VirtualDAW

[VirtualDAW]

Hi,

I'm developing a virtual DAW for those, who want to start making music with a laptop / desktop computer only. (Yet Windows 10 64bit; yet only VST3 plugins). Maybe later also for macOS.
I would like to hear your feature requests and suggestions, so that I know, what to implement for the User Interface. The "back end" base engine is already impemented so far, now I'm going to implement the UI.

Update 2026: Go to https://virtualdaw.com for latest infos
Update: Phase 1 completed on Nov 25th 2025

So far I have these on my list (many are already implemented):
PHASE 1:
- WAV/MP3/WMA/FLAC import/export
- MIDI import/export
- VST3 32/64bit Plugin Base support
- VST3 getState/setState
- SideChain
- Slot Output
- Event Output
- VST3 Automation Parameters
- UI VST3 Plugin View
- Volume Automation
- Fader & VU Presentation Map
- Audio Server Basics
- Rendering Output Project
- Bouncing Track(s)
- Caching Track(s)
- loading/saving project files (human-readable XML-based)
- loading/saving project data
- Plugin Scanner
- Plugin DataBase (human-readable XML-based)
- Sample DataBase (human-readable XML-based)
- UI UNDO/REDO
- Audio WASAPI Shared device output
- UI Global Settings
- UI Project Settings
- UI Track Lane (Controls)
- UI Track Lane (Audio/MIDI Clips)
- UI Track Lane (Automation)
- UI Mix Console View
- UI Move/Edit/Duplicate Clips
- UI MergeClips/SplitClips
- UI Latency Indicator
- UI Snap (To A Grid)
- Drag&Drop for Media Files
- support for Windows 11
- Plugin Management Tool

PHASE 2:
- UI Piano Roll Editor
- "Scale" Settings (musical key)
- Chord Options
- Proper Error Handling
- Proper System Requirement Checks

PHASE 3:
- Tempo Map
- .DAWproject format import/export

FUTURE:
- ASIO device output
- ARA2
- support mac OS


Yet this is a private project.
Please go to my website, if you want to know more.

Thank You!

[Tj Shredder]

A link to your web site would have been helpful
What is the aim of your project? Learning for yourself?
What will distinguish it from already existing projects?
There are already a lot free and even open source projects in the world that cover that ground…

[VirtualDAW]

A link to your web site would have been helpful

A link to my website is on my KVRaudio profile.

[bungle]

FFS just post the site https://sites.google.com/view/virtualdaw

[mesamask]

I friggin hate g00g|e
They won't even let you opt-out using their analytics sh*t. "GOT IT"? Yeah sure...

fck_g00gLe.png

Interesting project though.
I might be signing up for the beta at some point. Depending on if I'd have time to bother with it (which is unfortunately not very likely, tbh).

[_al_]

I mean no offense, but I think in 2025, the majority of people making music are "In The Box" for the most part.

Are you trying to say that most major DAWs are too focused on hardware integration, or that they are not comprehensive enough for someone who doesn't use hardware?

Seems like quite a bizarre angle to pitch from.
Especially considering the fact that the list of features you posted, barely even scratches the surface of what a fully fledged and well developed DAW is capable of.

Not trying to bring you down or anything. In fact, quite the opposite.
If this is just some little project that you are starting in order to further your coding skills, then maybe try a Sample Manager or something?

I only say this because a DAW is not something that you can easily swap out for an alternative, if you decide you are not gelling with the workflow.
And I'm speaking from experience.
When I had to switch from Sonar to FL Studio, due to crashing and poor performance, I was EXTREMELY pissed off.
To this day, I have a seething underlying hatred for CakeWalk / Bandlab because of that.
And Sonar was a well developed Pro DAW.

So people will have to put a lot of faith in you, and will also have expectations which you may find a bit unrealistic, if this is not a project born from passion.
And honestly... to me, it doesn't sound like it's born from passion.

And "VirtualDAW"? So what's a non-virtual DAW?

Sorry if I'm misinterpreting your post a bit, but from where I'm sitting, the marketing just feels a little bit deceptive with the way it's written.

