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.

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

How to Filament

Q: Plugin still not showing in your DAW?

Two things catch people out after a successful install: The DAW was open during install. Logic, Ableton and friends scan plugins at launch. Quit the DAW fully and reopen it. Look under the manufacturer, not the name. Filament appears under Bight , not under F. In Logic specifically, if the plugin is greyed out or missing, open Terminal and run auval -v aufx Flmt Bght - it prints exactly why Logic rejected it.

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

Quick Start Phone Remote Web vs Desktop vs Plugin System Requirements Problems Installing? (Mac) DAW & Automation Stage Lights (DMX) Lasers MIDI Controllers Deck Link (beta) Keys & Tiers Troubleshooting

Quick Start (60 seconds)

1 - GET AUDIO INDrag any audio file onto the screen, or press A to use a mic or line-in. In the DAW plugin, your track's audio feeds the visuals automatically.

2 - PICK A LOOKOpen the settings panel with the ≡ button (top-right) or H. Choose from 48 visual modes in the Scene grid.

3 - LET IT RUNPress P for Auto-Pilot - Filament switches looks on its own, in time with the music. All 48 modes morph into each other through vortex transitions; Worlds scenes (Pro/Studio) add terrain flights, elemental spheres, and seven tunnel styles.

Phone / Tablet Remote

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

1 - FIND YOUR ROOM CODEOpen the settings panel. The 6-letter code sits in the Remote row at the top of the Perform tab.

2 - OPEN THE CONTROLLEROn the phone, go to remote.filamentvj.com. Add it to your home screen for a fullscreen feel.

3 - JOINType the code, tap Connect. The Remote row shows "1 connected" - you're live.

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

	Web	Desktop	Plugin (AU/VST3)
Install	None - just a browser	Download + drag to Applications	Copy 2 files, restart DAW
Audio source	Files or microphone	Files, mic, or interface	Your DAW track - sample-accurate
Stage lights	Via Filament Bridge	Built in - direct output	Via Filament Bridge
Fullscreen out	F key	Any display, menu bar hidden	Any display, menu bar hidden
Tempo	Beat detection	Beat detection	Locked to your project's BPM
Automation	-	-	27 parameters, full lanes

Plugin keyboards: inside a DAW, letter keys belong to the DAW (H hides tracks in Logic, A opens automation). Use the ≡ button to open Filament's panel. In fullscreen, press X or click EXIT FULLSCREEN to come back.

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)

Platform	Version	Notes
macOS	11 Big Sur or newer	Intel or Apple Silicon (native builds for both)
Windows	10 / 11, 64-bit	NSIS installer with click-through license
Linux	Ubuntu 20.04+ or any glibc 2.28+	AppImage - no install, just chmod +x and run
Browser	Chrome, Firefox, Edge (latest)	Web MIDI needs Chrome or Edge; Safari runs the visuals fine but limits MIDI

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?

Short answer: No, not for gigs. It'll technically load the web app, but four things break the experience the moment you're on stage:

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.

Problems Installing? (macOS Security)

First: do NOT click "Move to Bin". macOS makes that the blue default button, so it is the easy one to hit by accident - and it deletes the file you just downloaded. Click Done instead, then follow either option below. Nothing is wrong with your download.

What's actually happening

If macOS blocked Filament with "Apple could not verify ‘Filament’ is free of malware that may harm your Mac", that is not a virus warning and your Mac has not found anything. It is Gatekeeper telling you that we have not paid Apple's notarization fee.

We are a small independent studio. Apple charges $99 a year for the developer programme that makes this message go away. Right now that money goes into building Filament instead - more visuals, better hardware support, faster fixes. We would rather spend it on the thing you actually bought. Signed and notarized builds are on the roadmap, and when we ship them this whole page becomes unnecessary.

In the meantime: every download is built by us, published by Bight, served from our own storage, and covered by our terms & license. You are approving it once, and macOS remembers forever.

Option A - Click your way through (no Terminal)

Works for the desktop app and the plugin installer. Takes about twenty seconds.

STEP 1 - LET IT GET BLOCKEDDouble-click the file as normal. macOS shows the warning with a yellow triangle. Click Done. (Not "Move to Bin".) This step matters - macOS only offers the override after something has been blocked once.

STEP 2 - OPEN SECURITY SETTINGSOpen System Settings from the Apple menu, then click Privacy & Security in the left sidebar.

STEP 3 - SCROLL TO SECURITYScroll right down to the Security section at the bottom. You will see a line naming the file you just tried to open, with an "Open Anyway" button beside it. If it is not there, go back and do Step 1 again - the button only appears after a block.

