Troubleshooting and support

Installation and activation#

Windows warns about the installer. The installer is not code-signed, so SmartScreen warns when you download and run it. Click More info, then Run anyway.

macOS won't open Blazar Core. The app is not signed with an Apple developer certificate yet, so macOS asks once per version. Click Done, then go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway (see Install on the Mac).

My license key is refused. Blazar Core tells you why: the key may be for another product, expired, or mistyped. Copy the whole key from your receipt (it is one line), or drop the license file from your receipt onto the activation screen.

I lost my license key. Visit store.alexpfeffer.com/support.

Audio#

I hear nothing.

• Check the device in Settings > Audio and MIDI (or click Out 1 / 2 on the master strip). On Windows, choose ASIO as the device type to use your interface's ASIO driver.
• Blazar Core doesn't install hardware drivers. Install your interface's own driver first.
• Look for a soloed track somewhere: while anything is soloed, only soloed tracks reach the master. Tracks silenced by a solo show a red-tinted M key and dim a little.
• A new instrument track is silent until you load an instrument into it (see Load an instrument).
• A disabled track (its power key off) makes no sound.

I can't change the audio device. While the song plays or records, the device stays as it is. Stop first.

Playback crackles or drops out.

• Watch the audio load in the status line. It turns amber from 70% and red near 100%, where clicks start.
• Make sure Slipstream is on in Settings > Audio and MIDI.
• Try a larger buffer size in Settings > Audio and MIDI.
• Put tracks you aren't using to sleep with Cryosleep, or switch them off with their power key.

The master shows Clipping. The mix goes above full scale. Blazar Core clamps the output as a last-resort guard, but that is not a limiter: pull the faders down, or put a limiter in the master's inserts.

I hear my live input late. Recording latency and plugin latency are compensated, but live input that you monitor through a plugin with latency is still late by that plugin's latency. Bypass that plugin while you record, or monitor without it.

MIDI#

My keyboard doesn't play anything.

• Tick your MIDI input in Settings > Audio and MIDI.
• Select the instrument track you want to play. Your keyboard plays the selected instrument track, tracks with Listen on, and armed tracks while recording.
• Check the track's MIDI channel: right-click the instrument slot and choose MIDI channel. Channel 1 suits most players; As played passes each note on the channel it was played on.

Recorded MIDI is a little off the beat. That's the natural lean of live playing. Use Align to put it on the grid line you meant, or turn on Auto align to do it for every take (see Align).

A legato or slow-attack patch sounds late. Turn on Automatic delay compensation in Settings > General, or set the track delay by hand (see Track delay).

SysEx doesn't record. Blazar Core doesn't capture SysEx messages.

Plugins and Kontakt#

A plugin is missing from the list.

• Blazar Core hosts 64-bit VST3 plugins. VST2 plugins (.dll files) are not hosted, and on the Mac, Audio Units are not hosted yet.
• If a VST3 plugin is installed somewhere unusual, click Browse files... in the plugin list and choose its .vst3 file or bundle folder.

A session opens with missing plugins. Plugins not installed on this computer are reported after the rest of the session opens. If you want to keep their settings for later, don't save over the original session: use Save as... or Save new version.

The interface pauses while a plugin loads, or a plugin crashed Blazar Core. Plugins load inside Blazar Core, so loading one can pause the interface briefly, and a faulty plugin can close the app. Load only plugins you trust. If Blazar Core closed unexpectedly, it offers the newest autosave the next time it starts.

A Kontakt program is missing from the Programs tab. The tab finds your libraries through Native Instruments' own list of installed libraries. Click Folders in the tab to add other folders.

The track didn't take the program's name. Programs loaded from Kontakt's own browser can't rename the track, because Kontakt doesn't tell the host what it loaded. Drag programs from the Programs tab instead. A name you typed yourself is never replaced.

Video#

The video won't open on Windows. Blazar Core uses Windows' own decoders. They cover H.264 and HEVC in MP4 and MOV, and WMV. ProRes and DNxHD need a decoder installed for Windows. Export a reference video as H.264 if you can.

The picture window keeps moving away. That's Out of the way: it glides aside when the pointer heads onto it. Switch it off with its key under the picture or in the video lane's right-click menu (see The picture window).

Agents#

Jet says nothing runs it yet. Pick what runs Jet in the menu at the top of its panel: Claude Code, Codex or the Gemini CLI on this computer, or an API key (see Choose what runs Jet).

The Gemini CLI isn't signed in. Open a terminal, run gemini once and choose Sign in with Google. Then ask again.

Codex refuses the model. An older Codex may refuse OpenAI's current model; the panel shows its message. Update Codex with npm install -g @openai/codex@latest.

My own agent can't reach the session. Check the agents key at the bottom right. If it says Agents off, turn agent access on in its menu or in Settings > General. If it says Connect an agent, run the setup command from its menu once in a terminal (see Connect your own agent).

Saving and recovery#

Blazar Core closed unexpectedly. When it starts again, it offers the newest autosave. You can also choose Open an autosave in the menu beside Save at any time. Autosaves are in the project's Autosave folder.

I recorded before saving. Those takes are in Documents/Blazar Core/Recordings. Save the session to keep the arrangement and settings that go with them.

I moved a session and its audio is missing. A project folder keeps everything together, so move the whole folder. A session saved outside a project needs its <session name> Media folder beside it.

Known limitations#

• Only 64-bit VST3 plugins and ARA 2 plugins are hosted. On the Mac, Audio Units are not hosted yet.
• Plugins run inside Blazar Core, without a separate scanning process: a faulty plugin can close the app.
• SysEx is not recorded.
• Audio clips are loaded into memory for playback, up to 100 million samples per clip.
• Live input monitored through a plugin with latency is late by that plugin's latency.
• On Windows, ProRes and DNxHD video need a decoder installed.

Where to find the log#

Blazar Core writes a log file, aurion.log, in its data folder:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Blazar Core
• Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Blazar Core

The quickest way to find it: open Settings > Support and click Show beside The log. Settings > License shows where your settings are kept, with Show to open the folder.

Report a bug#

Found a bug, or missing something? Two ways to tell us:

• From Blazar Core: open Settings > Support. Report a bug opens a new email to alex@alexpfeffer.com in your mail program, with the version and your operating system filled in and a short outline (what you did, what you expected, what happened instead). Nothing is sent until you send it. Request a feature does the same for ideas, and Copy address copies the address.
• On the website: use the bug report form (attach aurion.log there), or request a feature.

To help us find the problem quickly, include:

• the Blazar Core version (shown in Settings > License),
• your platform: Windows or Mac, and its version,
• what you did, what you expected, and what happened instead,
• the log file, aurion.log (see above),
• if a plugin is involved, its name and version.