Rewire Applications

ReWire is a software protocol, jointly developed by Propellerhead and Steinberg, allowing remote control and data transfer among digital audio editing and related software. Originally appearing in the ReBirth software synthesizer in 1998, the protocol has since evolved into an industry standard.

Currently used in Mac OS and Microsoft Windows 32-bit audio applications, ReWire enables the simultaneous transfer up to 256 audio tracks of arbitrary resolution and 4080 channels of MIDI data. This allows, for example, the output from synthesizer software to be fed directly into a linear editor without the use of intermediate files or analog transfers. There are also provisions to remotely trigger actions, such as starting and stopping recording. The protocol is licensed free of charge, but comes with a "non-disclosure of source code" license that is incompatible with most free-software licenses.

The ReWire system consists of "Mixers", "Panels", and "Devices". Mixers are the host applications which typically do the sequencing at one end and the final mixdown at the other end. A Device is a dynamic link library that only generates sound; it has no user interface. A Panel is a graphical interface for setting the parameters of one Device. A typical setup would be to use Ableton Live in "Mixer" mode, and use Propellerhead Reason as a synthesizer. In this case Reason would provide Device/Panel pairs to Ableton, which could then send midi commands, sync timing and mix Reason's output into its own effects chains. Many applications support either mode; for instance, you could reverse this chain, making Reason control Live. In fact, an application could (at the discretion of a developer) act as both a Mixer and a Panel at the same time.

ReWire Mixers ("Sequencers/Trackers")

Ableton Live
Adobe Audition
Audiffex inTone
Logic Pro
Arturia Storm
FL Studio
Cakewalk Project5
Cakewalk Sonar
REAPER
Companion E&D Intuem RW
Cycling '74 Max/MSP
Fairlight Xynergi
GarageBand
Granted Software ReVision
Line 6 GuitarPort
Line 6 RiffTracker
MOTU Digital Performer
MU.LAB
Opcode Vision DSP
Opcode Studio Vision
Petertools Live Set
Plogue Bidule
Reason (Can only host Propellerhead ReBirth RB-338)
Renoise
PreSonus Studio One Pro
Pro Tools
Notion 3
Samplitude
Sion Software QuickScore Elite
Sonoma Wire Works RiffWorks
Sony ACID Pro
Steinberg Cubase
Steinberg Nuendo
Synapse Audio Orion Platinum
Tracktion
Zynewave Podium

ReWire Devices ("Synthesizers")

Ableton Live
ArKaos VJ
Arturia Storm
Audionaut Obsession
Bitheadz Retro AS-1
Bitheadz Unity DS-1
REAPER
Digital Salade Toki Shot
FL Studio
Cakewalk Project 5
MadTracker
Cycling '74 Max/MSP
Open Labs Riff
Plogue Bidule
Reason
ReBirth RB-338
Record
Renoise
Sibelius 6
Sony ACID Pro
Speedsoft VSampler
Tascam GigaStudio
Toontrack dfh SUPERIOR
Torq
Vocaloid
Vocaloid 2