— Tutorials · Logic Pro

arna in
logic pro.

How to install, validate, and use Arna as an Audio Unit in Logic Pro on macOS. Six steps, a few minutes, no padding.

  1. install the au component

    Move the Arna1snob.component bundle into ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/. Always remove the old bundle first (rm -rf) — never copy over an existing .component, or Logic will refuse to validate.

  2. launch logic and let au validation run

    Logic Pro automatically validates Audio Units on launch. Accept the validation prompt for Arna — the first launch takes a couple of seconds. If validation fails, run auval -v aufx ARN1 1snb in Terminal to see the actual error.

  3. insert arna on a track

    Open the channel strip on a vocal or drum bus, click an Audio FX slot, choose Audio Units → 1snob → Arna1snob. The plugin opens at k = 0.30 (Room).

  4. automate the knob

    Hit A to show automation lanes. From the parameter dropdown choose Arna1snob → Knob. Draw a slow ramp from 0.20 to 0.70 across a chorus and you have tape-like breathing reverb.

  5. freeze the tail (full edition)

    In Full mode, automate the Freeze button on a transition — the network feedback goes to unity gain and the tail is captured into a dead-steady, endlessly sustained field. No drift, no decay. Ride the Mix knob to fade it back in or out.

  6. play the frozen field with midi

    Here's the part most people miss: while frozen, Arna is playable. Logic loads an Audio Unit effect on an audio track, so to drive it with notes either put Arna on a Software Instrument / aux channel strip and feed it MIDI, or use Logic's MIDI FX / a controller routed to that channel. With Freeze on, play your MIDI keyboard — each note opens a tuned resonant voice over the frozen field, polyphonic up to 32 voices and velocity-sensitive, so the reverb becomes a playable pad. Sweep the Texture control to morph the voices from wide and breathy to narrow and bell-like.

— Logic-specific notes

things only logic users care about.

  • AU cache: if Arna doesn't appear after install, delete ~/Library/Caches/AudioUnitCache/ and relaunch Logic.
  • Channel EQ + Arna:place Arna after the EQ on a vocal so the brain analyses the EQ'd signal.
  • Stereo Out:Arna's width control is post-network — mono compatibility is preserved at any width setting.
  • Track Stack: insert Arna on the summed track of a stack to give the whole stack one cohesive room.
  • Side-chain: Arna does not consume a side-chain — the brain analyses the direct input.

Install Arna → · Other DAW tutorials →