At NAMM 2018 Celemony has announced version 2 of the ARA (Audio Random Access) plug-in extension. The ARA interface extension has been designed to allow plug-ins and DAWs like Studio One, to communicate more comprehensively with one another and therefore work far better together. 

With ARA 2, the exchange of information between DAWs and plug-ins will be even more comprehensive, which makes additional applications possible. The new ARA 2 specification allows, among other things, the simultaneous editing of multiple tracks, the transfer of chord track information between the DAW and the plug-in, seamless clip borders that make the manual setting of crossfades superfluous, Undo interlocking with the DAW, and much else besides.

Celemony says that ARA 2 is considerably more flexible and can be integrated more easily into a multitude of DAWs as well as supported by a very wide variety of plug-ins. What features then become available depends, of course, upon the specific plug-in and DAW in each case. One pairing may only allow simple sound editing, another perhaps even automatic tempo and harmony adjustments.

Celemony is planning for a Spring release of a version of Melodyne with ARA 2 and they tell us that the beta-testing has already begun.

ARA 2 was developed in collaboration with established as well as new ARA partners. The first implementations have already been announced. Presonus, for example, is currently working on a version of Studio One featuring the new technology and also Cockos has announced ARA 2 integration for Reaper. Apple, with its Logic Pro X 10.4, has already presented at the NAMM show ARA support based on ARA 2.