FirePresser Manual
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FirePresser Controls
FirePresser's nice-looking simple user interface easily adapts to your screen - it will be the same size on any screen, whether it is low-DPI or modern high-DPI / retina. You can always drag the arrow in the bottom right corner to change its size - make it smaller to save the valuable screen space, or enlarge it to make it easier to use.
DRY/WET - Using FirePresser is very easy. In most cases, all you need is the DRY/WET knob. Increase its value to get more enhancement and vice versa. Be careful. Always keep in mind that sometimes less is better.
RAINBOW PAD - Move the white dot on the pad to determine how much each of the four compressors affects the processed signal. The coloured meters show how engaged is each device in the compression chain.
ORDER - The coloured boxes under the Rainbow Pad show the signal flow between particular compressors. In this picture case, it means the signal enters the vari-mu compressor first and the last segment is 1176 compressor. You may freely reorder the chain by simply dragging and dropping any of coloured boxes to a place of your desire.
TURBO - For more intense compression effect, dial the Turbo. That increases input gain and compression level at the same time adding some extra squash.
SATURATOR - Controls additional analogue-style saturation colouring the signal.
INPUT & OUTPUT - FirePresser features handy input and output peak meters and gain controls. Their meaning is self-explanatory. But it's a good thing to note that for optimal results input level should stay in say -10dB to -30dB range.
Detector
LINK - Decide whether each channel will be compressed separately (0%) or the same amount of compression will be applied on both channels (100%).
ATTACK - Sets up attack time of the four compressors.
RELEASE - Determines the release time of all the compressors.
LOW CUT - Frequencies below the selected point (20Hz-1kHz) will not be affected by the compression chain.
HIGH CUT - Frequencies above the selected point (100Hz-20kHz) will not be affected by the compression chain.
Other Controls
FirePresser features several standard controls, which can improve your workflow.
A, B and Copy buttons - The plugin remembers 2 sets of settings, A and B. Clicking any of these 2 buttons switches between these 2 settings. The selected one is highlighted in red. This is a great way for A/B checking and selecting the best settings. "Copy" button copies the current settings to the other slot (if A is currently selected, the button will copy the current settings to slot B).
Presets and right and left arrows - The plugin comes with a set of presets, which should do the trick for most cases. Access them using the right and left arrows, or by clicking the preset field directly. There you can save and manage your own presets as well. On your computer presets are stored in the following paths:
Windows:
C:\Users\username\Documents\FireSonic\FirePresser
Mac OS X:
HOME/Documents/FireSonic/FirePresser
Undo and Redo buttons - All of us make a mistake from time to time, which is when these two buttons come in handy. Undo button reverts your last change, Redo puts it back.
Bypass button - It is always a good idea to check if the plugin actually improves your sound, which is what the bypass button is for. In many DAWs it will be in sync with the DAW's bypass button (if it has one).
Right-Click
Right-click anywhere in the plugin background with the right mouse button and you will get access to following features.
Change oversampling settings (Plugins that support oversapling only)
Scale GUI precisely by per-cent.
Get the version info.
Access product web page, reach support and access online documentation.
Contact support
Open 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 Intellingent 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.
Double-Click Menu
Some parameters let you access more accurate numeric settings by double-clicking the knobs.
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.
Updating
Updating the plugin to the newest version is as simple as using the newest installer.
Uninstallation on Windows
You can either use the link to the uninstaller in the start menu by typing FirePresser for example or it can be accessed via Control panels / Applications /
Uninstallation on Mac OS 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/FireSonic/FirePresser
HOME/Library/Application support/FireSonic/FirePresser
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.
Trial and activation
Initially, FirePresser is in demo mode. That lets you evaluate the plugin, try it in your mixing/mastering sessions and make sure it really does the trick. When ready, purchase a license from our shop (by clicking on the FirePresser logo in the middle) or any of our resellers. You will receive a so-called license file, which you download to your computer. The plugin displays an ACTIVATE button when in trial mode, so click on it and select the license file. The plugin will check the license and activate the license 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 FirePresser, 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 encountered any problems, we offer free technical support for all registered users. Start with the frequently asked questions.
If you need further assistance, you reach our Customer Support.
You can also reach our support staff by e-mail at:
support@unitedplugins.com