Aquarius Desktop application online user guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION
• QUICK GUIDE
• AQUARIUS DESKTOP PAGES
• AQUARIUS DESKTOP SETTINGS
• DEVICE AUTHORIZATION
• THE STAGE AREA
• CREATE SUPPORT DATA FILE

The Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) is Acustica's manager application for downloading, installing, and authorizing your products for macOS and Windows operating systems.

By using the Aquarius Web services, it's possible to de-authorize your products on non-accessible computers to recover your old authorization slots.

Prerequisites:

• Supported macOS or Windows operating system.
• macOS 10.15 64-bits operating system or higher (Apple Silicon M computers are also supported).
• Windows 10 21H1 64-bit operating system or higher (Windows 7 and 8.1 are not supported).
• Fast and reliable internet connection (offline mode is not possible).
• An account in Acustica Audio with mandatory email user-name format (example@example.com).
• Enough free space in the SSD or HDD for downloading, storing, and installing the products.
• Working and up-to-date GPU drivers.
• Working Acustica Audio framework (installed with the products).
• Have Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.1 or superior working and accessible.
• Have Internet ports: 80, 443, 8080, and 17500, open and accessible.
• Up-to-date Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (MSVC) for Windows operating systems.

NOTE: Avoid using unsupported beta or non-officially supported operating systems.

IMPORTANT: Your antivirus or antimalware application may conflict with the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA)installation process. We recommend you stop your antivirus and/or antimalware if you detect conflicts.

Downloading Aquarius Desktop application for macOS:

1. Go to the Acustica Audio website with the link: https://www.acustica-audio.com.
2. Click on Installation with the link: https://www.acustica-audio.com/pages/plugins-installation.
3. Click on the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) download for macOS.

Downloading Aquarius Desktop application for Windows:

1. Go to the Acustica Audio website with the link: https://www.acustica-audio.com.
2. Click on Installation with the link: https://www.acustica-audio.com/pages/plugins-installation.
3. Click on the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) download for Windows.

Installing Aquarius Desktop application for macOS:

1. Run the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) setup file.
2. Click on next.
3. Click on install.
4. Click on finish.

Installing Aquarius Desktop application for Windows:

1. Run the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) setup file.
2. Click on continue.
3. Click on continue.
4. Click on agree.
5. Click on continue.
6. Click on continue.
7. Click on install.
8. Enter your macOS password.
9. Click on Install software.
10. Click on close.

Log in to the Aquarius Desktop application:

When you open up the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) for the first time, you will be prompted to enter your user
name (email format) and password, the same one you used during the registration process on the Acustica Audio website.

After log-in to your account, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will perform a scan of the products you have and then will create a local inventory. This process may take a few minutes, depending on the number of products you have and your internet connection speed.

When the account scan has finished, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will be ready to work, and in the upper left area will report the running version and current user name you are using.

By clicking on the Remember me box, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will remember your credentials, and you won't need to enter them again.

After log-in to your account, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will perform a scan of the products you have and then will create a local inventory. This process may take a few minutes, depending on the number of products you have and your internet connection speed.

The main toolbar has three sections, the left section, the right section, and the main or center section.

• In the main (central) section, you can find the home page button, the purchased page button, the search page button, and the updates button.
• In the left section, you can find the Aquarius logo, which can be used to refresh the Aquarius status by clicking on the logo or making the support window pop up by doing a control key plus the mouse right-clicking.
• In the right section, you can find the progress bar, the purge icon, and the settings icon.

The Aquarius Desktop pages:

The Aquarius desktop application (ADA) is organized into four main pages that are located in the top central section of the graphical user interface.

• Home page: On the home page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) shows products and their popularity in the form of charts. The home page includes information like the latest products available, the most recent updates, the top-selling plug-ins, and so on.
• Purchased page: On the product page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) shows you the products currently owned or that you have tried in the past. You can also use this page for installing your products.
• Search page: On the search page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) allows users to search for products or groups of products.
• Updates page: On the updates page, the Aquarius Desktop Application (ADA) will allow you to update your products. Clicking on the drop-down makes it possible to re-authorize, de-authorize, uninstall or downgrade your products. The guess mark helps to understand the product authorization status.
• Subscriptions page: On the subscriptions page, the Aquarius Desktop Application (ADA) will allow you to check the status of your subscriptions.
• Product page: On the product page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) shows additional product information like a long product description, a link to the developer's webpage, a link to the user manual, and other information and related products. You can access this product page from the other Aquarius pages by clicking on the product thumbnail, name, or category, and you can always return to the previous page by clicking on the go-back link.
  On this page, you can choose the product format to install, and by clicking on the install button, Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will install the product.

