Gig Performer vs. MainStage vs. Cantabile vs. Camelot Pro

How Does Gig Performer® Compare?

Here’s a simple breakdown.

 


Feature/Benefit

Patch persist

Splits and layers

MIDI filtering

Built-in metronome

Audio file player

MIDI file player

Plugin parameter learning

Instant switching between patches

Global and local MIDI monitor

Cross platform

Host VST2, AU and VST3 plugins

OSC support

Dynamic plugin loading

CPU usage 

Visual control scaling display

Plugin connection

Plugin effects routing

Visual custom control support (Widgets) per setup

Scripting support

Rig management (multiple configuration support)

Record audio and MIDI inputs

Variations

External synth control

Multi-instance support

Visual custom control support (Widget) groups

Built-in guitar tuner

Ableton Link integration

Latency measurement tool

Songs and Setlist reusing rackspaces/patches

ChordPro support

Probabilistic Sound Designer

Bi-Directional Global FX

Visual parameter scaling

Controlled patch transition

Built-in plugin for advanced MIDI processing

Extensions and external API support

Support for Cakewalk style instrument definition files

Data entry optimized for touch devices

Chameleon plugin


Gig Performer®

4.x



Optimized for live use

Visual patch cables

Visual patch cables

MainStage

3.x



Global 

macOS only

AU only

Normal

Channel strip

Mixer interface with aux buses 

Limited support

Limited support

Limited support

Unidirectional only

Cantabile Performer 3.x



Global 

Windows only

VST2 and VST3

Limited support

Normal

List style routing

List style routing

Limited support

Limited support

Limited support

Limited support

Unidirectional only

Camelot Pro
2.x



Local 

Normal

List style routing

List style routing

Limited support

Limited support

Limited support

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They Say

Scaling Curves


Scaling curves allow you to control the shape of the output of a widget or convert an incoming note velocity to a new velocity. Various predefined curves are available and they can be tweaked as necessary. You can also just draw your own curve as well to achieve the effect you require.

 

MIDI File Player Plugin


You can load up to 128 MIDI song files in a single plugin instance. Switch from one song to another, mute tracks and/or change their channel numbers. Tempo can be controlled by individual songs or you can use the global tempo and tap tempo to control the BPM interactively.

 

Favorites and Presets


Create a sound by placing and interconnecting your desired plugins, such as a synth, some effects and perhaps a mixer. Select them all and then save the selection as a named favorite. The favorite will subsequently show up in all plugin insert menus, making it easy for you to recreate that configuration whenever you need it again. This feature is also very powerful for creating your needed sounds on your studio computer and then transferring them to your touring laptop.

 

Probabilistic Sound Designer


Parameters you select in an open plugin are captured into the Probabilistic Sound Designer dialog window. When you click Randomize, you're only adjusting those selected parameters. Each entry in the PSD dialog has a curve but unlike widgets where the curve controls scaling, in the PSD the curves are used to define the probability of particular values being selected. Make sure the filter cutoff never gets too slow so as to block all sound. Perhaps adjust the max range of the VCA attack parameter so that the sound doesn't have too much delay. Constrain the octave ranges of the oscillators, perhaps ensuring that 1/3rd of the time we select 8' and 2/3rds of the time we select 4'. The possibilities are endless.

 

More Widgets


Numerous new widgets are included in Gig Performer - a new sustain pedal, plastic knobs, drum pads and more colored sliders. Shapes can be colored with different borders and fill colors and morphed from rectangular to circular. Your creativity is now the limit to creating fabulous front panels in Gig Performer.

 

MIDI Message Helper


Select MIDI devices by name. Choose the MIDI message type and adjust the appropriate parameters for the specific type

 

  

Layout management


Gig Performer supports arbitrary resizing. Layout your widgets the way you want - resize the main window and the widgets will grow or shrink as necessary to maintain the same interrelationships. No matter what size screen you have, your front panels will still be neat and usable.

 

Undo Support


If you move your widgets around and/or resize them, or even delete them by mistake, the Undo facility will correct your mistake. Minor moves to a widget by mistake will no longer spoil your design

 

Plugin Channel Count


Some plugins support a large number of outputs and they depend on the traditional channel strip to control how many ports should be available.   When you only need a stereo pair, it is convenient not to have a large horizontal block. In Gig Performer, the number of available ports  is controlled by the channel count override, which can be applied to individual plugins and will be remembered when the gigfile is reloaded or if the plugin is saved as a favorite.

 

Input muting and output fading


Rather than a single audio length tail, Gig Performer 4 gives you the ability to control input muting and output fading separately. Input muting controls how much time it takes for audio input to be silenced when you leave the rackspace. Output fading controls how much time will be taken for audio to fade out when you leave the rackspace.

 

Faster Plugin Finder


Instead of searching through menus of perhaps hundreds of plugins (you know who you are!), the Quick Plugin Finder makes it easy to find the plugin you need by simply typing partial strings. For example, as shown here, to find the Modartt Pianoteq 7 plugins, it's enough to type pia mod 7 (in any order, by the way)  to restrict the list of available plugins to those matching your query. The Quick Plugin Finder also knows about manufacturers, presets and favorites.

 

  

Touch Friendly Input


Any entry field can be changed by either dragging your mouse (or finger) up or down, or by using the large popup touchpad where you can just tap on the squares to enter a value. The large popup keypad also does validation so you can't enter an invalid value. You can also just tap the BPM field to pop up a larger view where you can quickly change tempo, tranpose, trigger Tap Tempo and enable Ableton Link, the last allowing you to synchronize Gig Performer with any other application that also supports Ableton Link.