Sessions Press Kit.

Press Release.

February 6th 2025, Inverurie, Scotland

Open Planet Software are delighted to announce that version 2.0 of their popular plug-in host, Sessions, is now available.

What is Sessions?

Sessions is a performance-oriented plug-in host that puts all your virtual instruments and effects at your fingertips. With powerful features and a streamlined workflow it gives musicians the freedom to explore, create, play and perform without a DAW.

Refreshingly straightforward, Sessions is designed to keep you ‘in the moment’ however you make music. Thanks to the fluid drag-and-drop interface and innovations like the Always-On Recorder, producers, songwriters and sound designers can quickly experiment with new ideas and jump-start the creative process. For live players, Sessions has everything you need for an impromptu jam or a professional stage performance including MIDI layers and splits, flexible audio mixing, seamless sound switching, MIDI control, Ableton Link and so much more.

What’s the headline feature of version 2.0?

Version 2.0 integrates plug-ins deeply into the app experience, blurring the boundary between host and plug-in.

The elegant single-window design displays a plug-in’s own UI in the main Sessions window alongside the Mixer and Library. Having everything in one place clears up clutter, reduces friction and puts those gorgeous and inspiring plug-in interfaces front-and-centre where they belong.

Flexible options let you decide how plug-in views share the screen with the Mixer: auto-sized, fixed 50/50 or full width. And if you prefer a traditional plug-in experience with multiple floating windows, there’s an option for that too.

I’ve not heard of Sessions, tell me more about it.

Audio Mixer: The Mixer sits at the heart of Sessions and is where the virtual world of plug-ins meet the real world of keyboards, guitars, microphones and MIDI controllers. 

The intuitive, drag-and-drop interface is deceptively simple; under the hood lies an incredibly flexible and powerful live audio mixer that scales from simple plug-in chains to multi-layered keyboard patches all the way to mixing an entire live band complete with pre/post-fader sends, auxiliary channels and multiple outputs.

Plug-in Widgets: Instrument and effect plug-ins are represented in the Mixer by Widgets - beautifully simple mini-panels that contain a plug-in’s most important controls. They’re completely customizable, letting you add knobs, sliders and switches that can be mapped to any parameter. An extensive collection of stunning themes is included, many inspired by the vintage hardware of yesteryear. Your mix will look as good as it sounds. Widgets offer immediate hands-on control of parameters across many plug-ins in a very compact space.

Scenes, Performances and Patches: Sessions contains twelve Scenes that are easily identified by selectable icons and bold colors. Each Scene has its own Mixer meaning you have access to twelve totally independent combinations of instruments and effects. Switching Scenes is instantaneous and seamless, allowing notes to be held and effect tails to decay naturally over time - an essential tool for smooth sound transitions when performing.

Save the content of all twelve Scenes as a Performance that can be recalled time and time again. Performances are ideal for quickly loading sounds during a live set or as templates for new projects. 

You can also save any individual plug-in chain or Scene to the Patch Library. Build up a personal collection of favorite Patches, making it quick and easy to play the sounds you love.

Macro Controls:  At the bottom of a Scene is the Big Knob and sixteen Macro Controls. These can be configured to adjust multiple parameters - all with individual and independent scales and ranges - offering limitless potential for realtime control. Switch Scenes and adjust Macros using MIDI for complete hands-on control without touching your computer.

Always-On Recorder: It’s happened to us all - we play something amazing and think "I wish I had recorded that”. Never again! The Always-On Recorder continuously records what you’ve been playing for up to 15 minutes, without filling up your disk. As well as capturing happy accidents, the Always-On Recorder is useful for reviewing progress during practice and gives songwriters and sound designers confidence that a spark of inspiration will never be lost.

Sync and Ableton Link: The Beat Clock keeps your plug-ins in sync. Play in time with other apps and devices using Ableton Link or an external MIDI clock. There’s even a metronome for keeping you on the beat while you practice.

Price and Availability

Sessions is available on the Mac App Store and costs $29.99.

Version 2.0 is a free update for existing users.

A free trial is available on the Sessions website.

Links

Sessions

https://www.openplanetsoftware.com/sessions

Open Planet Software

https://www.openplanetsoftware.com

Press Contact

Karen MacLean

karen@openplanetsoftware.com

Developer Quote

Gordon Murrison, developer of Sessions said “I love the quality and diversity of sounds I can get from my plug-in collection but there are so many times when I’d rather not have to fire up my DAW to use them - both in the studio and on the stage. DAWs are amazing but the ‘full power and complexity of a studio’ is not always what we need. Sometimes, less is more, so I wanted to create an environment with fewer distractions to help me stay ‘in the moment’.  I’ve been using Sessions every day for piano and guitar practice and it’s become my go-to app when working on new sound design and songwriting ideas - it’s so easy and inspiring to drag-and-drop wild plug-in combinations, and the Always-On Recorder means I never miss a happy accident.“