Advancing Songs in Cantabile Solo Using Arturia Keylab 88

Cantabile
1

Hi there,
I’m not sure what makes sense/what is reliable and safe (i.e. not accidentally pressing wrong button) to advance songs in Cantabile Solo. I have 8 songs loaded into one set list and I use an Arturia Keylab 88 with lots of pads and a transport section for DAW, etc. Seems like a lot of options. What song advancement method makes sense, and can I do this in Solo? Seems like I create a binding with some control on the keyboard to accomplish this. Thanks for any thoughts.

Keith

2

Hi Keith,

You can create the bindings using the learn function.

  • click on add binding
  • select “Learn”
  • press the button on your Keylab 88
  • select the midi binding source from the dialog box (sometimes there is more than one choice)
  • choose the target for the binding ( In your case it would be “Set List” as the target and the “Action” would let you choose the action in the next field of the binding)

Dave

3

Thanks! For live performance, is there a preferred/typical button folks use? One of the drum pads? The “play” button from the DAW transport? First timer!

4

There are Play, Stop, and Pause buttons map them to the the Main Transport (Cantabile) target functions that match.

For Set List choices choose some pads on the bottom row near the keys and create Next Song (Instant) and Previous Song (Instant) Actions in the bindings.

You might like to try the Delayed Song Load choice (instead of Instant) if that helps the way you want to navigate your setlist. It allows you to jump over multiple songs and when you release it waits 2 seconds and loads what ever you selected at the point you released the switch.

5

I like to use a footpedal, but I keep that thing WAY to the left, where it can’t get accidentally stomped. Sometimes I assign the lowest key as a switch. I worry about pads, sometimes they bounce and double advance on me.

6

See this thread - all kinds of preferred methods to change states.

Essentially, you can

  • use a foot pedal to advance to the next state - good if you play sitting down, so you have two feet to play with :wink:
  • use a button or a pad on your keyboard - it is essential that you can reach it easily while playing but don’t hit it accidentally

You now create a binding from your preferred pedal or button using either “Controller (Button)” or “Note” (in the case of drum pads) to “SongStates / Next State (Instant)”, and things should work out nicely.

If you want to use drum pads, you’ll need to make sure they send on a different MIDI channel than your keys and then specify that MIDI channel in your binding, so your “next state” isn’t triggered by your playing on the keyboard…

Since I play standing up, a pedal is not convenient to me (I usually have my right foot in use for sustain or expression, so I need my left to stand on :slight_smile: ). I mostly use my “big red button” that is plugged into one of the switch pedal ports of my master keyboard:

image

Alternatively, I use one of the drum pads of my upper keyboard - I am using the bottom row of pads to control LivePrompter and Cantabile’s next state.

image

I also have some buttons on my upper keyboard assigned to control Cantabile states, but these are too fiddly to use in anger during a gig, so they are mainly for navigating during rehearsals or between songs:
image

Cheers,

Torsten

1 Like
7

Wow, these were all excellent suggestions! I decided to use the forward and backward DAW transport buttons on my Keylab 88 with the delayed (brilliant) loading. And the songs appear in large letters as you advance–it’s nice to have the titles appear like this. I don’t have to squint. I did love the big red button idea.

I really appreciate all of your suggestions and how-to’s. Maybe someday I’ll know the software well enough to provide tips for others… :slight_smile: