How to Filament

Everything below is written for humans, not engineers. If you can play a track, you can run a light show.

Quick Start (60 seconds)

Phone / Tablet Remote

Any phone or tablet becomes a wireless control surface - faders, mode pads, an XY performance pad, and a live EQ readout.

Both devices need internet for the initial pairing; after that they talk directly to each other. It works with the web app, the desktop app, and the DAW plugin. Controls your tier doesn't include appear greyed out on the remote.

Web vs Desktop vs Plugin

System Requirements & Devices

Filament is designed to run well on kit you already own. Here's exactly what it needs, and what different devices can do.

Host device (running the visuals)

Minimum: 4-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, integrated GPU. Set Performance to Low GPU in the Visuals tab and everything runs smooth including Worlds.

Recommended: dedicated GPU with 2 GB+ VRAM if you want the heavy Worlds scenes at full quality in fullscreen or on a projector. Any dedicated card from 2019 onward comfortably does this.

DAW plugin (AU / VST3)

Verified working:

• Logic Pro 10.7+ (Audio Unit) and GarageBand
• Ableton Live 11+, FL Studio 21+, Cubase 12+, Studio One 6+, Reaper 6+ (VST3)
• Any 64-bit AU or VST3 host that supports fullscreen editor windows

Runs on a stereo bus (master or a return); adds negligible CPU/RAM to the audio path - the visuals live in their own render window.

Controller (phone/tablet remote)

The controller is a lightweight web page - phone/tablet is exactly where it wants to run.

• iOS/iPadOS 14+ - Safari or Chrome
• Android 10+ - Chrome or Firefox
• Or a second laptop with any browser

Open remote.filamentvj.com on your phone; add to home screen (Safari › Share › Add to Home Screen) for a fullscreen native feel. Both devices need internet.

Can a phone or iPad host the visuals?

• Web MIDI is blocked on iOS - Apple's decision, no workaround. Kills the paid tier's controller mapping value on iPads.
• Background tabs get suspended. Switch to another app to check a message and the visuals freeze; sometimes the audio thread dies too.
• USB DMX and laser output aren't accessible from any mobile browser - you need the desktop app for those anyway.
• Thermal throttling. Heavy Worlds shaders cook a phone SoC in under 10 minutes; the visuals stutter and the device gets hot enough to be uncomfortable.

Use the phone/tablet as the wireless controller instead - that's what it's designed for, and it's honestly the best UX.

Not sure if it'll run?

Launch the web version on the exact device you're wondering about. If the free web app runs smooth for you, the paid tiers will too - same engine underneath.

Installing on macOS (Read Before Your First Launch)

Full transparency: Filament is an independent product and our builds aren't yet notarized with Apple - that's a $99/year program fee we're putting into the product for now, and signed builds are on the roadmap. Nothing about this changes what the software does; it only changes what macOS says the first time you open it. Every download is built by us, published by Bight, and covered by our terms & license.

What you might see

The first time you open the desktop app or run the plugin installer, macOS may show: "Filament" cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software, or "Apple could not verify...". This is Gatekeeper's standard message for any app from a developer who hasn't paid for notarization - it is not a virus detection.

Desktop app - first launch

Plugin installer (.pkg)

Using the Plugin in Your DAW

Load it

1. Insert Audio Units (or VST3) › Bight › Filament on any channel - the master bus gives you the whole mix.
2. The visuals open in the plugin window. Pick a display in the bottom bar and hit FULLSCREEN to send them to a projector.
3. Closing the plugin window does NOT stop the show - visuals and the phone remote keep running until you remove the plugin.

Automate everything (example: Logic Pro, master bus)

1. Logic hides the Stereo Out track by default. Open the Mixer (X), right-click the Stereo Out channel strip and choose Create Track - it now appears in the arrangement.
2. Press A to show automation lanes.
3. On the Stereo Out track's lane selector choose Filament and pick a parameter - Energy, Visual Mode, Bloom, any of the 27.
4. Draw your curves: mode changes on the drop, energy ramps through the build, Blitz for four bars.
5. Or perform it: set automation to Latch, hit play, and move Filament's own faders - your moves are recorded. Auto-Pilot's choices get recorded too, so you can keep its best take.

Stage Lights (DMX)

Filament drives real lighting rigs - pars, moving heads, strobes, fog - reacting to bass, beats, and everything else. Pick a template that matches your rig in the Stage tab, enable DMX, done. 13 fixture profiles and 5 ready-made scenes are built in.

• Desktop app: output is built in - Art-Net and sACN straight from the app to your network node or USB interface.
• Web + Plugin: browsers can't talk to lighting hardware directly, so run the small Filament Bridge on the same computer (one command: npm run server in the Filament folder). The app finds it automatically and the Stage tab shows "bridge: connected".

Lasers

12 audio-reactive laser patterns with an XY preview, safety zones, and scan-rate limits. Supported hardware: Helios DAC, EtherDream, LaserCube, and any ILDA-compatible projector. Use the desktop app for laser output (Pro tier and up - 6 patterns on Pro, all 12 on Studio).

MIDI Controllers

Plug in any MIDI controller and the four macros map to knobs 1-4 instantly. Pro unlocks LEARN: click LEARN, click any on-screen fader, twist a hardware knob - mapped, remembered, synced to the cloud.

Keys & Tiers

Filament is free in your browser, forever. A key unlocks the full rig - one key covers web, desktop, and plugin.

1. Buy on the pricing page - pay by card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
2. Your key (FIL-PRO-XXXX-...) appears the moment payment clears. Save it.
3. In the app, click the tier badge (top of the settings panel), paste, ACTIVATE. Features unlock instantly - no account, no password.

Your license works offline at gigs (7 days on Pro, 30 on Studio) and re-checks quietly when you're back online. Moving machines: DEACTIVATE on the old one, activate on the new.

Troubleshooting

Black screen / nothing moves

• No audio playing, or the source isn't selected - press A and pick your input. Filament dims to near-black in silence by design.

Remote won't connect

• Check both devices have internet and retype the code carefully - the code stays the same between sessions on the same machine. Refresh the controller page if it still won't join.

Lights don't respond

• Web/plugin: is the Bridge running? Desktop: check your node's IP and that the fixture addresses match the template.

Plugin doesn't appear in the DAW

• Restart the DAW after installing. Logic: Settings › Plug-in Manager › rescan. Look under manufacturer Bight.

Choppy visuals, crashes, or overheating

• Set Performance to Low GPU in the Visuals tab of the settings panel - same visuals, far lighter load. On Auto, Filament detects a struggling machine and switches itself.
• Keep Blitz pool on Classic unless you have a dedicated graphics card.
• Lower Bloom, close other GPU-hungry apps, and on laptops plug into power.