Installing a product:
The Purchased page contains your purchased products supported by Aquarius Desktop application (ADA). Each product is presented in the form of a product strip. To install a commercial or trial product, select the plug-in format among VST2, VST3, AAX, or AU formats and click the install button. Your product will be downloaded, installed, and authorized automatically.

1. Before undertaking any changes to your computer system, we strongly recommend developing and running a contingency plan that integrates a solid and reliable backup system.
2. Close your audio host (DAW or NLE).
3. Run the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA).
4. Log-in to your Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) using your username, email, and your password.
5. Go to the purchased page and scroll down until you find the product to install.
6. Select the correct plug-in format for the installation from the drop-down menu.
7. Click on install.
8. The Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will automatically download, install, and authorize the product.

The progress bar at the top of the Aquarius desktop will keep you informed of its progress. This is the main progress bar, which will always tell you what Aquarius Desktop is doing. While a product is being downloaded or installed, putting other products on hold is possible. As soon as the first installation is complete Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will continue with the next selected product.

NOTE: If needed, the install button will remain available to install other plug-in formats.

IMPORTANT: Trial products expire 30 days after the authorization, and we strongly recommend not using them in commercial sessions or any important project. They will appear in your list of plug-ins with a T (for trial) at the end of the plug-in name.

Updating and uninstalling a product:
On the Updates page, you can update your installed products with newer (upgrade) or older (downgrade) releases by

Clicking the drop-down menu on the right. You can also uninstall products from here. Uninstalling a product will automatically de-authorize the product as well.

Clicking on the drop-down also makes it possible to re-authorize and de-authorize your products. This is an important functionality in case you will make major changes to your computer system, for example, hardware changes or big operating system updates.

NOTE: Only products installed through the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) can be uninstalled through it.

IMPORTANT: Most of the product problems are solved by uninstalling the current version and installing the latest version.

Getting assistance:

The Acustica Audio single point of contact (SPOC) is the Acustica Audio help-desk portal. To access to Acustica Audio help-desk portal go to the Acustica Audio website and then to the support section. We do not provide help, assistance, or support via social networks, public forums, or through our email accounts.

The Home page:
On the home page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) shows products and their popularity through charts. The home page includes information like the latest products, most recent updates, top-selling plug-ins, and so on.

Products are grouped into multiple sections, and each product is presented in the form of a product strip, similar to those found on the Purchased page. Clicking on any product thumbnail, category name, or more button will open the Product page.

The Purchased page:
On the product page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) shows you the products you currently own or that you have tried in the past. You can also use this page for installing your products.

Products are presented in the form of strips using several sections, and the installation process will always install the latest version of the selected product. Clicking on the product thumbnail or name category will open the Product page.
While a product is being downloaded or installed, putting other products on hold is possible. As soon as the first installation is complete Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will continue with the next selected product.

More and install buttons: When the more button is available instead of the install button, it means that it is a commercial product and is not currently available on your account because it has not been purchased yet. The question mark button will show a hint about possible actions which can be taken.

With the install all button, you can install all products available on the purchased page as a batch process. Aquarius will
create a download and installation sequence starting from the first product to the last. If you click on stop, the entire installation batch stops.

You can filter your purchased products using the filter box. The filter only applies to the product name. To remove the filter, click on the cross.

The Search page: 

On the search page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) allows users to search for products or groups of products.

Each search result is presented in the form of a ‘product’ strip, similar to the purchased page, and clicking on a product thumbnail, name category, or install button, will open the product page.

The Updates page: 

On the updates page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will allow you to update the status of your products. Clicking on the dropdown makes it possible to re-authorize, de-authorize, uninstall, or downgrade your products. The guess mark helps to understand the product authorization status.

To install a product update, select desired update release from the menu; the update description and size will be displayed, and then click on the update button. The product will be updated and authorized automatically. If multiple updates are available in this section, you can install all of them using the update all button.

