Poor Man's Studio

Poor Man's Studio is a lightweight local Windows music workstation for importing, arranging, editing, previewing, saving, and rendering music projects without needing a full commercial DAW.

It is intentionally practical: bring in MIDI or score material, clean up tracks, organize sections, assign instruments, preview ideas quickly, and render usable audio or MIDI output from a self-contained workspace. It has just enough DAW energy to be useful, without trying to become a spaceship cockpit.

Quick Feature Tour

Import, Arrange, And Edit

• Import MusicXML, compressed MXL, MIDI, Poor Man's Studio .mwproj, WAV, MP3, FLAC, and OGG files.
• Create MIDI tracks from score/MIDI files.
• Create AudioClip tracks from imported, recorded, or rendered AudioClip arrangement audio.
• Edit notes in the main editor and in dedicated Piano Roll windows.
• Edit AudioClip source trim non-destructively, enhance the full AudioClip source into a new generated copy, freeze a kept range, arrange repeated or overlapping local clips, add editor-only Aux source trims into the arrangement, preview the arrangement, and render it into a new mixed AudioClip track.
• Keep one Piano Roll window per track so track edits stay understandable.
• Organize track groups, song sections, sequence assignments, ordering, names, and track layout through the Track Manager.
• Save projects as .mwproj files with project-relative media paths.

Instruments And Sound Sources

• Use SF2/SF3 SoundFonts through FluidSynth.
• Use SFZ instruments through sfizz-render.
• Use experimental VST3 instrument plugins through JUCE VST3 hosting.
• Use experimental CLAP instruments and effects through the CLAP scanner/manager, editor windows, snapshots, offline render paths, and guarded direct/live preview paths.
• Set project defaults for future imported/new MIDI tracks.
• Apply per-track settings intentionally so existing tracks are not overwritten accidentally.
• Switch a track between SF2/SF3/SFZ/VST3/CLAP without deleting its MIDI notes.
• Preserve notes when changing libraries; the instrument assignment changes, the music stays.

VST3 Plugin Support

VST3 support is experimental. Some plugins are perfectly calm. Some plugins are dragons wearing DLL costumes.

Current VST3 support includes:

• VST3 scanning from workspace/vst3 and standard Windows VST3 locations.
• VST3 Plugin Manager with All Plugins, Supported Instruments, Supported Effects, and Unsupported filters.
• Two-slot VST Effect chain controls in the main track inspector: choose Supported Effects for slot 1 and slot 2, enable/disable or bypass each slot, save the assignments in .mwproj files, and process the chain during offline preview/render paths for MIDI and AudioClip tracks.
• Fixed effect-chain order: source track -> VST Effect 1 -> VST Effect 2 -> preview/export output. Unassigned, disabled, or bypassed slots are skipped.
• VST editor host windows use a small toolbar under the title bar for Apply Changes; tiny plugin UIs get a wider minimum host size while remaining resizable.
• Manual override for plugins that are safe instruments or effect candidates but detected as unknown/unsupported.
• One VST plugin editor window per track instrument assignment and one VST effect editor window per track/effect slot.
• Track-owned VST editor toolbar with Apply Changes, Test Instrument for instrument editors, a compact target label such as Track #1 - S1 - Reverb, and Test Effect for effect editors.
• Per-track VST state save/restore so two tracks using the same plugin can keep different sounds.
• VST state excluded from normal host-side note/edit undo-redo history.
• VST Host Helper Status from the VST Plugins menu, backed by the helper executable.
• One-time experimental dragon warning before VST3 becomes active through defaults, track assignment, plugin UI, preview, or render.

Normal VST3 instrument hosting is still mostly in-process, so a plugin crash can still close the main app. The helper executable provides isolated checks and groundwork for future risky plugin work.

CLAP Plugin Support

CLAP support is experimental and newer than the VST3 path. It is designed to preserve the existing offline render/export workflow while adding guarded direct/live preview when the project is safe for it.

