Hydra - Where to activate & AutoMap with the demo.

[magebarf]

Hi everyone!

Tried out the Hydra demo now during the Easter campaign, which lead me to a question about AutoMap/control of the parameters which I managed to answer on my own now when I bought the full version (but I still have a question in the end of my post);

The demo version does not "push back" the parameter changes you do via the GUI so that it gets tracked by your sequencer/host. This seems like the way the demo version of Hydra is intended to limit you as a demo version, and is what makes it impossible to save the settings between sessions. This is also what makes Novation's AutoMap flip out when trying to work with the demo of Hydra.

Installing the full version makes for quite a bit better cooperation with AutoMap, as it is now able to keep track of the values in the GUI. However, the standard mapping that AutoMap generates for Hydra is quite a bit off, so I'll see if I can get back with a better set up template/mapping for any of you guys using a Novation Sl MkII controller.

The question I have that still remains however is; Am I not supposed to get a registration/activation dialog when starting Hydra? I've been using the demo version of the AudioUnit inside Logic Express 9 during the weekend, and just ran the installer and upgraded the AudioUnit as well as VST versions of Hydra (while having Logic Express shut down). I then started Logic back up and threw in a Hydra on a channel, and the GUI just popped up just as the demo version.

Am I missing something here, or is it not supposed to ask you for a serial? Do I maybe have to do a restart of the computer to get it to happen?

[HYPNAGOGIA]

Have you uninstalled the demo before installing the full version?

[magebarf]

Hi Hypnagogia!

No, I did not find any option in the installer tool for uninstalling, nor do the manual bring up any information of how to uninstall, so, I was assuming that the "Upgrade" indicated by the "Full Installer" would be sufficient...

Is there any good documentation of what to remove? Is it simply the /Libraries/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components and /Libraries/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST or is there any more parts to remove?

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction!

[HYPNAGOGIA]

I can't really help you with Mac stuff, I don't know how it all works, I'm on Win7 myself, but from reading Richard's post here (in reference to the second part of his post about removing demo versions) I should think so, only where it refers to Dune, you should look for anything referring to Hydra. So, after removing the vst and component files, try installing Hydra again, and see if it brings up dialog for entering serial number.

It's kind of odd there isn't an easier uninstall option for Mac

[magebarf]

Yeah, I think so too...

I'm used to there being either a separate uninstaller tool, similar to the installation utility, or that the installation utility lets you change from "upgrade" (which it states if it has the files in place already, it states "install" the first time) to "uninstall".

I just did have a go at removing the component and vst plug-in packages, but without any luck. Simply deleting them won't remove the installation receipts, so the system still thinks that they're installed, and insists on me "upgrading" even though there's nothing to upgrade. It's a bit like removing the dll files but leaving the registry entries still pointing at the place where things were installed.

As for a separate serial file, like the DuneSN file related to the Dune installation, this does not seem to exist for Hydra. There is no Synapse Audio at all in the Application Support folder...

Oh, also might be worth mentioning in case someone else is pitching in with their knowledge, I'm running Snow Leopard, in case that might change things (I know amongst other things that installation receipts has changed their standard path since Leopard).

One step forward would be if someone (maybe someone from Synapse might pitch in here) could point out which installation receipts are related to Hydra? Then I could at least pinpoint those to try to further improve uninstallation.

[magebarf]

Allright...

A bit of further research netted me the knowledge that the two packages being installed to get Hydra up and running is:

com.synapseAudioHydra.hydra.pkg <- VST Plugin
com.synapseAudioHydra.hydra-1.pkg <- AudioUnit component

The following is only going to work if running Snow Leopard, as I don't think the 'pkgutil' utility is available in previous version of OS X.

So, first step is to remove the actual files (pkgutil should have a function to do this for you, but I haven't managed to get it to actually do anything, even though giving it administrator privileges, so it is probably easier/safer to manually remove them).

For the VST Plug in, the file you'll want to remove is: /Libraries/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Hydra.vst
For the AudioUnit Plug in, the file you'll want to remove is: /Libraries/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/Hydra.component

Once this is done, you want to make sure the installation receipts are removed from the package database. The easies way to do this is by using the 'pkgutil' tool. To use this, open up a command teminal.

To list the currently installed packages on your system; pkgutil --pkgs
In the list, you should find the two packages I mentioned above. If they're not there, it seems your system does not even think you have Hydra installed, and then this won't help you.

To remove the pakages from the database, the following command should be used: pkgutil --forget <PackageID>
However, I've noticed that even though the tool reports success, nothing is happening unless you elevate your rights by prepending 'sudo' (Super User - Do) to the command. This will also ask you for your administrator password.

So, to make your system forget that your two packages are installed (i.e. remove the meta data from your package database) issue the following two commands:

sudo pkgutil --forget com.synapseAudioHydra.hydra.pkg
sudo pkgutil --forget com.synapseAudioHydra.hydra-1.pkg
(The first time it will ask for your password and ensure you're in the admin group, but will then remember it for a few minutes, so when you run the second command it will know you've got the right to perform the command)

By going through this process, the system will forget about ever installing Hydra, and will let you "install" it from scratch.

However, I'm still not getting anywhere during installation where I'm to put in my serial for registration/activation. It might very well be that I don't have to do so, as far as I can tell everything seems to be working just fine with modifications, settings saved and everything being recalled.

The only thing I still haven't done since starting with this is restart my computer. In the Windows world, this would be one of the first things I would try. But on the mac, it's rarely necessary for installation, so I haven't yet "gone to the extreme". The only Mac software which I've encountered so far which needs a reboot is NIs Maschine, but that on the other hand also reinstalls USB drivers and states that a restart is necessary early in the installation process.

Oh well... Soon time to get some shuteye, so I'll make sure to shut down the computer then, so I'll get to see if a restart of the computer has any effect tomorrow morning.

[magebarf]

All right...

Just thought I'd report back with latest findings.

I made sure to remove and make the package db forget about ever installing Hydra, and then made sure to do a reboot.

Started the Full installer again, and got the standard "clean install" procedure as I can remember, getting to select the destination volume (which AFAIK does not happen if the installer already detects the package somewhere on your system) and the installation option was listed as simply "install".

I get asked for administrator password to be able to install it, but then that's it. Installation complete...

Next step, I open it up in Logic, and no serial prompt or anything.

So, then I'm back with the original question, which I hope someone at Synapse might help me answer; Do I have to enter my serial number anywhere after installing Hydra, or is the serial just to get access to my synapse account, and to be able to download the full version?

[magebarf]

Just thought I'd mention that I uploaded a Automap preset for quick/easy editing of Hydra using the SL Mk2's.

It's available at the novation user library: http://www.novationmusic.com/community/library/?author=207029

Currently it maps all the functions available in the GUI, besides the after touch parameters, to a total of 3 pages laid out for easy editing.

Other than lack of after touch parameters there is also a limitation in the plugins making it impossible to select routing Type C, so only Type A and Type B are selectable without clicking in the GUI.

The file contains the presets for OS X AudioUnit and VST versions, and is laid out for patch editing as mentioned, but should be a good basis in case you want to make a preset for live performance or similar.