Luca Romagnoli has announced the release of version 0.8 of the free and open source MAGDA digital audio workstation (DAW) software.
MAGDA now integrates GRAME’s functional DSP language FAUST, and most devices in the FX bank are now built on top of it (excluding the Multiband dynamics module and Utility).
Some highlights from the new FX bank:
- New Filter device with six models: SVF, Ladder, Korg 35, Oberheim SEM, Sallen-Key, virtual analog diode ladder.
- Compressor with Clean (peak/RMS, SC HPF, external SC) and Glue (Brouns FBFF).
- Reverbs: Plate (Dattorro), Hall (Zita FDN), Room (Freeverb).
- Saturator, Clipper, Mod, Grit, Dimension, Pitch, Ring Mod, EQ, Delay, Grain Delay, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Bitcrusher, Limiter, Gate, Freq Shift — now FAUST-based too.
There is also a new Faust device where you can write your own .dsp inside the app, or vibe-code it. The device has its own AI panel, describe the effect you want and the model writes the FAUST for you. The device runs through the FAUST interpreter for now, so CPU is much higher than for the built-in devices. A JIT compiler is the plan for v1 release.
Other improvements include:
- Session recording now records directly into session slots (audio + MIDI).
- Follow actions: Next / Previous / Random / Again / Stop with loop count + beat delay.
- New editing gestures and note slicing tool.
- Internal timing rework moving more of the engine toward beats-first timing.
MAGDA is are available to download for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
