Possible to use ARC2 "outside" DAW?

[CDStudioSolbacken]

hi all ARC2 users,
does anybody know whether it is possible to use ARC2 "outside" DAW?
I mix in Reaper 4 and use it as monitoring FX (so I don't have to bypass it when printing the mix) but I would like as well to use it when listening to music (eg from Spotify, soundclound, web, wav or mp3 files) in my mixing room without the need to go via DAW.
Is there any standalone software which could load ARC2 plugin and activate it when listening to music? I use Windows 7 64bits by the way.
regards
Cezary from Sweden

[kleinholgi]

For Winamp there is a plugin which can host any VST. ARCII works with that, so you can listen to your mp3s and wavs via any VST plugin. ( Look for "VST Host DSP V 1.1.5")

I think for Foobar there should also be a solution like that.

But Spotify etc - no idea.

[sharke]

I have managed to get this working, so that I can listen to all of my computer's audio through ARC2. You have to use 2 programs - Virtual Audio Cable (which costs $25 without support, $35 with basic support, $50 with "extended" support) and Pedalboard2 (which is free).

VAC is a little complicated but if you read the "getting started" section of the manual you'll be able to figure it out (I had a little trial and error). Pedalboard2 hosts VST's.

So when I want to listen to Spotify or YouTube or Netflix etc through ARC2, this is my procedure:

1) In the Windows sound settings, I set VAC as the default audio device
2) I launch VAC
3) I launch Pedalboard2, in which I've already set up ARC2 and saved it as the default.

In Pedalboard2 you have to specify VAC as the audio input and your interface as the audio output. I think the first time I ran VAC I had to run another app called Audio Repeater to get it started (it's in the manual) but I don't have to do that anymore.

Of course when I'm working with my DAW, I set my interface as the default audio device again so that I can host ARC in the DAW as usual.

Sorry if this is a little vague - I really don't know enough about the specifics of VAC to understand exactly what's going on, but all I know is that despite this I was able to get it to work fairly easily and I can now play ALL of my computer's audio (no matter what the source) through ARC2. And it sounds freaking amazing!

[kleinholgi]

Great that it hasw orked out for you.


I also found an equivalent solution for Foobar, since Winamp is used less and less.
There are two VST host wrappers which you find on the internet ( Yohn´s VST wrapper .. and I forgot the name of the other one, just ask the search engine).

Both work, no problem.

[rmolina811]

I have managed to get this working, so that I can listen to all of my computer's audio through ARC2. You have to use 2 programs - Virtual Audio Cable (which costs $25 without support, $35 with basic support, $50 with "extended" support) and Pedalboard2 (which is free).

VAC is a little complicated but if you read the "getting started" section of the manual you'll be able to figure it out (I had a little trial and error). Pedalboard2 hosts VST's.

So when I want to listen to Spotify or YouTube or Netflix etc through ARC2, this is my procedure:

1) In the Windows sound settings, I set VAC as the default audio device
2) I launch VAC
3) I launch Pedalboard2, in which I've already set up ARC2 and saved it as the default.

In Pedalboard2 you have to specify VAC as the audio input and your interface as the audio output. I think the first time I ran VAC I had to run another app called Audio Repeater to get it started (it's in the manual) but I don't have to do that anymore.

Of course when I'm working with my DAW, I set my interface as the default audio device again so that I can host ARC in the DAW as usual.

Sorry if this is a little vague - I really don't know enough about the specifics of VAC to understand exactly what's going on, but all I know is that despite this I was able to get it to work fairly easily and I can now play ALL of my computer's audio (no matter what the source) through ARC2. And it sounds freaking amazing!

Thank you I did it!!!! YAY! I had trouble getting Pedalboard to work but I quickly learned you must make cables from each input to the arc2, then to the output.. flawless now! and I have it auto start on startup and minimize lol so its literally a one time set up

[sharke]

I have managed to get this working, so that I can listen to all of my computer's audio through ARC2. You have to use 2 programs - Virtual Audio Cable (which costs $25 without support, $35 with basic support, $50 with "extended" support) and Pedalboard2 (which is free).

VAC is a little complicated but if you read the "getting started" section of the manual you'll be able to figure it out (I had a little trial and error). Pedalboard2 hosts VST's.

So when I want to listen to Spotify or YouTube or Netflix etc through ARC2, this is my procedure:

1) In the Windows sound settings, I set VAC as the default audio device
2) I launch VAC
3) I launch Pedalboard2, in which I've already set up ARC2 and saved it as the default.

In Pedalboard2 you have to specify VAC as the audio input and your interface as the audio output. I think the first time I ran VAC I had to run another app called Audio Repeater to get it started (it's in the manual) but I don't have to do that anymore.

Of course when I'm working with my DAW, I set my interface as the default audio device again so that I can host ARC in the DAW as usual.

Sorry if this is a little vague - I really don't know enough about the specifics of VAC to understand exactly what's going on, but all I know is that despite this I was able to get it to work fairly easily and I can now play ALL of my computer's audio (no matter what the source) through ARC2. And it sounds freaking amazing!

Thank you I did it!!!! YAY! I had trouble getting Pedalboard to work but I quickly learned you must make cables from each input to the arc2, then to the output.. flawless now! and I have it auto start on startup and minimize lol so its literally a one time set up

Great stuff! Glad you got it working. It's a pity there isn't a more "user friendly" way to route all system audio through a VST, but at least once you figure this method out it's a breeze to set it up. I don't have it start automatically because when I'm using my DAW I prefer to keep VAC turned off and host ARC2 on a bus instead. But watching a movie on Netflix with ARC2 - heaven! It's better audio than a movie theater

[rmolina811]

Sometimes I don't trust arc2 though.. I am new to it though just a couple weeks, everything sounds drastically different.. Like better but it feels fake! It's hard to explain.. Is there a way I can test it's effectiveness outside the program?

[schwarm]

What about Mac-users? Are there any solutions for OS X?

Thanks in advance!

[rwaldron]

What about Mac-users? Are there any solutions for OS X?

Thanks in advance!

Arc2 can be used as an Audio Unit plugin in Audio Hijack 3.
There's a demo available at:
https://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/

It work wells, but some Audio Unit plugins (Including Arc2) cause Audio Hijack to "quit unexpectedly" when quitting the program.

[schwarm]

What about Mac-users? Are there any solutions for OS X?

Thanks in advance!

Arc2 can be used as an Audio Unit plugin in Audio Hijack 3.
There's a demo available at:
https://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/

It work wells, but some Audio Unit plugins (Including Arc2) cause Audio Hijack to "quit unexpectedly" when quitting the program.

Thanks for the recommendation. Looks exactly like what I've been looking for.

[rwaldron]

Thanks for the recommendation. Looks exactly like what I've been looking for.

Thanks.
This video might be useful - tutorial starts at 15:18.

Paul Kafasis Introduces The New Audio Hijack for Sound Capture and Processing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNpe44fgd74

[daslicht]

How much latency does the VAC solution introduce?

[tordh]

Seems like a good way to do it, but I I can't figure out how to get a 48k sample rate in VAC..
What is the trick?

[boremy3@gmail.com]

Audio HiJack is definitely the go so simple any sample rate don't even have to run arc in protools does my whole system thanks, I loving it $50 fix

[era.mikkola]

What about Mac-users? Are there any solutions for OS X?

Thanks in advance!

Arc2 can be used as an Audio Unit plugin in Audio Hijack 3.
There's a demo available at:
https://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/

It work wells, but some Audio Unit plugins (Including Arc2) cause Audio Hijack to "quit unexpectedly" when quitting the program.

Check this -> https://www.menubus.audio