Bacara is a MIDI sequence and pattern generator. It generates melodic patterns inspired by classic acid synthesizer sequences and musical traditions, then gives you deep control to shape those patterns in real-time through deviation lanes, Euclidean rhythms, macros, and musical scales.

Bacara does not produce audio by itself. It generates MIDI note and control data that you route to your synthesizers, whether they are software plugins in your DAW or external hardware instruments.

Key features:

• Melodic pattern generation inspired by acid, classical, and world music traditions
• 18 deviation lanes with Euclidean rhythm control
• 8 automation lanes (CC, high-res CC, NRPN, Program Change, Aftertouch, Pitchbend)
• 16 DAW-automatable macro knobs
• 38 musical scales with root key control
• 12 pattern variants (A–L) per preset
• Dual-device output with channel distribution
• MIDI drag and drop
• 48+ factory presets

Supported formats: VST3, Audio Units (macOS), CLAP, Standalone application

macOS

Run the provided .pkg installer. It will install the plugin in the standard system-level locations:

• VST3: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/Bacara.vst3
• AU: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/Bacara.component
• CLAP: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/CLAP/Bacara.clap
• Standalone: /Applications/Bacara.app
• Presets: /Library/Audio/Presets/Bonboa/Bacara/

Bacara is a Universal Binary and runs natively on both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel Macs. Requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later.

Windows

Run the provided .msi installer. It will install:

• VST3: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\

Requires Windows 10 or later (64-bit).

After Installation

Launch your DAW and scan for new plugins. Bacara will appear as a MIDI effect (not an audio effect). Load it on a MIDI/instrument track that routes to a synthesizer.

1. Load Bacara on a MIDI or instrument track in your DAW
2. Route the output to a synthesizer (software or hardware)
3. Press the dice icon in the toolbar to generate your first pattern
4. Press play in your DAW — you should hear the pattern playing through your synthesizer
5. Experiment with deviation lanes, scales, and macros to shape the pattern

Bacara's interface is organized in horizontal layers from top to bottom:

Each section can be shown or hidden using keyboard shortcuts or the menu.

Bacara's main interface showing the deviation lanes, step sequencer, and keyboard.

Top Toolbar

Contains (left to right): Logo, Copy/Paste Preset, Paste Pattern, New Preset, Previous/Preset List/Next, Save/Delete Preset, Undo/Redo, BPM/Play/Stop (Standalone only), Menu (smiley icon).

Bottom Toolbar

Contains (left to right): Variant (A–L), Root Key, Transpose, Speed (1/1 through 1/64), Scale Mode (38 scales), Scale Key (C through B), Training, Steps (1–64), Temperature (1.0–5.0), Generate (dice), Pattern Target/List/Favorites, MIDI Drag.

The core of Bacara is its pattern generator. It creates melodic sequences inspired by acid synthesizer presets and musical traditions.

How to Generate

• Click the dice icon in the bottom toolbar
• Or press ⌘+G (macOS) / Ctrl+G (Windows)

Generator controls: Training set, Steps, Temperature, and Generate (dice) button.

Generator Settings

• Temperature (1.0–5.0) — Controls randomness. Lower = more conventional, higher = more experimental. Default: 1.0
• Steps (1–64) — Number of steps in the generated pattern. Default: 16
• Training — Selects the musical style:

Pattern History

Every pattern you generate is automatically stored. Browse previously generated patterns, mark them as favorites (star icon or ⌘+F), and clean up non-favorites from the menu.

The central area of Bacara displays the step sequencer grid.

• Horizontal axis: Steps (1 to 64)
• Vertical axis: Notes (12 visible note lanes)
• Colored LEDs: Active notes at each step

The step sequencer in notes view showing note blocks in a piano-roll layout.

