** Beware of SpinEQ on the new CM (CM78) **

[Majken]

If you ask me there should be a note about this on www.spinaudio.com - the demo versions should also be taked offline until the problem is fixed, just so no one accidentally loses bunch of personal presets, samples and what not that they've put in the vst folder.

Great of you to come along and explain the situation Dan! Very appreciated

/Majken

[MrM]

Cool guy or not; I have had similar problems with the Skinrack application of SpinAudio.
It was buggy and as a result of that all plugins that were treated with the Skinrack were sometimes inaccessible, I had to restore the whole folder.

I never thought this might be due to Spinaudio, up till now.
I am in doubt now; I will not say Skinrack was to blaim, but everything points in that direction.

BTW. Skinrack is currently no longer a product of Spinaudio.

[original flipper]

HI

Thank goodness - I thought I was F.....G UP!

What I do know is that I did install into the correct folder, and like others have almost come to a catastrophic finale!

Respect due for coming on line and putting your hands up, what I would say is please update the program - I actually liked the EQ and although the reverb wasn't avalible for download would have liked to give that a spin (!) as well.

I hope you don't have any problems with the cover disk - but shit man that muthas gonna be installed on a lotta computers !

Flipper.

[Ronny Pries]

Of course this is our fault, and I'm sorry for that, but please read what setup tells you.

Hello Dan,

you really ask too much from your customers Honestly, during the "usual" VST setup procedure the user gets asked to determine a software installation directory and maybe the VST plugin directory. People (like me) got used to that and for some years i didn't read much of the text that surrounds these steps. Ok, i didn't install any of your software yet so i don't know where you advise the user to take care about the install locations. BUT, if it isn't written in HUGE RED LETTERS next to the folder request i can assure you almost nobody will recognize it. At least i wouldn't, and i'm pretty much a "standard" customer.

Cheers,
Ronny

[original flipper]

HI

What you say "RONNY" is correct but I did read and install to the appropriate folder - the uninstaller is F....d, I beleive any uninstalling (other than manualy taking the files out) runs a risk of wiping the folder contents - be it from the included uninstaller or doing it through ADD/Remove in the control panel.

The safest way is to manually delete the files - just don't delete the wrong ones .

Flipper.

[Derek up North]

Posted (by me) in the CM forums:

quote="DanAtSpin"]hi all,

this is Dan from SpinAudio.

let me comment the situation:

1) The installer asks you for three folders (or two if you have already installed any of SpinAudio plug-ins)
- Common (for shared components)
- Product folder (where all the plug-in related files are resided)
- AND VST PLUG-INS folder where the VST shell of the plug-in is copied
This cleary stated in the setup!!! Moreover the setup offers the default locations for these folders including the proper location of your vst plug-ins folder.

2) SpinEQ is based on old setup that has a bug that if something wrong went during the installation it removes all the files in the Product folder...

SO IF you have choosen your VST plug-ins as Product folder, you might get your VST folders cleaned

(RoomVerb M2 and VMC are based on new setup that dont have this bug)

Of course this is our fault, and I'm sorry for that, but please read what setup tells you.

Best Regards[/quote]

Dan,

This is unacceptable practice on your part. The install does indeed prompt for three folders (and suggest defaults) but does not specify that these cannot all be the same and certainly doesn't warn that any error will cause the folders to be "cleaned".

Shame on you for shipping a product (albeit a free one) with a known bug without either fixing the bug or at the very least putting up a warning notice at the start of the install. This could cause some very significant grief for some users.

Did CM know about this bug when they agreed to feature your product on the front of the CD? There is normally a "how to install" section for the featured product but there wasn't one this month.

Regards,

Derek.

[DarkStar]

Product folder (where all the plug-in related files are resided) . . .
SpinEQ is based on old setup that has a bug that if something wrong went during the installation it removes all the files in the Product folder...

SO IF you have choosen your VST plug-ins as Product folder, you might get your VST folders cleaned

Phew, just as well I looked at the CM Forum, then here, before I installed the demo.

I too find this unacceptable, and it prompts several questions:
a) if the installer is going to delete the contents of a folder, shouldn't it issue some sort of prompt?
b) what folder should you point the Product folder at anyway, to be absolutely safe?
c) as the FX is a dll (I guess), what is wrong with dragging and dropping as done with many other dlls and associated files? (that is, no need for an installer at all).

And . .
a) previously, people have wondered why I am been cautious about installs of any new S/W on my PC. I knew why, and this is a classic example.

b) CM is a magazine aimed at beginners - how many of them will run into the same problems? They have my sympathy, but i don't know any way of helping them unless they read these forums.
- - CM has not made any comment yet
- - and there is nothing on the SpinAudio site either.

