Chainer

Chainer is a low-cost VST / VSTi host that functions as both a stand-alone application and as a plug-in itself. It can effectively make any combination of your synths and / or effects stand-alone, free from the complexity and CPU drain of Cubase et al. These 'chains' can also be accessed through your favourite host by using Chainer as a plug-in. I bought it for live use but have found myself constantly using it on my main DAW.

It can even host multiple instances of itself; what's the point of that then? Well, suppose you find a combination of synths and effects that sound awesome together (with strategic mixing and panning) and you want save the 'chain' as a single preset. You can do this very easily and recall the preset in a couple of clicks, run it alongside an existing chain or on a different channel, load / save the same configuration under Cubase or FL Studio and so on. If like me you occasionally take a semi-modular approach to your plug-ins (like layering several instances of Synth1 for example) these features come in very handy.

It functions very well as a lightweight host, but its strength is really in the ease of editing and routing / automation possibilities it presents. Mapping the controls from my MIDI keyboard to a plug-in is a breeze using the parameter list editor, when I'm done I can just save the configuration as a preset. One thing I have to mention is how the parameter list focuses on whichever control is being adjusted in the plug-in's main GUI. Then it is just a case of using Chainer's own MIDI learn to map the controller knob to the parameter.

This is a must for all live musicians and sound designers, as well as people who are just extremely lazy. Chainer gives you the maximum of control with the minimum of fannying around. I love it!

User Interface
The GUI is extremely intuitive and usable. Everything feels like it's in the right place, and the 'slot-based' concept for plug-ins works really well. You can drag and drop plug-ins between slots, bypass single instances or entire channels. I would have deducted a point for the rather garish colour scheme, but there is now an alternative skin available now :-)

Sound
This is a difficult area to score for a host. Although it doesn't make any sounds itself, it allowed me to create combinations of sounds and effects that I couldn't (or simply wouldn't take the time to) in another host.

Features
Chainer is a lightweight and minimal host, but it does far more than you might expect. The preset lab is great and a sound designer's dream. I also found it really useful for editing two or more plug-ins alongside one another; none of the random window behaviour I have observed with other hosts here. A few more hot keys (such as copying, pasting and renaming presets) and a Mac version would have been nice.

Documentation
The on-line help is there if you need it, but the learning curve is not exactly steep. Five minutes worth of experimenting with it should be sufficient.

Presets
Again very difficult to know how to score this, let's assume we are talking about the way the program handles presets. You can load and save presets or banks per plug-in, as well as the entire rack. For instance, I have found it a lot easier to make banks under Chainer than with FL Studio.

Customer Support
Support is provided by direct E-mail, which is a good thing I reckon. I had a couple of questions which were answered within a few hours, really nice guy too.

Value For Money
You get a lot for your $60, although at first glance it may not appear so. Chainer looks like Minihost with bells on, it does a lot more than just host plug-ins.

Stability
At the time of writing, the program hasn't seen an update since 2002. What does that tell you? It's a mature product that just works, that's what.

Overall
Clever, convenient, cheap and mind-blowingly useful. I defy anyone not think this is the best $60 they have ever spent on software for their DAW.Read Review