Support
Frequently Asked Questions
Buying, activation, formats, routing and the controls people ask about most. Search, or jump to a section.
Buying PAM
Do you offer a free trial?
PAM has a 7-day full trial on one computer: install it, press Start a free trial on the activation screen and verify your email. MFX and Rhino 3 have no trial, but both run in your browser on their product pages.
How do I buy a license?
Press Buy, or add products from the Products page, and complete the hosted checkout. You get a receipt and a license email, and the purchase appears in your MAP Audio account. PAM licenses from the earlier store are marked Moonbase in your account. Older plugin builds may still open the previous checkout.
Does the download link in my purchase email expire?
No. The link always downloads the current version. Every version you own is also listed at https://map.audio/account.
My license email has a key but no download link. What now?
That product has no installer released yet. The key is valid and works as soon as the first version ships; the download then appears at https://map.audio/account.
Do you offer a payment plan?
Yes. Rent to Own splits the price into monthly payments, and what you rent is yours once the last one clears. It covers PAM, and a bundle such as PAM + MFX when the bundle lists a plan. Press Rent to Own on the PAM page, or a bundle's rent-to-own link on the Products or MFX page. Choose what to rent and how many payments, then sign in with your email, since the plan is tied to your account. The total is shown before checkout. Where a bundle credits products you already own, that credit applies to its one-payment price, not to a plan. You can cancel from your account: the licenses keep working to the end of the paid month, then the plan ends without ownership, and its payments do not carry over to a new plan. To move a running PAM plan onto a bundle plan, email support: the payments you have made count toward the bundle, and the remaining ones bill at the bundle's monthly price. A plan started on the earlier Moonbase store is cancelled on Moonbase instead; your account links to it. From your account you can also move a Moonbase plan onto PAM + MFX, or pay it off in one payment: the payments you made on Moonbase count, and we end the Moonbase payments for you, refunding any taken after the change. A payoff never costs more than buying PAM outright that day, and a sale on PAM comes off it too.
Is payment secure?
Card details are entered in a hosted checkout, Stripe for new orders. MAP Audio does not store full card details.
Rhino 3
What is Rhino 3?
Rhino 3 is a hybrid FM synthesizer made by MAP Audio in collaboration with Big Tick Audio. Compared with Rhino 2, it has a new interface, four effect slots instead of two, and six routings between the slots. Also new: edits apply while notes play without audible clicks, activation uses a MAP Audio account, and a version runs in the browser. Rhino 3 runs as VST3 and Standalone on macOS and Windows, and as AU on macOS.
Can I try Rhino 3 before buying?
Yes, in your browser: Rhino 3 runs on https://map.audio/rhino with a selection of the factory presets, the oscillator shapes and Web MIDI input, no account needed. After a few minutes of playing, it asks for an email address to keep going. There is no desktop trial.
Do my Rhino 2 presets and banks load in Rhino 3?
Yes. Drag your Rhino 2 .fxb banks or .fxp presets onto Rhino 3, or click Import… on the Presets page. Each preset in a bank is saved as its own .fxp in a folder named after the bank, and empty slots are skipped. Rhino 3’s factory content is the same set of banks as Rhino 2’s, and Rhino 2 stays installed beside Rhino 3 and keeps working.
I own Rhino 2. Do I get Rhino 3?
Yes, free. Sign in at https://map.audio/account?product=rhino3, or on the plugin's activation screen, with the email address your Rhino 2 purchase is registered to at Big Tick Audio, and a Rhino 3 license is added to your account. If you can't open that inbox anymore, your old Big Tick Audio password can prove the purchase instead (see the next question). We don't accept receipts, order numbers, serial numbers, key files or screenshots as proof of purchase.
I no longer have the email I bought Rhino 2 with. Can I still get Rhino 3 free?
Yes, if you know the password of your Big Tick Audio account. Sign in at https://map.audio/account?product=rhino3 with an email address you use now, click I don't have access to that email anymore, and enter your old Big Tick Audio username or email and its password. Rhino 3 is added to the account you signed in with, and the old address gets a notice that the upgrade moved. Each Rhino 2 purchase gives one Rhino 3 license, so once it is claimed, by either route, it can't be claimed again. Without the old inbox or the password, support can't take a receipt, order number, serial number, key file or screenshot instead. Rhino 3 is on sale at https://map.audio/rhino.
How is Rhino 3 activated?
With your MAP Audio account, like PAM and MFX: buy it, open the plugin, enter the purchase email and the code we send. One license covers three computers, and a computer without internet access can activate offline from https://map.audio/account?product=rhino3.
Which formats does Rhino 3 ship in?
VST3, AU and Standalone. There is no VST2, CLAP or AAX build.
How do I resize Rhino 3?
Drag the bottom-right corner of its window. In Logic Pro, and from Rhino 1.3.2 in Fender Studio Pro, Studio One and Waveform, Rhino shows its own resize handle there. In other hosts, resize it from the window edge. Rhino reopens at the size you left it.
Rhino 3 crashed in Logic Pro when I picked a preset. Is that fixed?
Yes, in every release after 1.3.1. Earlier versions could crash, in Logic Pro and other hosts, on presets that run two effects side by side, such as CS Bass 3. Update from https://map.audio/account. Recover in Logic brings a crashed instance back.
Windows or Chrome won’t let me keep the Rhino 3 installer. What do I do?
The Windows installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows and Chrome have no reputation for it. If Chrome says Virus detected or Windows Security reports a threat, open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Protection history, open the Rhino entry, choose Actions → Allow on device and download again. If Chrome blocks it as suspicious, open chrome://downloads and keep the Rhino file from there. If Windows protected your PC appears when you open it, click More info, then Run anyway. Smart App Control on Windows 11 allows no exception for an unsigned app: if it blocked the installer, switch it off under Windows Security → App & browser control → Smart App Control settings before you install. For any other message, email support@map.audio with a screenshot.
MFX Preset Library
What is the Preset Library?
A public collection of MFX presets at map.audio/mfx/presets, shared by MFX users. Browsing and downloading need no account. Sign in to favourite presets and to vote down the ones that do not belong; heavily downvoted presets drop out of the list.
How do I load a preset from the Preset Library into MFX?
Open MFX beside your browser. In Chrome or Edge, drag a preset from map.audio/mfx/presets onto the MFX window: it is saved to your User presets and loads. In Safari or Firefox, press Download and drop the downloaded .preset file onto MFX.
