Magic Audio FX Editor

User Manual — v1.1 — © 2026 FruityAlfred Software

Table of Contents

  1. Getting Started
  2. Audio File Management
  3. Waveform Display & Scrubbing
  4. VST3 Plugin Chain
  5. Audio Playback
  6. Batch Export & Processing
  7. Quality Control (QC) Panel
  8. Auto Gain Fix
  9. Themes & UI
  10. Licensing & Trial
  11. Updates
  12. Troubleshooting

1. Getting Started

Installation

Run MagicAudioFXEditor-Setup.exe and follow the installer. The application will be installed to C:\Program Files\FruityAlfred Software\MagicAudioFXEditor.

First Launch & Activation

On first launch, the Activate License dialog appears. Enter your Purchase Email and License Key (received via email after purchase). An internet connection is required for first activation.

Once activated, the license is stored locally. No internet connection is needed for subsequent launches.

Trial Version

To try the software before purchasing, use the trial license key MAFE-TRIAL-0000-0000 with your email address. The trial version includes all features with minor export limitations (see Batch Export for details).

You can upgrade to the full version at any time via Help → Purchase Full License without reinstalling.

2. Audio File Management

Loading Audio Files

Click Load Audio Files to open a file dialog. You can select multiple files at once. Supported formats:

All audio is automatically resampled to 44.1 kHz stereo on load if the source sample rate differs. Mono files are converted to stereo.

Track List

Loaded files appear in the audio track list. Each track has a checkbox for selecting it for batch processing. Use Select All to toggle all checkboxes at once.

Bypass Analysis

Enable the Bypass Analysis checkbox before loading files to skip the QC analysis. This speeds up import when you don't need quality metrics immediately.

Removing Tracks

Select a track and click Remove to remove it from the list. This does not delete the file from disk.

3. Waveform Display & Scrubbing

When you select a track in the list, its waveform is displayed below the track list.

Navigation

Display

The waveform shows the full audio file with a red playhead indicating the current playback position. The played region is shown with a darker overlay. Current time and total duration are displayed at the bottom.

The playhead updates at 30 fps during playback for smooth visual feedback.

4. VST3 Plugin Chain

Loading Plugins

Click Load VST3 Plugin and browse for a .vst3 file. The plugin is added to the chain and shared across all loaded audio files.

Plugin Chain Order

Audio flows through plugins top-to-bottom in the plugin list. Drag and drop plugins to reorder them. This affects both live playback and batch export.

Plugin Editor

Select a plugin and click Open Plugin Editor to open its native GUI. Your favorite VST3 effects (EQ, Compressor, Limiter, etc.) work just like in your DAW.

Bypass

Each plugin has a checkbox in the plugin list. Uncheck to bypass a plugin — it stays loaded but is skipped during processing.

Save & Load Configuration

Use Save Configuration to export your entire plugin chain (paths + bypass states) as a JSON file. Load Configuration restores a saved chain. If a plugin file has moved, you'll be prompted to locate it.

Save your go-to mastering chain as a configuration file. Load it in one click for every new session.
Only 64-bit VST3 plugins are supported. VST2 and 32-bit plugins will not load.

5. Audio Playback

Select a track and click Play Selected to start real-time playback through the active plugin chain.

Controls

ButtonAction
Play SelectedStart playback of the selected track through the plugin chain
StopStop playback

Only one track can play at a time. Starting a new track automatically stops the previous one. The status label at the bottom shows which track is currently playing.

Real-Time Processing

During playback, audio is processed through all active (non-bypassed) plugins in real-time at 44.1 kHz with a block size of 1024 samples. Adjust plugin parameters live and hear the changes immediately.

6. Batch Export & Processing

This is the core feature of Magic Audio FX Editor — process your entire library through a VST3 chain in one go.

How to Export

  1. Load your audio files and check the ones you want to process
  2. Build your VST3 plugin chain (e.g. EQ → Compressor → Limiter)
  3. Click Process Selected
  4. Select an output directory
  5. Wait for the progress bar to complete

Output Format

PropertyValue
FormatWAV (32-bit float)
Sample Rate44.1 kHz
ChannelsStereo
Naming(Processed)filename.wav
Duplicate Handling(Processed001)filename.wav, (Processed002)...

Offline Rendering

Batch export uses dedicated offline plugin instances, completely isolated from the live playback state. This ensures consistent results regardless of what you're doing in the UI during export.

