How to Set Up HEXCEL in Your DAW

Learn how to use HEXCEL as a MIDI generator in your DAW. This guide walks you through setup for Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, and more.

What HEXCEL Does

HEXCEL is a MIDI effect plugin that sends MIDI—not audio—so it must be routed to a virtual instrument to produce sound.

General Setup Steps

Regardless of your DAW, the general process is:

1. Insert HEXCEL as a MIDI effect plugin.

2. Route MIDI output from HEXCEL to a synth or sampler.

3. Arm or monitor the instrument track so you can hear the output.

Some DAWs support this natively. Others may need additional routing steps.

Important Notes

• HEXCEL does not make sound on its own.

• Your DAW must support MIDI routing from plugins.

• HEXCEL is available as:

  • VST3 on Windows and macOS

  • AU on macOS (for Logic Pro)

1. Create a MIDI track and load HEXCEL as a plugin.

2. Create a second MIDI track with your virtual instrument (e.g., Serum).

3. On the instrument track:

   • Set MIDI From to the track with HEXCEL.

   • Enable Monitor: In.

4. Press play. HEXCEL will trigger your instrument.

💡 Group HEXCEL and your synth into an Instrument Rack for convenience.

FL Studio

1. Load HEXCEL in the Channel Rack.

2. Load your instrument plugin in a separate channel.

3. Open the instrument plugin wrapper.

4. Set the Input Port to match HEXCEL’s Output Port (set in HEXCEL’s wrapper).

5. Press play. MIDI from HEXCEL will trigger your instrument.

💡 Use the Wrapper Settings to assign HEXCEL’s MIDI output. FL Studio’s wrapper must be set with matching input/output ports for MIDI to flow from HEXCEL to the instrument.

Logic Pro

1. Add HEXCEL as a MIDI FX on a software instrument track.

2. Load a virtual instrument on the same track.

3. Press play — Logic routes MIDI FX into the instrument automatically.

💡 Logic handles MIDI FX natively. No extra routing needed.

Reaper

1. Add HEXCEL to a new track.

2. Add a second track with your instrument.

3. Open the instrument track's Routing Panel:

   • Set MIDI Input to receive from the HEXCEL track.

   • Choose All Channels or Channel 1.

4. Arm the instrument track for monitoring.

5. Press play to hear HEXCEL’s output.

💡 Ensure the receiving instrument track has monitoring enabled and its outputs are routed to your master bus.

Cubase

1. Add HEXCEL to an Instrument Track.

2. Create a second Instrument Track with your synth or sampler.

3. On the instrument track:

   • Set the MIDI Input to the track with HEXCEL.

   • Enable MIDI monitoring or record-arm the track.

4. Start playback — the instrument will receive MIDI from HEXCEL.

💡 Don’t try to adjust routing from the HEXCEL track. Set it up on the receiving instrument’s track.

💡 In Cubase, Instrument Tracks combine audio and MIDI—make sure both HEXCEL and your synth are loaded on Instrument Tracks, not plain MIDI tracks.

Studio One

1. Add HEXCEL to a new Instrument Track.

2. Add your virtual instrument (e.g., Serum) to a second Instrument Track.

3. Open the Instrument Editor for the synth.

4. Click the Input dropdown (top-left corner).

5. Select the HEXCEL track as the input source.

6. Enable monitoring on the instrument track.

7. Press play — MIDI will flow from HEXCEL to your synth.

💡 Studio One treats plugins like separate routing devices, so this Input dropdown is key.

Some DAWs don't support MIDI plugin routing, which limits or prevents HEXCEL from functioning properly:

Pro Tools (macOS & Windows)

Pro Tools does not support MIDI FX plugins. You cannot insert HEXCEL as a MIDI effect.

Workarounds:

• Use HEXCEL in another DAW to export MIDI clips.

• Consider third-party plugins for routing, but results may vary.

GarageBand (macOS)

GarageBand does not support MIDI FX or MIDI routing from plugins.

Workarounds:

• Export MIDI from HEXCEL in a compatible DAW.

• Drag the MIDI into GarageBand to trigger sounds post-creation.

Recommended DAWs for HEXCEL

For best results, we recommend using:

• Ableton Live

• FL Studio

• Logic Pro

• Cubase

• Studio One

• Reaper