Yeah…I got it stupid cheap, but if you screw around with it enough, you can get some reasonable sounding harmonies.
VST: Cherry Audio Pro Soloist, G-force Minimonsta 2 and Oddity 3, Fabfilter Pro R2
Sound libraries: Neo Soul Keys 2, Rhodes V8
Hardware: Hydrasynth Deluxe
Probably way too many to mention as I am a gear slut 
, but a notable shout out to Cherry Audio, who seem to be on a role this year and have delivered some amazing emulations, especially answering my prayers (as a Genesis nut) with the pro-soloist. GForce for a new Minimonsta version that I can finally see the GUI of on modern displays (!) and their new Obie.
Hardware wise, Yamaha have given Santa a new Montage M7 to deliver to me in a few days. My sole reason for upgrading my current Montage 7 is that Yamaha have finally listened and delivered a modern AN1x within it. I am really looking to trying that one out and getting some of my signature AN1x/EX5 AN sounds into a keyboard I can take out.
And the one specific shout out I will make is for something I purchased a few days back to solve a specific problem in my developing stage show, which is CableGuy’s MIDIShaper. There are plenty of VSTs like this, but this was the first one I found that I could see that I could do what I wanted with it, which is tempo perfect envelopes/LFOs that can generate CCs - in fact you can even combine them.
I wanted this to be able to send CCs to control DMXIS faders. Whereas I do most work with DMXIS Cues, for certain sounds I trigger, I wanted the lights to react with the cues, and this is where being able to have a re-triggerable envelope sending out CCs that DMXIS faders are bound to is a godsend.
An example is a “Waterfall” sound effect triggered on a particular note on my Korg Kronos. The note is also detected by Cantabile and triggers the MIDIShaper envelope, which controls a visual layer on my visual synthesiser and also my DMX controlled Gobo, so I get both a video and light cue in response to the note. It also solves the problem that Visual Synthesizer has its own envelopes, but only two of them shared across eight layers (which can cause some stuck visual problems when multiple layers are using the same envelopes) and the envelope decay is not long enough for me, but a one shot LFO in MIDIShaper has a lot of control and you can set it decay over up to 32 bars! So I am going to stop using Visual Synthesizer envelopes and just do it all via Envelopes from MIDI Shaper sending CCs controlling Visual Synthesizer layer brightness. I’ll write up more on this when I do my Visual Synthesizer Guide, but I thought I would mention this amazing little plugin here!
And of course, last but not least, Cantabile itself and the continued work that @Brad puts into it. Special thanks to Brad for putting in the sending of MIDI clock when transport is stopped. That is a game changer for me especially as I have a rig that is still heavy on hardware as well as VSTs.
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Hello everyone.
I would say these are my best ones 2023:
Universal Audio Watefall Organ and Leslie.
Some Cherry Audio plugs, really realistic
Voxengo EQ
VB3-II v2.0.0 … although I prefer the VB3-II v.1.0.0
Not for live use, but I’m adding recent addition Sonible Smart EQ 4 to my best of 2023 list! Was half expecting snake oil when I first demoed it, but after using it in real projects find it works extremely well to get individual tracks “technically right” and to demask across tracks. Using an “analog” EQ in a channel strip or whatever after it to tweak in a bit of character and pop and makes for an extremely fast workflow to end up with a demasked and de-resonanced mix that hits a specific refence profile without sounding “AI”.
For anyone interested, I was able to get it for $65 at Audio Plugin Deals with code LOYAL24-DK8BRJXB
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Software:
- Cantabile Performer 4 – of course! Not sure why I spent so much time and effort trying to make Solo do things it wasn’t meant to do …
VSTs:
- Cherry Audio PS-3300 – a true poly-2600 on steroids! Semi-modular to get quick sounds; enough patch panels to create all kinds of tricky glides, pans, and morphs.
- GForce Oddity 3 – sooo much better than its predecessor, it’s now become my favorite lead synth. And it’s all the little improvements in the UI.
- OB-Xd 3.1 – yes, the original is a freebie, but there have been enough improvements since v1.x to pay for this one, IMHO. (One can still download the VST2 version for free, for non-commercial use.) It covers both the OB-X and OB-Xa nicely, thanks to the ‘slop’ controls and dual filters.
- Moog Mariana – yeah, it’s a one-trick pony (bass), but it does that trick with lots of finesse.
Hardware:
- Studiologic SL73 – tons of programmability. Surprisingly usable for organ and synth, despite the weighted keys. Nine programmable velocity curves to mimic everything from acoustic piano to Clavinet. The SL73 + Cantabile Performer = the best master keyboard around.