Editing Notes

• Click on a cell to add or remove a note
• Drag notes to move them
• Double-click for detailed note editing

Pattern Length

• Patterns can be 1 to 64 steps long
• Press ⌘+] / Ctrl+] to double the pattern length
• Press ⌘+[ / Ctrl+[ to halve the pattern length

Note Parameters (Left Panel)

• Note Length (0–100, default: 50) — Controls gate time. Higher values produce longer, more legato notes
• Note Velocity (0–100, default: 80) — Controls how hard each note is played. Accented steps add Accent Velocity on top
• Pattern Zoom (-100 to +100) — Zooms the visual display of the step grid

Deviation lanes are the heart of Bacara's creative power. They modify specific aspects of the MIDI output using Euclidean rhythms, creating evolving, non-repeating musical variations over time.

The deviation lanes showing Mute, Device, Accent, Slide, Ratchet, Length, Octave, and Pattern.

There are 8 main deviation lanes:

Deviation Lane Parameters

Each lane has six parameters:

• Pages (1–16) — Number of deviation pages before the pattern repeats
• Repeats (1–16) — How many times the current page repeats before advancing
• Impact (0–15) — Bitmask marking which sections the deviation applies to
• Threshold (-100 to +100) — Level at which the deviation activates
• Pulses (0–100) — Number of active pulses in the Euclidean rhythm
• Rotation (-100 to +100) — Rotates the deviation pattern

How Euclidean Rhythms Work

Bacara uses the Bresenham algorithm to distribute pulses as evenly as possible across steps. By varying pulses, rotation, pages, and threshold, you create rhythmic patterns that evolve naturally over time.

Editing Deviations

• Click deviation LEDs to toggle them manually
• Drag across LEDs to paint deviations on or off
• Press ⌘+R / Ctrl+R to re-seed the focused deviation lane

In addition to the 8 main deviation lanes, Bacara has 8 automation lanes for outputting MIDI control data:

Automation lanes showing per-step automation blocks with note labels and routing controls.

MIDI Device Database

Bacara includes a built-in database of 60+ manufacturers and 170+ synthesizer devices with their MIDI parameter definitions, making it easy to find the correct CC numbers and NRPN addresses for your specific hardware or software.

Each automation lane shares the same Euclidean parameters as the main deviation lanes. Toggle the automation view with ⌘+A / Ctrl+A.

Bacara provides 16 macro knobs (Macro A through Macro P) for real-time performance control. Each macro is a bipolar control ranging from -1.0 to +1.0.

The macro panel showing a row of rotary knobs for real-time parameter control.

What Macros Do

Each macro can be mapped to a deviation lane parameter (threshold, pulses, rotation, etc.), and multiple macros can target the same parameter. Ideal for:

• Live performance — sweep a single macro to evolve your pattern
• DAW automation — automate macros for recorded parameter changes
• Hardware control — map MIDI CC from a physical controller to macros

Macro Settings

• Global macros — Macro mappings shared across all presets in an instance
• Per-preset ranges — Each preset can define min/max bounds for macro effect

Toggle the macro panel with ⌘+M / Ctrl+M or resize by dragging the divider.

Bacara can quantize generated patterns to musical scales, ensuring notes always sound harmonically correct.

Scale Mode

Choose from 38 scales including: Chromatic, Major, Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Pentatonic (major & minor), Blues, Whole Tone, Diminished, Hirajoshi, Insen, Iwato, Kumoi, Pelog, Bhairav, Hungarian Minor, 8-Tone Spanish, Messiaen modes (3–7), and Custom / External Chords.

Scale Key

Set the root note: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B

Root Key & Transposition

• Root Key (C through B, or None) — Sets the base key for the pattern
• Transposition (-24 to +36 semitones) — Shifts the entire pattern up or down

Custom / External Chords

When set to “Custom / External Chords”, Bacara uses incoming MIDI notes to define the active scale. Send a sustain pedal message to reset back to Chromatic.

Each Bacara preset can hold 12 pattern variants, labeled A through L. Variants let you store different configurations within the same preset for quick switching during performance.

The variant panel (A–L) on the right side of the interface.

• Click a variant button (A–L) in the right panel to switch
• Each variant remembers its own pattern data and deviation settings
• Mark variants as favorites for quick identification

Presets

Presets store the complete state of Bacara, including all parameters, macro mappings, and variant data. Preset files use the .bcr extension.