Current CLAP support includes:

• CLAP scanning from workspace/clap and standard CLAP locations where available.
• CLAP Plugin Manager with instrument/effect cataloging and user-facing CLAP Instrument / CLAP Effect labels.
• CLAP Settings / Compatibility for plugin graphics adapter choice, maximum open CLAP windows, Safe CLAP Plugin UI Mode, and Refresh Adapter List.
• CLAP Host Helper Status from the CLAP Plugins menu, backed by the helper foundation under workspace/clap_host.
• CLAP instrument editor windows with Apply Changes, Test Instrument, snapshots, and explicit state capture.
• CLAP effect editor windows for track Effect Slot 1 / Slot 2 with Apply Changes, Test Effect, snapshots, and explicit state capture.
• Offline CLAP instrument rendering and CLAP effect processing for render/export and fallback preview paths.
• Direct CLAP preview for compatible selected-track and CLAP-only multi-track projects through the live scheduler/callback bridge.
• Guarded live CLAP Effect Slot 1 / Slot 2 routing during direct CLAP preview when the selected effects are CLAP effects.
• Fallback to the existing rendered/temp-WAV preview path for mixed projects, unsupported routing, audio clips, non-CLAP effects, or unsafe live-preview situations.

Direct CLAP preview is not the same as final export. Render/export paths still use the saved project state and offline processing so output remains repeatable and compatible with the existing render workflow.

Preview, Render, And Export

• Preview a selected track, selected sequence, Piano Roll area, enhanced AudioClip source preview, AudioClip arrangement, or the full project.
• Compatible CLAP selected-track and CLAP-only project previews may play through the guarded direct/live CLAP preview path; mixed or unsupported cases use the rendered/temp-WAV fallback.
• Render the full project, selected track, selected sequence, or stems depending on render settings.
• Export WAV, FLAC, MP3, and OGG audio.
• Attach album art to MP3 renders when Output Format is MP3.
• Export MIDI for use in other tools.
• Configure sample rate, bitrate, channels, output format, render metadata, and MP3 album art where supported.
• Use FFmpeg for audio conversion/mixing/compressed output support.
• Use workspace/exports as the default user-facing render/export destination.

MP3 Album Art For Renders

The main window includes Attach Album Art under Edit Info for final MP3 renders. The option is enabled only when Output Format is MP3. Checking it opens an image picker for PNG, JPG, or JPEG artwork. Saved projects keep the selected image under input/album_art; unsaved projects stage the image temporarily until Save Project or Save As commits it into the saved project folder. The option is for final MP3 renders only, not temporary previews, Render To Track outputs, MIDI export, or non-MP3 audio. Non-MP3 formats keep the album-art checkbox unavailable, so WAV, FLAC, OGG, and MIDI renders do not attempt to embed cover art.

Export Folder Behavior

Poor Man's Studio keeps user-facing renders in workspace/exports by default instead of auto-switching exports into each project folder. Saving or opening a .mwproj no longer retargets the export box to workspace/projects/<project>/renders; older project-local renders/output paths are reset back to the workspace export folder unless you manually choose another custom export folder.

Render Settings retention applies consistently to non-WAV exports too. When Keep WAV audio stems is enabled, the source WAV sidecar used for MP3/FLAC/OGG encoding is kept next to the final export; when Keep MIDI stem files is enabled, generated MIDI sidecars/stems are kept. Preview/temp renders, including enhanced AudioClip previews, still clean themselves under workspace/temp.

Usability And Project Safety

• Helper bubbles for in-app guidance.
• Plain key/value settings file that can be inspected by hand.
• Settings save behavior separates explicit full settings saves from narrow one-key acknowledgements.
• Dirty-state prompts so unapplied editor changes are not silently discarded. AudioClip Editor close prompts apply only to pending source-trim edits, not arrangement tracks already rendered with Render To Track.
• Workspace cleanup for temporary files.
• Theme preset support.
• Included PDF and text guides under workspace/docs.

Normal User Workflow

1. Choose a project backend in Project Defaults.
2. Choose the matching library, preset, SFZ file, VST3 plugin, or CLAP plugin.
3. Click Apply Project Defaults before importing or adding new MIDI tracks.
4. Import MusicXML, MXL, MIDI, audio, or open an existing .mwproj project.
5. Organize tracks and sequences.
6. Edit notes in the main UI or Piano Roll.
7. Apply per-track instrument changes where needed.
8. Preview the track, sequence, Piano Roll, or full project.
9. Save the .mwproj project.
10. Render final audio or MIDI output.

