward, Avid has made the AAX plug-in the only format supported by Pro Tools. Pro Tools 10.3.8 is the last version that will support RTAS.

Question 11

License Agreement

Accepted Answer

Welcome to KeepForest! By accessing or using our products or services, you agree to be bound by the terms of this End-User License Agreement (EULA). Please read the terms carefully before using our products or services. If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA, you are not authorized to use our products or services.

By installing any Keepforest product you accept the following license agreement.

Grant of License

In consideration of the license fee (“LICENSE FEE”) you paid (and for our FREE download packs), KeepForest grants a “MEDIA LICENSE” to you and your assignees (subject to the transfer limitations herein). The MEDIA LICENSE for this product is granted only to a single user. If you need more, special arrangements may be made on a case-by-case basis.

The usage of products (in particular samples, instruments, and presets) for the creation of a sound library or sample library, sample-based product, or other musical instrument is strictly prohibited. Individual samples, stems, sound sets, or audio loops may not be distributed (commercially or otherwise) standalone. Furthermore, these sound-based products provided by KeepForest, including Kontakt libraries, audio loops, sample packs, and stem files (collectively, the "CONTENT") may not be repackaged in whole or in part as audio samples, sound libraries, or sound effects. Use of a free edition of the products or their parts for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.

This license is non-transferable and expressly forbids resale.

You are not allowed to install the CONTENT on a network server without contacting KeepForest and obtaining a Network license for each workstation served on the network. In addition, you may not:

a. copy the CONTENT (except for making a backup copy on a second computer owned and used by you), disclose, publish, export, distribute, rent, lease, or sublicense the product;

b. remove any KeepForest trademarks or copyright notices from the CONTENT;

c. modify, translate, or create derivative works based on the CONTENT;

d. use the product in a computer-based services business or publicly display the visual output of the CONTENT;

e. transmit the CONTENT by audio, digital, or other electronic means or post the product on any file-sharing site.

The MEDIA LICENSE includes:

1. Mechanical rights

The right to re-record, duplicate and release the CONTENT as part of your product/production in whatever medium you choose (i.e. video tape, film, CD ROM, DVD, digital formats). This does not include the right to resell the CONTENT as a standalone product in whole or in parts.

2. Synchronization rights

The right to use the CONTENT as a soundtrack “synced” with visual images, or sounds as part of your product/production.

3. Public Performance Broadcast rights

The right to use the CONTENT as part of the public viewing or broadcast of your product/production, including but not limited to videos, DVDs, websites, podcasts, multimedia presentations, films, television, and radio.

The MEDIA LICENSE is granted worldwide and unlimited in time.

Users have the right to implement free editions of the products and/or only for non-commercial purposes

Scope of License:

All sound-based products provided by KeepForest, including Kontakt libraries, audio loops, sample packs, and stem files (collectively, the "CONTENT") are licensed, but not sold, to you by KeepForest for commercial, educational, and non-commercial use in any means and media now known or hereafter devised (e.g., videogame, radio, film and TV productions, audio/video post-production, interactive media, broadcast, online media, multimedia, or similar productions, including physical and digital distribution of such productions and any promotion or advertising related thereto) that are produced by you during the TERM of this AGREEMENT worldwide (altogether: "PRODUCTION").

This license strictly prohibits the unauthorized incorporation of the CONTENT into any library (such as a sample instrument, sound effects library, stem files, or production music company's SFX tool kit) online or offline without our explicit written permission. Additionally, you may not redistribute the CONTENT in any way, including but not limited to selling, trading, sharing, resampling, mixing, processing, isolating, or embedding into software or hardware, for the purpose of re-recording or reproducing it as part of any commercial or free library of musical and/or sound effect samples or articulations, or any system or device for playing back musical or sound effect samples.

You may not use the Content, nor any musical work, sound recording, track, stem, composition, production, derivative work, or other audio material created in whole or in part with the Content, for training, fine-tuning, developing, testing, validating, or operating any artificial intelligence, machine learning system, neural network, dataset, or generative model without KeepForest’s prior written consent.

This license strictly prohibits the use of any part of the CONTENT on the motionarray.com platform.

