afx2daw fxtile

afx2daw

Bring the Synergy Core effects to your DAW

Available for compatible Thunderbolt™ interfaces and over USB for Zen Go and Zen Q Synergy Core, for macOS & Windows

Seamless access
to the world of Synergy Core

afx2daw is a software bridge plugin that allows you to take advantage of the unique sound of the Synergy Core or FPGA effects of your Antelope Audio interface – with the convenience of native plugins within your DAW. With all processing done inside your interface, afx2daw gives you the ability to mix and master with your favorite effects in real-time, with no complicated routing needed.

1

Load afx2daw

Step1

Load an afx2daw instance in your DAW session

2

Select effects

Step2

Select up to 8 Synergy Core effects in a virtual rack

3

Save processing power

Step3

The interface processes the signal in real-time

4

Load more effects

Step4

Load more afx2daw instances with additional effects

  1. Load afx2daw

    Step1

    Load an afx2daw instance in your DAW session

  2. Select effects

    Step2

    Select up to 8 Synergy Core effects in a virtual rack

  3. Save processing power

    Step3

    The interface processes the signal in real-time

  4. Load more effects

    Step4

    Load more afx2daw instances with additional effects

Why afx2daw?

Synergy Core is an effects processing platform unlike any other. The unmistakable sounds of the Synergy Core effects have their roots in FPGA modeling which is still part of the platform. However, capturing the magic of analog hardware comes with the limitations of traditional analog mixing and its routing complexities. With afx2daw emulating the native digital workflow, you get to keep the vintage analog sound in your DAW session.

The Synergy Core technology is designed to be an autonomous hardware processor that offloads not just a part, but 100% of the effects processing to the interface. With afx2daw transferring control to the DAW, you process audio in real-time just like when using the actual analog effects models.

learn more about synergy core

With afx2daw you...

Get native workflow
in your DAW

Every instance of afx2daw loaded in your DAW corresponds to one channel strip where you can load up to 8 Synergy Core effects

Preserve
processing power

afx2daw uses your interface’s onboard platform to process the Synergy Core effects, leaving your host computer’s processing power available for other tasks.

Save time by using
settings recall

Save your own DAW presets and recall your projects together with afx2daw, with all your effects of choice and their parameter settings preserved.

See how it works

  • afx2daw is a software technology that creates a virtual bridge which enables you to use the onboard effects of your interface within your DAW as native VST/AU/AAX plugins in the form of a virtual rack with insert effect slots.
  • The processing of the signal happens within the hardware processor in real-time with control being transferred to the DAW via the afx2daw bridge plugin. The GUI of the plugin is the only thing being processed by your host CPU.
  • In a way, afx2daw is like having a piece of software-controlled external hardware. afx2daw eliminates the need for hardware inserts in the DAW and routing via the Antelope control panel, as this is automatically done via the plugin.

Get afx2daw
for your interface

afx2daw is compatible with all devices listed below, over macOS and Windows. The plugin will work only over Thunderbolt for devices with Thunderbolt ports, and over USB for the Zen Go Synergy Core and Zen Q Synergy Core USB. One license of the plugin can be assigned to only one audio interface at a time.

Zen Family Discrete Family Orion Family
Zen Go Synergy Core (USB) Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core Orion 32+ Gen3
Zen Q Synergy Core (USB/TB) Discrete 8 Synergy Core Orion Studio Synergy Core
Zen Tour Synergy Core Discrete 8 Orion Studio
Zen Tour Discrete 4 Pro Synergy Core Orion Studio 2017
Discrete 4 Synergy Core
Discrete 4

Apply these effects
directly in your DAW

BROWSE ALL SYNERGY CORE EFFECTS
afx2daw starter pack

afx2daw

Starter Pack

Get started with afx2daw and a pack featuring 5 expansion effects that can sit perfectly in the mix together.

VEQ-4K-PINK

4-Band EQ / HPF / LPF

RD47

Tube Mic Preamp

OPTO 2A

Tube Optical Compressor / Limiter

Master De-esser

De-Esser

BBD Chorus

Bucket Brigade Chorus

+ afx2daw

Bridge Plug-in

189.00249.00
BUY NOW

System
requirements

  • The latest Antelope Audio software for your interface.
  • 100 MB available storage on your computer storage space for plugin installation.
  • Windows OS:
  • Windows computer with available Thunderbolt 3 port
  • Windows PC: Windows 10 or Higher with Intel/AMD based CPU architecture
  • * Windows based ARM64 computers are not supported
  • macOS:
  • Thunderbolt-equipped Antelope Audio interface. You can find the device compatibility list in the first questions of the FAQ.
  • Mac computer with available Thunderbolt™ 2 or Thunderbolt™ 3 ports*.
  • macOS: 10.14 Mojave, 10.15 Catalina, or 11 Big Sur
  • * Apple Mac’s (Pre-2012) with first revision of Thunderbolt™ are not supported.

FAQ:

Which Antelope Audio interfaces are compatible with afx2daw?

  • Zen Go Synergy Core
  • Zen Q Synergy Core (TB&USB)
  • Zen Tour Synergy Core
  • Discrete 4 Synergy Core
  • Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core (coming soon)
  • Discrete 8 Synergy Core
  • Orion Studio Synergy Core
  • Orion 32+ Gen3
  • Zen Tour
  • Discrete 4
  • Discrete 8
  • Orion Studio
  • Orion Studio 2017

Which DAW applications support afx2daw?