[Dan_Spin]

this is Dan from SpinAudio again...

to make the things worse the setup package that comes on the CD was placed on it incorrectly with some files being corrupted...

this makes some problems to the installer and makes the plug-in crash on loading...

what a bad luck

Regarding installation folders: for the five years we have been using this setup there have been only a few users who mixed the vst and product folders. we just would not like to mess your vst plug-ins folder with product files as they are scanned by cubase (other host app) and might make some problems to it. so we install the product files in other folder and copy the only the vst shell to vst plug-ins folder. for those who dont read the setup instructions we offer default locations of these folders - so you dont have to change anything and it'll install properly.

Regards,
Dan

[Spe3D]

this is Dan from SpinAudio again...

to make the things worse the setup package that comes on the CD was placed on it incorrectly with some files being corrupted...

this makes some problems to the installer and makes the plug-in crash on loading...

what a bad luck

Regarding installation folders: for the five years we have been using this setup there have been only a few users who mixed the vst and product folders. we just would not like to mess your vst plug-ins folder with product files as they are scanned by cubase (other host app) and might make some problems to it. so we install the product files in other folder and copy the only the vst shell to vst plug-ins folder. for those who dont read the setup instructions we offer default locations of these folders - so you dont have to change anything and it'll install properly.

Regards,
Dan

Hi! Dan,

What you need to do now is turn this negative press campaign into a positive one.

Issue a press release about the demo on CM magazine – basically just tell the users it is corrupt and a new installer will be provided on an up coming disk. Make sure CM post this all over their site (kind of super AD )

In the mean time users can download the revamped demo installer from your site – where you make the install instructions very clear (not easy as all instructions are open to different interpretations)

Put some gubbings about the benefits and maybe a special discount for users who try the package during the month of September.

Best regards,

Spe3d

:O)

[DarkStar]

Hear! hear!

This is a good way to recover from this problem and show to users and potential users that SpinAudio takes care of its customers.

[Derek up North]

Hear! hear!

This is a good way to recover from this problem and show to users and potential users that SpinAudio takes care of its customers.

I agree - it's not the mistakes you make, it's how you recover from them that counts (unless you're a tightrope walker with no safety net of course!).

Although there has clearly been a shocking lack of quality control (on the part of both Spin Audio and CM magazine) it's not impossible to fix this situation with the right actions, but they need to be taken now.

I'm a UK-based subscriber to CM so there will be a lot of people who won't have got their copy yet (overseas subscribers and Saturday morning buyers from newsagents for example). I think you need to work with CM to do the following:

* get an email out to everyone on the CM mailing list to warn them about the problem
* post the warning on the CM website and the Spin Audio website, together with an updated version (perhaps just the .dll to download this time?)
* use the network of helpful people here on KvR to spread the word into other forums where appropriate
* make sure that I win the "Letter of the Month" next month to compensate me for being the first victim of this mess

Regards,

Derek.

[cold c]

If Norton protected recycle bin is installed, the lost files may be easily recoverable. (It also protects files deleted by applications.)

[Ronan_CM]

Hi all,

Sorry about all this - a bit of a nightmare indeed.

We've just put the three files needed to fix the crashing up on our website, you'll be pleased to hear. You can get 'em from...

ftp://ftp.futurenet.com/pub/computermusic/SpinEQ.zip

Unzip the files to Program Files\Spin Audio\SpinEQ CM\skins\default (assuming the default installation path was used), overwriting all three existing files and you're ready to rock.

Cheers,

Ronan
Editor
Computer Music

[rogerperrin]

Hello Derek up North, thank you for the quick headsup on Spin Audio's "USER ERROR" installer. I feel your pain. That would totally suck. It's shitty of spin Audio to not coach users better and with sterner cautions. Personally I simply don't like the .exe setup stuff, and now I know exactly why. If it can freak-up you vst folder that bad, then I want no part of their shit.!!!!

It seems a little too late for apologies on this event. I have learned from your nightmare to back up my vst folder in another harddrive from here on out. My system has been to keep all of my presets in my vst folder in the appropriate synth file, and I would have lost a hell of a lot of time invested in presets had your tragedy happened to me. The mere fact that you have to rebuild your vst folder even minus the presets is freaking time consuming, if you do it like me with every vst in its own folder with presets.

NO SPIN AUDIO FOR ME, I'M NOT TAKING THE CHANCE. If I can't SIMPLY unzip it into my unzipped folder and then copy it to my vst folder then I won't have it on my computer. We all invest too heavily in time in our personal music expression to let that happen willingly or knowingly.

Again Derek: I feel your OOUUUCCHHHHH!!, man.

RogerPerrin

[aMUSEd]

I like VST better than DX plugins for one reaon - they are easier to move. Having had similar experiences in the past with bad installers I generally adopt the practice of installing the VST dll component (if given that option) into a temporary folder first and then moving it into my VST shared folder when I know its OK. Often I try out a VST by dragging and dropping straight into Energy XT first as well. I've never had a problem wit moving VST dlls so this works fine for me as long as the base files are installed in a different directory (which is good practice so you don't have non VST dll files in the shared folder).