OK, just upgraded to Performer, and I’m trying to optimize my setup now that my initial gig (Wednesday night - went well) is over with.
One thing I want to optimize on is load time. I have a 16gb X1 Carbon, so I want to load a Kontakt Multi with an assortment of sounds. I will then switch between the input channels based on the sounds I need.
I’m trying to figure out the differences and tradeoffs between using Song States, and separate songs with Background racks.
From what I’ve seen, If I set up the Kontakt instance in a background rack and then setup the songs. I’ll then use states for the volume and all of the other configuration information I need. That way, the Kontakt samples are all loaded and I still have the config options setup and available.
You don’t need to use the background rack - any rack used in multiple songs in your setlist will remain loaded in the background, and instantly become active when a song uses that rack.
Background Rack - global rack always on no matter what song or state, used primarily for main keyboard controller bindings that affect state changes and song changes in Set Lists.
Linked Rack - A rack that can be shared in multiple songs in a set list and holds usually a vst instrument with loaded patches and rack states.
Embedded rack - like a linked rack except that is unique to a Song, it doesn’t share across other Songs on the set list.
And last but not least use Set list pre-loading if you have the memory for faster switching.
I’m still not getting what I expected. I tried the Linked Rack, the Embedded Rack, but it still seems to end up reloading my Kontakt settings. every time I switch songs, which negates what I’m trying to do.
Let me explain a bit more about what I’m trying to do:
I have every song we play in one set list, so it’s not like I’m loading songs that aren’t in the sets.
Many of the songs are using Piano (Kontakt New York), or Rhodes (Lounge Lizard).
Using Kontakt as a ROMpler, I have a lot loaded, including a Piano, Clavinet, strings, a bunch of horns. For each song I load the rack and assign a keyboard to the channel with the instrument I want. I also use the transpose and key ranges to alter things if necessary. Note that many of the
I have a VB3 rack with a binding (sustain to trigger fast Leslie) and a compressor.
I want to do the same with Omnisphere, but haven’t started yet.(a couple common patches, but some additional patches that I’ll call up for songs.
Could it be that Kontakt acts differently than other plug ins? What am I doing wrong?
Do you reload the kontakt rack each song or does a loaded kontakt rack cover several songs without need for reload? And do you use great numbers of different Kontakt patches in a show? These questions affect how you would aproach the problem. It sounds like you need to use rack states to help out in this.
The way I set up a Kontakt rack in Cantabile Performer is as follows:
Group Instruments into multiple Cantabile Linked Racks ( Organs, Horns, Strings, Pianos … etc )
Make sure the state behavior boxes are set to for the Kontakt plugin inside the C3 extended rack ( this allows the rack to remember your changes from rack state to rack state)
Create multiple rack states inside these instrument racks that will cover all the song possibilities in the set list (tuning, zones, midi routes etc …)
Add rack states to the instrument rack if a new song needs a different setup
If your Kontakt Instrument racks exceed 16 (patches) channels ( I think that’s right? ) then make a second C3 extended rack to cover the extra patches
Once this is done you achieve these things
when you pre-load the set list all the sample set loading and handling space is sorted in memory for the whole set ( no duplicates and no re-loads )
virtually instant song/patch switching
You could do the same with your Omnisphere multi layered patches too. Hope I understood what you were asking.