• To downgrade a product, select the old release in the menu options and click on the update button.
• To re-authorize a product, select re-authorize in the menu options and click on the re-authorize button.
• To de-authorize a product, select de-authorize in the menu options and click on the de-authorize button.
• To uninstall a product, select the uninstall in the menu options and click on the uninstall button.

The Subscriptions page:

On the subscriptions page, the Aquarius Desktop Application (ADA) will allow you to check the status of your subscriptions.

By clicking on the manage link,  Aquarius Desktop Application (ADA) will run your web browser to the website subscriptions section.

To use products in the subscription model, it is mandatory to have access to a reliable internet connection since Aquarius Desktop Application (ADA) needs to renew authorizations every 30 days.

A subscription autorenewal service will run on each Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) runs, and in case you see an exclamation symbol on the subscription icon, a product authorization related to the subscription needs to be renewed.

The Product page:

On the product page, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) shows additional product information like a long product description, a link to the developer's web page, a link to the user manual, and other information and related products. You can access this product page from the other Aquarius Desktops application (ADA) pages by clicking on the product thumbnail, name, or category, and you can always return to the previous page by clicking on the go-back link.

On this page, you can choose the product format to install, and by clicking on the install button, the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will download, install, and authorize the product automatically.
NOTE: You can use the product page to add related trial products simply by clicking on the trial product thumbnail.

The Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) settings are located in the upper right corner with the icon of a nut. This menu includes four options: logout, settings, help, and exit. The settings window contains three main tabs: the search paths tab, the installation tab, and the activations tab.

The search paths tab:

The search paths tab contains two sub-sections. The upper section shows the factory-defined product(s) search paths. All standard paths are covered, so installing your products into standard folders will all be found in the searching and scanning process. The factory list cannot be changed, and In case you have some or all of your plug-ins installed in non-standard folders, you can use the lower section to add them.

On the user-defined paths, you can add folders, which will then be included in the product(s) searching and scanning process. Use the plus button to add new paths and the minus button to delete the existing path(s). Use the x button to delete all existing user-defined paths. You should confirm the changes with the save button, which will close the settings window, and then the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will scan your installed products.

The installation tab:

The installation tab contains two sub-sections. The upper section contains a set of options. We recommend you not change the installation settings if you do not know the exact effect of each of these options.

• Engine type: standard is the default recommended configuration.
• Preferred acqua format: select your preferred plug-in format for your products in single product installations and in mass installations using the Install all and in others queue functions.
• VSTGUI3: Enable this option only if you are installing products in obsolete 32-bit operating systems. Caution,
  compatibility is not guaranteed.
• x86 (32 bits) installers: Enable this option only if you install obsolete 32-bit products. Caution,
  compatibility is not guaranteed.
• Optimize purchased view: enable this option to remove trial products on the purchased page.
• Acqua library setups: enables Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) to create Acqua Effect setup plug-ins in VST, AAX, and AU formats from an N4 library. It is mandatory that N4 is pre-installed to make this feature work.
• Always show the trash icon: force the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) to show the trash icon on the main Aquarius user interface.
• Helper tool enabled: enables to use of bash commands on macOS with the helper tool application (available on macOS only).

The lower section contains the option to set custom paths for the stage area, the product installation path(s) and the
N4 shared and repository path. We recommend you not change the installation settings if you do not know the exact effect of each option.

• The stage area is where Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) downloads and unzips the product files before installing them.
  When installing, reinstalling, or updating a product that has already been downloaded, its files from the
  stage area are re-used instead of being downloaded again. This way, the installation process is much faster. When Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) runs for the first time, it creates a default standard path for the stage area but you can at any time. You can purge the installation files also from here by clicking on the purge button.
• VST2 x64 path: sets a custom path for the VST2 plug-in format.
• VST2 x86 path: sets a custom path for the VST2 plug-in format (normally in grey). 
• VST3 x64 path: sets a custom path for the VST3 plug-in format.
• VST3 x86 path: sets a custom path for the VST3 plug-in format (normally in grey). 
• N4 repository path: sets a custom path for the N4 shared repository folder (the factory paths are usually the most appropriate).
• AAX presets path: sets a custom path for the AAX format product presets (the factory paths are usually the most appropriate).
• Products re-scan: this button is used to delete the file product cache file.
  
  

IMPORTANT: If you decide to change the destination of the stage area, make sure that it is always inside a folder since everything in that path will be deleted when purging.