Use of Stem Files:

The MEDIA LICENSE grants you the right to use elements from our stem files in your PRODUCTION, as long as they are deeply edited and cut up so that they are not recognizable from the original. The use of entire stem files from a single composition is not allowed, as this would violate the intellectual property of the original creators and fail to properly credit and compensate their work. We encourage you to get creative with our stem files and use them as inspiration for your own compositions. Remember to respect the terms of use and always deeply edit and cut up the stems to create something truly original.

Refund Policy:

All purchases are final and non-refundable. We are unable to accept returns on downloaded products. However, in rare cases, we may make exceptions to this policy at our discretion.

Termination

This EULA will remain in effect until terminated by you or KeepForest. You may terminate this EULA at any time by destroying all copies of the CONTENT in your possession or control. KeepForest may terminate this EULA at any time if you breach any of the terms contained herein. Upon termination, you must destroy all copies of the CONTENT in your possession or control.

KEEPFOREST LLC

support@keep-forest.com

Question 12

Are all samples on Keepforest royalty-free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You have a broad royalty-free license for every sample that you download from Keepforest.

Question 13

Can I use samples from Keepforest in a music composition for a movie or video game?

Accepted Answer

You can use Keepforest samples in a composition. If you wish for your composition to be included in an audio-visual work, you have that option being the full owner of your composition.

Question 14

Can I use sounds/samples from a sample library (Keepforest, Boom Library, etc.) as source materials for creating my own sound library for distribution?

Accepted Answer

No. You are usually limited to using sound samples (from sample libraries and sfx collections) in a music composition only. Using samples from libraries or packs as layers in order to create new materials for a new sound sample product does not constitute as a musical context, and then sell or distribute them is prohibited. A sample library or SFX toolkit should be made from scratch, using your own source material and creative and original synthesis (not using ready-made presets). You also may not transfer, broadcast, stream, redistribute or use downloaded samples except as incorporated into a music product. Please see each company's/developer's EULA for the full list of restrictions and limitations. Rendering and using samples of Keepforest for selling on audio stock websites (i.e. Audiojungle, Motion Array, etc.) as logos, sound effects, and other audio items of less than 15 sec and not in a music composition is prohibited.

Question 15

Can I use stems for commercial use?

Accepted Answer

We offer a wide range of stem files for use in your musical compositions. These stem files contain individual elements of a track, such as drums, bass, synths, piano, guitars, FX  which can be used to create your own unique sounds and arrangements.

While you are welcome to use elements from our stem files in your compositions, it is important to deeply edit and cut up the stems so that they are not recognizable from the original. The use of entire stem files from a single composition is not allowed, as this would violate the intellectual property of the original creators and fail to properly credit and compensate their work.

We encourage you to get creative with our stem files and use them as inspiration for your own compositions. Remember to respect the terms of use and always deeply edit and cut up the stems to create something truly original. Thank you for using our stem files responsibly.

Question 16

Can I use these samples for commercial use?

Accepted Answer

The license for samples you download from Keepforest can be used for commercial and non-commercial uses as long as the samples are a part of your music composition or comply with the Terms of Use of brands under our distribution. You may not use as standalone sound effects or loops, or to create new samples or compete with Keepforest or our sample providers. You also may not transfer, broadcast, stream, redistribute or use your sample except as incorporated into a music product.

Question 17

Do I have 100% ownership of my composition if I use samples?

Accepted Answer

You have ownership of your composition made with samples purchased on Keepforest, but as a reminder, you don’t own the copyright to samples. Other users can use the same samples without infringing on your track and vice versa. When you purchase a samplepack from Keepforest, you are not obtaining ownership of the sounds - you are in fact purchasing a license to use the sounds within your musical compositions, whether or not your compositions are released commercially. The original producer of the sounds will always remain the owner of the sounds.

Question 18

Do I lose this license if I cancel my Keepforest account?

Accepted Answer

The samples you've downloaded are still covered under the royalty-free license if you decide to cancel or pause your Keepforest subscription.

Question 19

What would be considered a sample in isolation?

Accepted Answer

Using a sample in isolation, in reference to our terms of service, would be taking a sample from Keepforests and not using the sample with other audio elements.

Question 20

Cart

Accepted Answer

The Cart displays the items you want to buy, takes customer information, calculates costs, applies coupons, and connects with payment gateways to complete the checkout process.

Question 21

Communication

Accepted Answer

You can contact us here for support. All the dialog history with our experts is saved and can be accessed in this section.

Question 22

Coupons

Accepted Answer

All your coupons are located in this section.