Project Defaults affect future imported or newly added MIDI tracks. Existing track assignments are changed only through per-track controls or Piano Roll track settings.

Source Tree Layout

Expected source layout:

PoorMansStudio/
  CMakeLists.txt
  README.md
  THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.txt
  resources/
  src/
    audio/
    clap/
    clap_host_helper/
    gui/
  workspace/
    docs/
    exports/
    ffmpeg/
    fluidsynth/
    input/
      album_art/
    projects/
    settings/
    sfizz/
    sfz/
    soundfonts/
    temp/
    themes/
    vst3/
    vst_host/
    clap/
    clap_host/
  external/
    JUCE/

The external/JUCE folder is required for building from source. It is not bundled as a runtime dependency for end users.

Workspace Layout

workspace/
  input/        import staging area, including project album_art metadata images when used
  exports/      default render/export destination for audio, MIDI, and kept WAV sidecars/stems
  projects/     .mwproj project folders
  soundfonts/   user SF2/SF3 files
  fluidsynth/   optional FluidSynth runtime/tool folder
  ffmpeg/       optional FFmpeg runtime/tool folder
  sfz/          user SFZ instruments and sample packs
  vst3/         portable/test VST3 bundles and shared plugin test WAV
  vst_host/     built VST helper executable/runtime helper location
  clap/         portable/test CLAP bundles and CLAP notes
  clap_host/    built CLAP helper executable/runtime helper location
  sfizz/        optional sfizz-render runtime/tool folder
  settings/     user settings
  temp/         temporary render/cache files
  themes/       theme presets
  docs/         PDF and text guides

Projects should live under:

workspace/projects/<Project Name>/

AudioClip media and album-art image files are not embedded into the .mwproj file. Newly imported files, Save / Apply recorded takes, enhanced AudioClip copies, and rendered AudioClip arrangements for unsaved projects stage first under the active workspace/temp/recordings/rec_... session. Save Project is the commit point that moves attached staged media into the saved project folder under input/audio/imported or input/audio/recorded. Import Audio and Render To Track should not create a new folder under workspace/projects until the project is actually saved, and they should not leave unreferenced media inside an already saved project folder if the user later discards changes. Choosing Discard from New/Open/Start From File/Exit unsaved-change prompts removes the active staged AudioClip session so abandoned imports, takes, enhanced copies, and unsaved arrangement renders do not carry into the next project. Move or share the whole saved project folder, not just the .mwproj file.

Build Environment Overview

Poor Man's Studio is currently a Windows/JUCE/C++ desktop app.

Recommended build environment:

• Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit.
• Visual Studio Community 2026 / Visual Studio 18.x or newer, or Visual Studio 2022 with equivalent C++ support.
• Desktop development with C++ workload installed in Visual Studio Installer.
• MSVC C++ x64/x86 build tools.
• Windows 10 or Windows 11 SDK.
• MSBuild.
• C++ CMake tools for Windows.
• CMake 3.24 or newer; current local validation uses CMake 4.4.0-rc3.
• Git for Windows, recommended for obtaining/updating JUCE.
• JUCE source tree at external/JUCE; current local validation uses JUCE 8.0.14.
• C++20-capable compiler.

The project CMake file currently requires:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.24)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)

JUCE's own CMake support requires CMake 3.22 or newer, but this project requires 3.24 or newer. The current development setup is using JUCE 8.0.14 and CMake 4.4.0-rc3.

Visual Studio Community Setup

Install Visual Studio Community from Microsoft, then open Visual Studio Installer and modify the installation.

Required workload:

Desktop development with C++

Make sure these components are installed under the workload or Individual Components tab:

MSVC C++ x64/x86 build tools
Windows 10 SDK or Windows 11 SDK
C++ CMake tools for Windows
MSBuild
C++ core desktop features
Windows Universal CRT SDK

Recommended optional components:

Git for Windows
C++ AddressSanitizer, useful for debugging memory issues
C++ profiling tools, useful for performance testing

Usually not required for this project:

MFC
ATL
.NET desktop workload
Unity workload
Linux workload
Clang/LLVM toolchain

Those can be installed if your local environment needs them, but Poor Man's Studio does not intentionally depend on them.

