What Is DAUx?

DAUx, short for DirectAudio Exclusive, is a new audio and plugin system being developed by Futureboard for its long-term platform direction.

The goal of DAUx is to improve the audio experience on Windows while also introducing a more flexible plugin system that can work across multiple platforms. It is designed as part of Futureboard’s broader effort to build an open, modern, and extensible audio platform.

DAUx is divided into three main parts: DirectAudio Driver, DirectAudioEngine, and DirectAudioPlugin.

DirectAudio Driver / DirectAudioEngine

DirectAudio Driver and DirectAudioEngine are the Windows-focused audio system and driver layer of DAUx.

They are designed to reduce latency, improve stability, and give Futureboard more control over audio routing and device handling on Windows. One of the long-term goals is to support aggregate device workflows, allowing multiple audio devices to be managed together more flexibly.

In the early stages, Futureboard on Windows will continue to use WASAPI as the main audio backend. DAUx will be developed and tested alongside it until the system is ready for broader use.

The priority is stability first: reliable playback, predictable device behavior, and a strong foundation for future low-latency audio work.

DirectAudioPlugin

DirectAudioPlugin is a new plugin protocol designed to make plugin installation and project portability simpler.

The core idea is that plugins do not always need to be installed globally on the user’s system. Instead, a plugin can be tied directly to a specific project. Futureboard can read the plugin information from a package.json file and load the plugin from within that project when needed.

This approach is designed to solve several common problems in music production and plugin development, including project portability, dependency management, plugin compatibility, and cross-platform workflows.

DirectAudioPlugin is also designed to avoid being tightly locked to a single operating system. The long-term goal is to make it easier for plugins to work across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

DirectAudio Exclusive SDK

The DirectAudio Exclusive SDK will be available for developers under the MIT and Apache 2.0 licenses.

The purpose of the SDK is to allow developers to build plugins, audio backends, integration layers, and tools that can work with the DAUx ecosystem. Developers will be able to use the SDK in their own applications, build their own plugins, or experiment with audio systems that integrate with Futureboard.

The source code for the DirectAudio Exclusive SDK is planned to be released to developers in August 2026. The initial release will not include the audio driver source code.

Supported Platforms

Windows:

- DirectAudioEngine

- DirectAudio Driver

- DirectAudioPlugin

macOS:

- DirectAudioPlugin

Linux:

- DirectAudioPlugin

Summary

DAUx is Futureboard’s long-term effort to build a more open, flexible, and cross-platform audio and plugin system.

On Windows, the long-term goal is to provide a low-latency, stable, and more controllable audio system.

For plugins, the goal is to make plugin management easier, improve project portability, and reduce the need to rely entirely on traditional system-wide plugin installation.