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User Reviews for Topten Software Cantabile

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By TiUser
On 27th June 2009
Version: 2

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TiUser

3 of 4 people found
this review helpful.

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Yes | No		 Cantabile 2 is a stunning VST host with unparalleled, unique concept for live performance.

I was looking for a VST host that could not only host VST instruments and effects but works efficient, allows convenient, fast changes of your session setups and could integrate external gear I already had.

My search had an end when I discovered Cantabile. During beta phase of Cantabile 2 I realized Topten Softwares great support and open ear for user demands. It turned out quickly that Cantabile 2 would be the product I've been waiting for for a long time!

So what makes it so special and unique?

The audio engine is very efficient - it allowed me to get the lowest latencies from all products I've tried before. I could use Cantabile for side chaining VirusTI sounds through PC effects and back to it's audio interface the first time with latencies that I found playable!

The basic operation is easy to learn. The user interface offers a rack structure most musicians are familiar with. The point is, things do not end here. Under the hood of the elgant new user interface you find plenty of options - hardly lacking a solution for any fancy configuration idea you might have. Cantabile 2 offers the most stunning VST patch organizing system I've ever seen.

There are more midi manipulations filters than you might ever need, over a dozend... like 'button bank' or 'pitch based velocity ramp', just to name two more special ones...

Another outstanding feature is it's integrated recording. It's so simple that no musical idea you might have gets ever lost again... Cantabile 2 starts recording when you start to play and it finishes a clip when you stop playing for a while. You automatically get a list of audio clips just by doing nothing else than playing...

There is also a media player you can use for playback. Because you can have as many players as you want at the same time you can do a lot of things with this... like triggering and replaying sound snippets. Believe it or not, you can also record such a performance including your VST instruments playing at the same time!

Of course recording and media players work with midi too.


On top with the extended 'Performer' edition of Cantabile 2 you get even more.

One outstanding feature here is 'Sub-Sessions' - a kind of scene snapshots of your current session setup. Switching this is as fast as it can be, nearly instant. When you configure clever, you can even retain long sustain phases while you're stepping to the next sound. When you want to save processing time you can suspend plugins you don't need in a certain Subsession. Again there's much more under the hood - hard to quote all in such a user review...

The 'midi routing table' in 'Performer' edition allows you to seamlessly integrating midi gear you already have. It's like a built in midi matrix for your session.


To finish with:

Cantabile 2 is a tool to grow into... it's great for the beginner who wants to get started playing VST instruments - it hardly lacks anything a professional performer will need to play VST(i) as instruments. It works pretty stable and never lets you down!

My peronal conclusion: I love it - highly recommended - check it out!

KVR TiUser
 
Last edited : 27th June 2009     
By grymmjack
On 16th May 2006
Version: 1.1

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grymmjack

11 of 11 people found
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Yes | No		 This is probably the coolest little host since MiniHost. It's very simple to use, and the manner in which it can record and playback using automatic filename generation is a great feature that turns cantabile into a cool little sketchpad. Because it works with both DirectSound and ASIO it can be used on a greater number of machines -- including notebooks that have proprietary drivers and wont work with ASIO4ALL etc.

I find myself constantly using cantabile to try out new banks, new instruments, and so on more and more. It records much nicer than MiniHost in that it senses when your input has stopped and after a predefined timespan will automatically stop recording.

I initially had problems with this on my notebook, and helped Brad to test the DirectSound fixes he implemented. The fixes now allow my notebook to work very well with cantabile and I have had no issues.

Plugin scanning is pretty good, better than other small hosts that I've used including MiniHost which is much less stable in my experience when scanning plugins.

The favorites and presets manager is pretty good too, but not as comprehensive yet as MiniHost for example where you can move presets from bank to bank and so on. Perhaps a future update? :)

What else to say? It works, it does all that it is supposed to do and it does it in obvious and reliable ways. If you are looking for a great scratchpad for ideas and want to perhaps record both the midi and audio data for later review, cantabile is the one to use. No other host can automatically record what you are doing AND name the files in such an intelligent and helpful manner.

It's free with no nag screens, so what are you waiting for, try it out and see for yourself!
 
Last edited : 16th May 2006     
Latest 2 reviews from a total of 2

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