Getting AAX signed, AVID test etc.

[gorangrooves]

Hey guys,
While looking up info on becoming an Avid "product partner" to distribute my plugins in AAX, I came across what I understand is a requirement to sit some sort of a test.
To those of you who have gotten your plugins PACE-signed, is there really a test to sit? And if so, what exactly is it all about, please?
@ustk @Lindon @Dan-Korneff

Thank you.

[orange]

@gorangrooves

Pro Tools Developer edition is for testing your AAX plugin without code-signing. You don't need to sign your plugins for this Pro Tools version, it will load the plugin directly.

But if you want to test your finished AAX plugin after the PACE code-signing, you need to use one of the current Pro Tools versions. If the code is signed properly, the DAW will load the plugin. If not, it won't load, that is the test that I use for AAX code signing :) If you don't have a Pro Tools license yet, since you are a plugin developer who want to sell AAX plugins, you can ask Avid for a Pro Tools license, they are assigning one Pro Tools license to the developers.

Also there is a "DigiShell and AAX Validator" tool for testing but I haven't used it. If you have signed as a "developer" to Avid, you can find all of them under the Developer Downloads area in the account section.

[gorangrooves]

@orange Thank you. So, there isn't like an exam to sit? I was under the impression there was like an exam that a developer needs to pass, like a school exam. Did I completely misunderstand that?

[Christoph Hart]

@gorangrooves yes lol and I would laugh in their face if they would ask me to write an exam :)

[orange]

@gorangrooves said in Getting AAX signed, AVID test etc.:

@orange Thank you. So, there isn't like an exam to sit? I was under the impression there was like an exam that a developer needs to pass, like a school exam. Did I completely misunderstand that?

Oh, the exam you mentioned is for being a "Certified Developer" that will also allow selling your products on "Avid Marketplace" under the "Avid Alliance Program". https://www.avid.com/alliance-partner-program/developer-certification

But for building and selling AAX plugins on your website, you don't need that. Contact to Avid and ask for a developer account: devauth@avid.com

[Matt_SF]

@orange I'm jumping in because I'm on the verge of building AAX versions of my plugins too, and I have a question about codesigning.
Correct me if I'm wrong :
From what I understood, codesigning AAX plugins is free unless you want to protect them with the iLok system, in which case you have to buy a license from PACE. Is that right ? Or will I be "forced" to buy a license from PACE anyway ?

[orange]

@Matt_SF said in Getting AAX signed, AVID test etc.:

@orange I'm jumping in because I'm on the verge of building AAX versions of my plugins too, and I have a question about codesigning.
Correct me if I'm wrong :
From what I understood, codesigning AAX plugins is free unless you want to protect them with the iLok system, in which case you have to buy a license from PACE. Is that right ? Or will I be "forced" to buy a license from PACE anyway ?

PACE code-signing process is for free if you are just signing the AAX plugins. If you are registered as a developer to Avid, they will notify the PACE and PACE will enroll you in a developer subscription plan for free (regular price $500 per year). Of course, you need to buy an iLok USB stick yourself and then link that iLok to your PACE account for code signing (using EDEN Tools). In this case, iLok is just for AAX plugin code signing, not for the plugin's license authorization.

PACE code signing is just for protecting the AAX plugin users (Pro Tools and other Avid product users) from malicious software and proving that this plugin version is signed by the developer.

[Matt_SF]

@orange aaaah thank you very much for bringing me the light!

[gorangrooves]

@orange Thanks a lot for all the info and for clarifying the "exam" portion. Yeah, I am not interested in selling at Avid graveyard, I mean, marketplace. :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes:

So, to recap: I need to sign up with Avid for a developer account, which will enable me to code-sign the compiled AAX plugins, that I can then sell on my own. Correct?

[Christoph Hart]

@gorangrooves You also need an iLok USB dongle to code sign it and a valid code certificate on each platform (on macOS you can use the one that comes with your Apple Developer account and on Windows you can port the one you have from macOS as self signed certificate (using the .p12 file format). It's not as "secure" as a real code signing certificate but I couldn't care less about this...

Oh and if you only do this because of the troll in your YouTube video, don't bother that's an idiot :)

[d.healey]

@Christoph-Hart said in Getting AAX signed, AVID test etc.:

Oh and if you only do this because of the troll in your YouTube video, don't bother that's an idiot :)

I saw that too and thought the same thing.

[orange]

@gorangrooves said in Getting AAX signed, AVID test etc.:

So, to recap: I need to sign up with Avid for a developer account, which will enable me to code-sign the compiled AAX plugins, that I can then sell on my own. Correct?

Yes correct. Like Christoph said, you need to buy the iLok usb stick and then just follow the PACE support guide that they will give to you.

Pro Tools is one of the most used professional major DAWs in the World, so IMO supporting AAX is very important. That will make your brand look more reliable (especially for a new company) and more accessible to the professional users around the World. More platforms you support means more potential customers.

Just FYI, sharing info or code about AAX code-signing is under Avid's NDA and it is forbidden to share the info public. So just contact to PACE for code signing topics.

[Christoph Hart]

Pro Tools is one of the most used professional major DAWs in the World, so IMO supporting AAX is very important. That will make your brand look more reliable (especially for a new company) and more accessible to the professional users around the World.

At least now we know @orange's secret second YouTube account :)

[orange]

“I treat every problem that I hear about from a customer as an opportunity to improve,” - Jeff Bezos

:P

[orange]

@Christoph-Hart said in Getting AAX signed, AVID test etc.:

Pro Tools is one of the most used professional major DAWs in the World, so IMO supporting AAX is very important. That will make your brand look more reliable (especially for a new company) and more accessible to the professional users around the World.

At least now we know @orange's secret second YouTube account :)

Ahahah, nah that's not my way

[gorangrooves]

Thanks a lot, guys. I have an iLok and also a 3rd party certificate that I use to sign my Win installers. I assume I should be able to use it.

The reason for AAX is not because of the frustrated dude on YouTube :) One of the main reasons I opted for HISE and not Kontakt, for example, is that I didn't want to limit the reach of my products. Not supporting AAX locks me out of most high-end studios and producers.

We had a few sales after Pro Tools Experts reviewed the plugins, but I am sure that is only a fraction of the potential since most of their users are ProTools users, for example. I would have gone for the AAX support right from the get-go had I better understood what was involved.

Once we introduce the AAX format, it will make for a nice news update and other tweaks I am preparing.

[DanH]

What's the email people have written to to get a dev account with Avid (in order to sign AAX plugins for Pro Tools). I keep emailing devauth@avid.com but get nothingback :grinning_squinting_face:

[Matt_SF]

@DanH that's the correct email I believe. I wrote to this address last August and got an answer in a coiple of days...

[gorangrooves]

@DanH That's the correct email. Give them a few more days to respond.

[DanH]

@gorangrooves they've had 4 months