Presets & Import
Is Morphing the same feature as Transition?
Yes. Transition is the control in the preset browser; Morphing is the label on the destination preset while the sound changes over the chosen time. Turn on Transition, choose its length and mode, then select a preset during playback. Presets load immediately while playback is stopped or Song Mode is enabled. Double-click a preset to load it at once.
How do I import presets (.preset or .zip)?
Drop a .preset file or a .zip bundle anywhere in the plugin window or on the Preset Browser. Zips are unpacked on import and you can drop several files at once. Imported presets appear under your User library.
Can PAM turn my DAW project into a preset?
Yes. Drop an Ableton Live set (.als), a Bitwig Studio project (.bwproject), an FL Studio project (.flp) or a DAWproject file (.dawproject) onto PAM. It builds a new preset under Presets/User/Remix from the project's own samples, MIDI and sections, copies the samples it uses into Samples/User/Remix and adds a Song Mode song that follows the arrangement. With plugin hosting on, it also opens the instrument plugins it can with the project's saved patches, and PAM's own sounds stand in for the rest. Keep the samples where the project expects them, or in the folder beside it; the status bar says how many PAM could not find.
Is my project uploaded when I remix it in the browser demo?
No. On map.audio the remix runs in your browser tab: PAM reads the folder you drop, builds the preset and decodes the samples on your computer. Nothing is uploaded or saved, and the remix is gone when you close or reload the page. To keep a remix, drop the project onto the PAM plugin instead.
Can I drag audio straight from my DAW into PAM?
Yes. Drag a clip or region from the arrangement onto a cell or a looper track. Several dropped on one cell become a sliced chain. The audio is copied into your user samples, so the preset still plays after a restart. A long region takes a moment while the DAW renders it; the status bar says when the import starts.
Can I export my patterns as MIDI?
Yes. Settings → Export has an Export MIDI section. Combined writes one multi-track file with a track per loaded cell; Stems writes one file per selected cell. Tempo and time signature are embedded.
Preset Packs
What is the Pack Store?
The Packs tab in the Preset Browser of PAM and MFX. It lists official and partner packs made for that plugin; a PAM pack bundles its presets with the samples they need. PAM packs install only in PAM, MFX packs only in MFX.
How do I install a pack?
Open the Preset Browser, switch to the Packs tab, select a pack and press Install. Free packs install straight away for owners of the plugin. Paid packs are bought on the website; after purchase the same Install button checks that your license covers the pack, and your account page on map.audio has a Download for each pack you bought there.
Does MFX have preset packs?
Yes, from MFX 1.1.4: its Preset Browser has a Packs tab. DATABROTH’s ten presets appear there as the DATABROTH pack, already installed. They still ship with MFX as factory presets, so favourites keep working and nothing needs downloading.
I bought a pack, but PAM still shows Buy. What do I do?
Update PAM, open the pack in the Pack Store and press the refresh button next to Buy. If “Already bought it? Sign in” appears, PAM needs you to sign in once to load your map.audio purchases: choose it, enter the email you bought the pack with and the 6-digit code we send, then choose Install. Your current PAM license keeps working. The same sign-in is under Settings → Account → MAP Audio account. You can also sign in to your account on map.audio, choose Download next to the pack and drop the .pampack file onto the Preset Browser. If you bought the pack with a different email from your PAM license, write to support@map.audio.
A pack install fails with a message about my license, signing in, or the app build. What do I do?
If the message is about an expired license or trial, or about signing in, PAM is holding a license that the pack server no longer accepts: your trial has ended, or PAM still has an earlier license. Sign in with the email on your PAM license under Settings → Account → MAP Audio account (or on the pack’s page), enter the 6-digit code we send, then press Install again. If the message says the app or build is not recognized, this copy of PAM is not a current release: install the latest PAM from map.audio/download and press Install again. If a pack’s Download link on map.audio opens your account page, your sign-in there has lapsed: sign in and choose Download again.
Where do pack presets live on disk?
Under their pack name in the Preset Browser, and on disk next to your other presets: ~/Library/Application Support/MAP Audio/PAM/ on macOS, %APPDATA%/MAP Audio/PAM/ on Windows. MFX keeps its own under MAP Audio/MFX/ in the same places. Right-click a preset and choose Open Location to jump there.
I make samples and presets. Can I sell my pack through PAM?
Yes. We publish packs from other sample-makers and sound designers in the in-plugin store. We handle hosting, licensing, checkout and updates and pay a revenue share on every sale; you keep ownership of your work. Email support@map.audio with a short bio, a few preview presets or audio examples and a one-line pitch.
Looper
Why does turning up the Looper stop making it louder?
Check whether Limiter is on in the Looper header’s right-click menu. It reduces gain when the loop reaches its peak ceiling. It is off by default; saved sessions keep their setting. With it off, Volume and each track level can boost up to +12 dB.
Why do my looper recordings persist when I change presets?
The Looper is global and presets do not save it. Clips are audio recordings and stay when you load another preset, so you can build layers while you browse presets.
How do I save and recall looper states?
Looper Variations: 8 slots that each hold a complete looper state. Click a slot to queue it for the next bar, double-click to switch at once. Right-click a slot to Save, Load, Copy, Paste or Remove, and drag between slots to duplicate.
Can I record external audio into the looper?
Yes. Right-click a looper track and set Source to External Input. The track then records from your interface.
What is Overdub mode?
Overdub layers new audio on top of the existing clip; Replace overwrites it. Toggle it globally in the header or per track from the right-click menu.
Plugin Activation
How do I activate the plugin?
On the license screen, enter the email you bought with and press Activate a purchased license (Email me a code in earlier builds and MFX), then enter the 6-digit code. If the email is new, this creates a passwordless MAP Audio account. If the account for that email has a license and a free device seat, the plugin activates on its own. If a code expires, you can ask for a new one with Send another code. You can also activate with the license key from your purchase email. If you bought before MAP Audio accounts existed, the license file already on your computer stays valid, and the license screen keeps a Restore an earlier purchase link that opens the older sign-in window.
I signed in to try PAM, but it says my account has no license
Signing in to activate a purchase does not start a trial. Choose Start a free trial. If that button is not shown, press Change email to return to the first screen, then choose Start a free trial and enter the new code. PAM trials last seven days on one computer; reinstalling does not restart a used trial.
