Plugins per rack strategy?

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HI,
I am using Cantabile performer and it is FANTASTIC.I cannot believe how powerful and stable this program is. Also, I am using it LIVE with an older Fujitsu Slate computer running Windows XP. I am also running MusicReader PDF at the same time as Cantabile.Ya gotta love that!!

I use only one session with several sub-sessions for live use.I use VB3, Synth1, mda piano, RealGuitar Acoustic and RealStrat as well as some effects. My hardware controller is a Roland FR-3X accordion and a Softstep foot controller.

This setup is working well although there have been many challenges along the way. I try not to add to many VSTs to keep things simpler and keep CPU load down.As I fail to limit my new VSTs my question comes up.

I have put each VST instrument in its own rack. I have also put effects after each VST where I wanted them. This has presented 2 challenges. One is that I cannot see all of the plugins on one screen without scrolling (not really important but I am used to Cantabile solving ALL of my problems). The second is that I am finding that some VST FX do not like to be loaded twice.

I am considering putting several instruments in ONE rack and then routing them to effects racks where necessary. I would appreciate it if someone would contrast these two ideas. I am sure there are many pros and cons for each.

I have searched this forum for such a discussion. I am sure there is something here. The real problem is that there are so many interesting discussions that I get lost reading about all these tangent discussion.Great fun but time consuming <g>

Thank you in advance for any input. It is greatly appreciated.
LooseBruce

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I don't think there's essentially any major functional disadvantage to placing your VSTi in one rack. A subsession can still enable/disable each as required and you can still apply dedicated filters etc at the Midi Routing Table which can enable/disable on a subsession basis.

The one thing you do lose is the fast access to splits and transpositions which are applied to an entire rack. In your new scenario, you would be affecting all VSTi in the rack. The per rack trans/splits operate in a quicker and more comprehensive way than using the Midi Routing Table, I'm sure you would agree. Each subsession recalls with its own settings - whereas the MRT needs an entry for every different split/transpose.

Rack Filters do not recall in on a subsession basis - so you would be forced to use the MRT for splits/transpositions - and you would probably have to use a different midi channel for each instrument if you wanted to target those routings to specific instruments without influencing the others.

This pretty comes down to how you use your setup. If all you're doing is turning stuff off and on and using patch changes, you're probably not going to worry about that drawback.

On a different tack, I would really like to see some kind of keyboard shortcuts to recall 'screen sets' - where the plug ins of choice display where I want them on the screen - and to open or close the various Cantabile modules. This would go some way to solving the scrolling issue you mention.

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[quote="pinkcanaru"]I don't think there's essentially any major functional disadvantage to placing your VSTi in one rack. A subsession can still enable/disable each as required and you can still apply dedicated filters etc at the Midi Routing Table which can enable/disable on a subsession basis.

The one thing you do lose is the fast access to splits and transpositions which are applied to an entire rack. In your new scenario, you would be affecting all VSTi in the rack. The per rack trans/splits operate in a quicker and more comprehensive way than using the Midi Routing Table, I'm sure you would agree. Each sub session recalls with its own settings - whereas the MRT needs an entry for every different split/transpose.

Thank you very much for your reply. It was exactly what I was looking for! Not knowing what I did not know is important to me.I think I will continue to put my instruments in separate racks. I have some fancy transpositions that are required because I use an accordion that sends out message on 3 separate midi channels for notes.They often go to 3 separate instruments.

I have started to put some of my effects in separate racks also so that I can route different instruments to them. It is working well. For instance I send my ReralGuitar acoustic or my RealStrat to the Green Machine AMP for processing.Three racks used for that.

I really appreciate your knowledgeable input. Good idea too about the screen showing what you are actually using at the moment. Perhaps a new addition to the large status display could be developed.
Thanks,
LooseBruce
:D

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I think there some multiple-core disadvantages to running multiple softsynths in a single-rack. I'm not sure, but I believe I read that in some of the Catabile documentation. Something about vsts in different racks making better use of processors with multiple cores. . . I know that when I first got started with Cantabile with an Intel i7 (8 cores), I put 4 Tyrell's in the same rack and my system stress indicator went up over %130 and started making popping noises. Now I have everything in separate racks, with 2 Tyrell's, 2 Synth 1's, 2 Komplete Players, 1 Imperfect Sample Player, 2 Sample Tanks, and a few other things. . . I can turn everything on and the indicator only reaches %35 or so with my holding down the sustain pedel and sweeping the keybed. It's a terrible noise, but there are no pop's or cracks.

And I agree that some simplified rack-page view or something would be nice.

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