TORCH
Audio Workstation · Version 7.0
Linear Recording
Arrangement + Mixer
Pattern Based
Step Sequencer + Editor
Default
Standard Layout
TORCH
AUDIO WORKSTATION
POSITION
001.01.000
TIME
00:00:00
BPM
124
PPQ
960
START
1
END
128
SIG
4/4
METRONOME
V1.0.4
Add Track
Set BPM
124
📁 SET FILE LOCATION
✕
SAVE LOCATION
Not set
Save location is optional. Change it anytime via File → Change Save Location.
⏺ Recording Settings
✕
01Count-In Before Recording
Metronome clicks this many bars before recording starts. Lets you get ready before the first beat.
02Loop Record Mode
Each loop pass creates a new lane under the same track. Every take is visible and independent — nothing is ever overwritten.
02bAuto-Arm New Lanes
When OFF (default), new lanes created on loop are not armed — you must press R on a lane to record into it. When ON, each new loop lane is automatically armed and begins recording immediately.
03Pre-Roll (Playback Preview)
Playback starts this many bars before the loop start point so you can hear context before recording.
04Metronome During Recording
Controls when the click track plays. "Count-In Only" silences it once recording begins.
? TORCH DAW — USER GUIDE
✕
Welcome to TORCH DAW
Professional DAW — Built entirely by AI
What is TORCH DAW?
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TORCH DAW is a full-featured professional Digital Audio Workstation — the world's first sample-based DAW built entirely through AI collaboration.
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It includes 10 instruments, an Arrangement window, Mixer, Piano Roll, Step Sequencer, FX Rack, Q-Groove quantizer, Render engine, and real-time collaboration.
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All your MIDI devices connect automatically — just plug them in. Microphone and camera permissions are requested once and cached for the session.
Tip: Use the left sidebar to explore each section. Start with Instruments to learn what's available, or jump straight to Recording.
Quick Start — Make your first sound in 60 seconds
1
Open any instrument from the module tabs at the top — try Torch Keys, Torch Drums, or X-Sampler Pro.
2
Click any key on the on-screen keyboard to hear sound. Use your computer keyboard: A S D F G H J = white keys.
3
Press Spacebar to start playback. Press again to stop.
4
Press R to arm recording, then Spacebar to capture your performance.
The 10 Instruments at a Glance
1
X-Sampler Pro — Load any audio sample and play it chromatically across all 88 keys.
2
MIDI Drum — Hardware-style drum machine with pads and MIDI I/O.
3
Torch Drums — Built-in drum kit with step programming and live pad play.
4
Torch Keys — Piano and keyboard instrument with velocity and expression.
5
Torch Bass — Bass instrument with dedicated bass presets and tone shaping.
6
Torch Guitar — Guitar instrument with strumming and chord modes.
7
Torch Voice — Vocal instrument — load any vocal and play it as a pitched instrument.
8
Torch Synth — Synthesizer with oscillators, ADSR, filter, and built-in presets.
9
Torch World — World and ethnic instrument collection for global sounds.
10
Torch Physical Modelling Synth — Advanced physically modelled synthesis for realistic acoustic instrument tones.
Instruments
All 10 TORCH DAW instruments — what they do and how to use them
X-Sampler Pro
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The core instrument engine. Load any audio file (WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC, AIFF) and it auto-maps across all 88 keys at pitch-shifted intervals.
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Controls: ADSR envelope (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release), Filter (cutoff + resonance), Pitch, Volume, and Pan.
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Use the SAVE / LOAD buttons to save and recall sampler presets. Use BUILD to render the current sample map.
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Drag any sample from the Browser or your file system directly onto the X-Sampler Pro window to load it instantly.
Power move: Load a single sung vowel or a guitar chord — X-Sampler Pro turns it into a full playable instrument across every key.
MIDI Drum
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A hardware-style drum machine with 16 velocity-sensitive pads, full MIDI input/output, and per-pad sample assignment.
