Sonnox Support

Support - Oxford PowerCore plug-ins now support PowerCore V3 for Mac users

Optional upgrades are now available for Mac users wishing to upgrade to PowerCore V3.

These upgrades are in Universal Binary format, meaning that they can run on both PowerPC and Intel Mac versions of OS X 10.4 and above, including 10.5 Leopard.

Other key features include :

Audio Units compatibility now directly supported
Native processing now included, allowing complete portability between native-only and PowerCore-accelerated operation via an on-board switch
Asynchronous dithering, providing an improvement to quality at the noise floor level.

Full details of the improvements and changes over previous versions can be found within the PowerCore Plug-ins for Mac/Intel Mac Release Notes, included with the installers.

The upgrades are available to new purchases, or existing users. Customers who have purchased new PowerCore plug-ins directly from the Sonnox website, or from a Sonnox-appointed dealer can upgrade free of charge within 90 days of product registration. After this time, minimal upgrade charges will apply (see details below).

Before you upgrade, please read the following important information regarding compatibility between the different versions of Oxford PowerCore plug-ins.

To begin, please check which version of PowerCore plug-ins you own now.

If you have lost your registration details, you can request this by using the following link :

www.sonnoxplugins.com/myinfo

Oxford Plug-in product codes ending in M2 or P2 or G2 - we'll call these G2 versions – use a single PowerCore ID for authorisation :

PCR3EQG2 OXF-R3 Equaliser for TC Powercore OSX - XP
PCR3DYNG2 Oxford Dynamics for TC Powercore OSX - XP
PCR3INFG2 Inflator for TC Powercore OSX - XP
PCTMDG2 Oxford Transient Modulator for TC Powercore OSX - XP
PCSOX1G2 Oxford S-Ox Box for Powercore OSX - XP
PCBUN1G2 PoCo Trio A (EQ-DYN-INF) Powercore OSX - XP
PCBUN2G2 PoCo Trio B (EQ-DYN-TM) Powercore OSX - XP
PCBUN3G2 PoCo Trio C (EQ-INF-TM) Powercore OSX - XP
PCBUN4G2 PoCo Trio D (DYN-INF-TM) Powercore OSX - XP

Oxford Plug-in product codes ending in M3 or P3 or G3 - we'll call these G3 versions - use iLok for
authorisation :

PCREQG3 Oxford Equaliser for TC Powercore OSX - XP
PCDYNG3 Oxford Dynamics for TC Powercore OSX – XP
PCINFG3 Oxford Inflator for TC Powercore OSX - XP
PCTMDG3 Oxford TransMod for TC Powercore OSX - XP
PCLIMG3 Oxford Limiter for TC Powercore OSX - XP

For convenience, we'll call the new Universal Binary/PowerCore V3-compatible versions of Oxford PowerCore plug-ins G4 versions. (NB. This has NO relevance to Mac G4 computers!) These new versions all use iLok for authorisation.

Now that you know which version of Oxford PowerCore plug-ins you currently own, please read through the following scenarios :

Intel Mac users

Q. I purchased G3 (iLok) versions of Oxford PowerCore plug-ins. All my projects have been created with this version. I now use an Intel Mac. If I upgrade, will my old projects still work?

A. Yes, when you open your previous (G3) projects, they will automatically load with the new G4 plug-ins.

Q. I purchased G2 PowerCore plug-ins, locked to my PowerCore ID. I have NOT upgraded to iLok (G3) versions. All my projects have been created with the G2 versions only. I now use an Intel Mac. If I upgrade, will my old projects still work?

A. Your projects that use Oxford Dynamics and TransMod will automatically load the new G4 plug-ins. Oxford EQ and Inflator will NOT load the new G4 plug-ins. If possible, you should note the settings using your old computer installation, insert new instances of Oxford EQ and Inflator using your new G4 plug-ins and manually enter your previous settings.

Q. I purchased G2 PowerCore plug-ins, locked to my PowerCore ID. I have already upgraded to the iLok (G3) versions. Some of my work was created with the G2 versions, and some with the G3 versions. I now use an Intel Mac. If I upgrade, will all my old projects still work?

A. Your projects created using G3 plug-ins will automatically load the new G4 plug-ins. Any projects that were originally created using G2 Oxford EQ or Inflator plug-ins plug-ins will not load the G4 versions. If possible, you should note the settings using your old computer installation, insert new instances of Oxford EQ and Inflator using your new G4 plug-ins and manually enter your previous settings. Projects using Oxford Dynamics, TransMod and Limiter that were created using the G3 plug-ins, will automatically load the G4 plug-ins.

PowerPC Mac Users

Q. I don't have an Intel Mac! I use a PowerPC Mac, but I would like to upgrade my Oxford PowerCore plug-ins, because I want to switch between native and PowerCore-accelerated modes.