STEP 4 - APPROVE ITClick Open Anyway. Enter your Mac password or Touch ID. A final dialog appears - click Open. That is it. Filament opens now and every time after.

On macOS 15 (Sequoia) and newer, this is the only way. The old trick of right-clicking and choosing Open no longer works for installers - it just shows the same block again. If you are on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or older, right-click › Open › Open still works and is quicker.

Option B - One command (fastest)

If you are comfortable with Terminal, this skips the whole dance. It removes the "quarantine" flag macOS attaches to anything downloaded from a browser.

Open Terminal (press ⌘ Space, type terminal, hit Return), then paste the line that matches what you downloaded and press Return. There is no output when it works - that is normal.

DESKTOP APP (.DMG)Install it to Applications first by dragging it across, then run:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Filament.app

Now open Filament normally from Applications.

PLUGIN INSTALLER (.PKG)Run this against the downloaded file, then double-click it:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine ~/Downloads/Filament-Plugins-mac.pkg

The installer then runs normally. Pick AU and/or VST3, restart your DAW, and Filament appears under manufacturer Bight.

PLUGIN ZIP (MANUAL INSTALL)If you installed the AU/VST3 by hand from the zip rather than the .pkg, the plugin folders carry the quarantine flag too - and your DAW will usually just not show the plugin at all, with no error to explain why. Run:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/Filament.component ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/Filament.vst3

Then rescan plugins in your DAW, or just restart it.

CLEAR EVERYTHING AT ONCEIf you installed more than one and want to be done with it:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Filament.app ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/Filament.component ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/Filament.vst3

Lines for things you have not installed are harmless - they just do nothing.

Plugin still not showing in your DAW?

Two things catch people out after a successful install:

The DAW was open during install. Logic, Ableton and friends scan plugins at launch. Quit the DAW fully and reopen it.
Look under the manufacturer, not the name. Filament appears under Bight, not under F.

In Logic specifically, if the plugin is greyed out or missing, open Terminal and run auval -v aufx Flmt Bght - it prints exactly why Logic rejected it.

Still stuck? If macOS insists the app is "damaged and can't be opened", the download was interrupted - delete it, download it again, and retry. Anything else at all, email hi@filamentvj.com and we will get you running. We would genuinely rather hear from you than have you give up on it.

Using the Plugin in Your DAW

Filament running on Logic Pro's Stereo Out

Load it

Insert Audio Units (or VST3) › Bight › Filament on any channel - the master bus gives you the whole mix.
The visuals open in the plugin window. Pick a display in the bottom bar and hit FULLSCREEN to send them to a projector.
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)

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.
Press A to show automation lanes.
On the Stereo Out track's lane selector choose Filament and pick a parameter - Energy, Visual Mode, Bloom, any of the 27.
Draw your curves: mode changes on the drop, energy ramps through the build, Blitz for four bars.
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).

Safety: never point a laser at people without a trained operator and venue clearance. Filament enforces border blanking and scan-rate caps, but you are responsible for safe rigging.

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.

Deck Link & Show Timeline (Studio, beta test)

Deck Link plugs the desktop app into the DJ booth's own network - Pioneer Pro DJ Link (CDJ/XDJ/rekordbox) and Denon StagelinQ (SC5000/SC6000/Prime) - so the visuals follow the real decks: live BPM, real downbeats, master deck, the playhead position in the track, and on Denon rigs the mixer's channel faders and crossfader too. On top sits the Show Timeline: pre-programmed visual shows per track, locked to the track's beat grid, edited in a DAW-style timeline. The ✦ AUTO buttons (CLUB / JOURNEY / CHILL) generate a complete phrase-structured show in one click - every generated piece stays fully editable, and your hand-made edits survive regeneration.

No decks around? PRACTICE mode spins up a simulated deck with full transport (play/pause, restart, click-to-jump) so you can build and rehearse shows anywhere. Video Output mirrors the visuals fullscreen to a second display or projector while your laptop keeps the timeline open for live editing.

Deck Link is a beta test - it's evolving fast, expect rough edges and tell us what you hit. The audio-reactive show always keeps running underneath. Full setup guides (CDJs, rekordbox, Denon) are in the app: press ? and open "Deck Link (BETA)". Studio tier, desktop app only.

Keys & Tiers

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

Buy on the pricing page - pay by card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
Your key (FIL-PRO-XXXX-...) appears the moment payment clears. Save it.
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.