Install¶
Bent Spool has three installs: a macOS installer, a Windows installer and the iPhone and iPad app from the App Store. The desktop installers are version 1.0.1. Both download from plasticfactory.com/downloads.
macOS¶
Bent Spool for macOS comes as one installer package, Bent-Spool-1.0.1.pkg. It is signed and notarized by Apple.
Requirements: macOS 11.0 or later. The plug-ins and the app are universal, so they run natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Open the package and step through the installer. It installs for all users of the computer, so it asks for an administrator password. Four items are ticked by default. Click Customize in the installer to untick any you don't want.
| Installer item | Installed to |
|---|---|
| Standalone App | /Applications/Bent Spool.app |
| Audio Unit | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/Bent Spool.component |
| VST3 | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/Bent Spool.vst3 |
| AAX (Pro Tools) | /Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/Bent Spool.aaxplugin |
If an older Bent Spool is already installed, the installer moves it to /Library/Application Support/Plastic Factory/Installer Backups/Bent Spool/ instead of deleting it.
Restart your host after installing so it rescans plug-ins.
What the host calls it¶
The Audio Unit is an effect (type aufx) named Plastic Factory: Bent Spool. The VST3 is in the Fx|Modulation category. The AAX plug-in is listed under Modulation and has no AudioSuite version.
Files Bent Spool creates on macOS¶
All of these are in ~/Library/Application Support/Plastic Factory/Bent Spool/:
| File or folder | What it holds |
|---|---|
license.json |
Your activation. See Desktop license and demo. |
Presets/ |
Your saved .bentspool presets. See Presets. |
ui-scale.txt |
The window size last used, shared by every copy of Bent Spool on the computer. |
Windows¶
Bent Spool for Windows comes as one installer, Bent-Spool-1.0.1-Setup.exe.
Requirements: Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
Run the installer and follow its steps. It installs two things:
| Installed item | Installed to |
|---|---|
| Standalone app | C:\Program Files\Plastic Factory\Bent Spool\BentSpool.exe |
| VST3 plug-in | C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\BentSpool.vst3 |
The standalone app is Bent Spool as its own program, with its own audio device settings. The VST3 is for VST3 hosts.
There is no Audio Unit on Windows, and no AAX, so Pro Tools on Windows can't load Bent Spool. The editor is the same as on the Mac: the same face, back panel, modes and presets. The screenshots in this manual were taken on a Mac.
Restart your host after installing so it rescans plug-ins. The VST3 is an effect in the Fx|Modulation category, as on macOS.
Files Bent Spool creates on Windows¶
| File or folder | Where | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
license.json |
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Plastic Factory\Bent Spool\ |
Your activation. See Desktop license and demo. |
Presets\ |
%APPDATA%\Plastic Factory\Bent Spool\ |
Your saved .bentspool presets, created the first time you save one. See Presets. |
ui-scale.txt |
%APPDATA%\Plastic Factory\Bent Spool\ |
The window size last used. |
iPhone and iPad¶
Install Bent Spool from the App Store. It needs iOS 17.0 or later on an iPhone or iPad.
One download gives you two things: the standalone app, and an AUv3 effect that AUv3 hosts such as AUM and Loopy Pro can load. You don't install the AUv3 separately.
The standalone app asks for microphone access, because it processes live audio from the device's microphone or a connected audio interface. The AUv3 receives its audio from the host.
The iPhone and iPad app and the desktop version (macOS and Windows) are separate products. A purchase on one does not carry over to the other. See iPhone and iPad: free tier and unlock.