DarkFire Manual
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The signal is first sent through the input filter before being sent through the saturator. The saturator generates additional harmonics that are then separated from the original signal. This added signal is then processed with the harmonics shaper section and output filter. This processed signal is then layered with the original dry signal.

Input Filter

HP controls the frequency of the input high-pass filter. The input filter processes the signal before it is saturated.

LP controls the frequency of the input low-pass filter. The input filter processes the signal before it is saturated.

Harmonics Shaper

INPUT DRIVE controls the amount of gain applied to the input of the saturator.

HARMONICS LEVEL controls the level of processed signal added to the dry signal.

LOW controls the gain of the EQ's low-band. It is modelled on a classic passive tube equalizer.

MID controls the gain of the EQ's mid-band. It is modelled on a classic passive tube equalizer.

HIGH controls the gain of the EQ's high-band. It is modelled on a classic passive tube equalizer.

COMP controls the amount of dynamic compression. It is modelled on classic analogue compressors.

STEREO controls the amount of stereo content. In the middle position, the signal is not changed. Turning left reduces the stereo image until becoming completely mono. Turning right increases the stereo width and can even produce stereo content from a mono signal.

DEPTH controls the amount of "3D depth", it is a psychoacoustic trick caused by multiple short delays.

MOD controls the depth of the modulation effect. It generates copies of the signal and modulates the pitch, creating a chorus/unison type effect.

Output Filter

HP controls the frequency of the output high-pass filter.

LP controls the frequency of the output low-pass filter.

Advanced Options

Pressing the "ADV" button in the toolbar shows additional filter and harmonics shaper settings.

SLOPE selects the filter types for each filter.

FREQ selects the frequencies for the 3-band EQ.

COMP TYPE selects the compressor type from VCA or FET.

STEREO TYPE selects if the widening is applied to the FULL frequency range or only the HIGH frequencies.

DEPTH TYPE selects the delay length for the depth effect. 

MOD TYPE selects the modulation rate.

SAT TYPE selects the type of saturation from TAPE or TUBE.

PRESS enables a compander that saturates the quieter levels more.

Toolbar

LISTEN mutes the dry signal, allowing you to hear only the added harmonics caused by saturation.

OS enables 8X oversampling.

AGC enables automatic gain compensation, which matches the loudness of the output to the input.

LIMITER enables a safety limiter on the output of the plugin, ensuring the signal does not exceed 0dB.

POWER - Disables the plugin's processing.

ACTIVATE - Opens a browser to locate the licence file to unlock the full version.

COPY - Takes the settings from the currently selected A or B slot and copies them into the other slot. 

A & B - Switches between two states of the plugin. This can be used to make better decisions by directly comparing the before and after.

UNDO/REDO - Will revert back one step to help avoid the accidental change of parameter values.

Presets and left-right arrows

The plugin comes with a set of presets, which should do the trick for most cases or give you a good starting point when tweaking your sound. Access them using the right and left arrows, or by clicking the preset field directly. You can save and manage your own presets there as well. In your computer, presets are stored in the following paths:

Windows: C:\Users\username\Documents\JMGSound\DarkFire

macOS X:  HOME/Documents/JMGSound/DarkFire

Right-click menu

Right-click anywhere in the plugin background with the right mouse button, and you will get access to the following features.
Scale GUI precisely by per cent.
Get the version info.
Access product web page, reach support and access online documentation.  
Contact support
Open the presets folder (to add, arrange or delete presets manually)
Activate/Deactivate the plugin
Access Licence Manager (to activate or deactivate the plugin or several plugins at the same time)
Disable/Enable GPU Acceleration.
Disable/Enable Intelligent sleep on silence function that disables the plugin when no sound is on input or output to save the CPU power. 
Right-click any control (knob, button) to access help for the particular parameter. 

Installation and maintenance

Installation is a quick and simple process involving downloading and using a standard installer on both platforms, Windows and Mac OS X. The installer places the plugins and presets into proper locations so that your DAW can easily find it. The plugin is available for all relevant interfaces: VST, VST3, AAX and AU. Note that on OS X since High Sierra you may need to restart your computer to make your DAW find new plugins.

If you are in trouble, please contact us at support@unitedplugins.com.

Updating

Updating the plugin to the newest version is as simple as using the newest installer.

Uninstallation

Windows: You can either use the link to the uninstaller in the start menu by typing DarkFire, for example, or it can be accessed via Control panels / Applications /

macOS X: First, delete the plugin files manually from :

AU: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

VST: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST

VST: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3

AAX: /Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins

Then, if you really want to get rid of all data created by the plugin, remove the following folders as well:

HOME/Documents/JMGSound/DarkFire

HOME/Library/Application Support/JMGSound/DarkFire

Note: Since OS X 10.7 (Lion), many folders are marked as hidden by default. To make them visible again in Finder, please follow this tutorial:

https://ianlunn.co.uk/articles/quickly-showhide-hidden-files-mac-os-x-mavericks/

Trial and activation

DarkFire is initially in demo mode, which lets you evaluate the plugin. Try it in your mixing/mastering sessions, and make sure it really does the trick. When ready, purchase a licence from our shop or any of our resellers. You will receive a so-called licence file, which you download to your computer. The plugin displays an ACTIVATE button when in trial mode. Click it and select the licence file. The plugin will check the licence and activate the licence on your computer. After you restart your DAW, the plugin will be activated and will work indefinitely without restrictions. You can use the plugin on all your computers.

Support

Now that you’ve taken the time to learn all about DarkFire, enjoy and make your sound awesome! If our plug-ins helped you take your production to the next level, let us know, we’d love to hear from you and what you were able to create with our software.

If you encounter any problems, we offer free technical support for all registered users. Start with the frequently asked questions here:

http://www.unitedplugins.com/faq

If you need further assistance, you can find our Customer Support contact form at:

http://www.unitedplugins.com/contact

You can also reach our support staff by e-mail at:

support@unitedplugins.com