Build-Time Dependencies

These are needed to build the app from source:

Tool / dependency	Purpose	Notes
Windows 10/11	Build OS	64-bit Windows recommended.
Visual Studio Community	IDE, compiler, debugger, MSBuild	Use Community 2026 / VS 18.x or newer if available; Visual Studio 2022 with the C++ workload should also work.
Desktop development with C++ workload	Installs core C++ build support	Required because C++ tools are not installed by default.
MSVC C++ build tools	C++ compiler/linker	Required for compiling the JUCE/C++ app.
Windows SDK	Windows headers/libraries	Installed through the C++ workload/components.
MSBuild	Visual Studio build engine	Used by Visual Studio CMake generators.
CMake 3.24+	Configures/generates builds	The project uses CMake directly. Current local setup uses CMake 4.4.0-rc3.
Git	Cloning/updating source and JUCE	Optional if JUCE is copied manually, recommended otherwise.
JUCE source tree	C++ app framework	Must exist at external/JUCE. Current local setup uses JUCE 8.0.14. Build-time source dependency, not a separate runtime install.

Runtime Dependencies And Resources

These are used when running the built app or rendering projects:

Runtime item	Purpose	Bundled?
FluidSynth	SF2/SF3 SoundFont rendering	Current local setup uses FluidSynth 2.5.6. May be placed/configured in workspace; not a JUCE dependency.
FFmpeg	Audio conversion, mixing, compressed exports	Current local setup uses a latest Windows FFmpeg build. May be placed/configured in workspace.
sfizz-render	SFZ rendering	May be placed/configured in workspace.
SoundFonts / SF3 files	User instrument libraries	User supplied.
SFZ sample packs	User instrument libraries	User supplied.
VST3 plugins	Experimental plugin instruments/effects	User supplied or installed system-wide.
CLAP plugins	Experimental plugin instruments/effects	User supplied or installed system-wide; direct preview support is guarded and falls back when unsafe.
Audio/MIDI drivers/devices	Playback, input, preview	Provided by the OS/audio interface.

JUCE is not a runtime dependency for users of the compiled app. JUCE code is compiled into the application binary during the build.

Getting The Tools

Visual Studio Community

1. Download Visual Studio Community from Microsoft.
2. Run the installer.
3. Select Desktop development with C++.
4. Confirm the MSVC build tools, Windows SDK, MSBuild, and C++ CMake tools are selected.
5. Install or modify the installation.
6. Open Developer PowerShell for Visual Studio or x64 Native Tools Command Prompt before building from the command line.

CMake

Visual Studio can install CMake tools through the C++ workload. Installing a current standalone CMake from Kitware is also acceptable and often easier to verify from the command line.

Check CMake with:

cmake --version

Git

Git is recommended for downloading JUCE and for source control.

Check Git with:

git --version

JUCE

Place JUCE at:

PoorMansStudio/external/JUCE/

Example using Git from the project root:

mkdir external
git clone https://github.com/juce-framework/JUCE.git external/JUCE

The important file must exist here:

external/JUCE/CMakeLists.txt

If that file is missing, CMake will stop with a JUCE-not-found error.

Configure And Build

Open Developer PowerShell for Visual Studio or x64 Native Tools Command Prompt, then cd to the PoorMansStudio source folder.

Recommended: build wrapper with summary

The easiest build path is the included PowerShell wrapper. It runs CMake configure/build, times the build, checks common inputs, and prints a clean summary at the end.

