I plan to run multiple rack instances during a live performance. Looking for a suitable plug-in host/DAW for macOS, as well as any general tips if anyone had to do this.
Running 4ms metamodule inside VCV doesn’t do what its hardware counterpart does, so I guess the only viable way for me is loading racks as plug-ins. I heard on modern CPUs in 2026 CLAP is faster and more reliable than VST or AU, correct me if I’m wrong.
Minimum requirements for the host:
can run multiple plug-in instances, at least routing them all to one master out
can load/unload muted plug-in instances without glitching sound during playback
stable (won’t crash, only plug-in instances can crash)
fast
can route audio into VCV
Nice-to-haves could be a couple extra FX slots after VCV, routing MIDI into VCV, flexible routing between plug-ins (but that’s getting into VCV inception territory).
What doesn’t work:
VCV inception, running it as plug-in inside itself. Host module doesn’t seem to be able to load VCV as a plug-in in any format
Host contenders I know of (almost everything is paid and I can’t buy all of them just to see what works best):
Some people recommend H-AU, but it’s impossible to find or learn more about it
VST Live
Gig Performer
Reaper: feels fast and supports CLAP, but doesn’t seem built for live. It’s so easy to delete FX from a slot with just Opt+mouse click (and it seems to be impossible to customize with Mouse Modifiers), already did it by accident and for sure will do live. Also, 1 hour into playing with Reaper, taking VCV plug-in offline started to make the DAW hang infinitely, and now it happens any time I take a VCV instance offline, no idea why
Bitwig: I have version 4, which is sluggish and glitchy when running a patch. Trialing version 5 with CLAP support and it seems to work better, but it’ll cost me triple what Reaper costs
One more option I haven’t listed is a regular VCV module that does funky things like enabling/disabling large groups of modules to manage resources, so that I could refactor 10+ complex patches into one monster monopatch. Curious if anyone has done it that way, though I doubt it will be a manageable project considering each patch is already 100–200 modules.
Bespoke is promising as a flexible DAW, and I like the patching approach.
Unfortunately, it seems to struggle running two patches at the same time on my machine (sound gets garbled, like CPU is overloaded). The same patches seem to run OK in Bitwig and Reaper, with the same 48k sample rate and 1024 block size. Not sure if that’s because I have to use AU with Bespoke (it doesn’t support CLAP).
I created a Venom Bypass module that in theory should be able to do what you propose. But I don’t think it is scalable to the level you need. Unfortunately even bypassed modules can have a significant CPU overhead.
I created a crude demo patch you can experiment with to see if there is any promise. I used a patch derived from Ken Chaffin’s “A Sign In Space”.
A while ago I substituted a bunch of Venom modules into Ken’s patch to see how they would fair. This was the first moderately complex patch I chanced upon in my VCV library. On my Windows machine running 4 threads at 48 kHz sample rate the maximum CPU usage hovers between 35-40%.
I made 4 copies of it in the same patch, one under another with a gap, each with its own Bypass module. I use Venom Bay Modules to remotely transmit each instance’s audio to a shared Audio 2 module. With 3 of the 4 instances bypassed, the max CPU usage hovers between 80-90% on my machine.
The patch starts at the top with the top instance enabled, and the others bypassed. You can press the Bypass Trig button to bypass the top instance, scroll down to the next instance and press that Bypass Trig button to enable it. Etcetera . . .
There is a lot more that can be done to streamline operation. For instance the Bypass modules can be under CV control. Stoermelder modules could be used to conveniently scroll from one patch to another, etc. But it isn’t worth pursuing if the bypass technique does not scale for you.
Just the plugin format doesn’t do much if anything here. CLAP supports a specialized thread-pool, but only if the plugin explicitly implements it. Switching to CLAP doesn’t magically make anything faster.
Don’t forget that being on macOS you already have Garageband for free, which is optimized for your machine. Don’t know how well it ticks your requirements but it’s worth a try.
You are of course correct. I deleted Garageband from the start because I never thought I’d use it, but I reinstalled it out of curiousity and it does work as a host
That said, the lack of real-time resource usage monitor would be an issue. I haven’t thought of it when writing my original question, but it actually is important—it’s not a question of if I will run into CPU bottlneck but when, and it’s better if I can tell it’s about to happen. Bitwig’s graph is very handy because I can see how CPU spikes approach the ceiling (and when they do that’s when audible crackling usually starts).
That was my original intention, but I can’t be sure there will be a mixer at the venue and I’m not about to buy a 1) mixer and 2) a suitable audio interface for my 2nd laptop just for this.
Besides, it’s good to have backup, and if both of my laptops are part of plan A then there’s nothing left for plan B.
You’re making a good point in the sense that sound at this particular venue is not going to be stellar, plus some inherent reverb may kill some of detail. Plus, I mix in headphones, so working on a patch on a monitor is a good idea in advance to hear what it would sound in a room (I was already planning to give it a go, in fact). Sadly, it is impossible to adjust patches for the specific venue without being able to soundcheck days in advance.
However, the question about what’s the best host to run multiple racks is still a question, whether my patches are light or heavy. Someone with lighter patches than mine who wants to run it on a laptop with weaker CPU will be in the same situation as me, and may benefit from advice all the same.
Sure. You could try Carla and switch instances on/off between sections.
Maybe you can have a simple “ambient” instance to cover the transitions more smoothly.
Carla is interesting and along the lines I was thinking. Will see how easy it will be to get it up and running on macOS, considering KX seems to be Linux-first in general. (Might be among the many reasons for switching to Linux later, frankly…)
