In this chapter we present an alphabetical list of basic terms used in Gig Performer's world.
Control Change
Most commonly referred to as a "CC". A CC message consists of a controller number and a value between 0-127. Expression pedals, knobs, faders and buttons typically send these types of messages. Synth modules might also send these messages out when you adjust certain parameters.
Curves
Also known as scale curves, curves are used to adjust how widgets move as a function of incoming MIDI messages. Curves are also used to define velocity mappings for keyboards.
Extensions
Extensions are basically external libraries that Gig Performer can load and provide the additional functionality, e.g. support for a hardware device such as Stream Deck. Click here to see the list of available extensions for Gig Performer.
Gig
A Gig Performer file (gig file or "gig") containing all the data you have created - rackspaces, variations, and all widgets and widget groups.
Global rackspace
A special always running rackspace that can be used to manage common plugins needed by most or all rackspaces. For example, you might have a compressor or final EQ that you want all rackspaces to use. Or you might want to run a looper plugin that needs to stay running regardless of which rackspace is running. If you use the same instrument (an acoustic piano perhaps) in almost all your rackspaces, you might insert that instrument in the Global rackspace instead, making your other rackspaces easier to manage.
Host automation
The old approach of controlling plugin parameters is through the direct MIDI controller mapping to these parameters. However, the modern approach of controlling plugin parameters is through the plugin's host automation support. This means that a host (Gig Performer) can automate (manage) plugin's parameters through widgets.
Instance
Multiple copies of Gig Performer can be launched and run simultaneously on a single computer. Each of these independent copies, running in its own window, is called an “instance” of Gig Performer. This is useful for applications like giving different band members the ability to change the rackspace affecting their particular instrument without changing the rackspaces affecting other instruments.
MIDI
An acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface—a standard protocol for the interchange of musical information between computers, controllers, and hardware-based electronic musical instruments such as synthesizers and samplers. Visit this blog article to learn how Gig Performer enables you to have the most flexible MIDI processing.
MIDI controller
A physical device such as a keyboard or pedalboard typically connected to your computer via USB.
OSC
Acronym for Open Sound Control—a communications protocol that is optimized for modern networking technology.
Panel
In Gig Performer, an area (visually similar to hardware rack-mounted sound modules and signal processors) containing widgets used to control the plugins in the rackspace containing the panel. A rackspace can contain multiple panels, each containing one or more widgets.
Panels View
The Gig Performer screen containing the panels and widgets used to control your sounds during performance.
Pin
Plugins are connected by connecting virtual wires to their pins (also called plugin ports). Plugins may have one or more input/output pins. MIDI pins are colored orange and audio pins are colored blue. See the chapter Wiring view for more information on plugin pins.
Plugin
Also referred to as a plugin block or just "block". A package of functionality that can be employed by any compatible audio host software. There is a tremendous variety of plugins available in the audio/music marketplace, but many popular plugins are software emulations of physical instruments or hardware devices. Originally developed for use within DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) applications, some plugins (called "virtual instruments") generate audio, for example, emulations of musical instruments and synthesizers, while effects plugins alter incoming audio signals, such as from a microphone, electric guitar, or virtual instrument, offering processes like equalization, filtering, compression, limiting, reverb, delay, flanging, chorusing, phasing, and the like. Tip: Don't mix plugin formats from the same company. (click here to learn more)
Port
An alternate name for a MIDI input or output device.
Probabilistic Sound Designer
A tool in Gig Performer that is available for all your plugins to help you create new sounds.
Program Change
Also referred to as a "patch change" (or "PC", when talking about MIDI messages; don't confuse this with "computer"). These messages are commonly used to prompt hardware or software to change a preset (or "patch"). If General MIDI is being used, the program change number indicates a particular sound. Since this standard isn't obligatory, manufacturers may list patches in any order they wish. See this blog article to learn how to manage program change events in Gig Performer.
Rackspace
A collection of interconnected plugins, along with one or more panels containing widgets to control plugin parameters in real time. A rackspace can actually be pretty much anything you like: It could represent a single sound or all the elements you need for an entire song - or even just one part of a song. You can switch from one rackspace to another instantaneously - and with no interruption of sound - either from your laptop, with up/down pedals, or via MIDI program change messages. Click here to learn more.
Radio group
Allows you to group multiple widgets where only one widget in the group is turned on at a time. Supported widgets are buttons, LEDs, switches, and the Sustain pedal. You can define up to 99 radio groups. A widget cannot be a member in both radio group and a widget link group. To learn more about this feature, visit the chapter How to add a widget to a Radio Group.
Rig
In Gig Performer, a "Rig" is a collection of three sets of information: a set of physical MIDI controllers, a set of virtual controllers that can be attached to widgets, and a map that relates the two sets, thereby connecting your physical controller, through widgets, to parameter controls.
Rig Manager
A mechanism that allows you to quickly change your connected MIDI hardware so your rackspaces are not dependent on specific devices. The Rig Manager is also used to help you distinguish multiple identical MIDI controllers.
Scriptlet
A proprietary plugin in Gig Performer that executes GPScript code to implement specialized MIDI transformations. Click here to see the list of community-created scriptlets.
Setlist
A collection of songs arranged in a desired order. Setlists are assembled from the library of available songs; you might have one setlist for a set you perform regularly and other setlists for individual performances requiring different songs or a different order. A song in a setlist is made active simply by clicking on it.
Song
A collection of song parts arranged in a desired order. Songs can execute actions when they are made active, such as sending out a MIDI program change message, overriding the current tempo with the song tempo, or opening a ChordPro file showing chords and lyrics. A library of songs can be built up, making them available to be used in setlists.
Song Part
An individual section of a song, such as a verse, chorus, bridge, or interlude. A song part consists of a reference to a rackspace along with some other properties. Selecting a song part makes its associated rackspace variation active, and can perform other actions like overriding the current tempo or sending out a custom string of MIDI messages. As the lowest level building block of setlists, song parts can be easily accessed by MIDI program change commands from an external controller, the large song part tiles in the Setlist/Song view, or by song part tiles in the Gig Performer Lemur template (or another custom OSC template).
Variation
These are essentially rackspace presets, all containing the same plugins and interconnections, but with different widget settings. For example, you can create a rackspace to add phasing to a piano sound, and then add several variations, each with different degrees of phase intensity. Since variations actually store widget settings, every parameter you want stored in a variation must be assigned to a widget on a rack panel. As with rackspaces, you can switch from one variation to another instantaneously - and with no interruption of sound - either from your laptop, with up/down pedals, or via MIDI program change messages.
Widget
A virtual object (such as a knob, slider, button, or meter) used to control and/or display plugin settings. Widgets can be operated either with your laptop’s mouse or trackpad, or remotely from a MIDI controller. With the use of OSC, widgets can also be operated from iOS / Android tablets or smartphones.
Linked widgets group
A collection of widgets that operate ganged together, where changing one widget in the group changes all of the others in the group, as well. This is a powerful method for controlling multiple plugin parameters simultaneously. For example, you could create several slider widgets that control the volume of various plugins and then raise or lower the volume of all of them by moving any one of them. In addition, individual widget scaling allows simple implementation of effects such as cross-fading. For more information, see the Widget Properties Inspector chapter.
Wiring View
The Wiring view is where you create your plugins and connect them together.
