Microtonal DAW: Free vs Pro editions — DonutStudio
What's in each edition
Free is a complete harmonic DAW, and every bit of it is in Pro too. Pro adds the production and media layer that takes a composition from sketch to releasable. Pro pricing is announced at launch; the signup below gets you the price and the founder’s offer first.
Common questions
What's the difference between DonutStudio and Pro?
DonutStudio Free is a complete DAW and plugin: a standalone app with a clip-based arranger (audio + MIDI clips), the freeform harmonic piano roll, per-note microtuning, Scala import, Root Path Tune, MTS-ESP host/client, VST3/CLAP plugin mode, MIDI and audio clip recording, built-in instruments, Airwindows + Donut Devices, the modular node graph with hosted VST3/CLAP plugin nodes, HEJI score notation (beta), automation lanes, device panel, the full video editor, and export. DonutStudio Pro adds the transformation and media layer: per-note sampling and spectral tools, DiffSinger and UTAU vocal synthesis, WORLD vocal resynthesis (beta), and the score-reactive Media Machine.
Do I keep the license after subscribing?
DonutStudio is free with an email license. Pro subscribers own a perpetual license after 12 payments, and upfront purchasers own it from day one. Either way, you keep all updates released within your subscription window forever.
Which platforms are supported?
Windows 10+, macOS 11+ (Intel and Apple Silicon), and modern Linux distributions. The same .arbit project files work across all three.
Will it work in my DAW?
Yes. VST3 in every major DAW (Bitwig, Reaper, Ableton, FL Studio, Studio One, Cubase) and CLAP in Bitwig and Reaper, with VST3 per-note microtuning via note expression. See the compatibility table on the Plugin page for tuning channel details per host.
Will my tuning carry into other plugins and DAWs?
MTS-ESP, both directions — master or client. Plus per-note pitch-bend MIDI export, so your tuning survives in any DAW that reads it. See the DAW page for the channel-per-host details.
Will my projects keep working?
The .arbit project format is designed to be forward-compatible. Future versions will read older projects, and exported MIDI is always portable to any DAW or notation software.
Is the video editor really in a music app?
Yes, and the editor is free. DonutStudio's video editor lives on the same beat grid as your music, with grading, scopes, LUTs, transitions, text, frame interpolation, and uncapped export. DonutStudio Pro adds the score-reactive Media Machine, where shaders and effects read the score itself: note timing, microtonal tuning, JI ratios, and harmony. A modulation matrix wires any musical signal to any visual parameter (kick velocity → kaleidoscope, prime-7 energy → shimmer), and export is frame-accurate. See the Video page for the full picture.
Pricing arrives with the Pro launch
Leave your email to get the launch price, the founder’s offer, and Pro feature news before anyone else.