Conductor Stage installation & compatibility

Stable 0.29.0: REAPER track building

This release includes the tested private Beta 19 improvements. The REAPER VST3 backend builds separate effects without mouse or screen control, using captured vendor VST3 effects or native ReaComp, ReaEQ and ReaVerbate replacements. It transfers the source’s position-derived master settings and uses Stage Placement for direction, Mirror and volume falloff. Individual source effects stay inactive while connected.

Windows REAPER 7.82 was tested through chain creation and restoration. Native stock effects approximate Stage’s DSP; their algorithms differ. Mac REAPER runtime validation remains pending. Logic retains its experimental separate-insert adapter. FL Studio, Ableton Live and Cubase automatic separate-insert building is unavailable.

Download installer 0.1.1 once for this first stable update. Installer 0.1.0 and older plugin update checks may not recognize the new stable version format. Existing Premium keys remain valid. Update the master and connected sources together, then reopen the DAW and rescan if needed.

Earlier release notes: a smaller, adjustable stage window

The editor opens at 75% of the previous size and can resize from 60% to 150%, with its size saved per instance. Hovering over an instrument shows a blue ring; the selected instrument has an amber ring. Click an instrument to select it and drag the instrument itself to move it. Clicking empty stage space does not move the selection.

This maintenance release also adds audio callback diagnostics and avoids redundant linked-control updates. The earlier intermittent pan-trim freeze could not be reproduced; this release does not claim a confirmed fix. That earlier release included only the experimental Logic separate-insert adapter; see the current release notes above for REAPER support.

Earlier release notes: one master-controlled chain

Connected tracks apply their own position, Mirror and volume falloff, then the master’s effects once. Their individual compressor, EQ, reverb and output trim are inactive while connected; those settings remain saved for standalone use after disconnecting.

Build this track captures that position and the master’s effective settings there. Each enabled slot uses the selected hosted plugin, or a stock replacement when Stage uses native processing. It does not add another set of individual source effects. Stage Placement carries direction, Mirror and distance gain; a gain utility is added only where needed for output trim. Stock effects approximate Stage’s native algorithms.

Update all connected source instances and the master together. Older committed portable snapshots keep their original sound until you resume live control and capture a new snapshot. Back up the project before replacing an older beta.

First launch of the Mac installer

1. Download the DMG using the button above and compare its SHA-256 with the installer checksum.
2. Open the DMG and drag Track 1 Audio Installer into Applications. Open the app from Applications. The Mac installer is not Apple-notarized; if macOS blocks it, follow Apple’s per-app Open Anyway instructions below only if you trust this download. Keep machine-wide security enabled.
3. Choose Free or Premium. For Premium, enter your existing key privately in the app. Save your project and quit your DAW, then click Install / Update.
4. Reopen your DAW and rescan plugins if needed. Keep the installer in Applications: open it whenever you want to check for a plugin update. It installs approved releases without requiring another plugin ZIP download.

The installer updates the plugins; version 0.1.1 does not update its own app automatically. It does not force-quit or restart your DAW. Downloading a Premium package through the app does not move your activation to a different device; activate Premium in the plugin when using a new computer.

Mac manual ZIP installation

1. Quit your DAW. Download from the Free page or your Premium account library. Extract the entire ZIP and read its README.
2. Compare the ZIP’s SHA-256 with the published checksum. In Terminal, type shasum -a 256 , drag the ZIP into the window, and press Return. A checksum checks file integrity; these plugin files do not carry Apple-verified publisher identity.
3. Copy the supplied AUv2 bundles to your user Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components folder, and VST3 bundles to Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3. Use Finder → Go → Go to Folder and enter ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/. The optional included installer explains its exact scope before copying and preserves a backup of an older plugin bundle.
4. Reopen your DAW and rescan. In Logic, use the AUv2 version and check Settings → Plug-in Manager. The manufacturer is Track 1 Audio. Stage Placement is a separate utility included with either edition.

If macOS blocks the download

If you trust the exact file, Apple documents a per-app exception in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway after attempting to open a blocked installer. This does not guarantee a quarantined Audio Unit will load in every DAW. Read Apple’s current instructions.

The optional installer can remove the download quarantine attribute from only the specific copied Conductor Stage / Stage Placement bundles after you explicitly confirm. It does not disable Gatekeeper, System Integrity Protection, antivirus or any machine-wide setting. Review the script first and use it only for the release you intended to test. Do not override a warning that identifies malware, a revoked signature or a modified/corrupt file.