.\Build-PoorMansStudio.ps1

Example summary:

Poor Man's Studio Build Summary
--------------------------------
Configuration:  Release
Generator:      Visual Studio 18 2026
Platform:       x64
Parallel Jobs:  16
Started:        2026-06-02 18:16:47
Finished:       2026-06-02 18:20:04
Elapsed:        3 min 17 sec
Result:         SUCCESS
Output:         C:\Dev\PoorMansStudio\workspace\program\Poor Man's Studio.exe
VST Host:       C:\Dev\PoorMansStudio\workspace\vst_host\PoorMansStudioVstHost.exe

Useful options:

.\Build-PoorMansStudio.ps1 -Configuration Debug
.\Build-PoorMansStudio.ps1 -Parallel 16
.\Build-PoorMansStudio.ps1 -Generator "Visual Studio 17 2022" -Platform x64
.\Build-PoorMansStudio.ps1 -SkipConfigure

From x64 Native Tools Command Prompt, launch the same script through Windows PowerShell:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Build-PoorMansStudio.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Build-PoorMansStudio.ps1 -Parallel 16

Manual CMake commands still work if you prefer them.

Option A: Let CMake choose the Visual Studio generator

cmake -S . -B builds -A x64
cmake --build builds --config Release

Option B: Explicit Visual Studio 2022 generator

cmake -S . -B builds -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64
cmake --build builds --config Release

Option C: Visual Studio 2026 / VS 18.x generator

Run this first:

cmake --help

Look under Generators for the exact Visual Studio generator name installed on your machine. If your CMake lists a Visual Studio 2026 / 18.x generator, use that exact spelling, for example:

cmake -S . -B builds -G "Visual Studio 18 2026" -A x64
cmake --build builds --config Release

If CMake does not list that generator, update CMake or use the generator CMake does list.

Debug Build

cmake --build builds --config Debug

Clean Reconfigure

Use this when changing JUCE versions, CMake versions, or Visual Studio toolchains:

rmdir /s /q builds
cmake -S . -B builds -A x64
cmake --build builds --config Release

The post-build step copies the built executable to:

workspace/program/

Running After Build

Run the app from the built output or from:

workspace/program/

Keep the workspace folder beside the source/app layout unless you intentionally configure paths elsewhere. The app expects the workspace folders for docs, settings, projects, tools, and libraries.

External Runtime Tool Setup

FluidSynth

Used for SF2/SF3 rendering.

Suggested setup:

workspace/fluidsynth/

Place the FluidSynth executable/DLL files there, or install FluidSynth elsewhere and set the path in the app settings.

FFmpeg

Used for conversion, compressed audio output, and some mixing/export operations.

Suggested setup:

workspace/ffmpeg/

Place ffmpeg.exe and related files there, or install FFmpeg elsewhere and configure the path in the app settings.

sfizz-render

Used for SFZ rendering.

Suggested setup:

workspace/sfizz/

Place sfizz_render.exe / sfizz-render.exe and related files there, or configure the path in the app settings.

VST3 Plugins

VST3 support is experimental.

Scan locations include:

workspace/vst3/
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

A VST3 plugin may be a .vst3 bundle folder. Keep the bundle intact. Do not point the app at inner DLLs under Contents\x86_64-win.

CLAP Plugins

CLAP support is experimental.

Portable/test CLAP bundles can live under:

workspace/clap/

System CLAP install locations vary by plugin vendor. Keep .clap bundles intact and scan the folder that contains the plugin bundle. Use the CLAP Plugin Manager to scan, review supported instruments/effects, and open compatible editor windows. Use CLAP Settings... for graphics adapter and Safe CLAP Plugin UI Mode choices. Use CLAP Plugins > CLAP Host Helper Status... to check the helper foundation status.

Troubleshooting Build Problems

CMake says JUCE was not found

Confirm this exists:

external/JUCE/CMakeLists.txt

If not, clone or copy JUCE into external/JUCE.

CMake cannot find a compiler

Use Developer PowerShell for Visual Studio or x64 Native Tools Command Prompt. Also confirm the Visual Studio Desktop development with C++ workload is installed.

The Visual Studio generator is not available

Run:

cmake --help

Use a generator listed on your system, or update CMake so it knows about your installed Visual Studio version.

Windows SDK errors

Open Visual Studio Installer, modify the installation, and install a Windows 10 or Windows 11 SDK under the C++ components.

cl is not recognized

You are probably in a normal terminal instead of a Visual Studio developer terminal, or MSVC was not installed. Open a Visual Studio developer prompt and try:

cl

Build works but the app cannot render SF2/SF3/SFZ/MP3/OGG

The app built correctly, but runtime tools are missing or not configured. Check FluidSynth, FFmpeg, and sfizz-render paths in the app settings.

