VRAC

Welcome

Meet VRAC

VRAC is a sample-based drum machine designed to turn any sound into a drum kit. Drop a sample, set the sample start and shape each hit by morphing between kick, snare, hat and clap models.

VRAC turns raw audio into punchy, original beats built for the stage, the studio, or both. Drumify any sound: one sound, one drum kit.

Key features

Set the sample start

Choose your percussive moment and turn it into a playable slice.

Drumification models

Morph between kick, snare, hat and clap profiles to sculpt every hit.

Global shaping

Shape the entire kit with global controls.

Why VRAC

• Instant kits: original drum kits in minutes, not endless sample browsing.
• Raw-to-drums: turn raw audio into playable, expressive drum material.
• Morphing models: morph between kick, snare, hat and clap models to shape every hit.

Where to start

Quick start

System requirements

VRAC runs as a plugin in your DAW on Windows and macOS.

Windows

• Windows 10 or higher
• 2 GHz Pentium IV processor or equivalent
• A host that supports 32-bit or 64-bit VST
• Formats: VST, VST3, AAX

macOS

• macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon processor
• A host application that supports 64-bit VST or AudioUnit
• Formats: AU, VST, VST3, AAX

Quick start

Installation

Download the installer for your system, run it, then enter your license code the first time you open VRAC.

Windows

1. Download the VRAC_vX.X.X.exe installer file.
2. Install to your preferred plugin folder.
3. On first launch, enter your license code.

macOS

1. Download the VRAC_vX.X.X.pkg installer file.
2. Follow the steps to install. The plugins are installed to the default location: /Library/Audio/PlugIns.
3. On first launch, enter your license code.

Quick start

Activating & deactivating the license

Each license you buy lets you activate the plugin on 3 computers at a time.

If you need to run it on a 4th machine, first deactivate the plugin's license on one of your machines. You do this from the Settings menu, under Manage your license (see Settings).

When a license is deactivated

Your plugin is still usable, but in a frozen state: your existing sessions will load the plugin and its parameters in their last saved state. However, you won't be able to access the user interface to tweak its parameters.

Using VRAC

Start with a sound

There are several ways to add raw audio in VRAC: drop a file, or pick a source from the presets library.

Drop an audio file

Drop an audio file on the timeline zone. Accepted file types: WAV, AIF/AIFF, MP3, FLAC, OGG.

You can import a short one-shot sample ready to be processed, or a longer file that will be trimmed to a maximum of 30 seconds.

Browse the presets library

Find a collection of ready-to-work audio sources curated by Beatsurfing to get you started, and save your own (see Presets).

Using VRAC

Set the sample start

Choose the exact point in your audio that becomes the drum kit.

• Drag the line to set the start of the sound you want to turn into a drum kit.
• Grab the zoom rectangle to adjust the zoom view.
• Use the mouse wheel over the zoom view to change the zoom level.

Using VRAC

Play your drum kit

The selected slice is processed into an 8-piece drum kit, ready to be loaded into the pads and performed.

Pads on screen

Click a pad to play its sound and display its settings.

MIDI

Each of the 8 pads is triggered when it receives a MIDI note. The default lowest note is C1 (36); you can change it in the Settings menu.

When VRAC receives MIDI notes outside the accepted range, a notification shows the expected range. You can turn this notification off in the Settings menu.

Follow: turn Auto Select on to display the settings of the pad you play from your MIDI controller.

Solo and mute

Use the M and S buttons to mute or solo pad sounds.

Shift + click to solo several pads.

Using VRAC

Fine-tune your sound

Select a pad to display its parameters.

Pad settings are independent of the slice being processed, and are kept when you change the slice or the audio source.

Drumification Models map

Multiple Drumification Models are spread across an X-Y map, organized into 4 poles: kick, snare, hat, clap.

What drumification does

Drumification is a unique sample-shaping process. The Drumifier analyzes the dynamics of the incoming sample across the spectrum, then sculpts its spectral and dynamic content to match one of the many kick, snare, hat and clap models developed especially for VRAC.

The shape on screen represents the current dynamic content of the sound played, revolving around its spectrum. Move the cursor around the map to morph between these models.

Drumify section

Edit the drumification model and adjust the blend with the original sample.

Drumify

Blend between the original sample and the drumification model.

Original Gain

Original audio level.

Drumified Gain

Drumified audio gain.

Velocity

Decreases the volume when receiving lower velocities.

Other sound settings

Length

Playback length.

Pitch

Sample pitch in semitones, set by changing the sample's playback speed.

Pan

Stereo placement of the pad in the output mix.

Volume

Level of the pad in the output mix.

Choke groups

Pads in the same group choke each other on each new hit.

Using VRAC

Duplicate & copy settings

Spread a setting across several pads, or copy a whole pad to another one.

Duplicate a parameter

Right-click any pad parameter to duplicate its value to:

• all 8 pads;
• all pads in the same choke group;
• all pads with a similar drumification model.

Copy a whole pad

• Right-click the source pad to copy all its parameter values.
• Right-click the destination pad to paste them.

Using VRAC

Global controls

Global controls act on the whole kit at once, which makes them the ones to reach for while performing.

Drumify

Drumifier amount offset for all pads.

Length

Sample playback length offset for all pads.

Transpose

Sample playback speed offset for all pads.

Fine tune

Fine pitch adjustment of the samples.

Volume

Main output mix volume.

Using VRAC

MIDI mapping & automation

Most parameters can be edited on screen, controlled via MIDI, and automated in your DAW.

On screen

Drag a control to change it. Use the mouse wheel to fine-tune, or hold ⌘ Cmd (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) while editing.

MIDI

Right-click any parameter to access MIDI Learn and the mapping options. You can review all CC mappings from the Settings menu.

DAW automation

Parameters are exposed to your DAW, so you can automate them like any other plugin parameter.

Using VRAC

Export your drum kit

Drag sounds out of VRAC straight into your DAW or a folder.

Drag a pad, or the Drag to export button, to a track in your DAW or to a folder (Finder on Mac, File Explorer on Windows) to export it as an audio file.

Using VRAC

Presets

Presets and DAW sessions save all settings and sample file paths.

Using VRAC

Settings

Open the menu from the button at the top left of the main window.

Menu entries

Manage your license

Deactivate your license if needed (see Activating & deactivating the license).

Updates

Download updates and read the changelog.

CC mappings

Set up CC mappings for any parameter.

User Guide

Open this user guide.

Onboarding

Restart the onboarding tour.

OpenGL

If you experience graphical issues or crashes, or want to reduce the CPU load a little (for example if you don't have a GPU), you can disable OpenGL, the graphics library used to render the map view. When it is disabled, you'll see simpler versions of these elements.

MIDI range

When VRAC receives MIDI notes outside the accepted range, a notification shows the expected range. You can turn this notification off here.

The default lowest note is C1 (36). You can set another base note here.

Help

Support

Can't find your answer in this guide? Everything else is in the BEATSURFING Help center.

Contact us

Thanks for supporting us. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or ideas: send us a message from the Help center.

The BEATSURFING team