- Studiologic SL MixFace – it’s just a slider/knob controller, but with lots of programmability and a nice display. And it integrates any other USB-MIDI controller into the system, re-mapping channels to match the current configuration. Plus, it recognizes connection to an SL master keyboard, tracking program changes and mappings!
Best vsts:
VSL D274 only purchased full version because it was on sale. May get another next year. This is THE best piano IMHO.
Waterfall B3- just getting familiar with it but I really like the presets.
Hardware:
PC upgrade built around I7-13600
Yamaha FC7 expression pedal; smooth action, built like a tank, auto polarity.
DAW: Cantabile!! 
I’ve used the SL keyboards and mixface for a long time, but I use cantabile for all the programming, just have one setup for the hardware and do interpretation in cantabile. What is the advantage of managing these things in the SL configuration? I find it a lot easier to configure cantabile.
@TorstenH I use the MixFace to program VST synth sounds, and I slave an Arturia BeatStep to the MF to get a bunch of extra knobs. When I change MIDI channels on the MF, the BS ‘comes along for the ride,’ so to speak, because the MF remaps the slave device to the active channel. (Very interesting abbreviations for these two! 
) I’m sure that I could do the same thing in Cantable, but since I don’t take the MF+BS to gigs, it saves me doing a bunch of repetitive task programmg in racks, etc. (I tend to treat Cantabile as an ‘improved Muse Receptor’ sometimes, so it’s not my first tool to program widgets.)
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+1 on the FC7
I’ve been using them since the mid-'80s; I don’t think I’ve owned another brand of volume pedal in the past 30 years. One of my working pedals is c. 1990. At one point, I had four of them connected to my MKB-300.
Same here. My SL88 transmits on channel 1 and everything else is done by Cantabile. Once I programmed Preset #1, I never touched the keyboard menu again.
+1 on the FC7 and its durability, but I’ve been using my Roland FC300 MIDI foot controller since 2008. Built like a tank, fully programmable (although I tend to standardise what it does these days and let Cantabile handle the differences) and still available on the market, which (at at least 16+ years on the market) is an amazing run for any complex product these days. Because I am so reliant on it, I ended up buying a second one as a spare.
Oh boy! Royal Albert Hall Organ. This is an awesome vst if you are looking for a pipe organ. The organ has 999 pipes, and an absolute arsenal of stops, but the vst has decided against giving you all the stops. Instead it offers a range of what are effectively presets, ie pre-configured combinations of stops. There are still loads to choose from and the sounds are really good. It is playable from a single keyboard, and includes the sound of fans starting up or powering down, background room noise, and the percussion section. Excellent.
NI Session Bassist - Icon Bass. This offers a large range or pre-recorded rhythms in loads of different styles, which can be modified, plus the ability to play your own melody lines as well.
It is centred on a Musicman Stingray Bass, nad has loads of amps, cabs and pedals so you can make sound however you like. I have managed to simulate a pretty passable fretless bass sound!
It was so good that I have also invested in the Plucked, strummed Acoustic II and Sunburst Electric guitar libraries as well, and they too are pretty impressive.
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Absolutely 100%! I bought that, after having seen it mentioned in this thread, and it definitely delivers! Especially live, through a large sound system…wow!
I always wondered if anyone was going to do this. now they have 
I’d buy this just to play the finale part of Saint Saens 3rd in Cm.
So tempting …
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Because the Royal Albert Hall is in constant use it was never possible, without the cost of hiring the place while all the sampling took place. But then along came lockdown and suddenly the place was empty and they though “Why not?”
So at last - there was a real, tangible benefit of lockdown!
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That makes perfect sense.
I am glad they thought “why not” and made use of the lock down for this.
It would have been awesome experiencing this performance in person
(starts at the oboes just before the finale starts)
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Wow, and those bass pedals in the last few bars in particular!!!
Did the organist start on the wrong keyboard at 29:28? We’ve all been there…
Someone should get the organist to reply on this thread: What foot controllers are you guys using to go to next song next section/part?
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Unsatisfied with a bass sound I had for a song in our worship band, I swopped it out for 2 instances for the Royal Albert Hall Organ, and set the left hand keyboard with “Chamber Woods” and “Full Promenade” on different MIDI channels for the introduction/first verse and Closing verse/chorus, and the results were awesome, especially the Full Promenade! Put through the church PA and it works like I imagine the real thing does, so you get the bass sound, but then you feel it as the resonances build up. Brilliant. I didn’t tell anyone in the band, and am waiting for feedback as people begin to hear and feel this awesome bass sound. And no, the song isn’t a traditional hymn where you mi9ght expect to hear a church organ. The song was only written a year or two ago, so the bass sound is unexpected, and as the 32 footer gets going it is superb!