Toaster — private beta guide

Version 0.1.1 • Mac AU/VST3 • 12 October 2026

Use a copy of a project. Start at a comfortable monitoring level. This beta has no purchase fee; it is not a finished customer release.

Install

Unzip Toaster-Mac.zip. Quit Logic/Ableton.
Open Terminal, type bash then a space, and drag Install-Mac.command into it.
Press Return. Read the prompt and type YES to install.
Reopen the DAW and scan plugins. Manufacturer: Aubrey Fry. Product: Toaster.

The installer copies AU/VST3 into your user Library and backs up existing copies. This personal beta is ad-hoc signed, not Apple-notarised. The script removes quarantine only from its installed plugin bundles. The customer installer is still to be made.

Five-minute first test

New constant 120 BPM, 4/4 project from song bar 1.
Insert on a short sound or percussion track; click Load example.
Feedback 0.45, Mix 0.3, Smooth, Transition 100 ms.
Bars 1–16 use eighths; 17–18 use two bars; 19 onward uses sixteenths.
Compare Tape at 500 ms. Large timing changes deliberately bend pitch.
Click to add a point; drag to move; right-click to choose timing or delete.
Save, close and reopen. Check that controls and points return.

Session test checklist

Record PASS / FAIL / NOT TESTED for each, with exact Mac chip, macOS and DAW version.

Test	Expected result
Install / scan	Plugin found, opens without a host crash
Example / edits	Correct timing points; edits match the timeline
Save / reopen	Identical controls, enabled points and timings
Automation	Feedback/mix and timing controls follow host automation
Mono / stereo	Correct routing and no unexpected channel loss
Offline bounce	Audio and tail match real-time intent
Stop / resume	Stopped sequencer holds; existing tail decays
Seek / host loop	Echo buffer clears at running transport jumps as documented
Pattern wrap	64-bar wrap restores initial rate without clearing its echo buffer
Tempo change	Repeats follow tempo; transition behaviour is musically usable
Multiple instances	Stable playback; report count, CPU and sample rate
Editor reopen	Reopening does not change sound or state

Test at 44.1/48 kHz, then 96 kHz if used; include 64/128 and 512-sample buffers. Mark untested configurations honestly. Try at least one real project copy.

Known boundaries

Constant time signatures only. Up to 16 timing points; quarter-bar snapping. 64-second maximum delay; 20–400 BPM tempo range. Host seeks/loop jumps clear echoes. Rapid timing changes can wait for the previous transition. Linear dry/wet blend. Memory approximately 37 MB/instance at 48 kHz; higher rates need more. No Windows build, MIDI input, sidechain or individual-echo capture.

Report a problem

Include build/version, chip/OS/DAW, AU or VST3, sample rate/buffer, exact steps, expected vs actual result, frequency, and whether it happens in a blank project. A short screen recording is useful. Remove personal file paths from crash logs where possible. Send the downloaded report directly to Aubrey using your existing contact channel. No automatic upload is made by the feedback page.

Roll back

Quit all DAWs. Remove only Toaster.component from ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components and Toaster.vst3 from ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3. Restore previous bundles from ~/Library/Application Support/Toaster/Backups if needed. Rescan/restart. Do not delete unrelated plugins or project files.