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Each pad can be triggered by mouse click, computer keyboard, or an incoming MIDI note from any connected device.
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Drag any audio file onto a pad to assign it. Pads retain their assignment across the session.
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Use SAVE / LOAD to store and recall complete pad kits. Use BUILD to commit the current kit.
Torch Drums
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A full drum kit instrument with built-in drum sounds plus step-programming integration and live pad play.
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Optimized for acoustic drum sounds — Kick, Snare, Hi-Hat (open/closed), Toms, Crash, Ride.
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Works hand-in-hand with the Step Sequencer: program patterns and trigger Torch Drums samples directly.
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Use SAVE / LOAD to store preset kit configurations. Use BUILD to apply settings.
Torch Keys
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A dedicated keyboard and piano instrument with velocity-sensitive playback and expressive controls.
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Includes presets: Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Clav, Vibraphone, Marimba, Bell, and more.
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ADSR envelope controls let you shape attack and release for soft pads or punchy staccato playing.
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Fully compatible with MIDI keyboard input — every key, every velocity, every expression pedal.
Torch Bass
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A bass-focused instrument with presets tuned for electric bass, synth bass, sub bass, and fretless bass tones.
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Low-end optimized filter and amp envelope make it easy to dial in punchy or smooth bass lines.
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Play live from your MIDI keyboard or draw notes in the Piano Roll — sits perfectly in any mix.
Torch Guitar
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A guitar instrument with acoustic, electric, and nylon string presets, including strumming and chord triggering modes.
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Chord mode: trigger full guitar chords from single keys. Strum mode: simulate natural picking dynamics.
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Use BUILD to apply custom tuning or voicing settings.
Torch Voice
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Load any vocal recording and play it as a pitched instrument across all 88 keys — with natural vocal characteristics preserved.
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Formant shifting prevents the "chipmunk" effect on high notes — the voice stays natural across the range.
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Works with spoken word, sung phrases, beatbox sounds, and any vocal texture you can record or load.
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Record directly into Torch Voice using your microphone — the recording becomes the playable instrument instantly.
Torch Synth
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A fully-featured software synthesizer with multi-oscillator engine, waveform selection (sine, square, saw, triangle, noise), and sub oscillator.
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Full ADSR envelope for amp and filter, plus a resonant low-pass/high-pass/band-pass filter.
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Built-in LFO for vibrato, tremolo, filter sweep, and more. Polyphonic — play full chords.
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Built-in presets: Lead, Pad, Bass, Pluck, Organ, Bell, Arp, and more. Save/Load your own presets. Use BUILD to commit changes.
Tip: Use the ADSR controls for expressive shaping — slow Attack for pads, fast Attack + short Release for pluck sounds.
Torch World
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A collection of world and ethnic instruments — Sitar, Koto, Marimba, Mbira, Duduk, Tabla, Steel Pan, Gamelan, and more.
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Each preset captures authentic timbres and playing characteristics of global musical traditions.
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Full MIDI input support — play live or sequence these instruments in the Piano Roll.
Torch Physical Modelling Synth
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Uses physical modelling synthesis to simulate real acoustic instruments — string resonance, air column behavior, body resonance.
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Models include: plucked strings, bowed strings, brass, woodwind, and struck percussion — all computed in real time.
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Parameters let you shape the physical properties: string stiffness, bow pressure, embouchure, mallet hardness.
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Use SAVE / LOAD / BUILD to manage and commit your model configurations.
Note: Physical modelling is CPU-intensive. For best results, keep other instruments minimized when using this instrument at high polyphony.
Recording Audio & MIDI
Capture your performance
Record Audio (Mic or Line-in)
1
In the Arrangement, click the R button on a track header to arm it for recording. The button glows red when armed.
2
TORCH DAW requests microphone permission once at startup — click Allow. It won't ask again during the session.
3
Press Spacebar or the Play button. Audio is captured from your mic or audio interface in real time.
4
Press Spacebar again to stop. A clip appears on your track automatically.
