My newbie questions

[muLperi]

Question 1
What is the difference between bypassing the plugin and deactivating it from the other button. I know that deactivating it will lighten the cpu load, but will it take longer to activate it again when browsing Sub sessions?
Which one should I use, if my cpu usage is "ok"?

Question 2
I'm still new to Cantabile and (almost) overwhelmed with the possibilities and flexibility of the software.
Just had an idea: Is it possible to assign different octaves of midi keyboard to different plugins. So I wouldnt need to even change sub session, but rather have my hands on several plugins at the same time, with same midi keyboard. Just use different octaves? Can someone tell me how in a nutshell.

[dluther]

Question 1
What is the difference between bypassing the plugin and deactivating it from the other button. I know that deactivating it will lighten the cpu load, but will it take longer to activate it again when browsing Sub sessions?
Which one should I use, if my cpu usage is "ok"?

It is exactly as you described it -- bypass functions like a "mute" where suspend completely "turns off" the plugin. You can assign either button to any command. In my experience, suspending takes up to about 10ms where the bypass function is instantaneous. In practice, I use the bypass for patch changes within a song, and suspend between songs

Question 2
[...]Is it possible to assign different octaves of midi keyboard to different plugins. So I wouldnt need to even change sub session, but rather have my hands on several plugins at the same time, with same midi keyboard. Just use different octaves? Can someone tell me how in a nutshell.

Page 69 of the manual tells exactly how to do this:

The Rack Split and Transpose settings are the quickest and easiest ways of creating keyboard splits. Each rack has the following settings that can be used to create splits and transpose notes:

Keyboard Range - Specifies a range of notes that will be accepted by the rack. All notes outside this range are discarded.

Transpose Amount - Specifies how much to transpose all incoming notes and is applied after the keyboard range is checked. Notes that are transposed outside the range 0-127 are discarded. The transpose amount is indicated in the form <octaves>.<semitones>. For example +1.2 means transpose up 1 octave and 2 semitones.

Both of these settings are applied before the rack's MIDI Filters.
Unlike other methods for setting up keyboard splits and transposition, these settings are controllable by Sub-Sessions. This allows individual racks to each have different settings for each sub-session. These settings also intelligently handle being changed while notes are being played so as to prevent stuck notes.

[muLperi]

Thank you very much

note to self: RTFM

[TiUser]

... I know that deactivating it will lighten the cpu load, but will it take longer to activate it again when browsing Sub sessions?

That depends on the plugin but I have had that effect that resuming from suspended state takes far longer than 10ms. If you have enough cpu you don't necessarily need to use suspend state. It's just an option.

Bypassing has other benefits as it will not cut off audio hard and reduce risk of glitches.

In both cases you need to experiment a bit if you're picky and want to know in detail. I guess no VST behaves like the next, so that's live players curse...


And BTW it turned out that you can reduce ASIO load a lot by using jBridge to run plugins "isolated" and activating it's "performance" option for the price of one additional audio buffer. The gain is usually higher than the price for latency here. Just not all plugins behave well with jBridge, so another point you have to check out for each plugin...

[muLperi]

Is this a bug or what?
I've assigned one knob to cutoff parameter for 2 (or more) VSTis, but only the latest mapping works, when I change sub sessions, the cutoff parameter is not affected by the knob for the first synths that I mapped it.
Only for the last synth assigned.

Midi assignments menu shows the assignments and they should be fine, it just doesn't work.

[TiUser]

I don't think controller assignments are subsession sensitive.

Depending on controlled target there is either "global" or "session" context available. VST parameters are usually "session" context only.

If you think that is a missing feature please go the the latest poll/thread about most wanted improvements.

Subsessions are "states" within a setup - not total reconfigurations of everything.

You can't change plugins or racks with subsession changes either.

You get an overview when checking the points in "Subsession behavior" menus on rack level and individual rack slots. The check markers in media players, triggers and midi routings are subsession sensitive too.

[muLperi]

I'm not sure if I understood everything.

As you said, sub-sessions are just states within a Session. And yes the plugin control assignments are for the Session.
So if I'm correct, changing the sub-session should not affect Session assignments (because I'm still in the same session).
If I have assigned a button to change something in several plugins at the same time, it should do it, in my opinion.

But I'll start reading the manual now

edit: actually it seems to be a problem with OPX PRO II. It works with all the other plugins.

[muLperi]

I started experimenting how keyboard splits work and now there's another problem in my new session. For some reason mod wheel only effects to only one instrument, the first rack and not the others. The rack order doesn't make a difference.

Cantabile seems to be very flexible and versatile software but for some reason I keep bumping to these stupid problems all the time...

[TiUser]

I'm not sure if I understood everything.

As you said, sub-sessions are just states within a Session. And yes the plugin control assignments are for the Session.
So if I'm correct, changing the sub-session should not affect Session assignments (because I'm still in the same session).
If I have assigned a button to change something in several plugins at the same time, it should do it, in my opinion.

But I'll start reading the manual now

edit: actually it seems to be a problem with OPX PRO II. It works with all the other plugins.

1:n controller assignments should work - if you want that not subsession dependent.

To make sure multiple assignments have been set, open the full assignments dialog instead of the quick assignment and check the list of assignments. Do not forget to click "Assign" before closing to really get another assignment.

Can you describe a bit closer what you have assigned? Accidentally I have OP-X pro too.

[TiUser]

I started experimenting how keyboard splits work and now there's another problem in my new session. For some reason mod wheel only effects to only one instrument, the first rack and not the others. The rack order doesn't make a difference.

Cantabile seems to be very flexible and versatile software but for some reason I keep bumping to these stupid problems all the time...

Again I am not sure what you are doing.

Do you have a separate rack for each instrument?

I just tried that and the mod wheel affects both instruments in both racks, not just one. Using split/transpose does not change anything about that.

I recommend to not put more than one instrument in one rack - otherwise midi routing can get confusing here - Midi pass through is a bit odd imho. Multiple racks also allow better multi threading, i.e. spreading load on modern multi core cpu's.

If you have efx in the same rack behind an instrument it's sometimes useful to enable "suppress midi program change" to avoid odd effects on sound changes in the instrument not affecing the patch in the efx.

Monitoring midi flow in Cantabile is hard - you can't really see what's happening.