PIXEL ARCLESS GUESSWORK.
MORE MAKING.
Installation, the first vocal chain, and the details that keep a session moving.
Install on Windows.
- Download the ZIP and close your DAW and any plug-in scanner.
- Extract it. Keep the complete
PIXEL ARC Beta.vst3folder together. - Copy that folder to
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3. Windows may request administrator permission. - Replace older PIXEL ARC copies rather than keeping duplicate builds in scanned folders.
- Open your DAW and scan for new or changed plug-ins. Add PIXEL ARC as a mixer effect.
- Check that the main interface shows
v0.4.83 BETA.
In FL Studio, use Options → Manage plugins to rescan. If an older version still appears, close FL Studio and its scanner, check the scanned locations for duplicate copies, then replace the correct bundle.
The first take.
Load the plug-in on a vocal mixer track. Vocal Ready provides a starting chain; use the twelve vocal presets to find a direction, then adjust the sound to the recording.
Set Tune’s root and scale for the song. Analyze can estimate a key from a vocal or instrumental WAV/MP3 file and apply the result to Tune. Check it against the song: key and tempo detection are estimates.
Drag modules in the top strip to change their order. Each MIX control blends that module with its input, independently of the plug-in’s input, output and master controls. Expand Gate, De-esser, Doubler, Delay or Reverb with EDIT or by double-clicking its top-strip section.
A deeper cut.
Open Studio FX → Param EQ for the main EQ. Double-click the graph to add a band, drag its point for frequency and gain, and use the wheel to adjust Q. Right-click a point for filter shape, Dynamic Gain, Follow Pitch or Solo.
High/Low Pass slopes range from 12 dB/oct to the finite 192 dB/oct Brickwall approximation. Bring the square BEND handle towards the point to steepen the cutoff. This is a minimum-phase filter, not an ideal infinite-slope or linear-phase mode.
Delay and Reverb each have a separate six-band EQ affecting their wet return. Reverb EQ also offers Dynamic Gain on Bell and Shelf bands. The grey spectrum shows the signal before that EQ; blue shows the filtered result. The main Param EQ remains separate.
Solo is temporary monitoring and ends when you close Studio FX. De-esser Listen / Removed auditions the actual removed material; turn it off to return to normal processing.
Keep your hands moving.
- Ctrl+Z: local undo in Param EQ, Gate, De-esser, Doubler, Delay and Reverb editors.
- Ctrl+Shift+Z / Ctrl+Y: local redo. Visible buttons work when the host reserves shortcuts.
- Right-click a value: access the host’s parameter menu when supported.
- Double-click the top strip: open the matching expandable module’s editor.
The shared local history retains up to 128 UI edits and survives closing/reopening the editor on the same instance. Loading a saved state clears it. Host automation playback does not fill it. A numeric text editor keeps its own text undo until the edit is committed.
FL Studio’s global project undo is separate. Its Undo knob tweaks and wrapper Notify about parameter changes preferences control host-side behaviour.
Good questions.
Is this the full browser version of the VST?
No. Signal Lab runs a smaller, local Web Audio processing chain. It demonstrates tone, dynamics, stereo and space. Native Tune, the native De-esser, dynamic EQ and analysis are available in the VST3. The browser demo is an approximation, not a prediction of the exact native output.
Is my uploaded vocal sent anywhere?
Signal Lab reads and processes the selected file in your browser. This site does not upload, save or send the audio to a server. Clear the take or leave the page to release it.
Is there a macOS version?
The current beta is Windows x64 VST3 only. The download does not include macOS, AU or AAX builds.
Why is key detection sometimes uncertain?
Complex harmony, relative keys, short sections and strong percussion can make a single estimate ambiguous. Use a representative instrumental section and confirm the root and scale by ear before applying Tune.
How much does PIXEL ARC cost?
The current beta download is free. Commercial pricing and payment checkout will be added later.
Does the beta include a Windows installer?
No. Install the intact VST3 bundle from the ZIP using the steps above.
Help shape the next revision.
For a useful beta report, include the version, DAW, sample rate, buffer size, preset and the steps that reproduce the behaviour. Keep a duplicate project when testing a new build.
A public support address will be added before the commercial release. Existing beta testers can use their current feedback channel.