u/SynthPixels

Hello! I'm Jono, founder of Collaya. Flagging this as self-promo up front (mods, please delete if this post is inappropriate for this sub), but I built it for exactly the workflow this sub is about... your read on it would mean a lot.

Quick framing, since you all live in the hybrid world: yes, Collaya uses AI. I know that still gets a reaction in some music circles, so here's the principle I designed around: Your ideas, your sounds, your DAW.

Collaya is an AU/VST plugin which is intended to be your co-producer: it works alongside you to get your best material across the finish line. It doesn't generate songs by scraping or cloning other artists, and your audio and MIDI are never sent to the model. It sees lightweight context about your session (key, tempo, a few note tuples if you turn on Follow Mode) and nothing more. You're always the one driving.

At a high-level, here's what Collaya does:

• A chat co-producer that knows your session in real time: tempo, key, your software and hardware setup, and, if you're using Ableton, Collaya sees your full track layout and device chains. Feedback that's specific to what's in front of you (music theory, compositional help, production help, using DAW/plugin features, etc), not generic.
• CollayaClips: describe a part in plain language and get MIDI clips you can drag straight into your DAW. You shape it. It's not a locked stem.
• Follow Mode: it passively 'hears' what you're playing, so you can ask "what chord comes next" or "transpose this to G minor" with your actual notes in context.
• Listener: a lightweight plugin that you can drop on any channel for real-time mix feedback as you work.

To be clear on where it's at: this is a shipping product, not an early prototype. It runs natively as an AU/VST3 plugin and a standalone app, with a real sound catalog, sample playback, and cloud sync across your machines. macOS on Apple Silicon only for now, which is the one limit I'll own up front.

I'm a solo founder with a few part-time collaborators, and that's exactly why I want this group's ears on it. You're running the hybrid loop every day. If something feels off or gets in your way, that's the feedback that actually moves the product forward.

There's a permanent free tier and a 14-day trial, no card required: collaya.com

Since this community is small and early, DM me and I'll send you a code which extends the free 2 weeks to a free month, no catch. I'd rather have real producers in here using it and telling me where it falls short.

And regardless of whether you try it: where does generative tooling still trip you up in a hybrid workflow? That's the problem space I care most about.

Cheers!

Hilarious timing, as I’m on a road trip today and not able to use adaptive cruise control or precondition the battery (GPS thinks I’m on another planet). Assuming the fix for this is the 12v battery disconnect? I don’t have a 16mm socket on me so I guess I’m SOL? Anything else I should try?