• Factory presets — 48+ included presets to get you started
• User presets — Save your own from the top toolbar
• Copy/Paste — Copy the current preset to the clipboard and paste into another instance
• Undo/Redo — Up to 32 levels of undo history

Preset Locations

Patterns

Patterns are the raw melodic sequences generated by Bacara. They are stored automatically and can be browsed from the bottom toolbar. Mark favorites with the star icon, and clean up non-favorites via the smiley menu.

Bacara can split its MIDI output between two devices (Device A and Device B), letting you drive two synthesizers from a single pattern.

Device output controls: split note, channel assignment, and distribution mode.

Device Split

The Device Split slider (0–127) determines how notes are distributed between Device A and Device B. At 127 (default), all notes go to Device A. Lower values send more notes to Device B.

Channel Assignment

• Device A Channel (default: 1)
• Device B Channel (default: 2)

Channel Distribution

• Round Robin — Cycles through available channels in order
• Random — Randomly selects a channel for each note

Note: Slide deviations require single-channel output. When using channel distribution, slide behavior may not work as expected.

Access settings from the smiley icon in the top toolbar.

The Settings dialog.

Instance Settings (per plugin instance)

• Input Mode — How incoming MIDI notes interact with the pattern:
  • None — Pattern generates independently
  • Transpose (default) — Incoming notes transpose the pattern
  • Add Start — Incoming notes are added at the beginning
  • Add End — Incoming notes are added at the end
• Output Mode:
  • Always (default) — Pattern plays continuously
  • Only when input notes are active — Pattern only plays when you hold notes
• Input Channel — Which MIDI channel to listen on (default: 1)
• Accent Velocity — Velocity boost added when a step is accented (default: 100)

Global Settings

• Global Macros — When enabled, macro mappings are shared across all presets
• Global Settings — When enabled, certain settings are shared across instances

Registration

Bacara can be used in demo mode or registered with a serial key for full functionality. Enter your registration details from the menu.

MIDI Note Ranges

Bacara responds to specific MIDI note ranges for special functions:

MIDI CC Control

You can drag MIDI patterns directly from Bacara into your DAW:

1. Click and hold the MIDI drag icon in the bottom toolbar
2. Drag it onto a MIDI track or clip slot in your DAW
3. Release to create a new MIDI clip containing the current Bacara pattern

This converts the Bacara pattern into a standard MIDI clip that you can further edit in your DAW.

Bacara is also available as a standalone application (not requiring a DAW).

The virtual MIDI keyboard.

Transport Controls

Play/Stop buttons in the top toolbar, plus BPM display and control.

Sync Options

• Ableton Link — Sync tempo and transport with other Link-enabled applications on your network
• MIDI Clock — Send or receive MIDI clock for synchronization with hardware

Virtual MIDI (macOS)

The standalone app creates a virtual MIDI port named “Bacara” that other applications can receive MIDI from. Configure in settings:

• None — No virtual MIDI port
• Single — One virtual MIDI port
• Multiple — Multiple virtual MIDI ports

Use ⌘ on macOS or Ctrl on Windows as the modifier key.

Editing

Pattern & Generation

View Toggles

Navigation

Standalone Only

Plugin not appearing in DAW

• Ensure you've rescanned plugins in your DAW after installation
• Bacara is a MIDI effect, not an audio effect. Some DAWs list these separately
• On macOS, check that the plugin is not blocked by Gatekeeper (System Settings > Privacy & Security)

No sound

• Bacara outputs MIDI, not audio. Make sure you have a synthesizer receiving Bacara's MIDI output
• Check that the MIDI output channel matches what your synthesizer expects
• Verify your DAW's transport is playing (Bacara syncs to DAW playback)
• If Output Mode is set to “Only when input notes are active”, make sure you're holding a note

Slides not working

Slide deviations require single-channel MIDI output. If you're using channel distribution (Round Robin or Random), slides will not function correctly. Set your device to a single channel.

Support

Website: bonboa.com  |  Contact: [email protected]