Kushview Element Modular VST Plugin Host Is Now FREE

Element modular VST plugin host by Kushview is now open-source and completely free to download and use.

Kushview has announced that the Element modular VST and AU plugin host is now open-source. The software was previously available in two different versions, Element Free (which we covered in our news section some time ago) and Element Pro. As of now, the developers are relying on Patreon as the source of income for further development of the project.

See also: FREE Digital Audio Workstations!

Element is not a digital audio workstation but rather a plugin host application optimized for use during a live performance. It offers the ability to freely link third-party audio plugins as modules. Different setups can be saved as presets for later use. These presets are referred to as “Sessions” inside the software.

The feature that used to be the biggest difference between the Free and Pro editions of Element was the ability to load it as a plugin in a different host application. Now that the software is open-source, all users can load Element as a VST or AU plugin in their DAW of choice. This means that Element can be used as a powerful modular plugin environment right inside your favorite music production software. To test this functionality, we loaded Element as a plugin using the freeware NanoHost by Tone2 as the host application.

Kushview Element running as a VST plugin in Tone2's free NanoHost. — Kushview Element running as a VST plugin in Tone2’s free NanoHost.

To get your free copy of Kushview Element simply visit the product page link below and download the installer. Patreon supports (minimum pledge is $1) will get additional perks such as bleeding-edge updates and priority support. Free users will get the same functionality but with minimal support and less frequent updates. Previous Element Pro customers will get the same level of support as the Patreon supports until version 2.0 of the software.

Do you use a modular VST plugin host in your setup? Are there any other freely downloadable modular VST hosts you would recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Download: Kushview Element (14.6 MB download size, EXE installer, standalone software, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/VST3 plugin for Windows & MacOS)

OK1

on November 1, 2019 1:55 am

A few years ago I discovered that the free version of Tracktion (then it was version 5, but this feature has been retained in all the free versions up to and including Tracktion Version 7,. which I think is an awesome freeware host), had a modular feature by which you could group a whole bunch of plugins and the routing between them, into a single mega plugin block, which you could then use as a single custom plugin in the effects chain.

IIRC you could also save this mega plugin block, so it was recallable and reusable..

The only thing missing was I could not use it in another DAW.

I also cherish Cantabile which has a free version, as an excellent tool for live playback, as a VST hos which has an excellent free version. But the issue with this also was that all the work I did in Cantabile, was not reusable in another DAW.

When I 1st met Element, when it was 1st released, the cost of the paid version put me off, not that I do not like to pay for music software, which I do and have spent a tidy sum on over many years, but having to pay to fully try out the product was a step too far, to test its ability to also be used as a VST.

I am encouraged to try it out especially as it is pretty much similar to the best features of Tracktion’s modular environment.

Obviously there is not much demand for tools like this, cos not too many people work in multiple DAW’s, or have need to want to switch from a studio DAW to a live host DAW(which has usually special features to support set changes, patch changes, etc)., but the new Element release enables the possibility of switching all the hard work I put into designing a plugin chain, straight from a Studio DAW like Reaper, into a Live DAW like Cantabile, without losing anything.

Very promising, I will check it out…..

19 Comments

Choko
on October 28, 2019 5:08 pm

This is absolutely unreal. Solved lots of things i couldn’t do before with my DAW. Super quality software here.

- Tomislav Zlatic
  on October 30, 2019 7:28 am
  
  Yeah, easy way to build complex FX chains and even multi-instruments within the DAW.
  
Almark
on October 28, 2019 6:25 pm

Buzzmachines returns, minimally.

bmovie
on October 28, 2019 11:30 pm

Very generous from Kushview to make it open source! That’s a great gift to the community. I think it can also be used as a VST2/3 32/64bit bridge, which is fantastic for me as I’m still with Live 9, who doesn’t support VST3 plugins.

Another modular VST host plugin that became free lately is the good old VSTForx :)

- Adam
  on October 29, 2019 6:43 pm
  
  Bridge functionality is not yet avaible , but it’s on list for future updates :)
  
  - bmovie
    on October 29, 2019 10:50 pm
    
    Cool! Thanks for the info
    
  - Tomislav Zlatic
    on October 30, 2019 7:25 am
    
    Exciting! Do you know of any freeware bridge applications that are available at the moment?
    
The Sound Of Lex
on October 29, 2019 12:47 am

Fantastic Plugin!

- Tomislav Zlatic
  on October 30, 2019 7:26 am
  
  Indeed!
  
Tomislav Zlatic
on October 29, 2019 8:42 am

Many thanks to our reader Wing Yee for the info about this release.

- Wing Yee
  on October 29, 2019 7:30 pm
  
  My pleasure!
  
Mark
on October 30, 2019 10:45 am

Can this be used outside of the DAW – as a stand-alone app? I want an app that allows me to dump some plugins into a lightweight host – without needing to assign tracks and the sort. Essentially, a featureless daw

- Choko
  on October 30, 2019 4:08 pm
  
  Yes it has a stand-alone app. Great for a guitar amp. :)
  
OK1
on November 1, 2019 1:55 am

A few years ago I discovered that the free version of Tracktion (then it was version 5, but this feature has been retained in all the free versions up to and including Tracktion Version 7,. which I think is an awesome freeware host), had a modular feature by which you could group a whole bunch of plugins and the routing between them, into a single mega plugin block, which you could then use as a single custom plugin in the effects chain.

IIRC you could also save this mega plugin block, so it was recallable and reusable..

The only thing missing was I could not use it in another DAW.

I also cherish Cantabile which has a free version, as an excellent tool for live playback, as a VST hos which has an excellent free version. But the issue with this also was that all the work I did in Cantabile, was not reusable in another DAW.

When I 1st met Element, when it was 1st released, the cost of the paid version put me off, not that I do not like to pay for music software, which I do and have spent a tidy sum on over many years, but having to pay to fully try out the product was a step too far, to test its ability to also be used as a VST.

I am encouraged to try it out especially as it is pretty much similar to the best features of Tracktion’s modular environment.

Obviously there is not much demand for tools like this, cos not too many people work in multiple DAW’s, or have need to want to switch from a studio DAW to a live host DAW(which has usually special features to support set changes, patch changes, etc)., but the new Element release enables the possibility of switching all the hard work I put into designing a plugin chain, straight from a Studio DAW like Reaper, into a Live DAW like Cantabile, without losing anything.

Very promising, I will check it out…..

- OK1
  on November 1, 2019 1:57 am
  
  What I actually forgot in all of this is that Element is also a host, so I may not need another host like Cantabile, we’ll see. !
  
Atme
on November 3, 2019 12:30 am

Brilliant and very useful. Thanks a lot Kushview!

grant
on June 26, 2023 8:19 pm

just realized i may be able to use this as a workaround for waves plugins

grant
on June 26, 2023 11:52 pm

Got all of my waves ( mainly vst3 ) working wonderfully inside of reason 10 , up to version 12. Version 14 of waves crashes but im happy that most of them work

Axl
on October 8, 2023 9:40 pm

Impressive tool for the electronic musician ! Really well coded, very recommendable!

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Kushview Element Modular VST Plugin Host Is Now FREE

19 Comments