ShamROCK Audio — Documentation

System Requirements

• OS: macOS 12 (Monterey) or later — required by the ShamROCK installer, which installs and authorizes the plugins. Windows is in development and not yet available.
• CPU: Apple Silicon or Intel on macOS — every macOS plugin is a Universal binary.
• Formats: VST3, Audio Unit (AU) and AAX, all on macOS. Use whichever your DAW supports.
• DAW: any host that loads AU, VST3 or AAX — Logic, GarageBand, Ableton Live, Reaper, Studio One, Cubase, FL Studio, and Pro Tools via AAX.
• Internet: needed once to activate. After that, plugins run fully offline.

1 · Download & Install

1. Download the ShamROCK Audio Installer & License Manager from shamrockaudio.com.
2. Open the installer app. It detects which ShamROCK plugins you own and installs the AU, VST3 and AAX components into the standard macOS plugin folders.
3. Rescan plugins in your DAW if it doesn't pick them up automatically.

2 · Authorize

Your license key arrives by email after purchase. To activate:

1. Open the License Manager and paste your license key.
2. Click Authorize. This activates a seat for this Mac and checks out a signed license file.
3. The plugins you're entitled to show as Authorized. Load them in your DAW — done.

A single bundle / suite key authorizes every plugin it entitles in one step; per-plugin keys authorize just that plugin.

Manage Seats & Move Machines

Each license includes three seats (three machines active at once). To move your license to another Mac:

1. On the machine you're leaving, open the License Manager and click Deauthorize. This frees the seat.
2. On the new machine, install and Authorize with the same key.

Offline Use

After the one-time online activation, the License Manager stores a cryptographically signed license file locally. Every launch verifies it offline — no internet needed to make music. The offline file refreshes automatically the next time you're online; if your machine stays offline past the refresh window, just reconnect once and reopen the License Manager.

Demo Mode

Without a license, plugins run in demo mode: fully functional, but the audio mutes briefly on a periodic basis so you can evaluate the real plugin in your own sessions. Authorize a license to remove the limitation instantly — no reinstall required.

Updates

Updates are free for life. The License Manager checks for new builds and shows an Update available badge for the plugins your license entitles. Click to install — each download is integrity-checked before anything is written, and nothing installs without your click.

Uninstall

• Remove a plugin: use the License Manager's uninstall action, or delete the .component / .vst3 from the plugin folders above.
• Free the seat first if you're moving the license — click Deauthorize before removing.

Troubleshooting

The plugin doesn't appear in my DAW

Rescan/validate plugins in your DAW's plugin manager. In Logic, the AU goes through validation on first launch — quit and reopen if it's still scanning.

macOS blocks the installer or plugin (“unidentified developer”)

Make sure you downloaded from shamrockaudio.com. Released macOS builds are signed and notarized; if Gatekeeper still warns, right-click the app and choose Open, or allow it under System Settings → Privacy & Security.

I authorized but the plugin still demo-mutes

Confirm the License Manager shows the plugin as Authorized on this Mac, then fully quit and reopen your DAW so the plugin reloads its license. If it persists, contact support with your license key.

“Seat limit reached”

Deauthorize a machine you no longer use (see Manage Seats).

Get Support

Still stuck? Email support@shamrockaudio.com with your license key and DAW/OS version and we'll sort it out.

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