Edit:
If someone thinks I'm being too harsh with this guy, just let me know and I'll remove my text (and don't quote me lol)

[LaLivre]

Sorry for harsh words but no need for another 2 dimensional DAW anymore, too much availible.

If I had a wish then it would be a DAW like Reason or VCV rack but fully in 3D ... so where you can rotate around the devices and connect them via cables to mixers and have an extra 2D sequencer to trigger their sounds.

Something like this from a design perspective...but fully in 3D with an simple 2D sequencer:

https://unitedplugins.com/webtemp/image ... 27933.jpeg

[BertKoor]

Goal: an affordable DAW for your Laptop / Home Studio for processing virtual input sources.

"Affordable" is quite vague. There are quite some free DAWs already, you can't be any more affordable than that.

What exactly is a "virtual input source" ? Oh wait:

virtual (digital) input sources such as soft synths and audio/media files

I don't think most people have the same understanding as you as to what exactly "virtual" is.

Any Vocals or other recorded audio data can be recorded with some free tools and saved as WAV files. Those files can be imported. So there is no real need for any input capturing.

Naah, that won't ever work. A clumsy workflow like that is a true productivity killer.

[crimsonwarlock]

... so where you can rotate around the devices and connect them via cables to mixersg

Wait... what?

[VirtualDAW]

the list of features you posted, barely even scratches the surface of what a fully fledged and well developed DAW is capable of.

The list shows the base implementation phases.
A "fully fledged" DAW has a lot of things many people do not even use. That is one point with this project. And so I would like to hear from all of you, what features you actually use or would like to see in a DAW.

A Virtual DAW is a DAW, which does not support any analog input sources, therefore its virtual, since it runs on a laptop without any other input devices.

[EuroHobbes]

The list shows the base implementation phases.
A "fully fledged" DAW has a lot of things many people do not even use. That is one point with this project. And so I would like to hear from all of you, what features you actually use or would like to see in a DAW.

It's not binary. Not all features are used by everyone, but I'll bet that every feature in an existing DAW is used by someone.

A Virtual DAW is a DAW, which does not support any analog input sources, therefore its virtual, since it runs on a laptop without any other input devices.

You can do that with every DAW. Just don't use it. It sounds like your trying to 'sell' a missing functionality as a feature. I really think it's cool that you're taking on something as big as this, but I'm not seeing the appeal that you see.

[_al_]

A Virtual DAW is a DAW, which does not support any analog input sources, therefore its virtual, since it runs on a laptop without any other input devices.

So the feature that makes your DAW different to other DAWs, is the fact that it doesn't support audio input?

Well ok, that clears that up, I guess.
Good luck with the project

[VirtualDAW]

A Virtual DAW is a DAW, which does not support any analog input sources, therefore its virtual, since it runs on a laptop without any other input devices.

So the feature that makes your DAW different to other DAWs, is the fact that it doesn't support audio input?

Well ok, that clears that up, I guess.
Good luck with the project

Of course it supports audio input: Soft Synths and Audio/Media Files; but no connected physical devices.

[VOODOO U]

A Virtual DAW is a DAW, which does not support any analog input sources, therefore its virtual, since it runs on a laptop without any other input devices.

So the feature that makes your DAW different to other DAWs, is the fact that it doesn't support audio input?

Well ok, that clears that up, I guess.
Good luck with the project

Of course it supports audio input: Soft Synths and Audio/Media Files; but no connected physical devices.

So how do we listen back if it doesn't support soundcards/interfaces?

[VirtualDAW]

A Virtual DAW is a DAW, which does not support any analog input sources, therefore its virtual, since it runs on a laptop without any other input devices.

So the feature that makes your DAW different to other DAWs, is the fact that it doesn't support audio input?

Well ok, that clears that up, I guess.
Good luck with the project

Of course it supports audio input: Soft Synths and Audio/Media Files; but no connected physical devices.

So how do we listen back if it doesn't support soundcards/interfaces?

The output is always supported through WASAPI on Windows.
That covers output devices such as soundcards. And as you see from my initial post also ASIO is planned at some point.
Only anlog input devices are not supported. At a later stage some digital microphones through USB connection could be supported, if that is really heavyly requested by the users. Those producers, who only use (vocal) samples and soft synths do not need any of this.