Tip: Connect an audio interface (like SSL) for professional quality recording. TORCH DAW captures whatever device is set as your system default input.
Record MIDI
1
Connect your MIDI keyboard (KONTROL S61 MK3, Maschine MK3, etc.). Devices are detected automatically.
2
Press R to arm recording, then Spacebar to play. Every note, velocity, and CC message is captured.
3
Stop playback — your MIDI clip is placed on the arrangement track with all note data preserved.
4
Double-click any MIDI clip to open it in the Piano Roll and edit individual notes, timing, and velocity.
MIDI Devices & Routing
Connect your hardware
Connecting MIDI Devices
1
Plug in your MIDI device (keyboard, controller, interface) via USB before opening TORCH DAW.
2
The browser requests MIDI access automatically. If prompted, click Allow.
3
All detected devices are listed in the console (F12) and in File → Devices in the menu bar.
4
Every MIDI input routes automatically to the Synth and the MIDI Recorder — no routing setup needed.
Supported: KONTROL S61 MK3 (Main, DAW, Ext), Maschine MK3, SSL V-MIDI Ports 1-12. Any class-compliant USB MIDI device works.
Computer Keyboard as MIDI
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White keys: ASDFGHJ
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Black keys: WETYU
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Click inside the Synth window first so keyboard events register correctly.
Piano Roll
Edit notes with precision
Opening & Using the Piano Roll
1
Click Piano Roll in the module tabs, or right-click a MIDI clip in the Arrangement and choose Open in Piano Roll.
2
The piano on the left shows all 88 keys. The grid to the right is your note canvas — each row is a pitch, each column is time.
3
Draw notes: Click the Pencil tool, then click and drag on the grid to place a note.
4
Delete notes: Click the Eraser tool, then click a note to remove it.
5
Chord Library: Select a chord type and click a key — the full chord is placed automatically.
Tip: Use the Quantize (Q-Groove) button to snap notes to a grid. Start with 1/16 for most music.
Step Sequencer
Build beats and patterns
Building a Beat
1
Open the Sequencer module from the tabs at the top.
2
Each row is a track (drum or instrument). Click the step buttons to activate beats — lit = plays, dark = silent.
3
Add a sample: Drag any audio file from your computer onto a track row. The step now plays that sound.
4
Change the step count (8, 16, 32, 64) to set pattern length. 16 steps = one bar at typical settings.
5
Press Spacebar to preview your pattern. It syncs to the main transport automatically.
Tip: Add a Kick on beats 1 and 3, Snare on 2 and 4 — that's the foundation of most beats. Build from there.
Torch Synth
Software synthesizer — see also the Instruments section for all 10 instruments
Playing Torch Synth
1
Open Torch Synth from the module tabs. Click any key on the on-screen keyboard or use your MIDI device.
2
Select a preset from the dropdown in the title bar — Lead, Pad, Bass, Pluck, Organ, Bell, Arp.
3
Adjust oscillator waveform: sine, square, saw, triangle, or noise. Layer a sub oscillator for depth.
4
Shape the sound with ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) and the resonant Filter.
5
Use the LFO to add movement: vibrato on pitch, tremolo on amplitude, or sweep the filter cutoff.
6
Click SAVE to store your preset, LOAD to recall it, and BUILD to apply all current settings.
Tip: All TORCH instruments respond to MIDI in real time — your hardware keyboard is always live.
Mixer & Channel FX
Mix and process every track independently
The Mixer
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Open the Mixer from the module tabs. Each track in your Arrangement has its own channel strip.
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Each channel has: Volume fader, Pan knob, Mute (M), Solo (S), and Record Arm (R) buttons.
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A Master channel at the far right controls the overall output level and has its own master FX chain.
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New tracks added to the Arrangement automatically appear in the Mixer — no manual routing needed.
Mixer Channel FX
1
Each Mixer channel has 7 per-channel effects slots: EQ, Compressor, Reverb, Delay, Limiter, Tape Delay, Tape Saturation.
