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RAMA / macOS desktop drone instrument

RAMA

I made RAMA because I wanted a direct way to take my sketches and recordings, and turn them into endless tape-loop drones.

How it works: Load a short audio file, choose the part you want to loop, then let RAMA pass it through layers of reverb and slowdown. You can listen to the result live for as long as you like or render a separate WAV file when you want to keep it.

RAMA can be used to make source material for music, installations and sound design. It can also simply be left running as a personal ambient space: something made by you, for you, from your own sounds.

The RAMA desktop instrument open in its Day theme before audio has been loaded.
RAMA opens as one focused desktop instrument, with the main sound and render controls visible together.
localAudio processing happens on your computer. RAMA does not upload your recordings.
live or renderedLeave a drone playing, change it while you listen, or export a WAV from 30 seconds to 45 minutes.
source preservingYour original stays as it is. Recent items and .rama projects keep references, never private audio copies.

RAMA for macOS

Launch Price: AU$17.99 / one-time purchase

Perpetual individual licence for two Apple Silicon Macs, including compatible v1.x updates.


buy RAMA

How it works

01 / loadDrop in your own recording or begin with one of the 46 supplied WAV Bundled Materials.
02 / loopChoose a region on the waveform and listen to the source loop by itself.
03 / shapeSet the slowdown, final wash, reverbs, master EQ, and optional filter cuts while the drone plays.
04 / renderChoose a length and fades, click export, then reveal the separate WAV in Finder.
RAMA exporting audio in the Nautical theme, with a percentage progress bar in the render window.
The export window shows measured progress while RAMA creates the separate WAV locally.

Three ways to work

Direct controls

The main controls keep the sound-making process compact: loop, slowdown, final wash, three reverb stages, master EQ, listening Volume, and render settings. Volume changes the live, dry Audition and Latest Render playback without changing the exported WAV.

RAMA in the Day theme with an audio waveform loaded and a loop region selected.
Load a recording, then drag across the waveform or move its handles to choose the loop.

Advanced shaping

Advanced view opens the deeper reverb controls for pre-delay, diffusion, stereo width, motion, and tone. The audio keeps playing while you adjust it.

RAMA in the Nautical theme with Advanced mode open beneath its three reverb sections.
Advanced mode adds the deeper reverb controls without changing the main workflow.

Reverb randomisation

In normal mode, Randomise Reverbs changes only the visible Space, Decay and Damping controls. Turn on Advanced first when you want the same button to include every deeper reverb-shaping control. You can keep the result, adjust it by hand, or roll again.

Projects and source references

RAMA includes 46 supplied WAV Bundled Materials. Recent Materials and Recent Projects remember lightweight references to files in their existing locations; RAMA does not keep private copies of user audio. A .rama project stores either an original-file reference or a Bundled Material ID together with its settings, not the recording itself.

The originals remain in their existing folders. RAMA never moves, renames or changes them. If an original moves, RAMA asks you to locate it again. The star control is only for favourite Bundled Materials.

The File menu starts a blank New Project, opens an existing project, saves changes back to the open project, or uses Save Project As… to create an edited copy without replacing the original project.

RAMA's Projects and Materials pane showing recent materials, recent projects, and supplied Bundled Materials.
The Projects & Materials pane keeps recent references and supplied sounds in separate, scrollable sections.

What RAMA is not

RAMA is not a plug-in, DAW, mastering service, cloud library, or streaming subscription. It is a focused standalone instrument for making drones and spending time inside them.

Privacy by construction

The audio engine runs locally. The app has no advertising, analytics, cloud sync, or developer-operated audio server. The paid release uses its native Rust layer to contact Lemon Squeezy (who manage my storefront and licensing) only for an activation preflight, activation, and deliberate deactivation. A successful activation is permanent on that Mac; there is no periodic validation. Audio, filenames, and sound settings are not part of licence requests.

Read the full RAMA Privacy Policy.

Requirements

RAMA requires macOS 13 Ventura or later on an Apple Silicon Mac. Its interface can move from a wide rack to a single-column layout. Each launch starts at a Size suited to the window macOS provides, and the 75%–150% Size control remains available afterward.

Intel Macs are not supported by the current Mac edition.

Made by one person

I am a musician who makes tools I wish I had: things that help me make music, release music, or spend time with sound in a way I find enjoyable. RAMA is one part of that work.

If something is unclear or goes wrong, you can write to me at info@pcarroll.au, and I’ll do my best to help 🙂.