Question 23

My Purchases

Accepted Answer

My Purchases is where all your purchased libraries, virtual instruments, effect plugins, softwares are kept. You can download your purchases from here.

Question 24

Settings

Accepted Answer

You can edit your profile, password, subscription preferences, etc. in this section

Question 25

Wishlist

Accepted Answer

You can create personalized collections of products you consider to buy and save them in your wishlist for future reference.

Question 26

Do I have to create an account to make a purchase?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you have to register a Keepforest account to make a purchase with us. After making a purchase, your product downloads/license codes will be available for you in My Purchases section. The purchases will be downloaded via Keepforest Download Manager. The benefit of My Purchases and Keepforest Download Manager allows you to keep and access all of your downloads and licenses purchased on Keepforest Store in one safe place.

Question 27

Having problems with your payment?

Accepted Answer

The payment is processed via FastSpring platform. We accept Credit/Debit cards, Paypal, Wire Transfer

If you are having problems with checking out your items and making a payment, we suggest that you try the following steps:

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Please try clearing your cookies & cache and then trying to make the payment again.

Try Using A Different Browser
We recommend trying to check out using a different browser in case the browser is having issues connecting to your bank or PayPal account.

Checking Your Payment Details
Issues can occur when the billing address you have entered in our check out or the billing address you have saved in your Plugin Boutique account doesn't match with the address that you have your bank account registered to. We recommend making sure that they match. You can edit the address that you have saved in your Keepforest account.

Contacting Your Bank/Card Provider
If you are still having issues with making a purchase, we recommend contact your bank/card provider (especially if you are a new customer and this is your first purchase). This is to ensure that they are not blocking the payment from their end as this seems to often be the case for customers experiencing this problem.

Checking That We Can Accept Your Payment Method
We currently accept MasterCard, Visa, as well as payments via Paypal. We are not able to accept cash, money orders, cheques, American Express, PayPal Credit or Paypal/Credit Gift Cards.

Question 28

How to check out and apply VAT with FastSpring

Accepted Answer

It's important to apply VAT to your purchase depending on your country.

1. When you click the Proceed to checkout button, a FastSpring window will appear.

2. To apply VAT to your purchase, please set the country where you are making purchase from by clicking on the flag on the upper right corner and a list of countries will open.

3. Choose your country and the VAT will automatically apply to the product. The price will be converted to your local currency by FastSpring for convenient.

Question 29

How to use a coupon?

Accepted Answer

In your Shopping Cart, click on the Select Coupon button, select a coupon and it will be automatically applied to your purchase. Now you can proceed to checkout.

Question 30

What is your refund policy?

Accepted Answer

Keepforest does not refund for the following products:

Where there is a demo trial available. At Keepforest we will offer trial versions for products when available, with the sole purpose of allowing customers to try before they buy. We strongly encourage customers to install these trial versions if they are available to ensure they will work on their system prior to purchasing.
Where the serial has been registered/activated, the product has been used and is displaying no signs of technical fault. At Keepforest we sell a range of different products with varying registration/activation methods. Once the product has been registered, activated or if downloading has commenced, you will not be able to receive a refund under any circumstances (unless the product is faulty or not fit for use, in which case you have the right to have your product repaired or replaced). Fully functioning products where no license is required are also non-refundable.

Products that were purchased in an incorrect format for your system. We clearly state on all product pages the relevant information, in regards to a product’s system requirements. Customers bear the responsibility to have the correct knowledge of the minimum product system requirements.

Where the serial has been registered/activated, the product has been used and is displaying no signs of technical fault. At Keepforest we sell a range of different products with varying registration/activation methods. Once the product has been registered, activated or if downloading has commenced, you will not be able to receive a refund under any circumstances (unless the product is faulty or not fit for use, in which case you have the right to have your product repaired or replaced). Fully functioning products where no license is required are also non-refundable.

If you believe that you qualify for a refund, please email support@keep-forest.com with the following information:

Your order number and your Keepforest registered email address.
A brief description of which system and DAW - and the exact version you are using (eg. OS X, Version 10.11.6/ Logic X)
A reason for your refund request. If the issue is technical, we require a description of the problem and screenshots, if possible.

Question 31

Where can I find my invoice?

Accepted Answer

After purchasing a product, a receipt with your order number will be automatically sent to your email address. To see your invoice, please go to the mail and click on "View Invoice"

FAQ