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PatchWork Blue Cat's PatchWork Blue Cat's PatchWork Blue Cat's PatchWork
PatchWork by Blue Cat Audio is a Virtual Instrument and a Virtual Effect Audio Plugin and an Audio Plugin Host and a Software Application for macOS and Windows. It functions as a VST Plugin, an Audio Units Plugin, a VST 3 Plugin, an AAX Plugin and a Standalone Application. It can host VST Plugins, Audio Units Plugins and VST 3 Plugins.
Product
Version
2.6.7
Windows PC running Windows Vista or newer.
Product
Version
2.6.7
Intel or Apple Silicon Mac running Mac OS 10.9 or newer.
Instrument
Formats
Effect
Formats
Can Host
Instruments
Can Host
Effects
Other
Stand-Alone Utility / Application
Copy Protection
Serial Number
My KVR - Groups, Versions, & More
197 KVR members have added PatchWork to 87 My KVR groups 238 times.
Not In Your MY KVR Groups
(or group limitation prevents versioning)
+86 in private groups

KVR Rank

Overall: 1333   1061   1309

30-Day: 742; 7-Day: 1799; Yesterday: 1303

Blue Cat's PatchWork is a universal plug-ins patchbay that can host up to 64 VST or AU plug-ins into any Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) in one instance.

It is possible to chain effects in series or create up to 8 parallel chains that can be activated independently. This lets you create your favorite effects or instruments configurations within the plug-in, without the need for multiple busses. These configurations can be saved as presets and recalled instantly, or shared with multiple DAWs, using any plug-in format (full list below).

Despite the name, you can forget about wires or cables: configuring plug-ins routing is as simple as adding or removing a row or a column in the rack's matrix.

For each plug-in slot, latency compensation, presets management, undo/redo integration, and individual plug-in bypass are included for optimal operation. The plug-in also stores the position of the window for each plug-in so that the layout is restored with your session or saved with presets.

Also, sub plug-ins can be automated or controlled with external control surfaces using Blue Cat's PatchWork parameters mapping capabilities.

This product is available as an audio plug-in (effect or a virtual instrument) and standalone application, so that it can used alone or inserted on any type of track in your favorite DAW, with up to 8 audio channels.

Input and output level meters are also included to monitor the signal that is dispatched to inserted plug-ins.

Main Features:

  • Configurable VST or Audio Unit plug-ins rack: host up to 64 third party plug-ins or instruments in series or parallel.

  • Available as an effect, virtual instrument or standalone application.

  • Build your own effects chains: up to 8 "pre" and "post" plug-ins slots to chain plug-ins in series.

  • Parallel processing made easy: up to 8 parallel plug-ins chains, with phase flip, solo and gain controls.

  • Host up to 8 virtual instruments in parallel and mix them within the plug-in.
    Global Dry/Wet control ("Mix").

  • Parameters Mapping: map sub plug-ins parameters to automate them or use a control surface.

  • Flexible MIDI routing: connect sub plug-ins together or with the host application.

  • Flexible Audio routing: connect sub plug-ins i/o to any audio channel.

  • External side chain and multiple outputs support.

  • Link pre and post gains for automatic gain compensation.

  • Cut, Copy and paste plug-ins with their settings between slots.

  • Recall complex processing setups and plug-ins layouts with one click and share them between your DAWs.

  • Input and output levels monitoring.

  • Plug-ins Latency compensation.

  • Supports VST Shell plug-ins.

  • Integrated undo/redo.

  • Fully customizable user interface, with multiple sizes.

{See video at top of page}

Latest User Reviews

Average user rating of 5.00 from 3 reviews
PatchWork

Reviewed By Boy Wonder [all]
May 22nd, 2022
Version reviewed: 1.1 on Windows

Patchwork comes in handy as a multi-arpeggiator/sequencer host. With it, I'm able to load two or more instances of an arpeggiated synth like, say, GR-8, and set one synth to random 1/16 (high register), the other to random 1/4 (middle) and the third to random 1/1 (low), and viola! - instant complex ambient sequence. Latency compensation comes in handy, too, to prevent things like time shift. Very nice product.

Read Review
PatchWork

Reviewed By TechFlow [all]
September 9th, 2018
Version reviewed: 2.2 on Mac

Great support, numerous updates that actually improve the product rather than fix it. I had some problems to begin with but customer service @Bluecat came through & I'm blown away by the development of this product. I just realized I left a rant on here from years ago & felt the need to put the record straight. Great job Blue Cat.