2
Click any effect slot to open its dedicated floating control window.
3
In the effect window, click the POWER button to activate. The slot border lights up when the effect is active.
4
Each effect window is draggable — click and drag the title bar to reposition it anywhere on screen.
5
Channel effects are independent per channel — EQ settings on Channel 1 have no effect on Channel 2.
Tip: Use the EQ to carve space for each instrument, Compressor for dynamics control, and Reverb/Delay for spatial depth.
Channel Effect Details
EQ
Multi-band parametric equalizer. Shape the frequency content of any channel — boost presence, cut mud, add air.
COMP
Compressor with Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, and Makeup Gain. Tighten dynamics on drums, vocals, bass.
VERB
Reverb with Room Size, Damping, Wet/Dry, and Pre-delay controls. Add space and depth.
DELAY
Delay with Time (sync to BPM), Feedback, and Wet/Dry. Classic echo and ping-pong effects.
LIM
Limiter with Ceiling and Release. Transparent peak control — prevents clipping on any channel.
TAPE DLY
Tape-style delay with warmth, flutter, and saturation characteristics for vintage echo sounds.
TAPE SAT
Tape saturation adds harmonic distortion, warmth, and gentle compression — great for gluing a mix together.
FX Rack
Master effects chain — applied to the entire mix output
Using the FX Rack
1
Open FX Rack from the module tabs. Five master effect units are shown: EQ, COMP, VERB, DELAY, LIM.
2
All units start OFF. Click the ⏻ PWR button on any unit to activate it — the button turns aqua green when on.
3
Turn the knobs to adjust each effect in real time. Changes are applied instantly to the master output.
4
Reorder effects: Click and drag the left rack ear (bolt strip) to move units — the signal chain updates immediately.
Signal chain: All tracks → Mixer → FX Rack (active units in order) → final output. The FX Rack is your master bus processing.
Arrangement Window
Your song timeline
Working with Tracks & Clips
1
Click + Track in the toolbar to add a new MIDI or Audio track. It also appears in the Mixer automatically.
2
Use the ✏ Draw tool to draw clips on the timeline. Click and drag across empty space to create a region.
3
Use ▣ Select to move clips by dragging them. Use ✂ Cut to split a clip at the cursor point.
4
Right-click any clip for options: Duplicate, Delete, Split, Open in Piano Roll.
5
Drag loops or samples from the Browser panel directly onto a track to place them instantly.
Loop Region
1
Set START and END bar values in the transport bar (click them to edit).
2
Click the LOOP button in the transport bar to activate looping. A cyan highlight appears on the ruler and grid.
3
Playback will loop between the start and end markers automatically.
Transport Controls
Control playback and timing
Play, Stop, Record
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Spacebar — Play / Stop toggle
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R — Arm / disarm recording
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Transport buttons: ⏮ ◀◀ ▶ ⏹ ● REC — standard DAW controls
BPM — Set Your Tempo
1
Click the BPM display in the transport bar to open the BPM popup.
2
Drag the slider or click a preset tempo (80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 128, 140, 160).
3
Type a value directly and press Enter. Range is 40–300 BPM.
Setting Bars (Song Length)
1
Click the START or END bar numbers in the transport to edit them.
2
These set the loop region and the length used for rendering.
Metronome
1
Click the METRONOME label in the transport bar to toggle it on or off.
2
When on, you hear a click on every beat. Beat 1 of each bar has a higher-pitched accent click.
Render & Export
Export your finished track
Exporting to WAV or MP3
1
Go to File → Render Audio or click the Render tab in the modules.
2
Choose WAV (lossless, full quality) or MP3/WEBM (compressed, smaller file).
3
Set a filename for your export. It pre-fills from your project name.
4
Check the save location. If you set a folder (File → Set Save Location), the file goes there directly. Otherwise it downloads.
5
Click RENDER TO FILE. The progress bar shows encoding status. Your file is saved when it reaches 100%.
