When you start Gig Performer and the New Gig window shows up, you can either create a new empty gig, or choose a template to use as your starting point. The following screenshot shows the main Gig Performer window after a new empty gig has been chosen:
1.Panels view - click here to show the Panels view.
2.Edit button - in Panels view, click on this button to enter the Edit mode, where you can edit panels and widgets.
3.Wiring view - click here to show the Wiring view.
4.Setlists - click here to show the Setlist view.
5.Tuner icon - click here to toggle the Tuner view (the icon turns red).
6.Tempo display - shows the current tempo being used by all connected plugins (for example, sample/loop/beat-playback plugins, as well as those generating echoes, delays and reverbs). You can of course change the tempo any time. The tempo can also be set automatically by song and song part tempos. For more information see Tempo and Time Signature. The maximum tempo value is 640 BPM.
7.Time signature display - shows the current time signature being used by all connected plugins (for example, sample/loop/beat-playback plugins, as well as those generating echoes, delays, and reverbs). You can change this value and enter any time signature, up to 32/16.
8.Transpose - enter a global transposition value that will be applied to all MIDI In blocks by clicking on the field and entering a number of semitones directly, or by clicking on TRANSPOSE and using the increment (+) and decrement (-) buttons to set the number of semitones. Note: individual blocks can optionally ignore the global transpose value, something that is useful if a MIDI In block is being used for percussion or sound effects.
9.Link button - click this button to activate or deactivate Ableton Link.
10.Play/Stop button - click to start playback, click again to stop it. When playing, all plugins that support playback control (for example, sample, loop, or beat playback plugins) play back. When disengaged ("stop"), they are all put in a stopped state.
11.Audio metronome on/off - click to turn on the audio metronome, click again to turn it off. See Metronome for more information.
12.Global output volume (Trim) knob - use this to temporarily change the overall volume of your gig. An increase in volume is highlighted in red and a decrease is highlighted in blue. Double-click on the knob to reset its value to 0dB. The Trim knob can be remotely controlled; map it to a MIDI controller in the Global MIDI Assignments section of the Global MIDI options dialog. The initial value when Gig Performer first starts can be set in the General options.
13.This section contains:
a.MIDI activity indicator - flickering here indicates the presence of MIDI data. The top bar lights green when incoming MIDI messages are received, while the bottom bar flickers when MIDI messages are being transmitted (via a MIDI Out block). If the "Sync tempo with external MIDI clock" option is selected for the current rackspace (see Rackspace Properties), a thin yellow bar above the two flickers to indicate the presence of incoming MIDI Clock data and also serves as a visual tempo indicator. Open the Global MIDI Monitor window if you want to see detailed information about the MIDI messages being received.
b.CPU usage indicator - shows the percentage amount of CPU overhead currently being used by Gig Performer for audio processing. Actually, Gig Performer itself is only responsible for a very small percentage; most of the CPU overhead is taken up by the plugins currently loaded in memory. It is normal for this value to change in real time as incoming MIDI data is received and as widgets are moved.
14.Panic button - click this to issue "turn all notes off" messages on all MIDI channels, along with a Sustain OFF message and a Center PitchBend message, thus stopping stuck notes. Double-click this button to also reset the audio engine.
15.Globe icon - click on this icon to show or hide the Global Rackspace.
16.New rackspace/variation ("+") and Delete selected rackspace/variation ("-") buttons - click "+" to add a new rackspace or variation; click "-" to delete the selected rackspace or variation.
17.More... button - click on the button with the ellipsis (three dots) to drop down a menu of operations related to rackspaces, variations and widgets.
18.Browser (indicated by the left arrow) - in Panels and Wiring views, the browser shows a list of all rackspaces and variations that have been created. The current rackspace is outlined in green. The right arrow indicates the display of the current rackspace and variation. Click on a rackspace in the list to select it. Double-click on a rackspace in the list to open the Rackspace Properties dialog. Drag rackspaces up and down in the list to reorder them. The browser looks different in Setlist view, though the rackspace/variations list is still displayed. For more details, see Setlist view.
19.Panel surface - in the Panels and Setlist views, the purpose of this surface is to display widgets that had been previously dragged onto this surface in the Edit mode.
20.GP Hint - the hints database contains various tips and tricks about Gig Performer, many submitted by Community members. By default, a new hint will appear every time you start Gig Performer though of course you can turn this off. Show hints at any time by clicking on the Help menu -> Show a Gig Performer Hint.
21.Global Rackspace toggle - click on this toggle button to show/hide the Global rackspace controls.
22.Collapse/Expand bottom controls toggle - click on this arrow to collapse or expand the bottom controls, i.e. faders for all audio input and output channels.
23.Recorder button - click this to open the Recording Options dialog. For more detail, see Recording your performance.
24.Interface input levels - a set of meters and sliders that allow you to view and adjust the levels of your audio interface's various inputs. Flickering here indicates the presence of input signal. Double-click a fader to set it to 0 dB.
25.Interface output levels - a set of meters and sliders that allow you to view and adjust the levels of your audio interface's various outputs. Double-click a fader to set it to 0 dB.
Note: Gig Performer displays up to 16 input or output interface channels at a time. If your interface has more than 16 I/O connections, the remaining inputs and outputs are accessed by clicking the Next or Previous button to scroll the display.
