Muse Research was an innovative start-up that created software-powered hardware devices that made use of Virtual Audio plugins. The company created a series of rack-mount music devices that hosted Windows-based plugins on Linux and delivered performance that was unrivaled by off-the-shelf computers at the time. The company enjoyed significant market penetration into the Professional performing artist space and was the industry standard for running virtual instruments and effects live. The company was eventually shut down by its owner in 2016 after the technology failed to find traction in the broader music market and larger retail channel who failed to embrace the product. The products are still in use by professional musicians around the world as even though the technology is considered outdated, there are currently no solutions on the market that address the needs of the musician as directly as the company's products did at the time.
