EigenD Pro - Free Open Source Live VST/AU Plugin Host By Eigenlabs

Eigenlabs has announced that their Eigend Pro open source VST/AU plugin host optimized for live performance is now available as a free download from their website.

EigenD Pro is now freely available at no charge and it provides all of the functionality needed for performance, including the networked control application Stag and all software instruments and EigenD Agents needed for a setup.

Apparently, the source code for this application has been available for quite a while, however the development team at Eigenlabs has now also released the graphic editor as a free download. This means that everyone can now install EigenD on their machine and use it as a live plugin host.

I’ve tested the application before writing this article and here are my impressions. First of all, this seems like a very capable live host and I’ll definitely dig deeper into it to see whether it will be useful as a part of my live setup. However, I couldn’t really figure out how it all works during my first half an hour test of the app. The application loads several windows and it’s a bit counter-intuitive navigating through all the stuff in search for the right tool.

Thankfully, the application is well documented. I will definitely take a look at the available instructions before taking EigenD for another spin. The documentation is available at Eigenlabs Wiki, so check that out if you’re interested in this app.

Please note that before running the application on your machine, you’ll also need to install two additional files:

EigenD Drivers (7.39 MB download size)
EigenD Runtime (24.4 MB download size)

Both files are available for download on the page linked below. After installing all the required files, you can launch the application using the link in your Start menu.

After starting the application for the first time, you’ll be prompted to choose your VST plugin folder, or even multiple folders. The program will then scan those folders and add the plugins to its database. Around half of my plugins haven’t passed the verification process, however the app remained stable and didn’t crash.

All in all, EigenD looks like it could be a good addition to one’s live setup. If it seems interesting to you, take a look at the available application and figure out if the application will fit your needs. In the meanwhile, you can find several other freeware live hosts in our VST host program round-up (thanks UserFX!).