VST3 plugin crashes the app

The VST3 feature is experimental and hosted in-process. Save projects before testing unfamiliar plugins. Use Apply Changes after editing plugin UI state. If a plugin repeatedly crashes, remove it from the active assignment or mark it unavailable in the VST3 Plugin Manager.

CLAP plugin crashes, freezes, or does not preview live

CLAP support is experimental. Save projects before testing unfamiliar plugins. Use Apply Changes after editing plugin UI state; direct CLAP preview uses the current saved/applied track state except for the explicit Test Instrument button, which captures the open editor state for the test. If direct CLAP preview cannot start, if the project contains unsupported routing, or if the plugin is unsafe for the guarded live path, Poor Man's Studio falls back to the rendered/temp-WAV preview path where possible.

VST Host Helper Foundation

The source tree includes a small out-of-process helper target named PoorMansStudioVstHost. A local build copies it to:

workspace/vst_host/PoorMansStudioVstHost.exe

The helper currently provides conservative command-line groundwork for isolated VST3 inspection/scanning:

.\workspace\vst_host\PoorMansStudioVstHost.exe --help
.\workspace\vst_host\PoorMansStudioVstHost.exe --ping
.\workspace\vst_host\PoorMansStudioVstHost.exe --scan "C:\Path\To\Plugin.vst3"
.\workspace\vst_host\PoorMansStudioVstHost.exe --scan-json "C:\Path\To\Plugin.vst3"

Normal VST3 instrument hosting and the Track Live Effect recorder monitor path remain in-process. The helper is groundwork for risky scanning, plugin editor isolation, state capture, offline helper rendering, and later shared-memory live processing. The app checks the helper once at startup and exposes the cached result through VST Plugins > VST Host Helper Status....

CLAP Host Helper Foundation

The source tree also includes CLAP host/helper groundwork under src/clap_host_helper. A local build may copy helper output to:

workspace/clap_host/

The app exposes the cached helper status through CLAP Plugins > CLAP Host Helper Status.... CLAP plugin editor windows, scan/manager workflows, offline render fallback, and guarded direct preview are kept separate from the visible helper status command so the normal CLAP menu stays focused on user-facing actions.

Documentation

• Comprehensive PDF user guide: workspace/docs/PoorMansStudio_User_Guide.pdf
• Plain-text user guide: workspace/docs/USER_GUIDE.txt
• Detailed setup/build guide: workspace/docs/SETUP_AND_BUILD_GUIDE.txt

Use the in-app Help menu to open the guides when running the app.

Current Plugin Menus And Window Menu

The top-level plugin menus are intentionally compact:

VST Plugins
  Scan VST3 Plugins
  VST3 Plugin Manager...
  VST3 Settings...
  VST Host Helper Status...

CLAP Plugins
  Scan CLAP Plugins
  CLAP Plugin Manager...
  CLAP Settings...
  CLAP Host Helper Status...

Plugin editor cleanup lives in the Window menu as Close All Plugin Windows, near the regular Close All Open Windows command. Refresh Adapter List lives inside VST3 Settings and CLAP Settings, not as a top-level plugin-menu command.

VST3 Plugin Manager Categories

The Plugin Manager separates detected plugins into Supported Instruments, Supported Effects, and Unsupported. Supported Instruments feed the current instrument workflow and appear in track instrument dropdowns. Supported Effects feed both track-owned VST Effect dropdowns in the main track inspector. Unsupported plugins remain inactive until moved to a supported category and applied. The move controls use visible text labels (Add > and < Remove) for reliable display on Windows font/rendering combinations.

The Piano Roll Preview Player Preview button always re-renders fresh preview audio before playback and captures open VST editor state first, so adjusted instrument/effect settings are picked up without closing the player.