My account page does not list a license I bought earlier
Sign in at https://map.audio/account with your purchase email. Earlier PAM licenses appear in the PAM section, marked Moonbase, with their status and the date we last checked them. Press Download PAM on your active license or purchase card to choose the current macOS or Windows installer. You do not need to activate again to download. If the details could not be loaded or may be out of date, press Retry. A Rent to Own plan or subscription bought on the earlier store is still billed by Moonbase: press Manage or cancel on Moonbase on that license and sign in there with your purchase email to change or cancel it. If a purchase is still missing, email support@map.audio from your purchase address and name the product.
My Rent to Own plan from the earlier store lapsed. Do I start a new one?
No. An earlier plan stays with the earlier store until it is paid off, so a new plan cannot start here while it is open. Renew it from the billing link in its receipt, then open PAM, sign in with your purchase email and choose Retry activation. If PAM still shows no license, email support@map.audio.
PAM opens normally but the transport will not play, and my subscription shows a renewal date that has passed
An earlier-store subscription or Rent to Own plan renews its license file only while that file is still valid, so once its date passes, PAM stays locked until you sign in again. Settings → General → Open Log File shows "[license] gate closed: The license expired". Open PAM, choose Restore an earlier purchase on the license screen and sign in with your purchase email; if the subscription is active, PAM gets a fresh license file and plays again. PAM 1.8.4 and earlier show the normal interface instead of the license screen in this state: quit PAM, move license.mb out of the MAP Audio/PAM folder (~/Library/MAP Audio/PAM on macOS, %APPDATA%\MAP Audio\PAM on Windows) and keep it, then open PAM to reach the license screen. If signing in does not unlock it, check the plan on Moonbase, or email support@map.audio from your purchase address.
The plugin says "This account does not own PAM" but I bought it
Sign in with the exact email you bought under, not an alias or forwarding address. Earlier Moonbase purchases are checked when you sign in. If the plugin cannot verify the purchase, choose Retry activation; you do not need another email code. You can also choose Restore an earlier purchase to open Moonbase. In an older build without Retry activation, use that restore link. If the purchase is still missing, email support@map.audio from your purchase address and include the product and the message you see.
How many computers can I activate on?
Three at the same time, per user. Manage activations at https://map.audio/account; in the plugin, Settings → Account → Manage account opens it. A PAM license bought on the earlier Moonbase store is managed on Moonbase: Settings → Account → Manage earlier license opens it. For a reset, or extra activations while you move machines, contact support.
Do you support offline activation?
Yes, and the steps are the same in every plugin. On the offline computer, open the license screen or Settings → Account, choose Activate offline, enter your license key and create an activation request. Copy the request code to removable media and keep it private: it contains your unencrypted license key. On an online computer, sign in at https://map.audio/account, open Activate offline under License tools, paste the code and download the license file. Move that file to the offline computer and import it. An offline license is issued for up to one year and keeps working with no server contact; renew it from your account before it expires. If that computer does go online, the plugin checks the license against your account and deactivates if you released that computer's device seat at https://map.audio/account. A license file MAP Audio refused stays refused when you import it again: create a new offline activation from your account, and the new file is checked on its own. In PAM, import a license file from an earlier purchase under Settings → Account with Import older license.
PAM keeps asking me to activate again. What is going on?
The license screen shows the cause: an expired license, a license registered to another computer, or one the activation server turned down. Builds before 1.7.0 could stay locked after a refused check even once you re-activated; 1.7.0 re-checks on the next start and unlocks as soon as a check passes. It also removes two false alarms on licensed computers, one after activating offline and one in the first seconds after opening while the check is still running. If it keeps happening on a machine that is offline or behind a VPN or proxy, switch to offline activation from the license screen.
How do I remove my license?
Keep the computer online, open Settings → Account and press Deactivate (Deactivate License in PAM). For an online or an offline license, that releases this computer's device seat on your account before the local license file is removed. If the computer cannot reach MAP Audio, nothing is removed; retry later or release the device from https://map.audio/account.
Technical Specs
Supported operating systems
PAM: macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon (M1 and later), macOS 12 or later on Intel. MFX: macOS 12 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel. Both are native on Apple Silicon and Intel, and both run on Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. PAM 1.8.6 and later and MFX 1.1.7 and later also run on 64-bit Intel and AMD Linux with glibc 2.35 or newer (Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora 36 and later, or a current Arch).
PAM will not open on my Apple Silicon Mac, but MFX does
PAM needs macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later on Apple Silicon; MFX still runs on macOS 12. On macOS 13, the Standalone app quits at launch and DAWs report that the plugin could not be opened. Check your version under Apple menu → About This Mac, update macOS in System Settings → General → Software Update, then reinstall PAM. Current installers check the macOS version and stop before installing on an older one.
MFX says an update is available, but Download opens the PAM download page
In MFX before 1.1.1, the Update Available prompt opens PAM’s download page. Choose Download MFX below the PAM buttons, or download the installer from map.audio/mfx. From MFX 1.1.1 the prompt downloads the MFX installer itself.
Which plugin formats do you support?
macOS: AU, VST3, CLAP and Standalone. Windows: VST3, CLAP and Standalone. Linux: VST3, CLAP and Standalone (PAM 1.8.6 and later, MFX 1.1.7 and later). MFX 1.1.7 and later also have an AAX plugin for Pro Tools on macOS.
Does MFX work in Pro Tools?
Yes, on macOS, from MFX 1.1.7. The macOS installer has an AAX Plugin (Pro Tools) option beside VST3, AU and CLAP, and MFX loads in Pro Tools as a stereo insert. The AAX plugin is PACE-signed, as Pro Tools requires. There is no Windows AAX build yet, so MFX does not run in Pro Tools on Windows. PAM has no AAX build.
Do PAM and MFX run on Linux?
Yes, PAM from 1.8.6 and MFX from 1.1.7, on 64-bit Intel and AMD Linux as VST3, CLAP and Standalone. You need glibc 2.35 or newer, WebKitGTK 4.1, GTK 3 and libcurl (the runtime packages are enough), and X11 or XWayland: the plugin window embeds through X11, so a DAW running as a native Wayland client cannot show it. Download the Linux package from map.audio/download (PAM) or map.audio/mfx (MFX), unpack it and run ./install.sh to install for your user, or sudo ./install.sh --system for every user. The standalone app uses ALSA or JACK, both of which work through PipeWire.
I installed an update on my Mac, but my DAW still loads the old PAM or MFX
Quit your DAW before running the installer: a DAW left open keeps running the version it already loaded. Then check for a second copy in your user Library: in Finder choose Go → Go to Folder, enter ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins and look in Components, VST3 and CLAP for PAM or MFX. A DAW can load that copy instead of the one that the installer puts in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins, so move it to the Trash. If the DAW still loads the old version, delete PAM.component, PAM.vst3 and PAM.clap (MFX.component, MFX.vst3 and MFX.clap for MFX) from /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins and run the installer again. If Logic Pro or GarageBand still lists the old version, log out and back in so macOS rescans its Audio Units.
Can PAM host other plugins?
Yes. Each cell can host a VST3, AU or CLAP instrument, plus up to eight effects in the same formats that you can place anywhere in its FX chain. Turn on Plugin hosting at the top of Settings → Plugins (it is off by default and does not need Beta Features), then open a cell's Plugin tab (the plug icon in its header) to load an instrument. Add an effect from the cell's FX rack: the + on its side rail (a magnifier when there is nothing left to add) finds any scanned effect by name, and its FX plugin row opens the plugin browser. With Beta Features and Graph editing on in Settings → Experimental, a cell's effects and plugins can also run in parallel branches. If no plugins are indexed yet, turning hosting on starts a scan. Hosted instruments sum with the cell's sampler and drum synth. Hosted plugin parameters take LFOs, envelopes, Vary, ParamSeqs, pattern param lanes and MIDI Learn, but not macros or the XY pad. In a DAW, a hosted instrument's parameters appear in PAM's automation list under their own names, such as Cell 1: Cutoff, and automation works both ways: a lane moves the plugin, and moves made in PAM or in the plugin's editor are recorded on it. An FX plugin's parameters have no DAW lanes yet. Scan paths and per-format toggles are on the same tab.
Can MFX host other plugins?
Yes, effect plugins, from MFX 1.1.4. Turn on Plugin hosting at the top of Settings → Plugins (it is off by default). MFX keeps its own plugin list and blocklist, separate from PAM's, so it scans for itself even when PAM has scanned the same folders. Each cell can then run up to eight VST3, AU (macOS) or CLAP effects: the + on the rack's side rail (a magnifier when there is nothing left to add) finds any scanned effect by name, its FX plugin row opens the plugin browser, and each plugin's card drags to any place in the chain. To run effects in parallel inside one cell, turn on Beta Features and Graph editing in Settings → Experimental, then switch the cell's rack from SERIAL to GRAPH; PATCH still runs the cells themselves in parallel. On the Mixer's master strip, + FX loads a Master FX plugin; it runs after the Limiter, so a plugin that adds gain can push peaks past the Limiter's ceiling. MFX does not host instruments, and hosting is not part of the browser demo. A cell plugin's parameters take LFOs, envelope followers, ParamSeq lanes and MIDI Learn from its Params window, but not Combos, CTRL macros or the XY pad, and they have no DAW automation lanes.
MFX says a preset needs a plugin I do not have
When a preset uses a plugin your last scan did not find, MFX lists it with its slot before it loads or imports the preset. Load Anyway keeps the plugin and its settings in the slot, which passes audio through dry. Install the plugin and rescan in Settings → Plugins, and MFX loads it where the preset put it, with the preset's settings. The slot also offers Retry, Rescan, Choose another… and Remove. VST3 and CLAP plugins are still found in your standard plugin folders, even if they were installed in a different folder on the computer that saved the preset.
My hosted plugins stopped and the preset bar shows a dashed plugin badge
Plugin hosting is off, so PAM parked the preset's plugins: they are not running, but each plugin and its settings stay in the preset and in your DAW project. Click the badge, or open Settings → Plugins, and turn Plugin hosting on to reload them. If you load a preset with hosted plugins while hosting is off, PAM asks first: Turn On and Load reloads them, Load Anyway keeps them parked. Settings from a version where hosting was a Beta Feature carry over: if Beta Features and Plugin Host were both on, hosting stays on.
A hosted plugin shows STOPPED
The plugin threw an error while it processed audio or loaded its settings, so PAM stopped it: an instrument goes silent, an effect passes audio through dry, and the rest of PAM keeps playing. Earlier versions kept showing such a plugin as ON. Press Reload in the cell's Plugin tab, in the plugin's panel or, for the master insert, in its badge's right-click menu: PAM loads it again from the last saved preset or project, so changes made since that save are lost. In MFX, Reload is on the plugin's card and in its Params window, and in the Master FX plugin's right-click menu. If it stops again, update the plugin or contact its developer.
PAM or MFX says it kept a plugin off after it closed unexpectedly
If PAM or your DAW closed while a hosted plugin was still starting, PAM leaves that plugin off the next time a preset or project uses it, so the rest of the set loads and plays. A plugin counts as starting until it has run 5 seconds of audio, so if PAM closed for another reason within those 5 seconds, the plugin is listed too and may be fine. Choose Load plugins to load it now, or Keep off to leave its cell without it until you load the plugin again from the cell's Plugin tab or reopen PAM. MFX asks the same in its Plugin Kept Off dialog, and Keep off there lasts until you load the plugin again, press Retry in its slot or reopen MFX. Its settings stay in the preset either way.
Can a hosted effect use its sidechain input?
Not yet. PAM connects a hosted plugin's main stereo input and output only: a sidechain input hears silence and extra outputs are not routed. A compressor or gate keyed from its external sidechain will not react, so switch it to its internal detector. In versions where hosting was a Beta Feature, a CLAP effect with a sidechain input, such as FabFilter Pro-C 3 or Pro-Q 4, could crash PAM or MFX on load. If the scanner blocklisted one, remove it from the blocklist in Settings → Plugins after updating.
PAM on Windows does not list a plugin I installed for my user only
Plugins installed for one Windows user go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Common\VST3 or CLAP, which earlier versions did not scan. Update PAM, open Settings → Plugins and rescan: the default folders now include both per-user folders beside C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 and CLAP. For any other folder, add it as a custom scan path. CLAP folders listed in the CLAP_PATH environment variable are scanned too.
How do I bring a hosted plugin editor to the front?
Press Editor in the cell's Plugin tab or in the hosted effect panel. If the editor is already open, the same window comes forward. Closing its window leaves the plugin loaded and playing.
My DAW closed when I opened a hosted Apple AU effect's editor
In MFX 1.1.6, opening the editor of some of Apple's built-in AU effects, such as AUDelay, closed the DAW on macOS. MFX rebuilt the editor window right after placing the effect's view in it, and those Apple views stop working once they are moved. Update MFX. Until then, set the effect from its Params window instead of opening its editor.
A hosted CLAP plugin's editor opens far too large on Windows
On a display scaled above 100%, earlier versions applied the display scale to a hosted CLAP plugin's editor window twice, so it opened up to several times larger than the plugin, with the plugin drawn in one corner and the rest black. Update PAM. VST3 editors were not affected.
A hosted plugin plays, but its cell shows + instead of the plugin name
Earlier versions could miss plugins that were already running when PAM's window opened: after reopening a project, restarting the Standalone or, on Windows, closing and reopening PAM's window, the cell showed + and the plugin's parameters were missing while it kept playing. Update PAM. In an older version, load the plugin again from the cell's Plugin tab.
A large plugin that takes a long time to open was blocklisted as crashed
Before loading a plugin, PAM opens it once in a separate process as a safety check. In earlier versions that check gave up after about 30 seconds for a CLAP plugin, and for any plugin on macOS, so an instrument that loads a large library at startup could be listed as crashed. Update PAM, then remove the plugin from the blocklist in Settings → Plugins and load it again.
A plugin I loaded during a plugin scan was blocklisted or failed to load
In earlier versions, pressing Skip or Cancel in a running scan while a plugin was loading acted on that load instead of the scan: Skip put the plugin in the blocklist and Cancel stopped the load. Update PAM, then remove the plugin from the blocklist in Settings → Plugins and load it again.
Plugins of one format disappeared after a scan with that format turned off
In earlier versions, a scan with a format turned off in Settings → Plugins → Formats removed every plugin of that format from the plugin list, and the next scan with it on probed each of those plugins again. Update PAM, turn the format on and scan once. After that, turning a format off only hides its plugins in the plugin browser, and turning it back on lists them again without a scan. Presets and projects that use a plugin of a format that is turned off still load it.
A hosted plugin's editor opens with its title bar off the top of the screen
An editor larger than the screen opened with its title bar above the top edge, so the window could not be dragged or closed with its close button. Update PAM: an editor now opens with its title bar on screen. In an older version on Windows, click the editor, press Alt+Space and choose Move or Close.
Typing a preset name in a hosted plugin's editor plays notes
While a hosted plugin's editor has focus, PAM takes its note keys and shortcuts so you can keep playing. Earlier versions took them from the plugin's text fields too, so typing a name played notes and Backspace never reached the field; on Windows, characters typed with AltGr, such as @ or {, went missing as well. Update PAM: a focused text field in the editor now keeps every key, and on Windows so does any AltGr combination.
Does PAM add latency?
About a millisecond by default: 52 samples at 48 kHz, from the master Clipper's oversampling and the oversampled Wavefold, Drive and FM effects, reported whether they are on or off. Five things add more. The master Limiter adds 4 ms in True Peak mode; under Lowest Latency, Classic adds none. Tape adds 12 ms in Lo-Fi and Broken with Wear above 2%; Clean and Studio add none. Codec adds 24 ms at 48 kHz while it is on. Transient's spectral split adds 43 ms at 48 kHz while it runs, and a Pitch card in Spectral mode adds 150 ms. Each is reported to the DAW, and the status bar shows the current figure. Per-cell multi-outs skip the master chain but are padded to match it, so they stay aligned with the main pair.
What does the Latency Mode setting do?
Latency Mode, on the General tab of Settings, has two modes. Lowest Latency, the default, adds delay only while a latent effect runs, so the reported figure changes when you switch Transient's spectral split or a Spectral Pitch card on or off. Fixed reports one figure all the time and pads every branch to match, so those switches never interrupt playback or make the DAW rebuild its delay compensation. Fixed costs about 231 ms in PAM at 48 kHz, and more in MFX with cells patched in series; the figure includes the master Limiter's 4 ms lookahead in Classic as well as True Peak. Codec, and a cell's Tape in Lo-Fi or Broken, add their delay on top of that figure once switched on, and that delay holds until the transport stops. Use Lowest Latency for playing and monitoring, Fixed for mixing. Under Lowest Latency, several hosts only read a new figure when the transport restarts, so an effect switched during playback can sit out of time until you stop and start. If a Fixed-mode instance goes quiet in a host with an option to constrain delay compensation, such as Cubase, make sure that option is off.
Do plugins on parallel branches of a cell's FX graph stay in time?
Yes. Wherever cables meet in a graph-mode FX rack, PAM delays the shorter branches by the latency each effect and hosted plugin reports, so the branches sum in phase. The DAW is told the longest path through the patch, not the sum of every plugin in the cell. If a branch still sounds hollow or flanged, check the latency the plugin reports, shown in the header of its Params window: PAM can only align what a plugin reports, and it keeps room for 250 ms per plugin. To take a branch out, mute its cable with M instead of switching the effect off, because a switched-off effect passes its input on and a fully wet reverb beside a dry cable then adds a second dry copy. Graph editing is under Settings → Experimental, with Beta Features on.
My linked sample folders are blank after updating to macOS Tahoe (26). How do I fix it?
macOS Tahoe changed how apps keep folder permissions between launches. PAM 1.4.55 and later store the permission for each linked folder, so folders linked now keep their access. For folders linked before that, open Settings → Locations: a folder that lost its permission shows a Re-authorize button. Press it and pick the same folder again. If a folder is still empty, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files and Folders and make sure your DAW (or PAM Standalone) can reach the parent location, especially for libraries on external drives or in Documents or Downloads.
VX is slow on my Windows laptop, or runs on the integrated GPU
Open VX in its own window with the Open in its own window button in VX's header: Float mode draws on the PAM window's GPU, often the integrated one on a laptop. The VX window asks Windows for the discrete GPU while Use high-performance GPU is on, which is the default; it is under the gear in VX's header and in Settings → VX, and turning it off saves battery. On a computer with one GPU the setting changes nothing: the VX window already uses that GPU. A change applies the next time the VX window opens, so close and reopen it. The GPU line under that gear shows which GPU the window draws on; if it says the high-performance GPU did not start, restart your DAW or the Standalone to try again. Windows also keeps a GPU choice per program (Settings → System → Display → Graphics), but VX draws in Microsoft Edge WebView2's own processes, so PAM's setting is the one that changes it. A Software GPU badge in VX's status bar means WebGL is drawing on the CPU: update the graphics drivers from your laptop maker or GPU vendor, and lower Render Quality or Frame Rate until then.
AI & MCP Bridge
What is the MCP Bridge?
A built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) bridge that lets MCP clients such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor control PAM while it runs: load samples, write patterns, set parameters and modulation, drive the transport, switch presets and variations, and bounce audio. Turn it on under Settings → Integrations → MCP Bridge. It is off by default and does not need Beta Features.
The installer includes the plugin side. Clients connect through the npm server @map-audio/mcp-server on macOS and Windows. When PAM’s command-line tools are installed, the server’s map-mcp command starts the installed mapcli mcp instead, which adds local sample generation, audio analysis and model tools. To install the command-line tools, run PAM’s macOS installer from https://map.audio/download, click Customize and tick “Command-Line & AI Agent Tools” (Apple Silicon Macs).
The bridge listens only on this computer. PAM writes a private key for each running instance to an owner-only file under bridge/instances in its data folder, and the bridge answers only clients that present it.
How do I set up the MCP Bridge?
- In PAM: Settings → Integrations, turn on MCP Bridge. PAM uses port 9847, or the next free port if that one is busy, and records the port and a private key in an owner-only file under
bridge/instancesin its data folder (~/Library/Application Support/MAP Audio/PAMon macOS,%APPDATA%/MAP Audio/PAMon Windows) so the server can find it. The tab shows which port PAM is using and how many clients are connected. - Install Node.js 22 or later.
- Install the server globally:
npm install -g @map-audio/mcp-server map-mcp --version
Add this block to your client's MCP config (Claude Desktop's claude_desktop_config.json, Cursor's settings, or your project's .mcp.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"pam": {
"command": "map-mcp"
}
}
}Restart the client and PAM's tools appear. Sequencer output needs a running transport: start it from PAM, your DAW or the start_transport tool.
If the client says “Failed to connect” or “map-mcp: command not found”, its shell PATH does not include the npm global bin. Run which map-mcp on macOS or where map-mcp on Windows and use the absolute path as the command value. If a tool reports auth_required, the server was released before the bridge required authentication: update the package your client runs (npm install -g @map-audio/pam-mcp-server@latest, or mfx-mcp-server for MFX), or install the package above and switch the client to map-mcp. Then restart the client.
On Windows and Intel Macs, map-mcp runs the server bundled in the npm package. With PAM’s command-line tools installed, it starts the installed mapcli mcp instead. To install the command-line tools, run PAM’s macOS installer from https://map.audio/download, click Customize and tick “Command-Line & AI Agent Tools” (Apple Silicon Macs).
For MFX, add a second entry with "command": "map-mcp", "args": ["--product=mfx"]. Setups made with the older @map-audio/pam-mcp-server or @map-audio/mfx-mcp-server packages keep working.
Sound Sources & Engine Modes
Does PAM have a built-in drum synth?
Yes. Every cell has a Drum Synth with 22 engines (kick, snare, hi-hat, clap, tom, FM, cymbal, cowbell, 808, shaker, rim, conga, bell, pluck, zap, wave, chaos, stab and four acoustic modal drums) that play instead of or alongside the cell's sample. Open the cell's Drum Synth tab and pick an engine. Each has five to eight knobs in real units plus volume, mute and a Pitch control. It triggers from the same patterns and MIDI as the sampler, and you can modulate and automate it in the same ways. Pitched engines such as 808, FM, bell and pluck play melodic lines from the Pitch knob or MIDI.
What are the Pitch modes (Varispeed / Pitch Shift / Pitch Shift Quantize / Varispeed Quantize)?
Right-click a cell's Pitch knob to switch engine. Varispeed couples pitch and speed like tape: pitching up plays faster and shorter. Pitch Shift changes the pitch and keeps the length. Pitch Shift Quantize snaps the shift to one of ten scales (Chromatic, Major, Minor, Penta Maj, Penta Min, Dorian, Mixolydian, Blues, Harm Min or Phrygian) with a Root and a Quantize amount. Varispeed Quantize is the same snap with pitch and speed still coupled.
What are the Stretch modes (Default / Cloud / Beats / Spectral)?
Right-click a cell's Stretch knob to switch engine. Default is a two-grain overlap-add with the lowest CPU cost. It keeps transients tight, so use it for drums and rhythmic loops. Cloud is granular with up to 32 overlapping grains and controls for Density, Window shape, Scan (read-head speed from reverse through frozen to forward), Spread (stereo width and detune) and Chaos (per-grain timing, length, position, direction and level). Beats splits the sample at its transients and plays each hit at natural speed, so drum attacks stay sharp while the loop follows the tempo. The same Beats engine is available per looper track for offline warp. Spectral is a smooth spectral stretch for vocals, chords and sustained sounds; it uses more CPU than Default.
Which Pitch and Stretch modes should I pick?
Drums and rhythmic loops: Varispeed with Default, or Beats when a break must follow the project tempo without smearing its transients. Melodic material where pitch must not change speed: Pitch Shift with Default. Vocals, chords and sustained sounds: Spectral. Pads and textures: Varispeed or Pitch Shift with Cloud. Key-locked phrases from one sample: Pitch Shift Quantize, or Varispeed Quantize for the tape version. Modes are per cell.
What does the "Cut From" knob on the CTRL page Sampler do?
A sidechain gate, closer to a hi-hat choke than to ducking. Each cell has its own Cut From value: 0 is off, 1 to 8 picks a source cell. While the source cell is producing sound (its level before effects above the threshold) this cell is muted within 1 ms; when the source goes quiet it fades back in over 20 ms. A cell pointing at itself is treated as off. Point the open hat at the closed hat and the open hat stops as soon as the closed hat plays. Right-click the knob for a popover with the source cell, a live meter for it and the threshold in dB (default −40 dB): raise it to ignore quiet tails, lower it to choke on softer hits. The current source cell is highlighted yellow in the sampler grid on the CTRL page.
