Troubleshooting

Plugin Not Appearing

Angels doesn't show up in my DAW:

• Rescan plugins in your DAW preferences
• Verify Angels is installed in the correct location:
  • macOS AU: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/
  • macOS VST3: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
  • macOS CLAP: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/CLAP/
  • Windows VST3: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
  • Windows CLAP: C:\Program Files\Common Files\CLAP\
• Restart your DAW completely
• On macOS, check System Settings → Privacy & Security for blocked apps

Angels appears but won't load:

• Make sure your DAW supports the plugin format (VST3, AU, or CLAP)
• Check that your system meets requirements (macOS 10.15+ or Windows 10+)
• Try removing and reinstalling Angels

Audio Issues

No sound from Angels:

• Check BLEND - if it's all the way left (dry), you won't hear granular output
• Verify audio is actually playing through the track
• Check the OUT gain slider isn't turned down
• Make sure BYPASS (power button) isn't enabled

Sound is too quiet:

• Turn up IN and OUT gain sliders in the sidebars
• Increase DENSITY for more overlapping grains
• Check that FREEZE isn't on with an empty buffer

Crackling or audio dropouts:

• Increase your DAW's buffer size
• Lower DENSITY to reduce the number of simultaneous grains
• Disable unused randomization sources
• Close other CPU-intensive applications

Unexpected pitch shifting:

• Check TRANSPOSE isn't set away from 0
• Disable scale quantization (set scale to "Off")
• Check pitch randomization knob isn't turned up

Granular Behavior

FREEZE isn't capturing the sound I want:

• Press FREEZE while audio is playing to capture the current buffer
• Use the TIME knob to navigate within the frozen buffer
• The buffer is 8/16/32 seconds depending on settings

MIDI Issues

MIDI triggering isn't working:

• Verify MIDI TRIGGER is set to Triggered or Gated (not Off)
• Check your DAW's MIDI routing to Angels (varies by DAW - see DAW Setup)
• Make sure the MIDI track is armed and receiving input
• Check that notes are within the supported range

Grains don't stop when I release the note:

• In Gated mode, grains stop on note off. In Triggered mode, they complete regardless.
• Existing grains will finish their SIZE duration even when gated
• Lower SIZE for quicker note-off response

Tempo Sync

Sync isn't following my DAW's tempo:

• Make sure your DAW is playing (some DAWs don't send tempo when stopped)
• Check that sync parameters are set to a note value (not "Free")
• Verify your DAW is sending tempo information to plugins

License Issues

"License already activated on maximum devices":

• Deactivate on another computer first
• Contact support@sequins.music to reset activations

"Invalid license key":

• Check for typos - the key format is XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
• Keys are case-insensitive but dashes are required
• Verify you're using an Angels license, not a license for a different product

"Unable to connect to license server":

• Check your internet connection
• Verify your firewall allows outbound HTTPS
• Try again in a few minutes
• If it persists, contact support

Angels worked before but now asks for activation:

• Reinstall Angels - preferences may have been corrupted
• Contact support if the issue persists

Presets

Factory presets are missing:

• Factory presets are built into the plugin - reinstall Angels if they're missing
• Make sure you're looking in the correct preset dropdown in the header

Can't save presets:

• Verify you have write permissions for the save location
• Try saving to a different folder
• Factory presets can't be overwritten - use a new name

Presets sound different after reloading:

• Angels presets save all parameters, but buffer contents are not saved
• FREEZE state is saved, but the frozen audio is not
• Reload the same source audio after loading a preset

Still Having Issues?

Contact support@sequins.music with:

• Your operating system and version
• Your DAW and version
• Angels version (visible when clicking the license plaque)
• Description of the issue
• Steps to reproduce
• Screenshots if helpful