Tip: Make sure your arrangement is playing back correctly before rendering. The render captures the live audio output including all effects.
Save & Sessions
Never lose your work
Setting Your Save Location
1
On first launch, a dialog appears asking you to Choose Save Folder. Click it and select a folder on your computer.
2
This location is saved permanently in your browser. You never have to set it again.
3
To change it: File → Change Save Location.
Saving Your Session
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Ctrl+S — Quick save (uses project name)
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File → Save Session — Prompts for a project name, saves to your folder
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File → Save Session As... — Always prompts for a new name
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Ctrl+O — Open a saved
.torch session fileAuto-Save
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TORCH DAW auto-saves every 60 seconds whenever changes are detected. A toast notification confirms each save.
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Auto-saves go to your set folder AND to browser storage as a backup.
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To restore an auto-save: File → Restore Auto-Save.
Real-Time Collaboration
Make music with others — live, from anywhere
What is TORCH Collaboration?
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TORCH DAW includes built-in real-time collaborative sessions — multiple producers can work on the same project simultaneously from different locations.
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All session state — arrangement, instruments, mixer settings, transport position — is synchronized across all connected collaborators.
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Collaboration is powered by TORCH_COLLAB, the built-in WebRTC-based peer-to-peer signaling system.
Starting a Collaboration Session
1
Go to File → Start Collaboration or click the COLLAB button in the toolbar.
2
Click Create Session — a unique Session ID is generated. Share this ID with your collaborators.
3
Collaborators open TORCH DAW, click Join Session, and enter your Session ID to connect instantly.
4
Once connected, all actions (add track, move clip, change BPM, play/stop) are mirrored in real time on all connected instances.
Video Collaboration Panel
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When a session is active, a floating video panel appears automatically showing up to 4 video feeds in a 2×2 grid.
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Your own camera feed appears in the top-left tile. Each peer's feed appears as they join.
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The panel is draggable — click and drag the title bar to reposition it. Click — to minimize, ✕ to close.
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The panel is resizable — drag the bottom-right corner grip to resize it.
Privacy: Camera/mic access is requested once at session start. Video data is sent peer-to-peer — no recording, no server storage.
Permissions & Privacy
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Microphone, camera, and MIDI permissions are requested once per session — the browser prompt will not appear again after granting.
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If you denied a permission previously, go to your browser's site settings to re-enable it.
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All collaboration data travels peer-to-peer via WebRTC — not stored on any server.
Browser & Samples
Find and use sounds
The Browser Panel
1
The Browser is on the left side of the Arrangement window. It has three tabs: PLUGINS, SAMPLES, USER.
2
PLUGINS tab: Drag X-Sampler Pro, Beat Machine, or Step Sequencer directly onto an empty track area to create a new instrument track.
3
SAMPLES tab: Browse your built-in sample library. Click to preview, drag onto a SEQ track row or Arrangement track to use.
4
USER tab: Access files from your computer's hard drive. Drag audio files from your finder/explorer window directly into TORCH DAW.
Dragging Loops & Samples
1
Open your computer's file manager (Finder on Mac, Explorer on Windows).
2
Drag any WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC, or AIFF file directly into the Arrangement window — drop it onto a track row.
3
You can also drag audio onto the Synth window to load it as a sampler instrument — it maps across all 88 keys.
4
Drop audio onto a Sequencer track row to assign that sound to the step buttons.
Tip: For a full sample library, drag your own loops folder into the USER tab. Organize by genre or instrument type.
External MIDI & VST Support
Connect TORCH DAW to Kontakt, FL Studio, Ableton & more
What is External MIDI Routing?
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TORCH DAW can send MIDI directly to any VST instrument — Kontakt, Omnisphere, Serum, your DAW — using virtual MIDI cables installed on your system.
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You can also capture the audio back from those VSTs using a virtual audio cable, monitor it live, and export it as a WAV file.
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This turns TORCH DAW into a professional MIDI controller + recorder for your entire studio setup.