Two-slot VST Effect Chain

The main track inspector provides two effect rows:

VST Effect 1: [dropdown] [Enable] [Bypass] [Open Slot 1]
VST Effect 2: [dropdown] [Enable] [Bypass] [Open Slot 2]

The dropdowns stay on the left so the selected effects line up with the rest of the track controls. Choose a Supported Effect for each slot, then use Enable to include that slot in offline preview/export processing and to make that slot's editor openable. Bypass temporarily skips that slot without clearing the selected plugin or saved state. Detailed ready/bypass/missing status is written to the log/output area instead of taking up main-window track-control space.

Processing order is always:

source track -> VST Effect 1 -> VST Effect 2 -> preview/export

Unassigned, disabled, or bypassed slots are skipped. Open Slot 1/2 is unavailable unless that slot has an assigned plugin and its Enable checkbox is checked. If both slots are enabled and assigned, slot 2 receives the output from slot 1. The old single-effect project format is read as slot 1 for compatibility.

Use Apply Track Settings as the clear commit point for track-level effect choices: slot assignments, Enable, Bypass, mute/solo, volume, and other track controls. Use Apply Changes inside a VST editor only after changing plugin parameters; that editor button saves the plugin state for the owning track and slot.

Imported AudioClip source media stays dry. Recorded AudioClip media can be dry or wet depending on the selected track's enabled VST effect state at recording time. During offline preview/export, enabled non-bypassed slots are applied to temporary processed WAV files and those temporary files are mixed into the render without rewriting the source media. AudioClip Enhancement / Repair creates temporary previews or generated enhanced copies without overwriting the original source. New AudioClip media and selected MP3 album-art images stage in the active workspace/temp/recordings/rec_... session when the project is unsaved; Save Project moves only applied/attached staged clips into the saved project folder, while Discard removes the current staging session instead of leaving abandoned media for a later project.

AudioClip Editor Arrangement Workflow

The AudioClip Editor provides non-destructive source trimming and a local arrangement lane. The original imported or recorded source media is not rewritten, moved, or deleted by source-trim edits.

Use the top waveform to set the kept range. Drag only the green Start handle or red End handle, or type trim values directly, then use Apply Trim to commit source trim metadata. The close warning in the AudioClip Editor applies only to pending source-trim edits. Applying or discarding pending trim does not delete or roll back any new arrangement track already created with Render To Track.

Use Freeze Trim to lock the current kept range for arrangement. Then click in the arrangement lane to place it. Clicking again places another copy of the same frozen Main range, which is the intended loop/repeat workflow. Append Clip places the frozen Main trim at the current audible arrangement end. Use Clip #, Clip Start, Move Clip, and Delete Clip to place, move, and remove selected clips. Transparent colored clips make overlaps visible, and the selected clip is drawn on top so overlapping clips remain editable. Extend +10s adds workspace; the horizontal scroll is free-form.

Load Aux Source opens an editor-only Aux audio file trimmer. The Aux source is not added as a project track and is not saved as its own project media. Freeze a range in the Aux window and click Append to Main to add it to the main arrangement at the current audible end. Main clips are labeled like #1 Main; Aux clips are labeled like #3 Aux. Closing the Aux window does not remove appended Aux blocks, and loading another Aux file later does not overwrite earlier Aux blocks. Keep the original Aux source file available until Preview Arrangement or Render To Track completes.

Preview Arrangement auditions the local Main/Aux arrangement without creating a new track. Render To Track creates one new imported-style AudioClip track from the mixed arrangement. The rendered file length follows the last audible placed clip, not the visible arrangement-window length, so extra empty workspace does not add dead air. Track Volume and Master Volume apply to AudioClip material during preview/render/mix. Saved projects write the generated media under input/audio/imported; unsaved projects stage it in temp and migrate it into input/audio/imported when the project is saved.

AudioClip Enhancement / Repair

The AudioClip Editor also includes a source-level enhancement section for rough imported or recorded clips. Choose an enhancement preset and Strength, then use Preview Enhanced to create a temporary preview or Create Enhanced Copy to generate a new AudioClip track from the full source. The original source file is not overwritten, and source trim handles or local arrangement clips are not baked into the enhancement.

Enhanced copies are written as editable generated WAV media. Saved projects store them under input/audio/imported; unsaved projects stage them temporarily and migrate them into the saved project folder when the project is saved. Use final render/export settings later when you want a delivery file such as MP3, FLAC, or OGG.

