How to Add an ARA Plugin in All Major DAWs
When working with standard audio effect plugins, most DAWs expect you to place them into an insert slot on a track—processing audio as it plays through. ARA (Audio Random Access) plugins, however, behave differently. Instead of processing audio in real time like a typical compressor or EQ, an ARA plugin integrates directly with the DAW timeline, gaining deep access to the raw audio file. Because of this, DAWs load ARA plugins through special workflows, often involving region-based editing panels or dedicated ARA extension menus rather than traditional insert chains.
Why Use ARA Plugins?
ARA offers major advantages over standard audio effects:
- Full access to the audio file instead of only the live playback stream
- Faster analysis — no need to record or transfer audio into the plugin
- Ideal for spectral editing, pitch/timing correction, and transcription
- Edits stay synchronized with your project timeline
- Allows immediate note separation, transcription, and waveform control
This deeper integration makes ARA a powerful tool for editors, mixers, and music creators who work with vocals, instruments, time-stretching or audio-to-MIDI workflows.
How to Add ARA Plugins in Major DAWs
Below are quick instructions for inserting ARA plugins inside the most common workstation environments.
Studio One
ARA plugins are added to individual clips (not an entire track).
- Right-click any audio event/clip.
- Expand the sub-menu for Event FX and select the ARA plugin
Studio One integrates ARA plugins into the same panel used to display it's own editors.
Cubase / Nuendo
ARA plugins for Cubase are added to a track and will be applied to every clip in the track.
- Select the Track
- In the Inspector panel (to the right of the Track list), click Extensions and select the ARA plugin from the drop-down.
Cubase integrates ARA plugins into the same panel used to display it's own editors.
Reaper
ARA plugins for Reaper are added to a track and will be applied to every clip in the track.
- In the desired track header, click the FX button
- Find the plugin in the list and click it (use the search bar to quickly find the plugin).
Reaper gives each ARA plugin it's own stand-alone window.
Logic Pro
Logic only supports ARA plugins on Intel processors or when Logic is run under Rosetta for Apple Silicon.
If you are on Apple Silicon, it's simple to switch Logic to run under Rosetta:
- Close Logic
- Find Logic in your Applications folder, and right-click the Logic Pro icon ad select Get Info
- Check the "Open using Rosetta" box
ARA plugins for Logic are added to a track and will be applied to every clip in the track.
- Select the Track
- In the Track panel displayed to the left, click "Audio FX" and select the ARA plugin. For ARA plugins, it must be added as the first plugin in the list. Be sure to select the plugin that has "(ARA)" in its name.
Unlike other DAWs, Logic is a bit quirky with ARA plugins and you won't see any results in the ARA plugin window until you press Play. Once Play is pressed, Logic passes info to the ARA plugin so it can analyze the audio.
Logic gives each ARA plugin it's own stand-alone window.
Cakewalk / SONAR
ARA plugins are added to clips (not for an entire track).
- Right-click the region/clip
- Expand the Region FX submenu
- Choose the ARA plugin and select Create Region FX
Cakewalk integrates ARA plugins into the same panel used to display it's own editors.
Final Thoughts
ARA plugins unify deep audio editing with the convenience of working directly in your DAW. While each host loads them differently, once configured, the workflow is smoother, more powerful, and significantly faster than real-time processing.
If you're working with vocal tuning, transcription, note separation, or detailed waveform manipulation, ARA isn’t just useful — it’s transformative.