Signal chain: TORCH DAW → Virtual MIDI cable → Kontakt/VST → Virtual Audio cable → TORCH DAW (monitor + record) → Export WAV → Drop into your DAW timeline.
Step 1 — Install Virtual Drivers (once)
Win
MIDI: Download and install loopMIDI (free, tobias-erichsen.de). Open it and click + to create a new virtual port. Name it anything — e.g. "TORCH MIDI".
Win
Audio: Download and install VoiceMeeter Banana (free, vb-audio.com). It creates virtual audio input/output cables on your system.
Mac
MIDI: Open Audio MIDI Setup (in Applications → Utilities). Click Window → MIDI Studio. Double-click IAC Driver and tick "Device is online". No download needed.
Mac
Audio: Download and install BlackHole 2ch (free, existential.audio). It creates a virtual audio cable between apps.
Tip: Install these drivers once and they stay available every session. You only need to do this setup step one time.
Step 2 — Configure Kontakt / Your VST
1
Open Kontakt (standalone or in your DAW). Go to Options → MIDI tab.
2
Set the MIDI Input to your virtual MIDI port: "loopMIDI Port" (Windows) or "IAC Driver Bus 1" (Mac).
3
Set Kontakt's audio output to your virtual audio cable: "VoiceMeeter Input" (Windows) or "BlackHole 2ch" (Mac).
4
Load a Kontakt instrument. You're now ready to receive MIDI from TORCH DAW and send audio back.
Step 3 — Add an External MIDI Track in TORCH DAW
1
In the Arrangement, click + Track in the toolbar.
2
Click 🎹 MIDI Track, then select 🔌 External MIDI from the sub-menu.
3
The External Routing panel opens automatically. Under MIDI OUTPUT, select your virtual port from the dropdown — e.g. "loopMIDI Port" or "IAC Driver Bus 1".
4
You can also reach this panel any time from View → 🔌 External Routing, or click the ROUTE button on the track header.
5
Add as many External MIDI tracks as you need — one per VST instrument. They all route through the selected port.
MIDI Channel: Use the Channel dropdown to force a specific MIDI channel (1–16) or leave on "All Channels" to pass notes through unchanged. Useful if Kontakt has multiple instruments on different channels.
Step 4 — Capture Audio from Kontakt
1
In the External Routing panel, click ↺ REFRESH to scan your audio devices.
2
Under AUDIO INPUT, select your virtual audio cable: "VoiceMeeter Output" (Windows) or "BlackHole 2ch" (Mac).
3
Click ▶ MONITOR ON to hear Kontakt through your speakers in real time.
4
When ready to capture, click ● REC. Play your performance. Click ■ STOP REC when done.
5
Click ⬇ EXPORT WAV to download your recording. Drag it directly into Ableton, FL Studio, Logic, or Pro Tools.
Quality tip: Your recording quality is as good as Kontakt's output — full 44.1kHz / 48kHz stereo. The browser captures whatever Kontakt produces with zero additional processing.
Full Signal Flow Summary
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VKEYS / Piano Roll / MIDI Keyboard → TORCH DAW internal engine
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TORCH DAW → Virtual MIDI cable (loopMIDI / IAC Driver)
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Virtual MIDI cable → Kontakt / VST Plugin (plays the sound)
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Kontakt audio out → Virtual Audio cable (BlackHole / VoiceMeeter)
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Virtual Audio cable → TORCH DAW External Routing (monitor + record)
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TORCH DAW → Export WAV → drag into your DAW timeline
Keyboard Shortcuts
Work faster
Global Shortcuts
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Spacebar — Play / Stop
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R — Arm / Disarm Record
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Ctrl+Z — Undo
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Ctrl+Y — Redo
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Ctrl+S — Save Session
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Ctrl+O — Open Session
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Ctrl+N — New Project
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Esc — Close open menus / popups
Computer Keyboard — Synth
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White keys: A S D F G H J
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Black keys: W E T Y U