I’ve searched high and low but do not understand why I can’t find a way to create a MIDI binding to browse Patch Up/Down on a VST.
Most hardware synths have an up/down button or other buttons to quickly search for a suitable sound, but so far I’ve had to endlessly mouse-click in the VST’s to browse sounds/patches.
Are patch/program changes are not universally supported by VSTs through bindings…? I’m new to this and any help would be appreciated.
An example is Zenology or Vital
Hi Rene and Welcome to the forum!! 
Patches from VSTs are not universal to begin with so Cantabile provides 3 different preset models to choose from. In the model that uses the “Use Plugin’s Programs” the presets that are in the GUI for the plugin are copied to the Cantabile plugin slot the VST is loaded in and the preset names will appear in the plugin slot’s preset menu. In cases where the plugin VST does not provide the presets to the system (usually because the plugin has it’s own library system) Cantabile provides plugin snapshots which are user named and configured usung the same plugin slot preset list. Also you can use this system in a limited way to store only parameter sets that you produce when you edit the VST in each preset slot position.
So, as you see it is not simple. The easiest way to go is to use the GUI preset increment and decrement buttons to audition. These controls are not available to bind to so remote setup is not feasible. If you do have Cantabile preset slot entries you can audition those using increment and decrement with bindings that have the preset target next or previous in them.
To help you further it would help to know what version you are running because there were bindings changes lately that altered the GUI so it helps to explain things based on the version you are on.
Cheers,
Dave
Thanks for the reply Dave. I’ve played around a bit more with what you said, but none of my VSTs respond to any kind of Program Change message it seems.
Is that the norm?
Also most VSTs I have don’t seem to have a keyboard shortcut to browse presets. Is that the norm too?
I appreciate that this is up to the VST developers in the end, but Cantabile is where is all comes together and you guys probably have a lot of experience with this to tell me where I go wrong!
Version 4.0
Hi Rene,
Early on I went to the labor of creating a snapshot for each preset in the VST and naming them identically. Then I could use bindings to scroll it or use the hamburger preset menu on the slot to select one if I knew what I wanted. To do this I had to use the built in preset menu of the VST in concert with the plugin snapshots of the Cantabile slot.
I then switched to just browsing for the sound I wanted used the VST GUI and when I found a keeper I’d save it as a snapshot preset. When a new need came up I would add to that snapshot list using the same method.
Cantabile can work with what the developer of the VST provides and can’t alter the VST to allow for what you want to do short of the method described above. If the VST does show it’s presets to Cantabile it will react to PG changes. Any snapshots you create will also respond to PG changes. Also many VSTis have a Program receive setup area in the GUI so it can map to the library system the plugin uses.
I wish it was easier but is is how it works with VSTs.
Cheers,
Dave