Where are Drive, Freq Shift, LPC, FM, Spectral Delay, Squeeze, Tape, Grain, Noise Gate, Codec and Cell Mix?
They are shared cell effects in PAM and MFX, spread through the rack in its default order. Enable an effect with its power button and open its pop-out for the extra controls. Drive's Lo/Hi cuts isolate the band sent through saturation; crossing them inverts that band before distortion. Spectral Delay's Depth runs from immediate dry at zero to the full delay curve at 100%, and its pop-out Size trades smeared repeats (2048) for grainy ones (down to 4); its drawn curves save with presets, variations, full-cell copies and single-cell presets. Tape's Lo-Fi and Broken modes add 12 ms of compensated delay when Wear is above 2%. Grain's Scatter, Reverse, Width, Feedback and Freeze are in its pop-out. Noise Gate's KEY menu, in the card header, chooses what opens it: the cell itself, the sidechain input or another cell. Codec models the sound of low-bitrate Blade, LAME, Opus and G.729 encoding; OPUS 2 is Opus with a Tilt that fades the far side away instead of only turning it to noise. Its compensated delay is 24 ms at 48 kHz; Repeat and Errors are in the pop-out. Cell Mix sits just before Delay; its SOURCE menu, in the card header, picks the cell or sidechain input that it blends into this one, taken before or after that cell's effects.
What does the Vocoder do?
It stamps the cell's own sound onto a pitch you play: the cell is the modulator, an internal oscillator is the carrier, and a filterbank measures the cell band by band and shapes the carrier to match. A drum loop comes out as a chord that talks; a sung phrase comes out as a synth line. It is on the second page of the cell's effect picker. Note sets the carrier's root pitch, and a held MIDI note takes over while it is down. Wave sweeps the carrier from saw through pulse to noise, F Shift slides the filters ±12 semitones without moving the played pitch, Speed sets how fast the followers track, Mix is dry/wet, and Width sets the stereo width of the vocoded sound, from mono at 0%; above 100% the filterbank follows left and right separately, so a stereo source keeps its own image. The pop-out adds Mono/Poly (up to six held notes) and Bands from 4 to 32: fewer bands blur neighbouring formants, more keep speech intelligible. The carrier can also be another cell or PAM's audio input.
How do I change vocoder pitch without speeding up my vocal or drum loop?
Play the loop at its original pitch in Cell 1. Enable its Vocoder, choose Internal and set Notes to Cell 2. Enable Poly on Cell 2 and draw the carrier melody or chords in its piano roll; that cell can be empty. Set the Vocoder to Poly for chords. Cell 1 keeps its own sample playback and MIDI mode. Between notes, the carrier returns to the Note knob's pitch.
I enabled the Vocoder and hear nothing. What am I missing?
The cell's own sound drives the Vocoder, so a silent cell gives a silent Vocoder: start the transport or trigger the cell. You do not need to hold a MIDI note; with none held the carrier runs at the Note knob's pitch. Still quiet? Check Mix (0% is the untouched cell, 100% fully vocoded) and the carrier source in the effect header: External reads PAM's audio input and a cell source reads that cell, and either stays silent until that source is making sound. A very low Bands count on sparse material sounds thin rather than silent; 12 is the default.
Sequencing & Performance
Does Global Tuning apply while the PAM window is closed?
Yes. PAM applies Settings → Tuning, or the tuning a loaded preset brought with it, as soon as the plugin loads, and a project reopens with that preset tuning still in place. An offline bounce plays in tune without opening the window. If a bounce from an older version came out in standard tuning, open the PAM window once before bouncing.
How do I randomize fewer effects?
Select FX in the randomizer scope and lower the intensity. Lower settings tend to enable fewer effects, though each roll can differ. To change only the settings of effects that are already on, turn off Enable FX in the randomizer’s rules. On MFX, the PARAMS dice in the header does the same. Exclude cells or parameters from randomization to preserve them.
Can I link several PAM instances?
Yes. Open the numbered Instances button in the header and choose Become Conductor. Followers receive parameter changes; Exclude from Sync keeps chosen controls independent. Variation Sync recalls the same slot from each follower's own bank and shares queued fade and morph settings. Follow None disconnects a follower, and Receive Variations keeps parameter linking without variation changes. Instances must be visible in the same list. In an offline bounce, updates arrive in the host's processing order, so automate each track directly when exact alignment matters.
Does PAM support non-4/4 time signatures?
Yes. Right-click the BPM display and pick one of 12 meters: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4, 3/8, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8. Patterns, looper, song mode, MIDI imports and resampled clips all follow it. When synced to a DAW, the host sets the meter.
Can I trigger variations from a MIDI controller?
Open Settings → Mappings and turn on Enable Variation Triggers in the MIDI → Variation Triggers card. Press Learn beside a variation, or right-click a variation slot and choose Learn MIDI Note, then press a note on your controller. In Hold mode, holding the note plays the variation and runs the transport, and releasing the last held note stops it. Pressing again restarts the pattern from beat 1. In Latch mode, one press switches to the variation and it stays.
How do I get my beats off the grid?
Three controls, from broadest to finest. The Swing knob under the sequencer sets swing depth; right-click it for a groove template (Classic, MPC, SP-1200, DR-660 or DR-5, each reproducing that machine's timing and accents on a 1/16 grid) and an Adaptive or Grid mode for Classic. The same knob on the CTRL page sets every cell at once. For one step, right-click it and drag Micro to pull it up to a sixteenth early or late; it stacks on swing, and with several steps selected one drag moves them all. For free placement, turn off grid snap and drag notes anywhere.
Can I save my own grooves, or take one from a MIDI file?
Yes. Right-click a pattern and choose Groove Pool. It lists the five drum-machine templates plus your own, with a depth control and a switch for whether the template's accents come along. Apply writes the groove into the steps, so it is saved with the preset and you can still nudge steps afterwards; Straighten puts everything back on the grid. From MIDI reads timing and accents out of a MIDI file and saves them as a new template. Every note counts, so a melodic part works as well as a drum part.
Why is there no Pitch, Slice or Stretch lane on my cell?
