'Frame' Plugins: Where to Find BM3, Usynth, and Pianist

Can't Find Your New Plugin? You're in the Right Place! 👋

You just installed a new UJAM instrument—perhaps a Beatmaker v3 like CHROMED or KAYA, a Usynth like STRANGER or DUST, or a Virtual Pianist like VOGUE or SCORE. You've opened your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), scanned for new plug-ins, but you can't find it anywhere in your instrument list. It’s not even installed in your system’s plug-ins! We completely understand the confusion, and we're here to clarify things for you. 🙌

The solution is simple: your new instrument lives inside a single, unified 'frame' which is a modern design for some of our newer product series that streamlines your workflow and keeps your DAW's Instruments folder tidy. This guide will explain this format, how to find your new instrument, and why this system is designed to make your music creation process faster and more creative.

What is a Frame Plug-in?

A "frame" or "container" plug-in is a single plug-in shell that acts as a host for multiple individual products, which we call "Titles."

Think of it like a photo editing app on your phone. You don't install a separate app for every single filter. Instead, you open the main photo app, and inside that single application, you can access and switch between all the different filters and tools you own. UJAM's Frame Plugins work the same way.

This architecture is a deliberate redesign aimed at creating a more integrated and powerful ecosystem for your instruments. Rather than managing dozens of separate plugins, you manage just one for an entire series, giving you access to your full collection from a single interface.

The three UJAM product series that currently use this modern frame architecture are:

• Beatmaker version 3
• Usynth
• Virtual Pianist

The "Missing Plugin" Mystery Solved: A Step-by-Step Guide

In your DAW's instrument or plugin manager, you will not find individual plugins like GLOOM, PIXEL or VOGUE. Instead, you must look for the name of the series. Here is exactly where to look for each one.

Beatmaker 3

1. In your DAW, load the single instrument plugin named exactly: 👉 Beatmaker.
2. Once the plugin interface opens, you will see a Title Browser icon on the left side. Use this to select the specific title you want to use, such as CHROMED, KAYA or VOID.

Usynth

1. In your DAW, load the single instrument plugin named exactly: 👉 Usynth.
2. Once the plugin opens, click the preset display area at the top center. This will open the Global Preset Browser.
3. Inside the browser, you can click on the icons for different Usynth titles (PIXEL, GLAM, DRIVE, etc.) to browse their presets and load the title. 

Virtual Pianist

1. In your DAW, load the single instrument plugin named exactly: 👉 Virtual Pianist.
2. Once the plugin is open, you can switch between your owned piano titles (RELIC, SCORE, VIBE, VOGUE) by clicking the title banner in the top left corner of the interface.

The "Why": Benefits of the Unified Frame System

This architectural shift was designed with several key user benefits in mind, transforming a collection of individual tools into a cohesive creative platform.

• A Cleaner Workspace: Your DAW's plugin list becomes significantly less cluttered. Instead of dozens of individual Beatmaker plugins, for example, you just have one. This makes finding the tool you need faster and easier.
• A Streamlined Workflow: Access your entire collection of Beatmakers, Usynths, or Virtual Pianists from a single interface. This allows for rapid auditioning and switching between sounds without having to unload one plugin and load another, keeping you in the creative flow.
• Powerful Cross-Title Discovery: The frame architecture enables features that are impossible with separate plugins. The "Intelligent Browser" in Beatmaker 3 is a prime example. It allows you to filter and search for kits and loops across your entire collection at once using tags like "mood" or "genre". This changes the creative process from "I need the sound of HUSTLE" to "I need a 'gritty' beat," letting the system suggest options from every relevant title you own. You can even preview sounds from titles you don't own yet.
• Future-Proof Design: This unified platform allows UJAM to add new titles and features more seamlessly. As noted by our product team, the platform is designed so that it will "continue to grow more powerful with every title a user owns," ensuring the ecosystem evolves with your needs.

Frame vs. Standalone: Understanding the UJAM Ecosystem

To avoid any future confusion, it is important to know which UJAM product lines use the Frame system and which follow the traditional "standalone" plugin model.

The difference is best illustrated by comparing Beatmaker 3 with its predecessor, Beatmaker 2. In the Beatmaker 2 series, each title like HUSTLE 2 or EDEN 2 was a completely separate plugin that appeared under its own name in the DAW. Beatmaker 3, as explained above, consolidates all titles into the single Beatmaker plugin.