  • Ableton Live 10/11 and up
  • AVID Pro Tools 12 / Ultimate
  • Apple Logic Pro X and up
  • Image-Line FL Studio 20
  • Bitwig Studio
  • Cockos Reaper
  • Steinberg Cubase
  • Presonus Studio One

The DAWs listed above are tested by our team and confirmed to be compatible with afx2daw. If you use a different DAW that supports VST, VST3, AU, AAX plugin formats, you can still use afx2daw.

Please, make sure to read the product FAQ page and contact technical support if you have any additional questions related to compatibility.

What does “Could not allocate afx2daw slots” message mean?

If you see this message when you open afx2daw bridge in your Daw, this may indicate on of the following events:

  • Your device does not have extra resources for additional afx2daw instances, when you have maxed out the plugin instances available (see table below)
  • You do not have an active license available for afx2daw

Or

  • There is no valid Antelope interface associated with the afx2daw, when you try to open afx2daw with no interface connected.

What are the minimum recommended buffer size settings for the afx2daw bridge plug-in to work?

We do recommend using a buffer size of

  • 256 samples at 44.1/48.0kHz,
  • 512 samples at 88.2/96.0kHz,
  • 1024 samples at 176.4/192.0kHz.

Can I use the afx2daw bridge plugin over USB?

afx2daw can currently be used over USB only with the Zen Go Synergy Core, on macOS and Windows. For all other supported interfaces the plugin works only over Thunderbolt™, on both macOS and Windows.

Are there any differences when using afx2daw with Zen Go Synergy Core?

Not in terms of basic functionality.

However, due to the limited channels available on the portable device in comparison to the multi-channel Synergy Core interfaces, when used with Zen Go Synergy Core, the afx2daw plugin has different channel count allocation.

Can I use afx2daw without my hardware device?

No. The plugin provides a bridge between the hardware-processed effects of the device and the DAW, and therefore the device must always be connected when afx2daw is being used.

Can I use afx2daw when my Antelope control panel is closed?

No, the plugin does not work when the Antelope control panel is closed. The control panel will be opened automatically when the plugin is first initialized, and should not be closed while there are active instances of the plugin loaded in the DAW.

Can I assign afx2daw on more than one audio interface at a time?

No – each license of the plugin can be assigned to only one audio interface at a time.

What is an afx2daw virtual rack?

An afx2daw virtual rack is loaded each time you load a plugin instance in your DAW session. When loaded you can insert up to 8 effects on a single rack. This enables you to load more plugins on 1 channel with 1 instance than loading them on individual insert strips as separate plugins.

How many effects instances can I use with afx2daw?

afx2daw utilizes your hardware as processor, therefore the number of effects that can be processed simultaneously varies with the processing power of each device.

How many instances of the afx2daw plugin can I load?

The amount of afx2daw instances you can load varies by device, and can be found in the table below:

Interface Name Max Mono Instances Max Stereo Instances
Zen Go Synergy Core 8 Mono 4 Stereo
Zen Q Synergy Core (TB&USB) 16 Mono 8 Stereo
Zen Tour Synergy Core 32 Mono 16 Stereo
Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core (coming soon) 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Discrete 8 Synergy Core 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Discrete 4 Synergy Core 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Orion Studio Synergy Core 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Zen Tour 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Orion Studio 2017 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Discrete 4 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Discrete 8 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Orion Studio 32 Mono 16 Sterеo
Orion 32+ Gen3 32 Mono 16 Sterеo

Can I use Synergy Core effects without afx2daw?

Yes, the Synergy Core effects of your audio interface are available in the AFX tab of the Antelope control panel. When loading effects from there, the effects are “printed” directly on the input channels and can be monitored during tracking in real-time. To use the effects in your DAW without afx2daw, you will need to use the available I/O of the device and route into and out of the interface via hardware inserts.

Is afx2daw mono or stereo?

afx2daw can be used on mono and stereo channels.

Does afx2daw support offline bounce rendering in the DAW?

No, afx2daw cannot be used with offline render modes in your DAW.

Are afx2daw settings saved when I save my project?

Yes, the plug-in settings are stored within the DAW project data. It is recommended to always save your session from your DAW project to prevent any settings loss.

Can I use automation with afx2daw?

Yes. However, all possible parameters are displayed at all times.

This is done, because audio plugin standards (vst,au,aax) are not well suited for rack plug-ins.

Therefore, we recommend the use of “latch” mode when mapping parameters.

Does the afx2daw plugin add latency to the DAW session?

Yes, the plugin will add the necessary latency for the processing to take place. However, as with every native plugin, this latency will be compensated by the DAW and your interface as much as possible. Adding additional effects in the afx2daw channel strip will only increase the overall latency by just a couple of samples.

macOS Zen Go Synergy Core users might experience a slight variance in the latency, due to limitations of the way USB audio is processed on macOS. Expected deviation is around 10 samples. This does not affect Windows systems and afx2daw over Thunderbolt.

Does the afx2daw bridge plugin take longer to load?

When you load the plugin in your session, the device and the software establish a connection via the Thunderbolt™ port and start to exchange multiple requests between the hardware, the DAW plugin, and the Antelope control panel.

This cycle is repeated and requires time to verify whether the channels are assigned to the correct signal path. This happens in real-time which results in a slightly different load time than a simple VST native plugin. However, this is the best way to secure a stable and non-crashing connection between all the components. The signal path is the following:

AFX2DAW > THUNDERBOLT™ I/O> HARDWARE I/O CHANNEL > SYNERGY CORE FX PROCESSING ENGINE > INSERT FX STRIP > SELECTED FX > ALL PLUG-IN PARAMETERS>

Depending on the device channel count the loading times may be different.

Can I use afx2daw in demo mode?

No, afx2daw does not support demo mode at this time.