These videos, by Mark Harris, demonstrate using the free EigenD as a ‘super-flexible’ VST host.
While EigenD was originally developed for using with the Eigenlabs Eigenharp, it’s grown into a free, open source performance platform, for all digital music instruments and controllers.
Harriss’s videos demonstrate how it can work with any MIDI controller, and in particular with interfacing with Reason 7.
The first video, above, takes a look at MIDI input, Audio, Audio Unit, CC routing & Stage. The second video, below, looks at alternative routing, VSTs as FX & MIDI clock sync
For an introduction to EigenD, see Geert Bevin’s video, below:
EigenD can be downloaded for free from the Eigenlabs site. EigenD is open source, and the source code is available on GitHub.
This looks like it has a lot of potential, but I couldn’t get FM8 to get out of an idle state.
Rob, pop over to either g+ or eigenlabs forum, and let us know more about your setup. ( os etc)
theres no reason fm8 should stay idle, assuming its recieving midi data… midi input would be the first thing to check, but easier to discuss on g+/forum etc
Looks interesting, and maybe worth a try. I fail to see what it can do that Cantabile in any of its forms can’t though. Always fun for me to get the ElektroStudio working inside Reason. Cheers!
vs Cantabile, well its free and runs on both PCs and Mac :o) seriously though, I don’t know Cantabile. so can’t compare.
EigenD is a lot more than a VST host, I will be demonstrating more features over time, things like talkers, arrangers, recorders. but we need to build up to these… rather than do a 3 hour video 🙂
Mark – thanks for making and sharing the videos. Interesting stuff!
I’m looking forward to that 3 hour video – but you might want to cut it into smaller chunks. 🙂
This could be compared to MainStage 3 (in some ways), Vienna Ensemble Pro, or Plogue Bidule.
MS3 is cheap, includes lots of AUs/VIs, and loops, and has a nice GUI (generally). But has several problematic limitations.
Would be curious to know the differences with VEP5 or Bidule. I think one big question would be whether or not it could be used as either a 64 bit bridge or 32 bit bridge. (i.e., running a host in one and routing MIDI & audio to EigenD in the other).
Oh, and if that question was already answered in the videos, go easy on me. Watching those vids is on my to-do list.
@stub – its not really like VEP5 which is very much targeted at just remoting VSTs/AUs… which it does really well – with EigenD (and other solutions you need to use midi + soundflower/jack to do this), so VEP is cool for that use case.
At the risk of over simplifying, its got features of MainStage and Bidule. e.g. EigenD Stage app can run on mac/pc/iOS and yet it has flexible routing like Bidule (but I would say ‘higher level’) and some very unique features like a belcanto (an on the fly scripting language)
One ‘huge’ difference, is that whilst EigenD has great midi handling – its not tied to midi, whilst midi is fantastic,it has its limitations, ones we sometimes forget as we are so used to working around them.
I will be doing a video on interfacing with a bunch of other devices, which is fun… and will hopefully show how we can move beyond midi.
I might also do another one which perhaps addresses the question ‘Why EigenD vs / Max/Bidule ?” as its a common question. we are not suggesting its a panacea, just its a great piece of software that relatively unknown and might be useful to some other musicians 🙂