KVR Submissions: AKA "How to get a product into the database (and maybe a news item)"

At KVR we endeavor to be as up to date as possible regarding VST, Direct X, Audio Unit (and to a lesser extent LADSPA / DSSI) plug-in Instruments, Effects and Hosts so if you have a new plug-in or host that you want to announce, or if you've found a website with information about a plug-in or host that isn't yet featured here at KVR, or if you have a relevant news item that you think should appear in the KVR news please send all pertinent information to us we'll take a look.

Remember: We only post news regarding VST, Direct X, Audio Unit and LADSPA Instruments, Effects, Hosts and immediately related subjects (sound sets, sample libraries in plug-in sampler formats, special offers, etc.).

Please send the information to contactus@kvraudio.com with the images attached.

NOTE 1: If you are sending details of a new plug-in or host we would appreciate it if you could include all of the requested information specified below as it makes our life a lot easier and will result in the submission being processed much faster. Of course a sensibly formatted press release is also generally acceptable.

NOTE 2: If you are informing us of an update to a product that is already in the database please only include details of what has changed in the new release, you do not need to resubmit the whole checklist again.

NOTE 3: To keep the KVR database as complete and up to date as possible you can help out by sending us information about any plug-ins or hosts that are not currently in the database (or are out of date), even if they aren't a new release or have not recently had a new update, we still want to add them to the database for completeness, although we won't post a news item obviously.

IMPORTANT:

We will edit out hyperbole, superlatives, crazy marketing speak and wild claims from your submission so the more factual and realistic your submission is the more likely it will appear in an unedited form (and the quicker it is likely to appear too).

If your submission is just marketing hyperbole the news item may end up being very short!

Checklist [What we need]

(this is for plug-in / host news only. If you are sending us Soundware news we don't need screenshots, classifications, etc. )

Names

1. Developer/Company Name (Not their personal name)
2. Product Name

Screenshots

1. At least one full size, good quality, screenshot in PNG, JPG or GIF format. Additional screenshots can be included, thumbnails not required.
   
   1. This should be named in lowercase without spaces. e.g. productname.(png|jpg|gif)
      
2. One thumbnail screenshot of the full size one, in the same format.
   
   1. This should be named as the full size image but prefixed with thumb_ - e.g. thumb_productname.(png|jpg|gif).
   2. The thumbnail screenshot should not exceed 300px in width and 200px in height.
   3. If the original screenshot is wider than 300 pixels and/or taller than 200px in height then the thumbnail should be resized so that it does not exceed either of these dimensions.
   4. If the full size screenshot is 300 x 200 or smaller then please do not include the thumbnail.
   5. The screenshot must be cropped exactly and should not include any non product image such as the VST Instrument container that surrounds an instrument in Cubase.

Product description

• A description of the product to go below the image. This is usually a paragraph or two and some bullet points of the main features.

Classification / Tag

• Primary Classification. [Required]
• Any other classifications. [Optional]

Any item in the database can be classified under multiple entries so that they can be returned under multiple searches (e.g. SuperCamelPhat is filed under Dynamics (Compressor / Limiter), Distortion / Overdrive / Amp and Filter and will be returned in the results of any of those searches, it's primary classification is Multi FX.

A list of all available categories can be found on the database query page.

URLs

• A direct URL to the product's web page.
• A URL to the download or download page (if available).

OS

• Operating System the product is available for (Windows / Windows x64 / Mac OS X / Mac OS X Universal Binary / Linux).

Formats

Please state what the product functions as (Instrument/Effect/Host) and in what formats it is available for each one (VST/DX/AU/LADSPA/DSSI):

• Instrument (VST/DX/AU/DSSI).
• Effect (VST/DX/AU/LADSPA).
• Host (Instrument formats | Effect formats).

If it can function as any combination of the above please make this clear, i.e. if it can host VST effects and it also runs as a VST instrument please clearly state this.

SynthEdit, SynthMaker, Delta SP, SonicBirth, Max/MSP (Pluggo), Plug-in Constructor

• Was it created with one of the "Save as...<plug-in format>" development environments listed above ? If so let us know and it will be marked as such. Why? Because some people want to know this information. It also enables them to be filtered out of the searches if people want to.

Sample Formats

• If it can load samples what sample formats does it support (WAV/AIFF/SF2/etc.)

Copy Protection

What type of copy protections does it use? Only the primary (most intrusive) is listed on the products page.

• CD Check (Installation/Update)
• CD Check (Random)
• Challenge/Response
• Dongle
• Key File
• None
• Pace iLok
• Pace InterLok
• Serial Number
• Watermark
• Other - Please specify

Cost

• Is it free? If not how much does it cost?
  
  NOTE: We list the MSRP in the database. Even if it is currently available for an intro price, or some other special offer.

Version Number

• The current version number.

Availability

• Is it released yet or just announced?

Miscellaneous

• Any other pertinent information.

Lastly, please check all text for spelling and grammar, full stops (periods) and commas in the correct places are very handy. Also, acronyms should be in uppercase - VST, DX, AU, MIDI, LFO, ADSR, etc.