DAW Integration & Workflow

Loading in Your DAW

Aether loads as a virtual instrument, in VST3 or AU. It is not a MIDI effect, so it will not appear in a MIDI FX or MIDI-insert slot; add it where you would add a synth or sampler.

• ●Ableton Live: drag Aether from the Plug-ins browser onto a MIDI track
• ●Logic Pro: add Aether as an AU instrument on an instrument track
• ●FL Studio: add Aether to the channel rack as a VST3 generator
• ●Cubase / Nuendo: add Aether as a VST3 instrument on a MIDI or instrument track
• ●Reaper: insert Aether as a VSTi on any track
• ●Fender Studio Pro (formerly Studio One): add Aether as an instrument via the browser
• ●Bitwig Studio: add Aether as a VST3 instrument

Aether exposes no automatable parameters to the host, so you will not find it in your DAW's automation lanes. You drive it from its own interface and take the MIDI out.

Drag to DAW

Once you've generated a MIDI clip you like, drag it directly from Aether into your DAW's arrangement view. Click and hold the Drag to DAW handle on the parameter toolbar above the piano roll, then drop it onto any MIDI track. The clip is exported as a standard .mid file that any DAW can read, with the tempo and time signature embedded so it lands in sync.

A layered clip drags out as a multi-track .mid: a tempo track plus a named track per layer (Bass, Harmony, Lead, or any instrument-tagged part you've added), each on its own channel, so your DAW splits it onto separate tracks automatically. You choose the channel of every layer, and exports carry nothing that can change an instrument you already had loaded (see MIDI Routing).

Lock to Host

The Host toggle on the parameter toolbar syncs Aether's BPM and time signature from your DAW's transport, so every generation matches your project without manual adjustment. It is off by default, remembers its state, and is hidden in Standalone since there is no host to sync with.

It does more than set a number for the next generation. While it is on, Aether keeps the clip you already have in step with the host: change your project tempo and the loaded clip is re-timed to match, notes and grid together, rather than drifting off the bars. The playback tempo control is disabled while Host is on, since the host is deciding.

What Carries Over Between Sessions

In a DAW, Aether saves its state into your project. Reopen the project and your clip, chat history, tempo, sections, and per-layer channels come back with it.

The standalone app starts fresh every launch, deliberately, so you begin from a clean slate rather than yesterday's half-finished idea. Anything you want to keep should be in your library, which persists in both modes, or dragged out to disk before you quit.

Helper Daemon (Plugin Mode)

Most DAWs sandbox their plugins and block direct network access. Aether solves this with a lightweight helper application that runs in the background and proxies API calls on the plugin's behalf.

• ●Auto-launches on your first API call: no manual setup required
• ●Communicates with the plugin over a local TCP connection (localhost only)
• ●API keys are AES-encrypted in transit between the plugin and helper
• ●In Standalone mode, Aether calls APIs directly: no helper needed

Collapsible Panels

Hide the Chat, Quick Params, and Library panels independently to give the piano roll maximum room, useful on smaller screens or when you just want to focus on the generated material. Toggle the Library panel quickly with Cmd + 3.

Guided Tutorial & Tooltips

On first launch, an interactive spotlight tutorial walks you through nine areas: Chat, Quick Params, the Piano Roll, the transport controls, Raw/Clean/Enhance, the Library, the layer controls on the toolbar, the Layers view, and Settings. It opens the Enhance popover and the Layers view as it reaches them, so you see each one in place. You can replay it any time from the help control on the tab bar, or from Settings. Contextual tooltips throughout the controls explain every parameter, and toast notifications confirm actions as you work.