A cell shows these lanes only while something in it plays them. Slice and Stretch move the sampler, so they appear once the cell has a sample. Pitch appears with a sample, a drum synth (Clap and Shaker have no pitch, so they do not count), a CMI program, a CM-FX program on a mono cell, a plugin instrument while Plugin hosting is on in Settings → Plugins, or an effect in another cell that follows this cell's notes, such as the Resonator. A hidden lane keeps its steps and comes back with the next sound that plays it. In CTRL such a lane is greyed, and the pattern dice leaves it alone.
Why does my step sometimes not fire?
Check the step's Trig Condition (Cond, in Step Properties: Cmd-click the step, or Ctrl-click on Windows). 1ST fires only on the first pass; N:M fires on the Nth of every M passes. A glyph on the step shows the active condition. Probability and Trig Condition both have to pass for the step to fire. On a cell that plays from step lanes, its Chance and Cond lanes set these instead, so check those lanes.
An LFO wobbles, or a control it modulates steps, even with the LFO's Jitter at 0
Earlier versions had three causes. The LFO Jitter knob on the CTRL page drives every LFO it has not been taken off, new LFOs included, and taking one off (moving that LFO's own Jitter knob, or clicking its number under LFOs in the CTRL knob's right-click menu) changed the display but not the sound until something rebuilt PAM's audio graph, such as loading a preset. A DAW that sends audio in blocks of changing size, as FL Studio does while Use fixed size buffers is off in its plugin wrapper, moved every LFO, envelope follower and Vary source in time at each change, so a modulated control stepped. And the LFO's scope drew values up to a frame old, so a clean shape looked jiggly. Update PAM. In an older version, turn CTRL Jitter to 0 and, in FL Studio, turn on Use fixed size buffers.
MIDI & Standalone
The MFX standalone app hears nothing from my audio interface
The standalone app starts with its audio input muted, so a microphone near your speakers cannot feed back, and a bar along the top of its window says so. Click Settings… in that bar, untick Mute audio input and choose your interface's input and output in the same window. From MFX 1.1.4, Settings → Audio in MFX also chooses the devices, sample rate and buffer size. Use headphones when the input is a microphone in the same room as the speakers.
Can PAM send MIDI to my hardware synths and drum machines?
PAM sends MIDI clock with start/stop, and each cell can send up to sixteen CC values: open the cell's MIDI out tab, pick a controller for a slot, and the slot sends its knob's value on the cell's channel. The tab shows four slots until you turn on Extended CC Out under Settings → Mappings → MIDI Output. Draw per-step values in a CC lane in the cell's pattern, or move the knobs with LFOs, param sequences and the CC dice. PAM's patterns play its own cells and are not sent as notes. In the standalone app, choose the device under Settings → Mappings → MIDI Output and turn on Send MIDI Output; Ports B to D there add more devices, which a cell picks on its MIDI out tab.
Can I automate variation and per-cell pattern changes in Ableton clips?
Yes. Turn on Configure on PAM's Ableton device, then click a different saved variation or cell pattern in PAM; that exposes Variation or Cell N Pattern. Turn Configure off and pick that parameter in a Session clip's Envelopes. Variation uses slots 1 to 8; each cell's Pattern selector follows the first 128 saved groups in displayed order. Off and empty slots leave the current material playing, and overwriting a saved pattern keeps its slot. Automation switches at once and works with PAM's window closed and during offline export. For CC control, right-click and choose Learn Variation Selector or Learn Pattern Selector, then move your controller.
Can I use mapped MIDI CCs without them passing through to other plugins?
Yes. CCs, notes and pitch bend consumed by MIDI Learn are filtered from PAM's MIDI output, so they do not reach plugins after it on the same lane.
Can I trigger live resample-into-a-cell from a MIDI controller?
Yes. Under Settings → Mappings, the MIDI → Resample section sets a CC (default 19) and channel. Send it with value 1 to 8 to start capture into that cell; send the same value again to stop. Other values, including a button-release 0, are ignored, so a momentary pad is safe. Capture uses the source, length and bar-sync last set in the right-click Resample panel.
Multi-Output Routing
How do I use multi-output routing in my DAW?
PAM has 8 stereo output buses, 16 channels in total. Open Settings → Routing → Output Routing to assign cells to buses. In your DAW, load the multi-output version of PAM, enable the aux outputs you need and give each cell its own mixer channel.
Ableton Live doesn't show PAM's multi-outputs. What should I do?
Force a plugin rescan: update PAM to the latest version, quit Live, delete the plugin scan database and relaunch. Live rescans every plugin and the extra output pairs (3/4, 5/6 and so on) appear.
Logic Pro shows a wrong number of outputs. What should I do?
Rescan Audio Units: update PAM to the latest version, quit Logic, delete ~/Library/Caches/AudioUnitCache/ and relaunch. Then choose the Multi Output (16) variant.
A per-bus export wrote a silent stem, or put the looper in every stem. Why?
PAM 1.8.5 and earlier rendered a stem silent when its output pair was not enabled in your DAW, and mixed the looper into every stem. Later versions write each stem from its own output pair, whether or not the DAW enabled it, and the looper only into its own bus's stem. On 1.8.5 or earlier, enable every output pair your cells use in your DAW before you export, so their stems are not silent.
Support
PAM crashes or freezes. What should I do?
If one panel shows an error, choose Try again. If the editor shows an error screen, choose Reload interface; Reveal log file opens the diagnostic log to attach to a support message. The audio engine keeps running when the interface can recover. For a full crash or freeze: update PAM and your DAW, restart the computer, try the Standalone app and a fresh session, raise the audio buffer and rescan the plugin. If it persists, send the log or crash report, OS version, DAW and version, and exact steps to support@map.audio.
PAM went silent and only reloading it brings the sound back. What happened?
A broken audio value (NaN) reached PAM's output and stuck in its effects, so loading another preset did not clear it. PAM 1.8.5 and later mute that audio and restart their engine on their own, keeping your preset. On 1.8.4 or earlier, remove and re-add PAM on its track, or reopen the Standalone. An export that hits the same fault stops with "The render produced NaN/Inf audio" instead of writing a file; export again once the sound is back, and send the log to support@map.audio if it repeats.
How do I transfer a license?
Email support@map.audio from the address you bought with. Tell us who the license should move to and we will reply with what the transfer needs.
Can't find what you need?
Email support@map.audio, or join the Discord for real-time help: https://discord.gg/nWh5XDNW6c