Welcome to Heron

Heron is a free, open-source digital audio workstation for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It brings audio recording, MIDI arrangement, VST® 3 instruments and effects, routing, and mixing into one desktop workspace.

Experimental software

Heron is under active development and is not yet recommended for production sessions or live performances. Keep separate backups of important recordings and projects. Project compatibility may change before version 1.0.

Choose where to begin

• New to Heron? Install the application, then make your first project.
• Ready to record? Set up an input and follow the audio recording guide.
• Working with notes? Learn about MIDI clips and the piano roll.
• Building a mix? Start with the mixer and routing.
• Checking hardware or plug-in compatibility? See supported backends and plug-in formats.
• Something is silent or unstable? Work through troubleshooting.

What is available today

The current foundation includes:

• self-contained Studio .hrs and .heron archives, independent Live .hrl archives, and recovery of unsaved working copies;
• a native real-time audio engine with configurable devices and buffer sizes;
• audio and instrument tracks on a musical timeline;
• audio recording with recoverable swap files;
• Standard MIDI File import, MIDI clips, and piano-roll editing;
• mixer channels, aux buses, sends, hardware outputs, metering, mute, and solo;
• VST 3 instrument and effect discovery, hosting, and plug-in editors;
• English and Simplified Chinese interfaces, with dark, light, and system themes.

Features shown as Soon in the application are placeholders, not completed controls. Follow the public roadmap for planned work.

The welcome screen can create a Live document for root Mixer editing. You can add Audio, Instrument, Aux, and Output Channels, edit Sends and basic Mixer values, store a device/MIDI selection, save, and reopen the .hrl file. Live Perform, plug-in audition, and Capture are still under development; storing a device selection does not start audio.

Live keeps the Studio topbar and bottom statusbar. The document panel is on the left, the Mixer is on the right, and the center remains empty for future custom performance layouts. Use the Mixer channel strips to rename channels and edit their routing, Sends, pan, and gain. Open Audio & MIDI devices to edit the document's device selection. The Mixer edge supports dragging or arrow keys to resize; double-clicking it restores the default width. Use the application File menu to open, save, or close documents. Save also uses Ctrl+S on Windows/Linux or Command+S on macOS, as in Studio.

A note on this manual

The manual describes the current development version. Labels may move as the interface evolves. Each page has an Improve this page link if you find an instruction that no longer matches the application.