Security policies on managed computers may prevent unsigned software regardless. If the DAW still refuses the plugin, stop and send the exact validation message instead of weakening system-wide protections. An unsigned installation path has not been certified across all macOS versions.

Windows x64

Use the Windows installer above for initial installation and later approved plugin updates. Quit your DAW first. Run the downloaded installer EXE directly; keep it for future updates. Choose Free or Premium in the app; Premium uses your existing key. The Windows installer is unsigned. Manual ZIP installation remains available:

1. Quit your DAW, extract the full Windows ZIP and read its README. Install the supplied .vst3 bundles into C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3. Administrator permission may be required for that folder.
2. Keep each complete .vst3 folder intact. These Windows builds include a static Microsoft runtime, so no separate Visual C++ runtime download is required.
3. Reopen the DAW, rescan VST3 plugins and test in a spare project. Keep antivirus and machine-wide protection enabled; follow your organization’s software policy on managed computers.

Windows binaries are native x64 builds, not ARM64 Windows or 32-bit plugins. The current release was compiled locally for Windows x64. Windows REAPER 7.82 chain creation and restoration have been tested.

Premium licenses and private tester access

Sign in to your Track 1 Audio account. Premium purchases and eligible private-code redemptions create individual activation keys in your library. Enter a key in Premium’s Report / Account panel. Never post the key in a bug report or project screenshot.

One key activates one device at a time. Activating it elsewhere replaces the previous device when that device next checks online. The plugin requires a successful online check at least every 30 days. Free and Stage Placement need no activation key.

Discount codes are supplied directly by Track 1 Audio and are not listed on this website. Open the Premium product page, choose one license, continue to Stripe checkout and select “Add promotion code.” Enter your code there and check the total before completing the order. Complimentary tester access is limited to one license per account. Anyone you share a code with may be able to use it; keep it within your invited group.

Send a report from the plugin

1. Open Report / Account in Conductor Stage or Stage Placement.
2. Describe what you expected, what happened and the smallest steps that reproduce the problem. Mention whether it occurs in a source or master instance.
3. Send the report, or save it locally and attach the saved file to support. Optional automatic beta health reports are off unless you enable them.

Reports contain the plugin version, OS/architecture, processing configuration, effect identity/mapping diagnostics and performance counters. They do not include audio, project files, track names, activation keys or full vendor preset state. Your written description is included as typed: leave out private information.

Reports reach Track 1 Audio’s support storage. They do not automatically open a chat with a developer or send an immediate reply. Email support if you need a response, and include the report reference.

Formats and compatibility

Mac deployment target is macOS 11. The stable release supports Intel and Apple Silicon Mac, with native Windows x64 builds. AAX / Pro Tools testing is separate from the public AUv2/VST3 release. Stable downloads and plugin version identifiers now use 0.29.0. A minimum deployment target is not proof of runtime testing on every older OS.

Capture a track from the master

In Premium’s master instance, open DIY Guide, choose Portable track snapshot, select a connected source and click Commit this track. The source keeps its current position, Mirror and falloff, followed by the master’s captured effects and output trim at that position. Individual source effects remain inactive in a master-only snapshot. It uses its existing processing chain; it does not add separate DAW inserts or require a helper app.

A committed track runs independently of later master changes. Its own Conductor Stage power switch bypasses the whole captured processing chain. Save your DAW project to retain the snapshot. Choose Resume live master to reconnect it. This captures the current settings, not the automation timeline. Test in a backup project and avoid enabling a previously copied chain at the same time.

Separate Logic inserts: experimental

The optional Logic separate inserts method uses Logic’s exposed interface to create a current-position chain. Stop playback, keep the full Mixer open and leave the controls alone until the result appears. It may request Accessibility and remains sensitive to Logic versions, menu layout and vendor preset support. Stock plugin algorithms are approximations. The REAPER VST3 adapter uses REAPER’s backend API without screen control; Windows REAPER 7.82 has been tested. Automatic separate-insert building is unavailable in Live, FL Studio and Cubase.

For this separate-insert method, turn off the source Conductor Stage and enable the copied inserts, including Stage Placement, to audition the copy. To hear live placement, turn off the copied inserts and enable the source Stage. Other source tracks retain their own power and processing settings.

Back to Conductor Stage · Learn the placement model