Any thoughts on whether I should use Chainer or V-Stack?
Thanks.
Chainer vs Vstack
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- Banned
- 6127 posts since 1 Apr, 2004 from Et in Arcadia Ego
Developmental status on either is questionable at this point.
I own a V-Stack license, & it's a cool app, but I don't think there's anything it offers I can't get from EnergyXT, which is half the price MOL..
Of course, there's no enviornment to build yourself, so if simplicity is important to you, they're both good apps, but you only need to build a 'rig once in eXT & you're off at the load of a file with way more firepower..
I own a V-Stack license, & it's a cool app, but I don't think there's anything it offers I can't get from EnergyXT, which is half the price MOL..
Of course, there's no enviornment to build yourself, so if simplicity is important to you, they're both good apps, but you only need to build a 'rig once in eXT & you're off at the load of a file with way more firepower..
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- KVRist
- 209 posts since 25 Jun, 2004 from New England
i like chainer a lot for it's simplicity and stability. it lacks various midi features such as zoning and controller mapping. i usually compensate by setting that up on my hardware keyboard per midi channel. chainer can specify which midi channel a synth or effect is assigned so it works well for me.
i have no experience with v-stack.
another product in this category is brainspawn forte. the midi implementation is great and their support forum is very active. they also plan on a major version upgrade with many new features.
i have no experience with v-stack.
another product in this category is brainspawn forte. the midi implementation is great and their support forum is very active. they also plan on a major version upgrade with many new features.
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- KVRAF
- 1884 posts since 9 Feb, 2004 from Rochester, MN
I use XT inside Chainer, because Chainer is the single most stable VST host I've ever used, and XT is probably the most flexible. And the free version of Chainer is fully functional aside from saving presets, which you don't need if you're only using it to host XT.
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- KVRAF
- 2278 posts since 8 Apr, 2003
I suppose it depends on your needs. I believe V-Stack can only be used as a host and can't be loaded as a VST within other applications. However, I believe it is capable of loading DX instruments and effects as Cubase is. It also has a layout with sends and inserts similar to Cubase's mixer. It can also sync to a Cubase host (even on different machines) for sample-perfect playback. This is supposedly how Kraftwerk do their live performances.
Chainer can be used either as a host or as a VST within other hosts (even itself). Thus you can get around the number-of-VST limits of some hosts or just make some complicated routings. Chainer can also supposedly bring stability to VSTs that are known to crash some hosts once they're wrapped in it. One of its coolest features is that it can save any currently loaded sound as a soundfont that can then be used in any soundfont-capable program such as the free sfz. Thus, if you have a complicated patch chained with several effects that is pushing your CPU to 80% you can save it as a soundfont and play it back at 5% or less in sfz.
My personal choice for a chainer would be energyXT. It offers most of the benefits of Chainer (host or plugin) but is infinitely flexible in it's audio and MIDI routings. With built-in filters, arpeggiators, sequencers, samplers, mixers, and tons of other goodies, it's a steal at 39 Euros. Plus, it's under active development with new features being added all the time.
Chainer can be used either as a host or as a VST within other hosts (even itself). Thus you can get around the number-of-VST limits of some hosts or just make some complicated routings. Chainer can also supposedly bring stability to VSTs that are known to crash some hosts once they're wrapped in it. One of its coolest features is that it can save any currently loaded sound as a soundfont that can then be used in any soundfont-capable program such as the free sfz. Thus, if you have a complicated patch chained with several effects that is pushing your CPU to 80% you can save it as a soundfont and play it back at 5% or less in sfz.
My personal choice for a chainer would be energyXT. It offers most of the benefits of Chainer (host or plugin) but is infinitely flexible in it's audio and MIDI routings. With built-in filters, arpeggiators, sequencers, samplers, mixers, and tons of other goodies, it's a steal at 39 Euros. Plus, it's under active development with new features being added all the time.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 61 posts since 26 Apr, 2004
For those of you using either of the products mentioned,
1) do you also have multiple keyboards and multiple sound cards?
2) Are you using Midi thru for all the keyboards with one midi controller on your computer?
3) If a song requires many keyboards parts that you must play, how do you manage it with just one keyboard?
Any help would be appreciated. I'm planning to go live with 1 keyboards and my computer instead of 10 keyboards.
Thanks.
1) do you also have multiple keyboards and multiple sound cards?
2) Are you using Midi thru for all the keyboards with one midi controller on your computer?
3) If a song requires many keyboards parts that you must play, how do you manage it with just one keyboard?
Any help would be appreciated. I'm planning to go live with 1 keyboards and my computer instead of 10 keyboards.
Thanks.
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- KVRer
- 10 posts since 15 Oct, 2004
I've currently got V-Stack but its stability does have some issues with just 2/3 instruments and me playing with settings in them. I originally chose it for the look and feel but will something else be more reliable?
Which one? Basically, I'm not interested with a sequencer setup as I want to use an external hardware sequencer and have Cubase SL if I need it.
How was Forte? Reliable?
What about XT, simple to learn and use as a host only?
TIA
Which one? Basically, I'm not interested with a sequencer setup as I want to use an external hardware sequencer and have Cubase SL if I need it.
How was Forte? Reliable?
What about XT, simple to learn and use as a host only?
TIA
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- KVRAF
- 5257 posts since 16 May, 2002 from Brisbane , Australia
I can't see any other option than EnergyXT. As far as I know it does much more than any of the other 2. But, even if you only want to use it as a simple host eXT is by far the cheaper option and in my opinion is much easier to use because of the modular GUI.