NOTE: Every path used for the VST plug-ins installation is automatically added to the User-defined product search paths on the Search Paths page. This way, all products will be detected, even if you’ve changed the plug-in path after the installation. A custom path is impossible for AAX or AU plug-in formats.

The Activations tab:
On this tab, you can redeem activation codes using the Aquarius Desktop application (ADA). Keep in mind that activations codes or no discount coupons.

Your products are automatically authorized by Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) when installed or updated. If a product is installed for the first time on a particular computer, a new authorization slot will be used, and the number of
available authorization slots for the product will be decreased by one.

Manual authorization or re-authorization is available on the updates page, and you can see the number of used authorizations and the total number of available authorizations. Of course, you can not use more authorizations than you own. In that case, you should retrieve your authorization slots by using the https://www.acustica-audio.com/purchased services.

Depending on those two numbers and the computers involved in the authorization process, the question
mark button can have different colors and meanings.

GREEN: It means everything is correct. Your product is properly authorized, and you don’t need to
do anything. You should use the authorization button only if you experience unexpected problems with the
product, despite it being properly authorized. Your existing license slot will be re-used, and the used
authorization count will not increase.

RED: No further action is possible. The authorization button is unavailable, and for more information, you should contact the Acustica Audio help desk service. To access to Acustica Audio help-desk portal, go to the Acustica Audio website and then to the support section. We do not provide help, assistance, or support via social networks, public forums, or through our email accounts.

The de-authorization process frees a license slot and increases the number of available license slots by one. Manual de-authorization is available on the updates page, and you can see the number of used authorizations and the total number of available authorizations. Just to let you know, products are automatically de-authorized when are uninstalled, so the de-authorize button should only be used if you want to de-authorize a product without uninstalling it.

If you have installed multiple plug-in formats (VST2, VST3, AAX, and AU) of a single product on the same computer, uninstalling or manually de-authorizing any of them will de-authorize all product formats. The quick solution is to re-authorize any of the product formats which are still installed on your system. This will re-authorize all formats in one step.

The Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) stores downloaded files in the stage area folder. The stage area path is defined in the settings installation tab. When installing, re-installing, or updating a product that has already been downloaded, its files from the stage area are re-used instead of being downloaded again. This way, the installation process is much faster. 

• The default path for the stage area in macOS operation systems is "~/Documents/Acustica/Aquarius/" (without quotes).
• The default path for the stage area in Windows operation systems is: "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Acustica\Aquarius\" (without quotes).

When files are not found in the stage area, they are downloaded from Acustica Audio cloud servers. The download bar located inside the product update strip will show you the download and installation progress. 

You can purge installation files from the stage area at any time, but we suggest you keep them, if possible, as a safe backup and also to speed up download and installation time.

The installation process can be stopped by clicking on the stop button. In this case, already downloaded files will not be deleted. If you decide to repeat the installation, Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) will resume the task and download only the missing files.

Some products have dependencies between the main product and additional products or packs. The Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) allows you to automatically manage these dependencies by updating the different products or packs to the most appropriate version.

If you see an error dialogue during the installation, carefully read the message and act accordingly. Errors
are rare, but they can happen because of a few possible reasons: locked files, not enough privileges,
corrupted downloads, etc. In most cases, repeating the installation fixes the problem.

You can also reveal your stage area using the support window pop-up by doing a control key plus the mouse right-clicking and then clicking on the reveal stage area.

NOTES:

• Acqua libraries for N4 and Nebula libraries for N4 require N4 or N4 Player to be installed first.
• N4 and N4 player uninstallation will not remove installed Acqua libraries for N4 and Nebula libraries for N4.

IMPORTANT: Your audio host (DAW or NLE) should not be active during Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) operations. Additionally, if your computer hasn’t been rebooted or turned off for a period of time, please restart it before using Aquarius Desktop application (ADA).

In case of Aquarius Desktop application (ADA) malfunctions, activate the log file generation, replicate the problem in the computer system, and then generate the Support Data File (SDF). You should add the Support Data File (SDF) when requesting assistance at the help-desk portal.

The Acustica Audio single point of contact (SPOC) is the Acustica Audio help-desk portal. In order to access to Audio help-desk portal go to the Acustica Audio website and then to the support section. We do not provide help, assistance, or support via social networks, public forums, or through our email accounts.