Muse Research ships UniWire Audio And MIDI Networking Technology

Muse Research, Inc. has announced that its highly anticipated UniWire audio and MIDI networking technology for their Receptor hardware plug-in player is now shipping in their version 1.5 system software update. UniWire technology allows customers to off-load processor intensive tasks to their Receptor while retaining complete control and integration with their computer DAW program. As such, Receptor serves as an external, modular DSP processor that can be used as an accelerator for any computer: desktop or laptop, PC or Mac. Multiple Receptors can be connected to the same host computer allowing you to create a distributed processing array - perfect for studios, schools, and film or TV composers. All you have to do is install the UniWire plug-in and connect your Receptor to your computer's Ethernet port to take advantage of this new capability. UniWire is compatible with most VST host computer audio programs, and the AU and RTAS versions of the UniWire plug-in are in development and should be released soon. Version 1.5 software with UniWire is a free download for all customers and is pre-installed on all new Receptors.

UniWire lets you run plug-ins on Receptor as if they were in your host computer

Receptor has established itself as an ideal way to use plug-ins in a live performance situation while avoiding the unpredictability of standard computers. Now with UniWire, it is possible to leverage that power and stability in the studio, allowing you to distribute the processing load between your host computer and one or more Receptors.

UniWire lets you run plug-ins on Receptor as if they were running inside your computer. This lets you off-load processor intensive plug-ins to your Receptor, freeing up precious CPU cycles in your host computer. UniWire consists of two components. First is a host computer plug-in, available in VST for Mac or PC (with AU, and RTAS (using a wrapper) versions coming soon). The second is the Version 1.5 Receptor system software that enables the UniWire networking capabilities over a standard Ethernet connection between your Receptor and your host computer.

UniWire gives you 32-channels of audio between your computer and your Receptor using a standard 100baseT Ethernet network connection, as well as providing each plug-in its own MIDI port (up to 73 ports of 16 MIDI channels each). Additionally, Receptor's Remote control software lets you view and control Receptor's graphical user interface over Ethernet using your host computer, allowing your Receptors to be remotely located yet completely controllable and integrated with your host computer.

UniWire: unified, complete integration over a single cable.

To enable UniWire on your computer, simply install the UniWire plug-in and then connect a Receptor to your Ethernet network. The plug-in will automatically recognize all the Receptors on the network, allowing you to send MIDI or audio data to the Receptor(s). From that point on, your computer works just like normal, except its processing capabilities have been greatly enhanced by the addition of the external Receptor(s).

The UniWire plug-in will transfer the audio or MIDI data over to Receptor where it is processed or created, and the audio results are sent back over Ethernet and delivered just as if it were a native plug-in running inside your computer. Since most audio / MIDI sequencers provide automatic plug-in delay compensation, the audio results will come back in perfect sync with the rest of your project. It's as if your computer just got remarkably more powerful just by installing UniWire and connecting a Receptor.

Distributed processing made easy... need more power? Just add more Receptors!

High-end Digital Audio Workstations use the concept of processing "farms" to increase their computational capabilities. Now with UniWire, you can connect multiple Receptors to your host computer and divide the processing tasks among multiple Receptors while maintaining central control over them all. And UniWire is completely network aware, meaning that you have access to all Receptors throughout a production facility, allowing you to access any units that are idle.

Of course, each Receptor is still an entirely independent, stand-alone plug-in player, therefore it can be used locally either with the front panel controls, a local mouse, keyboard, and monitor, or using a local computer connected to Receptor over Ethernet. And of course, once the project is complete, Receptor is ready to go on the road or onto the scoring stage since it is, after all, the de-facto standard in running plug-ins live.

The UniWire plug-in and Version 1.5 of the system software is available immediately at www.plugorama.com. The update is free of charge to all registered Receptor customers. If you would like more information, a white paper is available for download from the Muse Research website.