Audio Random Access
Audio Random Access (commonly abbreviated to ARA) is an extension for audio plug-in interfaces, such as AU, VST and RTAS, allowing them to exchange a greater amount of audio information with digital audio workstation (DAW) software. It was developed in a collaboration between Celemony Software and PreSonus.
Developer(s) | Celemony Software, PreSonus |
---|---|
Initial release | October 2011 |
Type | Audio Plug-In Interface Extension |
Functionality
ARA increases the amount of communication possible between DAW software and a plug-in, allowing them to exchange important information, such as audio data, tempo, pitch, and rhythm, for an entire song, rather than just at the moment of playback.
This increased amount of information exchange, and availability of data from other points in time, removes the need for audio material to be transferred to & from the plug-in, allowing that plug-in to be used as a more closely integrated part of the DAW's overall interface.[1]
History
ARA was developed as a joint effort between Celemony Software and PreSonus, driven by the desire to increase the level of integration between Celemony's Melodyne plug-in and the DAWs using it.[2] It was first published in October 2011 and released as part of PreSonus' Studio One DAW (version 2) and Melodyne (Editor, Assistant and Essential versions 1.3).[2]
Version 2 of ARA was announced during NAMM in January 2018, introducing new features such as the simultaneous editing of multiple tracks, transfer of chord track information, and undo synchronization with the DAW.[3][4] DAWs which use ARA version 2 are not automatically backwards compatible with plug-ins using version 1.[5] The first DAWs to support ARA version 2 were Logic Pro X (version 10.4, released in January 2018)[6] and Studio One (version 4, released in May 2018).[7]
ARA implementation
To allow software manufacturers to support ARA, a Software Development Kit has been published by Celemony.[8][9]
Current software products which support ARA include the following.
Digital audio workstations
DAW | Developer | ARA v1 Support | ARA v2 Support |
---|---|---|---|
ACID Pro Next | MAGIX | N/A | Version 1.0.3.32 or later[10] |
Cakewalk by BandLab | BandLab Technologies | SONAR X3 or later[11] | Version 2019.05 or later[12] |
Cubase | Steinberg | N/A | Version 10.0.30 or later[13] |
Digital Performer | MOTU | N/A | Version 11.2 or later[14] |
Logic Pro X | Apple Inc. | N/A | Version 10.4 or later[6] |
Nuendo | Steinberg | N/A | Version 10.1 or later[13] |
Pro Tools | Avid Technology, Inc. | N/A | Version 2022.9 or later[15] |
REAPER | Cockos | N/A | Version 5.97 or later[16] |
Samplitude Pro | Magix | Version X3 or later[17] | Version X5 or later[18] |
Studio One | PreSonus | Version 2 or later[1] | Version 4 or later[19] |
Waveform / Tracktion | Tracktion Software Corporation | Version 5 or later[20] | N/A |
Audio editors and plug-ins
Plug-In | Developer | ARA v1 Support | ARA v2 Support |
---|---|---|---|
Melodyne | Celemony Software | Version 1.3 or later[2] | Version 4.2 or later[21] |
VocAlign | Synchro Arts | Project version 3 / Pro version 4 or later[22] | Project version 3.6.0.5 / Pro version 4.5.0.5 or later[23] |
Revoice Pro | Synchro Arts | N/A | Version 4 or later[24][4] |
SpectraLayers | Steinberg | N/A | Version 6 or later[25] |
Auto-Align Post 2 | Sound Radix | N/A | Version 1 |
Acoustica | Acon Digital | N/A | Version 7.4 or later[26] |
ASAP - Spectral Surface | IRCAM | N/A | All versions |
ASAP - Pitches Brew | IRCAM | N/A | All versions |
ASAP - Stretch Life | IRCAM | N/A | All versions |
Vocaloid | Yamaha | N/A | Version 6 or later[27] |
References
- Rogerson, Ben (2011-10-18). "Celemony explains ARA: new VST/AU/RTAS plug-in extension". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- "Celemony introduces ARA Audio Random Access". KVR Audio. 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
- "Celemony Intros ARA 2, Letting Plugins & DAWs Share Information". Synthtopia. 2018-02-11. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
- "ARA2 Demo Video - We've Got Hold Of A Video Showing The Amazing ARA2 In Action". Production Expert. 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
- "ARA support in REAPER - Page 14". Cockos Incorporated. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
- Libertini, Carlo (2018-02-04). "Logic 10.4 Update: the first to utilize ARA-2". Produce Like A Pro. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- Hughes, Russ (2018-05-22). "PreSonus Announce Studio One 4 - Chord Track, Pattern Mode, AAF Import And Export, Song Data Import, Impact XT and Sample One XT And More..." Pro Tools Expert. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
- "ARA SDK". Celemony. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
- "Technologies". Celemony. Retrieved 2018-09-24.
- "ACID Pro 10 All New Features". MAGIX. 2020-09-13. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
- "SONAR X3 Makes Control of Sound More Fluid with Deep Celemony Integration, More". Create Digital Music. 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- Ong, Daniel (2019-05-21). "Cakewalk by BandLab adds support for ARA 2 in latest update". MusicTech. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
- "Celemony announces that Steinberg Cubase and Nuendo have added ARA2 support". KVR Audio. 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
- "Digital Performer | MOTU.com". motu.com. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
- Winsor, Chris; Naito, Daisuke (2022-09-28). "What's New in Pro Tools 2022.9". Avid Resource Center. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- "Streamlined workflow: Melodyne and Reaper now communicate via ARA 2". Rekkerd. 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
- "Magix Release Music Maker Premium & Samplitude Pro X3". MusicTech. 2016-11-23. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
- "Magix releases Samplitude Pro X5 with ARA2 and MPE support". GearNews. 2020-04-23.
- "Presonus Studio One Lets You Create Without Boundaries". 2018-05-18. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- "Tracktion 5 Software Bundles Melodyne". EMusician. 2014-09-16. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- Krantzberg, Eli (2018-10-02). "Melodyne ARA & Logic Pro X - We've Never Been Able to Edit Audio Like This Before". Production Expert. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
- "VocALign gets high-speed integration in Studio One". Sound on Sound. 2016-09-26. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- Krantzberg, Eli (2019-06-28). "Synchro Arts Update VocALign with ARA2 Compatibility". Production Expert. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
- Arblaster, Simon (2018-09-19). "Revoice Pro 4 is here and introduces a new vibrato warp function". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2018-09-24.
- Ong, Daniel (2019-07-04). "Steinberg releases SpectraLayers Pro 6, adds ARA 2 support". MusicTech. Retrieved 2019-08-17.
- "Acoustica 7.4 with New ARA2 Plug-in Released". Acon Digital. 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
- "Yamaha New Comprehensive Vocal Synthesis Software VOCALOID™6". www.yamaha.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.