Gig Performer

After having been a very long time Brainspawn Forte user (which is discontinued for some time now) I found Gig Performer as a great replacement which adds a lot off additional possibilities and improvements for my workflow.
It was very easy for me to learn the first steps because it has a great drag and draw feature for setting up VSTIs and Routings.
But being easy to operate doesn't mean it has less abilities. Through Scripting abilities you can tweak and Change nearly anything you like.

As a live performing keyboardist I use it as host for a lot of different VSTis so I have endless possibilities soundwise. One great feature in Gig Performer is, that I'm able to set up different sets (called rackspaces) of VSTIs, Plugins and Routings per song or per songpart and can switch instantly between them without any gap. So I can freely choose per song/songpart if I need something from Omnisphere, Nexus, Halion, Falcon, Sampletank or even multiple instances of these within one song, easily spread over different keyranges of my masterkayboards. I also use different Plugins on the Mic Input of my Audio-Interface to do some Vocoder and Harmonizing stuff which I can also program per Song/songpart.

Right now Gig Performer is the perfect Live-Host for me because it combines very quick and easy workflow with endless abilities.

I could go on writing some pages about all the cool features but I strongly recommend to anyone who is looking for a live Host to try out the Demoversion.
I also need to mention that it has a very friendly and experienced quick replying community behind which is also a great Thing.

PROs:
+ Easy and intuitive to learn
+ Windows and Mac available
+ Low CPU usage
+ Seamless Sound switching
+ Very powerful (scipting)
+ great Community

CONs:
- I didn't find anything yet.

I purchased Gig Performer in August last year. I am a guitar player and had been previously using Reaper exclusively as my plugin host. Why I started looking at Gig Performer was because I wanted something I could just open and start playing, and that would give me quick access to many different setups (I was also not recording much so it didn't make sense to be using a DAW).

I have used wiring/connection UI's previously, but that was on really outdated free hosts. It really couldn't be simpler in Gig Performer: add some overdrive plugins, your amp sim (S-Gear all the way), and some post FX plugins for reverb and delay, maybe the in-built audio player for a backing track - connect them up - and you're away. If you want to create a different setup, just create a new 'rackspace' (or duplicate your original as a starting point). The other great thing about wiring views is that it is extremely easy to set up parallel FX chains or other more complex setups.

It took me a while to get used to creating 'widgets' on the front/panel view, but for me the benefit of these is the other major drawcard for Gig Performer: 'variations'. These are like presets within a preset - so within your rackspace setup, the widgets you have linked to different plugin parameters can be saved/changed per-variation. So that allows you to have variations created, for example, for 'Clean', 'Crunch', and 'Lead' tones, where the variations will: bypass or activate your overdrive plugins, or switch on the delay, or reduce the reverb mix level, or increase the amp drive and sag of your amp sim etc. These variations can be accessed directly using program change messages from your MIDI controller, or you can move up/down using global MIDI control change messages.

The other really nice feature I've been using is the ability to use the variations to send MIDI messages out to external gear. I wanted to use my analog guitar pedals with my Gig Performer setup, so I bought a midi-controllable pedal switcher. So now my variations for 'Clean', 'Crunch' and 'Lead' can also activate/deactivate my analog pedals.

There's a great setlist/song feature, which allows you to set up setlists and songs that re-use your previously created rackspaces and variations. It also manages audio tail 'spillover' nicely so you don't cut off your reverb or delay when you change rackspaces.

I've also found that Gig Performer is extremely usable with other audio apps. I have been successfully using virtual audio ports to route multiple output channels from Gig Performer to Reaper for recording, or to a looper app. I have also used virtual MIDI ports to send MIDI message from these apps back to Gig Performer to automatically change rackspaces or variations at specific positions on your transport timeline. I've also dipped my toe in using the scripting language to have greater control over Gig Performer than what is available in the standard UI.

In all, it is now my daily-driver and I'm extremely happy with my setup. It can definitely cover all bases from simple to extremely complex workflows. A great app.

A class of its own; this is the right main "tool" to play Live, managing all my controllers on one side and plugins to a higher degree, .

shaping my sound and allowing creative freedom.

Also excels on MIDI routing, taking advantage of OSC.

Im a "happy camper" with Gig Performer first in the studio around sound design, connections, .

then at rehearsals testing, improving and finally in a Live situation focused on performing, knowing that Gig Performer stable, reliable, ground based helps.

my music making like no other piece of software.

Simply check the free trial and experience for yourself;-).

This will definitely sound like an ad, but I paid for the software, I get no compensation from Deskew, and I'll tout it if I want to!;-).

I began using GP a couple years ago on the recommendations of musician Trey Gunn and mastering engineer/electrical engineer Steve Turnidge (he designs circuit boards for Pigtronix, among other things) in Seattle. It was just what I was looking for - a reliable and flexible way of going completely in-the-box without sacrificing any of the quality of my sound (I am a guitarist). But now, with GP, my laptop, MidiGuitar 2, a SoftStep, some expression and switch pedals, a Guitar Wing, and a Sensel Morph (which I am using for the drum pads, also connected to GP), I can cook up any scenario I can think of and be ready as an improvisor to come up with new sounds as well. My regular guitar sounds (which can get pretty wild), guitar synth sounds - using any synth in my VI collection via MidiGuitar 2 - and drum sounds are all handled by GP and all I have to do is draw lines between them to create connections (no thinking about busses & aux tracks) and teach it some MIDI controls. (I've also experimented with using Lemur on an iPad for visual feedback so I can keep the laptop out of the way.).

And, the whole setup fits inside the bag that used to carry my VG-99, while weighing less in entirety than the FC-300 pedalboard I used to carry as well. The developers are very responsive, and there's a great online community who have helped me with questions both simple and obscure. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Tony Geballe.

(full disclosure - I was in the Trey Gunn Band, and Trey now plays in a band with one of the developers - but we didn't discover that connection until after I began using Gig Performer. It came up as an aside while the dev was helping solve a problem on a tech support call that came moments after I posted a question to their support site, and we started talking about musicians in Seattle.).

Having grown frustrated with Mainstage's sluggish performance, I purchased GigPerformer [v1.? at the time...now at 3.6.1] for Mac and was impressed by its responsiveness, as well as its user interface. GP's superior memory management allows me to load a large number of Rackspaces (each of which contains one or more plugins) and select (either separately or as part of a Song) via mouse, external MIDI controller, or iDevice (using OSC)...instant playability; no lag or hiccup. GP is easy to navigate, and its performance is rock solid. Although primarily for live performance, I enjoy using it in the studio: the Rackspaces/Songs I configure for recording can be reused on stage...no problem sounding like the record...same sounds and config.