Many of our other acclaimed product series, such as Virtual Drummer and Virtual Guitarist, continue to use the traditional standalone model where each instrument is its own plugin.

The following table provides a definitive, at-a-glance reference guide for the entire UJAM product catalog.

Deep Dive: Your Guide to the Frame Plugin Series

Now that you know how to find your plugins, here is a brief overview of what makes each series special, along with links to their full user guides.

Beatmaker 3

The Beatmaker 3 frame enables a host of powerful new features. Beyond the intelligent browser, it includes an advanced mixing page with per-track controls for saturation, filtering, and panning, as well as multi-out routing for professional mixing. You can also dive into the sample selection view to swap individual drum hits (kick, snare, etc.) to build your own custom kits, and use the custom keyboard layout to assign loops and phrases for real-time performance.

• For a complete guide, please see the (Beatmaker 3 User Guide).

Usynth

The core philosophy of Usynth is to place a powerful and complex synth engine under the hood while presenting a simple, musician-friendly interface on the surface. The interface is built around three main creative sections: Synthesizer, Finisher, and Sequencer. Sound shaping is made intuitive with macro knobs like Dark/Bright and Fast/Slow, while the unique "Surprise" function provides a powerful tool for instant inspiration by generating random variations of any sound.

• For a complete guide, please see the Usynth User Guide.

Virtual Pianist

The Virtual Pianist series offers two distinct modes of operation to suit any workflow. Player Mode gives you access to a built-in professional pianist, turning simple chords into beautifully voiced, realistic piano performances. Instrument Mode allows you to play the sampled piano directly, just like a standard virtual instrument. Each title features unique "Character" presets that provide distinct piano models, from soft and ambient to bright and aggressive, along with powerful built-in Finisher and Ambience multi-effects for deep sound design.

• For a complete guide, please see the Virtual Pianist User Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions & Troubleshooting

Q: Why is the UJAM App required for these new plugins?

A: Frame plugins are classified as "Type 1" products in our system, which means their authorization is handled exclusively by the UJAM App. Unlike older "Type 2" plugins that had an in-plugin activation screen, these modern plugins require the UJAM App to be running for authorization.

This is a technical necessity for the frame system to function. The frame plugin needs to communicate with a central license manager to know which Titles you own, which are in a trial period, and which are available to download. The UJAM App acts as this background "brain," constantly feeding the plugin the correct license information so it can display your collection properly.

Q: Why is my plugin interface blurred, blocked, or showing a 'Content Not Found' error?

A: This issue almost always indicates a communication problem. It happens when the plugin cannot connect to the UJAM App or cannot find its associated content files (the .blob files). To fix this:

1. Ensure the UJAM App is running in the background. If not, launch it manually.
2. Check that no firewall or antivirus software is blocking the UJAM App's connection.
3. Use the "Locate Content" feature within the UJAM App to re-link the .blob files for the specific plugin. This is especially important if you have moved the content to an external drive.

Please read - Why is my plugin screen blocked / blurred?

Q: I upgraded to Beatmaker 3. Can I still use my old Beatmaker 2 plugins?

A: Yes, absolutely! Upgrading to Beatmaker 3 provides you with new V3 licenses but does not remove your existing Beatmaker 2 licenses or plugins. Both versions can coexist on your system. This is essential for backward compatibility, ensuring that any older projects you created with a V2 plugin (e.g., HUSTLE 2) will load perfectly with that original version. For all new projects, we recommend using the unified Beatmaker plugin to take advantage of the new features.
 

Q: What if I experience GUI lag, freezes, or crashes, especially in Studio One?

A: In some cases, users may experience graphical performance issues. This can be caused by a known conflict between a DAW's GPU hardware acceleration and the OpenGL graphics library used by many modern plugins, including UJAM's. The primary solution is often to disable hardware acceleration in your DAW's preferences. For a detailed guide on this topic, please refer to our dedicated support article on - Troubleshooting GUI Lag, Freezes, or Crashes with UJAM Plugins in Studio One.

Important Articles to read 

1. UJAM Plugin Authorization Guide: Comprehensive Manual
2. Understanding the Difference: UJAM Beatmaker 2 vs. Beatmaker 3
3. Beatmaker version 3 | FAQ