Acid-line generators are a crowded corner of generative music software, but developer Iftah (formerly of the duo Skinnerbox) built one of the more respected ones almost by accident of platform: Sting started life as a Max for Live device, which meant it was only ever one Ableton Live purchase away from anyone who wanted it, and only ever that. This week, that limitation goes away — Sting is now a standalone plugin.
Same engine, any host
The new release ships as VST3, AU, and CLAP builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux, meaning Sting now runs in Bitwig, Reaper, Studio One, Cubase, or any other host that supports those formats — not just Ableton. Iftah describes the tool’s philosophy as “expressive, algorithmic, improvisational”: rather than leaning on pure randomness, Sting is built to be steered in real time, generating acid basslines, melodic runs, and percussion patterns that respond to hands-on control rather than just spitting out unattended sequences.
What’s new in the standalone build
The jump to a standalone plugin brought real feature additions, not just a platform port. Sting can now import MIDI files directly, giving it existing material to riff on rather than starting from nothing. A new counterpoint mode generates two independent melodic lines alongside chords and a bass part simultaneously — a meaningfully harder generative problem than a single acid line, and one that pushes Sting closer to being a compositional tool rather than just a performance toy. Hardware integration extends to Novation Launchpad and monome grid controllers, letting the plugin’s parameter space be played physically rather than clicked through.
The accessibility work is the sleeper feature
What stands out in the release notes isn’t just what Sting generates — it’s who can use it. The plugin ships with 15 color themes, including colorblindness-friendly options, full screen-reader compatibility (VoiceOver, NVDA, and OSARA), and documentation written with that audience specifically in mind. That level of accessibility investment is rare in a plugin this size, let alone one built by a solo, formerly-Max-for-Live-only developer.
Getting it
Sting is a paid plugin at €35 + VAT, but Iftah is also running a live-updating free-download counter that allows up to seven free downloads per day across all three supported platforms.
Related Reading
- Eminently controllable, accessible by design, Sting is now a plug-in — CDM Create Digital Music
- Sting — Expressive Algorithmic Acid Line Performance Plug-in — if-tah.com
- STING VST/AU/CLAP — A Really Nice Acid Line Performance And Composition System — Iftah (YouTube)
- Iftah Sting 2: the brilliant, inspiring M4L acid line generator is now a plugin — SYNTH ANATOMY