Trial Export Limitations

The trial version applies the following limitations to exported audio:

Original DurationLimitation
Up to 30 secondsShort silence drops (100 ms) are inserted every 3 seconds
Over 30 secondsExport is truncated at 60 seconds

Purchase a full license to remove all export limitations.

7. Quality Control (QC) Panel

When you select a track, the QC panel displays five key audio metrics with traffic-light indicators (green / yellow / red).

Metrics

MetricGreenYellowRed
True Peak (dBTP)≤ −1.0−1.0 to 0.0> 0.0 (clipping)
LUFS (Loudness)−24 to −6Outside range
Crest Factor≥ 8 dB6–8 dB< 6 dB (over-compressed)
Stereo Correlation≥ 0.00.0 to −0.2< −0.2 (phase issues)
ClippingCleanNear-clipping detectedHard clipping detected

Overall Score

A single status indicator summarizes all five metrics: green if all pass, yellow if any are yellow, red if any are red.

Technical Details

Enable Bypass Analysis when loading large batches to skip QC and speed up import. You can always re-analyze by re-selecting the track.

8. Auto Gain Fix

The Fix Gain button appears in the QC panel when a track's True Peak is between −3.0 and 0.0 dBTP and no hard clipping is detected.

What It Does

Applies a precise gain adjustment to bring the True Peak down to −6.0 dBTP. This gives your mastering chain enough headroom to work with.

How It Works

  1. A confirmation dialog shows the calculated gain amount (e.g. −4.2 dB)
  2. On confirmation, all audio samples are multiplied by the gain factor
  3. The file is overwritten on disk
  4. QC metrics are re-analyzed automatically
This modifies the original audio file on disk and cannot be undone. Make a backup of your files before using this feature.

9. Themes & UI

Switch between themes via View → Light Mode or View → Dark Mode.

ThemeBackgroundBest For
Dark Mode (default)Dark grayExtended sessions, low-light environments
Light ModeWhiteBright environments, high contrast

Window Layout

The main window is organized top-to-bottom:

  1. Audio controls (Load, Play, Stop, Process, etc.)
  2. Audio track list with checkboxes
  3. Waveform display with scrubbing
  4. QC panel with traffic-light indicators
  5. Plugin controls (Load, Remove, Open/Close Editor)
  6. Plugin chain list with drag-drop reordering
  7. Save/Load configuration buttons
  8. Progress bar (visible during batch export)
  9. Status label

10. Licensing & Trial

Full License

After purchasing, you receive a license key via email. Enter it along with your purchase email on first launch. The license is tied to your machine and allows up to 2 activations (e.g. desktop + laptop).

Trial License

Use the key MAFE-TRIAL-0000-0000 with your email address to activate the trial. Trial differences:

Upgrading from Trial

Purchase a full license from fruityalfred-software.de. Download and install the full version — the installer automatically clears the trial license. On first launch, enter your purchased license key and email to activate.

In trial mode, use Help → Purchase Full License to go directly to the shop.

11. Updates

Magic Audio FX Editor checks for updates automatically on startup (full license only). You can also check manually via Help → Check for Updates.

Update Process

  1. The app notifies you of an available update
  2. Click Download and install
  3. The app closes and the updater applies changes
  4. The app restarts with the new version

Updates are delivered as small delta packages instead of full installers, making the download fast.

Critical updates may require you to update before continuing to use the application. Trial users cannot receive updates.

12. Troubleshooting

VST3 plugin does not load

Make sure the plugin is a 64-bit VST3 format. 32-bit plugins and VST2 are not supported. Some plugins may require their own installer to be run first.

License activation fails

An internet connection is required for the first activation of a full license. Trial activation works offline. If the problem persists, contact [email protected].

No sound during playback

Check that your audio output device is correctly configured in Windows. Magic Audio FX Editor uses the system default audio device. Make sure no other application is exclusively locking the audio device.

Export is slow

Export speed depends on the number and complexity of your VST3 plugins. Heavy plugins (e.g. Ozone, FabFilter Pro-L) require more processing time per block. There is no GPU acceleration for VST3 processing.

QC panel shows no data

Make sure Bypass Analysis is unchecked. If it was checked when loading the file, re-select the track to trigger analysis. If ffmpeg is not found, LUFS measurement will use a fallback method.

Application crashes on startup

Check the log file at %LOCALAPPDATA%\FruityAlfred Software\MagicAudioFXEditor\logs\ for error details. Common causes: corrupted license file (delete license.json and re-activate) or missing Visual C++ Runtime.

Need help?

Contact us at [email protected] with a description of your issue and the log file.


© 2026 FruityAlfred Software · Nürnberg, Germany
[email protected]