Blue Cat’s PatchWork is a universal plug-in and multi-effects panel that can simultaneously connect up to 64 VST, VST3, Audio Unit, or built-in plug-ins to any digital audio workstation (DAW) with serial and parallel routing capabilities.
You can combine effects into serial chains or create up to eight parallel chains that can be activated independently. This allows you to create configurations of your favorite effects or instruments within the plugin without the need for multiple buses. These configurations can be saved as presets and instantly recalled or used across multiple DAWs using any plugin format (full list below). Use the built-in audio effects to add color to your plugin chains.
Despite the name, you can forget about wires and cables: setting up plugin routing is as easy as adding or removing a row or column in the rack matrix. All plugins can communicate with each other or with the host application via virtual MIDI ports provided by the plugin.
Each plug-in slot features latency compensation, preset management, integrated undo/redo, audio input/output selection, and individual plug-in bypass for optimal performance. The plug-in also saves the window position for each plug-in so the layout can be restored when the session is resumed or saved with presets.
Additionally, helper plugins can be automated or controlled via external control panels using Blue Cat’s PatchWork parameter mapping capabilities.
This product is available as an audio plug-in (effect or virtual instrument) and a standalone application, so it can be used standalone or embedded into any type of track in your favorite DAW, supporting up to 16 audio channels.
Input and output level meters are also available for monitoring the signal sent to connected plugins, including sidechain and auxiliary channels.
If you need a multiband host for multiband processing plugins, consider the MB-7 Mixer plugin from Blue Cat. Furthermore, any Blue Cat Audio plugin device is compatible with this software and can be used in it.
Looking for a more advanced audio routing system in PatchWork? Try the Blue Cat connector!
Copyright note: VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
Key Features:
Customizable VST, VST3, or Audio Unit plugin rack: Connect up to 64 third-party plugins or instruments in series or parallel.
30 built-in effects: reverb, EQ, filters, pitch and frequency shifters, delays, modulation effects, compressor, gate, bitcrusher, waveformer, and more.
Available as an effect, virtual instrument, or standalone application.
Create your own effects chains: Up to 8 pre/post plugin slots for chaining plugins.
Easy parallel processing: Up to 8 parallel plugin chains with phase shift, solo, and gain controls.
Multi-core processing supports parallel chains.
Plugin oversampling: Choose the oversampling rate and quality for each plugin.
Use up to 8 virtual instruments in parallel and mix them using the plugin.
Global dry/wet processing control (“Mix”).
Macro Control and Parameter Mapping: Map plugin parameters to automate them, or use the control surface.
Flexible MIDI Routing: Connect auxiliary plugins to each other or to the main application.
Flexible Audio Routing: Route auxiliary plugin inputs/outputs to any audio channel.
External sidechain and multiple outputs supported.
Link preamps and postamps for automatic gain compensation.
Drag and drop, cut, copy, and paste plugins with their settings between slots.
Recall complex processing setups and plugin layouts with a single click and share them between your DAWs.
Input and output level monitoring, built-in CPU counter.
Plugin latency compensation.
Network audio/MIDI processing server for the Connector plugin.
Supports VST Shell plugins.
Built-in undo/redo.
Blue Cat Sound Standards:
Available as a standalone application and in most plug-in formats for Mac and Windows.
Full MIDI control and automation support, MIDI Learn.
No CPU load in idle mode: processing stops when silence is detected (optimal CPU utilization).
Customizable user interface with transparency and scaling.
Smooth bypass: silently activate/deactivate the plug-in.
Undo/redo.
Fully featured built-in preset manager.
Copy/paste plug-in state between instances.
Any sample rate supported.
x64: SAL, AAX, VST3, VST2 | x86*: SAL, VST3, VST2
*The installer’s checkbox options include an option
to install standalone x86 mode on an x64 operating system.
If you select this option, you’ll gain access to
a special bonus feature, indicated by a red icon. This allows you to easily distinguish between
architectures if you’re using both for simultaneous testing
or simply for convenience when you’re taking your time.
I hope you get the idea. It’s important for a reason.
Just install! All data folders required within the plugin folders
are symbolic links to the product’s ProgramData folder,
just like in other Blue Cat Audio software installations from other teams. In this case,
there’s only one way to succeed. Have you ever heard of such a thing?
— The Cubeadooby Team
Header Dependency Requirement:
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable version 14.0.24215.1
or higher, for one or both x64 and x86 versions, depending on and consistent with
the architecture(s) you choose to install.
