DAW Integration & Workflow

Load Aether in any major DAW, drag MIDI straight to a track, sync tempo with Lock to Host, and work fast with undo history and keyboard shortcuts.

Workflow

DAW Integration

Loading in Your DAW

Load Aether as a virtual instrument or MIDI effect on any track. It works with all major DAWs:

●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
●Pro Tools — insert Aether as a virtual instrument on an instrument track
●Cubase / Nuendo — add Aether as a VST3 instrument on a MIDI or instrument track
●Reaper — insert Aether as a VSTi on any track
●Studio One — add Aether as an instrument via the browser
●Bitwig Studio — add Aether as a VST3 instrument

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 handle on the transport bar, 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 multi-part clip drags out as a multi-track .mid: a tempo track plus a named track per part (Bass, Harmony, Lead) on its own channel, so your DAW splits it onto separate tracks automatically (see Multi-Track Generation).

Lock to Host

When enabled, Aether syncs its BPM and time signature from your DAW's transport. This ensures every generation matches your project tempo without manual adjustment. The Lock to Host toggle is hidden in Standalone mode since there's no host to sync with.

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

History

Undo & Redo

Aether maintains a 10-level history stack. Each snapshot stores the complete state: raw MIDI buffer, processed MIDI buffer, JSON data, tempo, and time signature. Undo and redo are instant — there's no re-processing.

●Undo: Cmd + Z
●Redo: Cmd + Shift + Z
●History persists for the duration of the session
●Each generation, edit, or parameter change creates a new snapshot

Efficiency

Keyboard Shortcuts

macOS	Windows	Action
`Space`	`Space`	Play / Pause
`Escape`	`Escape`	Stop playback
`Cmd`+`Z`	`Ctrl`+`Z`	Undo
`Cmd`+`Shift`+`Z`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Z`	Redo
`Cmd`+`S`	`Ctrl`+`S`	Save MIDI file
`Cmd`+`,`	`Ctrl`+`,`	Open Settings
`Cmd`+`1`	`Ctrl`+`1`	Switch to Generate tab
`Cmd`+`2`	`Ctrl`+`2`	Toggle MIDI recording
`Cmd`+`3`	`Ctrl`+`3`	Toggle Library panel
`Cmd`+`Return`	`Ctrl`+`Enter`	Switch to Generate tab
`Shift`+`Enter`	`Shift`+`Enter`	New line in chat input
`Enter`	`Enter`	Send message

Interface

Appearance

Aether ships with a single, carefully tuned dark interface built for low-light studio environments. A cyan accent runs through the piano roll notes, the playhead glow, active tabs, and interactive controls, with a layered surface-depth scale that gives panels a clear visual hierarchy. The embedded Inter typeface keeps the UI looking identical on every machine.

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 Chat, Quick Params, the Piano Roll, transport and Raw/Clean/Enhance controls, the Library, toolbar, and Settings. Contextual tooltips throughout the controls explain every parameter, and toast notifications confirm actions as you work.