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; both run in your browser on their product pages, Rhino 3 in full.
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 the license is yours once the last one clears. Press Rent to Own on the PAM page.
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. Next to Rhino 2 it has a new interface, four effect slots instead of two with six routings between them, edits that apply while notes play without clicking, activation and a browser version. It 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. Rhino 3 reads Rhino 1 and Rhino 2 .fxp presets as they are, and its factory content is the same set of banks. 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, or on the plugin's activation screen, with the email address of your Big Tick Audio account, and a Rhino 3 license is added to your account. If you no longer have that address, email support@map.audio and tell us which one it was.
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.
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 moves 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 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. It lists official and partner packs you can download into PAM; each pack bundles its presets with the samples they need.
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 PAM owners. Paid packs are bought on the website; after purchase the same Install button checks the entitlement on your license, and your account page on map.audio has a Download for each pack you bought there.
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.
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. 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 Limiter 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 outlive the preset that made them, 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 that email holds a license and a free device seat, the plugin activates on its own. An expired code can be resent 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. Rent to Own and subscription billing stays with the original provider; use the billing link in your receipt to make changes. If a purchase is still missing, email support@map.audio from your purchase address and name the product.
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 from your account page. 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 honours a release of the device seat from https://map.audio/account. In PAM, a license file from an earlier purchase imports under Settings → Account with Import older license.
PAM keeps asking me to activate again. What is going on?
The license screen names 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
macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon (M1 and later) and macOS 12 or later on Intel Macs, both native. Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
Which plugin formats do you support?
macOS: AU, VST3, CLAP and Standalone. Windows: VST3, CLAP and Standalone.
Can PAM host other plugins?
Yes. Each cell can host a VST3, AU or CLAP instrument, and the cell FX chain can host an effect in the same formats. Turn on Plugin Host under Settings → Experimental, then right-click a cell to load an instrument or use the + FX slot in the FX toolbar for an effect. Hosted instruments sum with the cell's sampler and drum synth. Hosted plugin parameters are targets for LFOs, envelopes, Vary and ParamSeqs, but not for macros or the XY pad. Scan paths and per-format toggles are under Settings → Plugins.
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.
Does PAM add latency?
Under a millisecond by default: 40 samples, from the master Clipper's oversampling and the Wavefold anti-alias filters, reported whether either is on or off. Three things add more. Tape adds 12 ms in Lo-Fi and Broken with Wear above 2%; Clean and Studio add none. 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?
Settings → General 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 193 ms in PAM, and more in MFX with cells patched in series. 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. In a host with a delay-compensation freeze option, check it if a Fixed-mode instance goes quiet.
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.
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. Enable it under Settings → Experimental: switch on Beta Features, then Enable MCP Bridge.
The installer includes the plugin side. Clients also need the npm server @map-audio/pam-mcp-server.
The bridge listens only on this computer but has no authentication: any local process can send commands while it is on.
How do I set up the MCP Bridge?
- In PAM: Settings → Experimental, switch on Beta Features, then Enable MCP Bridge. PAM uses port 9847, or the next free port if that one is busy, and writes the port to
~/.pam-mcp-bridge.jsonso the server can find it. - Install Node.js 21 or later.
- Install the server globally:
npm install -g @map-audio/pam-mcp-server pam-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": "pam-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 “pam-mcp: command not found”, its shell PATH does not include the npm global bin. Run which pam-mcp on macOS or where pam-mcp on Windows and use the absolute path as the command value.
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 Synth tab and pick an engine. Each has eight knobs in real units plus volume, mute and a Pitch control. It triggers from the same patterns and MIDI as the sampler, and it is modulatable and automatable 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 a scale (Chromatic, Major, Minor, Penta Maj or Penta Min) 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 (post-FX level above the threshold) this cell is muted outright, with a 20 ms ramp against clicks; when the source goes quiet it comes back. 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 CTRL sampler grid.
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, and Mix is dry/wet. 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
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 already enabled, use the FX parameter dice. 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?
Turn on MIDI Variation Hold in General settings, then right-click a variation slot, choose Learn MIDI Note and press a note on your controller. Holding the note plays the variation and runs the transport; releasing stops. Pressing again restarts the pattern from beat 1.
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 Control All 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 travels 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 does my step sometimes not fire?
Check the step's Trig Condition (Cond, in the step's right-click properties). 1ST fires only on the first pass; N:M fires on the Nth pass of every M-loop cycle. A glyph on the step shows the active condition. Probability and Trig Condition both have to pass for the step to fire.
MIDI & Standalone
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 its knob goes out 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 → 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.
Support
PAM crashes or freezes. What should I do?
If one panel shows an error, choose Try again. If the editor error screen appears, 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.
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