Open Planet Software has announced the release of Sessions v2.0, a significant update to their Audio Unit plug-in host for Mac.
Sessions is a performance-oriented plug-in host that puts all your virtual instruments and effects at your fingertips. With powerful features and a streamlined workflow, musicians can enjoy the freedom to explore, create, play and perform without a DAW.
Refreshingly straightforward, Sessions is designed to keep you 'in the moment' however you make music. Thanks to the fluid drag-and-drop interface and innovations like the Always-On Recorder, producers, songwriters and sound designers can quickly experiment with new ideas and jump-start the creative process. For live players, Sessions has everything you need for an impromptu jam or a professional stage performance including MIDI layers and splits, flexible audio mixing, seamless sound switching, MIDI control, Ableton Link and so much more...
New features in Sessions 2.0
- Introduction of a streamlined, single-window plug-in workflow.
- Added the Plug-In Manager.
- New Widget themes.
- Safe Start mode.
Version 2.0 introduces a streamlined workflow so you can work with plug-ins in the main window right beside the Mixer - not floating on top of it. Flexible layout options let you set the split between the Mixer and plug-in view, enabling you to see exactly what you want. Of course, the traditional workflow where each plug-in opens in its own floating window is still available.
The Plug-In Manager shows details of all the Audio Units installed on your Mac and lets you decide which ones you want to use in Sessions.
Three new Widget themes conjure up memories of old-school video displays from the early days of music technology - green, amber and paper-white screens.
To help troubleshoot problematic plug-ins, Safe Start allows Sessions to defer the loading of plug-ins at startup. Safe Start can be activated by holding the Option key when launching the app. Sessions will also automatically activate Safe Start on the next launch following an improper shutdown of the app.
Gordon Murrison, developer of Sessions said:
I love the quality and diversity of sounds I can get from my plug-in collection but there are so many times when I'd rather not have to fire up my DAW to use them - both in the studio and on the stage. DAWs are amazing but the 'full power and complexity of a studio' is not always what we need. Sometimes, less is more, so I wanted to create an environment with fewer distractions to help me stay 'in the moment'. I've been using Sessions every day for piano and guitar practice and it's become my go-to app when working on new sound design and songwriting ideas - it's so easy and inspiring to drag-and-drop wild plug-in combinations, and the Always-On Recorder means I never miss a happy accident.
Price and Availability
Sessions v2.0 is available on the Mac App Store and costs $29.99.
