Is this feasible in Cantabile Performer? MIDI filters saved as subsessions, no other differences.

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I recently bought Cantabile Performer and I'm just scratching the surface of this wonderful piece of software.

I was hoping that experienced users could tell me if it is possible to do what I am envisioning with the software:

I play keyboards for a band and I currently have a single-keyboard (hardware only) setup with all splits and sounds residing in my Korg synth. I want to make the jump into softsynths for live use. I pretty much rely on five basic sounds played in various combinations in our songs - an acoustic piano, string pad, B3 organ, rhodes, and wurlitzer EPs. Currently, my software go-to versions of these sounds are all in Kontakt.

I would like to be able to on-the-fly change between various split combinations of these five sounds. I do not want to use new sessions or the play list feature as sometimes I want to change the configuration mid-song and certainly can't wait for the samples to reload. I also want all splits and MIDI routing to be done by my laptop so that I can use it with any MIDI controller keyboard transmitting on channel 1. That way, if a controller suddenly breaks or goes 'missing' from our rehearsal space or gig, I can bring in another controller at a moment's notice without losing my song configurations.

My laptop is an old core 2 duo with only 2 GB RAM running Windows 7. I don't think it could handle loading multiple instances of Kontakt. I am trying to find a way to load only one instance. After watching some of the demo videos on Youtube, I am thinking of loading one instance of Kontakt with my acoustic piano, EP, B3, and string samples loaded as a multi, each responding to a different MIDI channel (2 through 6). I am hoping that I can create my splits as various SUBSESSIONS by setting up MIDI filters to reroute certain note ranges from Channel 1 to a different MIDI channel, thereby triggering the different Kontakt program. (For example, notes C2-E3 get routed to MIDI channel 3, F3-A5 to MIDI channel 4.) That way, by having a different subsession for each split configuration, I could change mid-song without having to reload the plugin.

Before I wrap my head around the details, does this sound like a feasible option to you? Can I save MIDI filters in a subsession and leave the Kontakt multi the same for all subsessions?

Thanks in advance for your input.

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if understand your need, this should be no problem in Cantabile using the MIDI Routing Table and subsessions. i actually do something similar in Kontakt. basically, create a single rack with Kontakt, then add your various Kontakt instruments as multi's, and set each multi to a different midi channel.

then start adding midi routes - that is where you define the splits and all the various parameters, making sure the send channel corresponds to the desired Kontakt multi's channel.

then save that as a subsession. then either create a new set of midi routes for your new split scenarios (you can also copy/paste the existing ones). then, save that configuration as another subsession, and so on (making sure you Enable only the midi routes needed for each subsession).

keep adding midi routes and subsessions as needed. you'll get it once you start the process. you can also assign a pedal switch or a button to move through your subsessions.

under this configuration, Kontakt and the multi's are loaded once, and you just scroll through subsessions giving you whatever mapping/splits you need for each instrument.

also, in each midi route, you may want to consider setting the incoming Source value to "Any", and maybe set the midi channel to omni (or 1).

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Thanks for the reply.

I tried it last night. Interestingly, splits worked but trying to have one instrument mapped to the whole keyboard range did not. I wonder what I did wrong...?

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should be doable, you'll need to experiment with midi passthrough, and the order of your route entries. it can get tricky, so you'll need to work through all the variations.

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Tombuck,

I've been experimenting for a few evenings and I still can't figure out how to save the splits as subsessions. I'll try to outline what I have done successfully and unsuccessfully - perhaps you'll see what I'm doing wrong.

I can set up my splits just fine; I've opened one instance of Kontakt as a multi (I'm making up this term - I have no idea if Kontakt uses that terminology). I open New York Grand and set it to MIDI channel 2, the B3 vintage organ to channel 3, the Scarbee Mark 1 to channel 4, etc.

Then in the rack I add a MIDI filter - I create a split and assign above the split point to, say channel 2 and below the split point to channel 3. Voila. A piano/organ split just as I had intended. Then I save this as a subsession and all seems to save correctly.

Then for my next song, using the same exact rack I create a new MIDI filter. Say this time there's a split at a different point, above assigned to channel 3 and below to channel 4. The split sounds right and is played correctly with my controller. Again, I save the subsession.

The problem is when I switch back to subsession 1, it seems like the MIDI filter was not saved and stays on the split filter I made for subsession 2.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Any input is much appreciated.

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make sure you are using the midi routing table, rather than entering the split in the rack itself. i put together a quick video tutorial on how to do this:

http://youtu.be/6yosseb28uk

video is uploading as i type this and should be ready shortly. some content may be redundant but gets you going from a blank session.

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Tombuck,

I am really taken aback by your efforts. Quite speechless, actually, that you would take that kind of time to answer my question in detail (as well as help others in my position).

Your video was crystal clear. The problem seems to be, as you had figured, that I was doing my MIDI routing by adding filters in the rack and not in the MIDI routing table.

The only complicating factor in my case will be that one of my go-to sounds is non-Kontakt (Sonik Synth II, actually), and I will no doubt have some complications either placing SS2 in the same rack as Kontakt or in a different rack. I believe I have to do the latter but will experiment.

Many many thank yous.

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no problem, only took a few minutes to record and saved a lot of typing back and forth.

as for Sonik Synth, shouldn't be a problem. you could add it in another rack, then add additional midi routes to access it.

you also might be able to add it to the Kontakt rack, then enable midi passthrough on the Kontakt plugin then just set the Sonik "listen" channel (if possible within Sonik) to a unique midi channel. under that scenario, your midi routes would see it just like any of the Kontakt sounds.

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