Aetherby Umbral AudioAI MIDI generator plugin · text to MIDI · ChatGPT to MIDI
The AI MIDI generator plugin that lives inside your DAW. Describe what you hear: Aether plans, generates, and refines playable MIDI you can drag straight into any session.
AU · VST3 · Standalone
One-time purchase · No subscription · Bring your own AI
macOS
Windows
Works with your own key, or a local model
Grok
Claude
ChatGPT
Gemini
DeepSeek
OpenRouter
Hugging Face
Ollama
LM Studio
an intense 16 bar cinematic piece with 5 layers
[Bars: 16] [Time signature: 4/4] [Genre: Cinematic / Film Score]
16 bar drum break
| NOTE | PIECE | LIVE | SPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | High Tom | D2 | D3 |
| 49 | Crash | C#2 | C#3 |
| 47 | Mid Tom | B1 | B2 |
| 46 | Open Hat | A#1 | A#2 |
| 45 | Low Tom | A1 | A2 |
| 42 | Closed Hat | F#1 | F#2 |
| 38 | Snare | D1 | D2 |
| 36 | Kick | C1 | C2 |
Real Aether output, played on the plugin's grand piano.
One-time purchase · No subscription · Bring your own AI
How it works
From Words to MIDI
Describe · Generate · Drag to DAW
Six real sessions, one per language. Name a genre in French, Japanese, German, Korean, Italian or Chinese and Aether plans it out loud in the language you wrote in, then writes the MIDI.
Watch it work
Aether in a Real Session
Jazz, written in the session
An 8-bar jazz loop in Ableton Live: Aether plans the part, writes acoustic bass, electric piano and tenor sax as separate layers, and the MIDI is dragged into the arrangement and played.
From prompt to playable MIDI, inside the session
A romantic classical piece in Ableton Live: Quick Params set the style and the parts, Aether plans and writes the parts, Enhance shapes timing and velocity, and the MIDI is dragged into the arrangement and played.
Capabilities
More Than a Prompt Box
Aether pairs conversational generation with the producer tools you expect from a serious instrument.
- Version 1.7.1
- 16 genres
- 43 drum styles (beta)
- No credits or caps, on your own AI key
Own it
$60. Once.
No subscription required and no credits. Activate on up to three machines, and get every Aether 1.x update at no cost.
Aether runs on an AI you connect: your own API key from a provider such as Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini, billed by that provider at about 3 to 15 cents a generation on a mid-tier model (more with Pro Mode, batches or high reasoning effort), or a free local model through Ollama or LM Studio. ChatGPT Plus and other chat subscriptions do not include API access.
One-time purchase · No subscription · Bring your own AI
FAQ
Common Questions
What is Aether?
Aether is an AI co-producer plugin for macOS and Windows. Describe the part you want in plain language and it plans, generates, and refines playable MIDI you can drag straight into your DAW. It ships as AU, VST3, and a standalone app.
What is an AI MIDI generator?
An AI MIDI generator creates MIDI note data (melodies, chords, basslines, beats, and full arrangements) from a description instead of you drawing every note by hand. Aether by Umbral Audio does this from natural-language prompts and outputs editable MIDI you drag into your DAW.
Does Aether work in my DAW?
Yes. Aether runs inside Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase, Fender Studio Pro (formerly Studio One), Bitwig, Reaper, and any other DAW that hosts AU or VST3 plugins, or on its own without a DAW.
Which AI models can I use?
Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, or Hugging Face with your own API key, or run a local model through Ollama or LM Studio. No forced subscription.
Is Aether a subscription?
No. The plugin is a one-time $60 purchase with free Aether 1.x updates and activation on up to three machines, and a subscription is never required. You only pay your AI provider for what you use, or nothing at all with local models. (An optional Pro tier with managed AI, for people who'd rather not bring their own keys, is in the works.)
What will I pay the AI provider?
At list prices, a generation is usually about 3 to 15 cents on a mid-tier model such as Claude Sonnet, depending on how many notes it writes. Lighter models such as Gemini Flash or DeepSeek are often a cent or two. The strongest models, such as Claude Opus or the top GPT and Grok models, usually write better parts, but each generation costs more and takes longer. Several providers offer free tiers. A local model through Ollama or LM Studio costs nothing.
Do I need a ChatGPT Plus subscription?
No. Aether connects to OpenAI with an API key, which is separate from a ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscription and billed by OpenAI per use. Chat subscriptions from Anthropic and Google do not include API access either. Create a key in your provider's developer console, or skip keys entirely with a local model through Ollama or LM Studio.
Can Aether compose full arrangements with multiple instruments?
Yes. Aether composes in layers: any number of named, instrument-tagged parts, not just bass, harmony, and lead. Ask for "a horns section" or "an ostinato under the piano" and the new layer is added alongside what you already have instead of replacing it. Every layer has its own color, solo, mute, and MIDI channel, and exports as its own named track.
Is the generated MIDI editable?
Completely. Everything Aether writes is standard MIDI you can edit in its built-in piano roll or in your DAW, refine in follow-up messages, and export as multi-track .mid files with one named track per layer, plus tempo and time signature.
Can I write prompts in my own language?
Yes. Name a genre or drum style in French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese or most other languages and Aether routes it to the same musical guidance as the English name, then replies in the language you wrote in. Coverage varies by language: where a name is missing, the Genre and Style menus still get you there.
Can I work offline?
Yes. Run a local model through Ollama or LM Studio and Aether generates MIDI with no internet connection at all.
Is Aether the same as Aethernal, or a reverb or vocal library?
No. Aether by Umbral Audio is an AI MIDI generator plugin. It is not a reverb, not a vocal library, and not Aethernal or any other product that happens to use the word Aether.