Music Software Installers Comparison
How it’s going
How it started
How its going
Getting a new Mac set up gives me an opportunity to make a short assessment of all the vendor’s installation methods and how successful they are. Getting the software installed all accounts for the total “friction” involved in getting to use it. Many have chosen to make install managers in an attempt to facilitate installation, but some have other agenda: sell you more stuff! To any developers reading this: A bad installer can dissuade a customer from buying more of your products, so take note. It happened to me. I see a post about a new product from a company and think “oh then I have to deal with another installer manager app that runs more stuff in the background and slows my machine down.”
I’ll return to this post to update it as I go.
Audiodamage
Their website isn’t the place to go when you want to check what the latest version is, or even download it. As Pluginboutique is their exclusive reseller, you need to go there, go to your purchases then search for Audiodamage and click download for each one.
As for installing, most of them a separate installer app which needs a dialogue box agreed that you download it from the internet, and then your password entered. However a couple are in standard .pkg format which means if you own an Apple Watch you save some time by not having to type your password, as well as one-click deletion.
Automation: possible, but not worth doing because AD don't have that many products.
Black Rooster Audio
Like Goodhertz and some other vendors, Black Rooster have made an all-in-one installer. Downloads are .pkgs that have been zipped but not version number in the filename. The version number is listed on the downloads page, which also gives you the choice of individual downloads if you prefer — it’s nice to be given the option. The issue here is that you have to remember which items you have the licenses for because if you install everything then some of them will of course be demo versions, and also that the manuals are listed separately so you have to untick those too.
Blue Cat
I find updating from these folks a bit of a pain because to get the latest version you have to have saved a special URL that they gave you when they emailed you your license, so instead of a quick trip to their site you have to search your emails, your password manager or wherever you save your stuff. When you download your dmg file you have to add the version number yourself.
d16
DMGs with .pkg files. The version number is one click away in a menu on the downloads page.
Automation: feasible, but some pkgs like Drumazon, Nepheton and Syntorus don’t show the options for the different versions of the plugin.
DDMF
Login to see the downloads page, where the version numbers are listed. The downloads are zipped files with the version number shown, inside which are .pkg files.
Automation: feasible for some products. Chorddetector does not show plugin format options.
Eventide
One of the companies that has not created their own manager yet, they rely on separate dmg downloads which each contain an installer app created in VMWare Installbuilder. They work, but seem to take more clicks to finish than Apple’s .pkg format, because you can’t just open all of them in one hit like documents.
Automation: partially possible because the AAX and VST2 items seem to be in the same place for each installer, but other steps have some changes that may not be worth handling.
Goodhertz
These folks have made an all-in-one .pkg installer, so you have to go through the options and only tick the ones you own. The pkg is versioned but with a weird build number at the end. Loading a plugin lets you activate it by logging in to your Goodhertz account.
Imaginando
Each product on the website has to be clicked on to see what the version number is. Then you download a zip file with no version number in the filename and inside that is a dmg file which contains a .pkg installer. The version is displayed graphically inside the dmg’s background, so if you keep your installers you have to manually rename it.
Joey Sturgis Tones
There isn’t a “downloads page” per se. There is a menu item called “Refresh Downloads” which when chosen, opens your local email client with a half-composed email that needs your order number.
The latest number of the product I’d bought was in the text of the page but not what could be called prominently, and the download is a version-number-included zip file which inside contains a Mac and Windows version.
Kiive Audio
Kiev makes you click on each order, in which you'll find the download links. The version number is listed, and it’s in the downloaded zip file but confusingly some of the installers are listed twice.
Klevgrand
The best so far. They have opted for an installation manager, and it works well. Small screenshots are included for each product. You can select all the plugins you want to install and it installs them all seamlessly. Then you switch to the add-on packs and do that section and you’re done. No ads for other products. You can still download separate installers if you choose to. Nice work.
Automation: not needed.
Korg
Korg uses a download manager app Korg Software Pass which is pretty basic. They show an image to remind you of each item, and it downloads a separate installer for each one. Updates are shown with an update button. Other items in their range are displayed but this is benign, just letting you know they exist and you can still install them as demos rather than having to go back to the website for that.