Read Review
PatchWork

Reviewed By mindbeet [all]
November 9th, 2017
Version reviewed: 2.1 on Mac

I've had this baby for a long time. I've used it as a wrapper in Protools, Logic and Bitwig and lately as a Standalone VST host on my second PC and in live situations. It's the kind of tool that you at first wish you didn't need, that works in the background and that you just set and forget. All these different plugin standards are really annoying and even if this is a solution It's hard to get very excited about it, until now.

The latest version 2.1 is fantastic. Built in effects, metering, undo/redo, M/S, PatchWork within PatchWork!!, scaleable GUI to 200%, lockable GUI and settings between presets. Add to that full MIDI control and that everything, even window states and positions are saved within presets and you've got a winner. The new preset handling especially is what makes this update so exciting.

This has grown into a full fledged creative tool and the core of my setup. Working with several DAWs I can now set it up as a channel strip and move freely between DAWs like never before. It loads every plugin format on Mac and PC, can be loaded as every format and works as Standalone.

From being a bridge between plugin formats Blue Cat has improved on this concept and taken it beyond what I thought it could be. It's stable, easy on the CPU, easy to use and even though it's not perfect I have to give it a 10 just to let you know how incredibly useful it is. There is nothing quite like it at the moment, highly recommended.

Read Review

Comments & Discussion for Blue Cat Audio PatchWork

Discussion
Discussion: Active
shadows
shadows
18 January 2014 at 9:20am

This could be a big answer for those who switch between multiple DAWs for clients but want access to complex programming of instruments and effects easily. I use Logic X, Cubase 7.5, Live 9 (all Mac) and Samplitude/Sequoia (PC). I'll get back once I can play with it in my various rigs and see if presets can work well, especially on different OSes.

THIS POST HAS BEEN REMOVED

Blue Cat Audio
Blue Cat Audio
12 March 2014 at 11:16am

We are sorry that you feel ripped off. I you had purchased the plug-in from us we could have issued a refund, but we do not have control over the other resellers you may purchase the software from.

TechFlow
TechFlow
9 September 2018 at 3:00pm

I removed the original post because all my issues were resolved & I thought my comments were unfair. I've written a new review (above).

Blue Cat Audio
Blue Cat Audio
9 September 2018 at 3:56pm

Thanks! Glad that it finally made you happy.

Visionaudio
Visionaudio
26 July 2014 at 4:46pm

Sorry for a nuubi question but I'm a bit confused. I recently saw a post in Pro Tools Expert that claimed the Empirical Labs Dstressor plug-in (RTAS 32) would run in PT 11 inside Patchwork. If that runs, will Auto-Tune_Evo_RTAS also run inside patchwork in PT 11? Thanks! Bill.

syndicat
syndicat
26 July 2014 at 6:44pm

Yes, it seems you are a bit confused: Blue Cat's patchwork adaptor allows running VST and AU plugin types "as" AAX/AAX64 (PT 10/11) and in other types of hosts / DAWs. It is not a RTAS -> AAX64 adaptor. Means; sou are able to run the VST and/or AU version of Antares AutoTune in Pro Tools 11, but not the RTAS version.

but: The current AutoTune is available as AAX64 too - needs no adaptor to run it in PT 10 and 11 and if you have a AutoTune license afaik you are allowed to download and run each of the plugin variants. If you have an older license you may choose the VST or AU version of your AutoTune version to use it within Patchwork. So it is not clear what's your real problem here ß)

Blue Cat Audio
Blue Cat Audio
28 July 2014 at 10:03am

Thanks for replying.

bobbyquine
bobbyquine
7 July 2015 at 11:46am

Sorry for an ignorant question but i wonder whether Patchwork can input audio independent of the host DAW? I'd like to use it as a VST in Synfire, a strange program that has no audio input routing. Many thanks...B.

Blue Cat Audio
Blue Cat Audio
7 July 2015 at 11:51am

Blue Cat's PatchWork does not have external MIDI or Audio inputs. It is designed to only get the audio and MIDI data from the host application.

bobbyquine
bobbyquine
7 July 2015 at 11:56am

ok thanks for the quick reply! B.

Michael L
Michael L
10 September 2018 at 1:03am

I really appreciate its stability! I have created many presets with cross-platform plugins that would be otherwise unusable, and never had a crash. Yes I wish the workflow was a bit faster -- but the extra time I spend navigating to plugin folders is much less than the time I would waste from a single crash. Some people want more knobs, but I don't like visual clutter. Overall, a must-have product with exemplary coding.

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