AudioClip Recorder Wet And Live Effect Behavior

The AudioClip Recorder can record dry or wet audio. If the selected target track has a VST effect slot assigned, enabled, not bypassed, and applied, that effect is printed into the recorded AudioClip. To record dry audio, leave the VST Effect Enable box unchecked before recording.

The Track Live Effect checkbox controls monitoring only. When it is checked, the recorder tries to let you hear the enabled track effect while recording. When it is unchecked, you do not hear that monitoring path, but the recording can still be wet if the track effect is enabled and applied. Recording targets the selected existing track instead of auto-creating a new track. Create/select the track first, assign/apply its effects, then decide whether Track Live Effect should monitor the wet signal while recording.

VST Editor Host Windows

Track-owned VST Instrument and VST Effect editor windows enforce a minimum host-window size while remaining resizable from the window corner. Very small plugin editors may leave extra empty host-window space, but the editor toolbar under the title bar keeps Apply Changes usable instead of crowding it into the title bar. VST effect toolbars use compact target wording such as Track #1 - S1 - Reverb; VST instrument custom title bars include the owning track, for example Track: #1 - Lead Piano | Instrument | Plugin: Dexed. Status feedback stays in tooltips/logs instead of a trailing status text label. The Window menu also includes side submenus for VST Instrument and VST Effect whenever those editor windows are open, so you can bring a specific track/slot editor to the front like the Piano Roll window list. When changing a MIDI track to a scanned VST3 instrument, Choose scanned VST3 plugin now opens a clear chooser dialog instead of a tiny follow-up popup.

The editor toolbar also includes Snapshot slots. Each VST instrument and VST effect editor has five host-side snapshot slots with Load, Save, Clear Current, and Clear All buttons. Clear actions ask for confirmation before deleting snapshot files. Snapshots save the plugin state blob for the exact plugin identity and editor role outside the project under workspace/vst3/snapshots, so a favorite instrument or effect setting can be reused on another track or project using the same plugin. Snapshot loading is blocked when the saved snapshot does not match the current plugin/role.

VST Plugin Graphics Adapter

Poor Man's Studio can list the graphics adapters reported by Windows for VST plugin editor windows. The default choice is System Default / Auto, which lets Windows and the plugin choose the rendering path.

If multiple adapters are available, you may choose one manually. The selected adapter is a preferred graphics adapter for VST plugin editor windows, not a guarantee; some plugins, drivers, or Windows graphics settings may still choose a different rendering path. This setting does not affect audio render quality. Adapters are labeled as Hardware or Software when that information is available. Poor Man's Studio does not classify adapters as integrated or dedicated, and it does not use video memory size to make that decision. The adapter list is cached from the last manual refresh and reused on future launches; it is only replaced when you use Refresh Adapter List again. The cached adapter rows are stored separately in workspace/settings/vst_graphics_adapters.txt; the normal user preferences file keeps only the compact numeric preferred adapter option.

CLAP Plugin Graphics Adapter And Compatibility

CLAP Settings mirrors the VST3 graphics-adapter pattern where practical. The default choice is System Default / Auto, which lets Windows and the plugin decide. Refresh Adapter List updates the cached adapter list. Max Open CLAP Windows limits how many CLAP editor windows can be open at once, and Safe CLAP Plugin UI Mode is available as a compatibility option for fragile plugin editors.

Open CLAP editor tweaks are not silently committed during arming or preview. Use Apply Changes in the CLAP editor when you want the plugin state saved to the project. Test Instrument captures the current open editor state for its one-off test without applying it to the project, while Test Effect processes the shared bundled test sample through the effect.

Track And Master Gain Range

The main Track Vol and Master Vol sliders range from 0.00 to 3.00. 1.00 is normal unity gain. Values above 1.00 boost the signal and may clip, especially when several tracks are mixed together. Render/export and guarded CLAP direct preview use the same shared gain limit so the UI, render path, and live-preview path agree.

Comprehensive user guide: https://github.com/izzaeroth/PoorMansStudio/blob/main/workspace/docs/PoorMansStudio_User_Guide.pdf