Lese
The version numbers are neither listed on the downloads page or in the filename, which is a pkg file. So you have to use Suspicious Package to look inside for the version number.
Automation: seems possible as all the installers plugin options appear to be listed consistently.
Melda Production
Installer app. This one loses some points for me because like their actual products does not have a “Mac-like” interface — it’s somewhere between Windows and Linux. However it does allow you to get the job done quickly, and there’s no push to subscriptions or coercing you to buy more of their range.
Automation: not needed.
Martinic
The main product page tells you there has been an update with a badge. Each product has its own page, then you have to click on the Downloads page for each one. The version number is listed there, and the version number is in the filename — dmg with pkg inside. You licenses are handled with license files that are managed separately.
Minimal Audio
The downloads are pkg files whose version numbers are listed on the downloads page, but you have to rename them if you like keeping the old version for any reason, such as for an older machine.
Moog
Installer versions are one click away in a menu for each product. Because having two lines showing is somehow unclean, or maybe they think they'll make dozens more formats and the page will look too long? Just display them all disclosed without making me click. At least the version numbers are in the downloaded file name, which is a ZIP containing a .pkg file.
Automation: possible, except for the Mariana synth whose layout of options differs because it includes a standalone version.
MountainroadDSP
The version numbers are listed on the downloads page and are in the filename. .pkg based format.
Nembrini Audio
Nembrini Audio Central shows you a screenshot, whether you have the latest version installed, and lets you queue up to three installations at a time. However it is just a web wrapper and when you install the items, it downloads and opens a pkg file for each item, so you still have to battle Apple’s system there.
Oeksound
The version numbers are listed on the downloads page and are in the filename. .pkg based format.
Plugin Alliance
The offer a plugin manager which gets some points for being able to choose the plugin format for all your choices and a screenshot of each product, but you have to click on each one to see the product. It works well for initial installations but doesn’t show you what’s updated compared to what you have installed. The other unfortunate thing is that they sometimes do pop-up sales where they temporarily become the reseller for some vendors that aren’t (yet?) in the Alliance, and these show in your account but they don’t keep the installers — you’re directed back to the original vendor so tracking what the latest version of those items is arduous.
Automation: not needed.
Sonible
Separate downloads. Sonible choose not to show you the version number on their downloads page, so you have to click each item to see what the current version is. Once you download, each item is a dmg with a pkg file to be handled separately, which means Apple asking silly things like if you want to delete the pkg post installation even if it’s opened from a dmg file.
Soundtheory
Standard dmg file with .pkg installer. The version number is listed on the downloads page and in the filename.
Tokyo Dawn Labs
The version numbers are listed on the main download page, but the files that download aren’t versioned. Pkg format.
Universal Audio (UAD)
Installation manager is called UA Connect. This one generally works well, and gets points for allowing you to choose an external drive for large library content such as their Electric Piano, and having screenshots of each product. However it loses one of those points because I can’t see a way to tell the installer that I already have the content installed on my external drive and it does not need to reinstall it. Another point is lost because it installs a menuExtra that loads at launch and I don’t understand why having it at the ready helps much.
Automation: not needed, as you can click several items to install and it adds them to a queue.
UVI
Their Portal manager is pleasing to the eye and works well. I have a hardware iLok and it talks to the license manager perfectly. There is a mild push to subscription as that is the first button shown for things you don't own. Items that are for Falcon expansions or part of Vintage Vault are highlighted with a badge, so that’s nice. There is room for improvement for items that you could upgrade to, for example I own Xtreme FX and the portal shows me that v2 is available but no discount to upgrade. So I have to wait for one of their admittedly frequent sales.
Automation: not really needed as you can queue up to three of your installations at a time.
Wave Arts
Standard dmg file with .pkg installer. The version number isn’t listed on the downloads page but it is in the download URL and thus in the filename.
XILS Lab
Downloads are .dmg files which contain .pkg files, version numbers listed on the downloads page, although slightly confusingly some are listed as Beta versions but the downloaded file does not indicate this.
First time here? I also do a blog in which I post about every creative software and resource I find: Tool Much Fun. It covers music plugins, samples, Kontakt instruments, graphics, 3D, animation, video and more. Check it out for my unique selection — there’s probably something there you’ve never heard of.