What is the best DAW for live performance using multiple keyboards?

[teddymitch]

So.. Just got into a new electro/disco band. We are 2 keyboardists so we've got 4 keyboards in total and no easy way to control them on the stage. I'm wondering if there is an DAW (or anything similar) fow Windows that is easy to switch between multiple vst's and presets, for multiple keyboards at once without load/save.

In every live performance we'll be playing 20 songs, every song has 4-5 vst's, controlled by 4 keyboards, via 4 midi-ins. No big breaks between the songs so it's important to change instantly.

Any ideas?

[MadmanST]

I like Cantabile a lot. Very easy to setup scenes, using as many controllers as you need.

There's also Forte, Ableton Live and BloXpander which are also very good, but I haven't had much experience with.

[Mister Natural]

it's called (Ableton)LIVE for a reason

you may need an(some) additional midi controller(s)to switch patches on the fly between songs. I'd suggest programing an "ambient" patch(could be just a beat) between each song to "carry" the passage from one to the next

best of luck

[EvilDragon]

Reaper is great for this, especially with SWS extensions.

[BertKoor]

If you were using an Apple computer, I'd recommend MainStage.
But since you're not, I think Ableton Live is the closest thing to it.

[teddymitch]

Actually I've used Mainstage and it's great, but it was on a borrowed laptop so back to a windows solution. I've tried Ableton (some version bundled with my keyboard) and I couldn't find this functionality, it worked for the loops but not for the VST's, and an additional midi controller is out of my budget.
I tried Cantabile, seemed to me a little unstable.
So for now I'm sticking with presets on Studio One, while trying the other solutions (hope that they have good demos).I will be back after testing.
Thanks!