A. Yes, you can do this. See qualifications below.

Q. I purchased G3 (iLok) versions of Oxford PowerCore plug-ins. All my projects have been created with this version. If I upgrade, will my old projects still work?

A. Yes, your previous G3 projects will automatically load with the new G4 plug-ins.

Q. I purchased G2 PowerCore plug-ins, locked to my PowerCore ID. I have NOT upgraded to iLok (G3) versions. All my projects have been created with the G2 versions only. If I upgrade, will my old projects still work?

A. Your projects that use Oxford Dynamics and TransMod will automatically load the new G4 plug-ins. Oxford EQ and Inflator will NOT load the new G4 plug-ins. If you are still using the same PowerCore, you should leave your original G2 plug-in software installed, and your old projects will automatically load the G2 versions. It will not be possible for the G2 versions to switch between native and PowerCore-acceleration. They will remain 'PowerCore-only' plug-ins. Projects can mix G2 plug-ins with G4 plug-ins in this way. However, if you wish, you could note the settings used in the G2 plug-ins, and manually enter your previous settings into to new instances of G4 Oxford EQ and Inflator. Then you can switch between native and PowerCore-acceleration.

A. Your projects created using G3 plug-ins will automatically load with the new G4 plug-ins. Any projects that were originally created using G2 plug-ins, and contain Oxford EQ or Inflator plug-ins will not load the G4 plug-ins. If you are still using the same PowerCore, you can leave the G2 versions installed, and your old projects will automatically load the old versions. It will not be possible for the G2 versions to switch between native and PowerCore-acceleration. They will remain PowerCore only. Projects can mix G2 plug-ins with G4 plug-ins in this way. However, if you wish, you could note the settings used in the G2 plug-ins, and manually enter your previous settings into to new instances of G4 Oxford EQ and Inflator. Then you can switch between native and PowerCore-acceleration.

Your projects that now use the G3 Backwards-Compatible versions of Oxford EQ and Inflator will not load the G4 plug-ins. If possible, you should note the settings using your old computer installation, then reload the project on your new computer, insert new instances of EQ and Inflator using your new G4 plug-ins and manually enter your previous settings.

Projects using Oxford Dynamics, TransMod and Limiter that were created using the G3 plug-ins, will automatically load the G4 plug-ins.

Windows XP Users

Q. When will upgrade versions for Windows be available?

A. Win XP upgrade versions will be available around mid May 2008.

Upgrade fees

To upgrade from a G2 version to G4 will cost £40.00 per plug-in. If you own a bundle of three plug-ins, the upgrade fee is £120.00

To upgrade from a G3 version to G4 will cost £15.00 per plug-in.

Other useful information

Dithering

The Limiter and Dynamics plugins have the option of not applying dither when in Native mode. This means that if your plugin is set to the “no dither” option and you switch to PowerCore mode, it will have to revert to using 24 bit dithering, because when using PowerCore it is imperative that the signal is properly dithered to preserve sonic integrity.

Audio Units

Installing a VST Powercore plugin for Mac will also cause a companion Audio Units component to be installed which acts as a VST to AU converter. In other words, in order to run the plugins in Logic or Digital Performer, the installer installs both the VST plugin (which implements the functionality and DSP), and an Audio Units wrapper (which allows it to run in Logic or Digital Performer). The performance of this wrapper is excellent, adding only a tiny overhead to DSP processing. Because each AU wrapper has inside knowledge of the VST plugin that it uses to implement the functionality, it has superior performance over general VST to AU wrappers such as FXpansion. The wrapper also makes sure that automation and labelling comes out correctly, which was a problem with the TCAU Patcher (which cannot be used with UB plugins).
Audio Units versions of the factory presets are also installed into the /library/Audio/Presets directories, ready for Audio Units hosts to find them.

The following information applies to NEW Oxford PowerCore plug-ins, when purchased from the Sonnox Website or Sonnox-appointed dealers.

Q. I want to buy NEW Oxford PowerCore plug-ins to use with my new Intel Mac. How do I do this?

A. You should purchase the G3 versions of the Oxford plug-ins, either from our website on-line sales, or from a Sonnox-appointed dealer (who can give you bundle discounts for two or more plug-ins purchased at the same time). Activate and register your purchase at our website and download the licences to your iLok. Then simply go to the Sonnox website upgrades page and upgrade your plug-ins to the new version, following our upgrades procedure – Details can be found in our website FAQ section. This will be free of charge within 90 days of registering your Oxford plug-ins.

Q. I want to buy NEW Oxford PowerCore plug-ins to use with my PowerPC Mac, because I want to be able to switch between native and PowerCore-acceleration. How do I do this?