Blue Cat's Connector

Name: Blue Cat's Connector
Price: 46.07 USD
Author: Blue Cat Audio

by Blue Cat Audio · Utility · Audio/MIDI routing and network streaming

Not rated yet

Connector sends audio and MIDI in real time between plugin slots, between applications on one computer, or across a network.

It handles resampling and drift compensation per connection, and costs $49.

Best for: Mix Bus, Sound Design. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: utility, bus processing, drag-and-drop routing, full mix, mix bus, sound design.

What it does

Connector is Blue Cat Audio's "virtual cable for your virtual studio and beyond". Any host that loads plugins can send or receive audio and MIDI through it, inside one DAW, between applications or between computers.

Routing inside a DAW: draw virtual cables between any places that accept plugins, including feedback loops the host would not normally allow.
Between apps and computers: stream between applications on one machine, or between machines over a local network, WiFi or the Internet.
Channels: up to 32 audio channels per connection, with surround and ambisonics formats supported.
MIDI: two-way MIDI including SysEx, MIDI Timecode and MIDI Clock, with a MIDI Thru option to merge incoming and received events.
Latency control: down to 0 samples inside a single application, precise buffering control, latency compensation and reporting, and automatic re-buffering on the network.
Clocks and sample rates: different sample rates on one connection via built-in resampling, plus drift compensation when machines do not share a master clock.
Network tools: Connector Protocol V3 (which supports offline bounce, freeze and render), automatic router setup via UPnP, public IP display and network latency estimates.
Send and receive: one instance can send audio and MIDI and receive it back at the same time.

Version 1.51 (July 2026) includes a free Windows ASIO driver. The demo limits the number of instances and briefly bypasses the audio from time to time. The free Blue Cat's Freeceiver can receive its streams without a licence.

Source: Blue Cat Audio product page

When to use it

Connector is a routing tool, not a meter or analyser like Insight 2 or SPAN. Compared with Metric AB, which compares references inside one session, Connector moves live audio and MIDI between places the DAW cannot link itself, including other computers and other apps. That makes it closer to Vienna Ensemble Pro's networking role, although users on VI-Control note they have not seen direct comparisons. It is a cheap way to add feedback routing, multi-computer setups and remote monitoring to any plugin host. Latency depends on your buffer settings and network, so it needs some care for live playing.

Best for: feedback loops and custom routings inside a DAW, linking two DAWs or two computers, and streaming audio and MIDI to a remote listener.
Genres: any; it is a studio routing utility.
Look elsewhere if: you only need to pass audio between apps on one Mac; a system-level loopback driver may be simpler. For metering or reference comparison, use Insight 2 or Metric AB.

What producers say

Users on VI-Control welcomed it as a flexible routing tool, while noting latency and some host-specific limits.

VI-Control thread (2022–2024) users called it an "instant buy" for its feedback loops and cross-computer streaming, and one confirmed it working between two computers running Studio One.
Criticisms: users warn to "be mindful of latency" depending on the use case, and reported unclear or limited support with some hosts such as Reason and DaVinci Resolve, and no way to loop several tracks into one receiver in the same DAW.

VI-Control forum thread

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

Similar plugins

Blue Cat's Freeceiver by Blue Cat Audio · Network audio/MIDI receiver · Free

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