In this article, you will learn how to supercharge your hardware keyboard with Gig Performer to create the ultimate hybrid rig.
In an earlier blog article Why use a computer with Gig Performer rather than hardware we explored the advantages of choosing a computer-based setup for live performance. Still, we recognize that for many keyboard players, there’s a certain comfort in performing with hardware keyboards. It feels reliable and simple.
However, there are performance upgrades available to hardware users. For example, maybe certain onboard sounds are starting to feel dated. Maybe your piano patches don’t quite cut through the mix. Maybe you wish you had more flexibility with splits, layers, or velocity zones. Or perhaps you’re looking for richer, studio-quality effects—or even a solid backup option.
Or perhaps your creative drive is pushing you to explore new territory? This is where a hybrid rig kicks in.
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Instead of focusing on 100% hardware or 100% software rigs, you can get the very best of the both worlds and build a hybrid rig.
By combining your hardware keyboard with Gig Performer and powerful VST plugins, you unlock an entirely new level of performance. You decide to what degree you want to keep software in place. This approach will dramatically expand your sound, flexibility, and control.
The result? More power, more expression—and a setup that truly stands out on stage. In the video below, Marty Wade walks through several examples of how keyboard players who use hardware synths can take their rig further by running Gig Performer alongside them.
By building a hybrid rig you can automate patch changes, add virtual instrument layers on top of your hardware sounds, and route your hardware signal through studio-quality effects. We’ll break down some key concepts from the video.
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Last year, I went to a jazz show where the keyboardist played on a hardware keyboard. He used the same piano patch the entire time. While it sounded like a piano, there are more expressive sounds available to him that could have made the performance as a whole significantly more captivating. I couldn’t help wondering how the performance might have felt if he’d been using brand new and high-quality VST sounds.
On the Gig Performer side, this setup is extremely simple:
The workflow is visual and musician-friendly. You first connect your keyboard block to the desired audio plugin (in this example, Pianoteq) using virtual cables. Afterward, connect that plugin block to the outputs of your audio interface. Done. As simple as that. As noted in this blog article, it took me 9 seconds (8s in the second attempt) to create this setup. So, quickly and easily you can have the premium sounds performance ready in no time.
Note: if you like Marty’s patch from the video, you can download it here, along with his Steinway preset for Pianoteq.
Therefore, even if you’re not feeling one specific sound on your hardware keyboard, it is worth trading it for a VST that fits your taste better.
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Gig Performer supports an unlimited number of splits and layers. It’s all down to your imagination, not to the limitations of your hardware keyboard. One example, that Marty demonstrated in the video, is a layered “hybrid” sound consisting of one hardware sound and three synths hosted inside Gig Performer.
Check out the blog article How to create keyboard and velocity splits to learn about various split options you can set up in Gig Performer.
Needless to say, you can layer and split your sounds any way you want. For example, you can just use your hardware sounds layered with the studio quality effects hosted in Gig Performer. Or you can make a keyboard split where one part of the keyboard plays a sound from your hardware and the other one plays a virtual instrument. Combine this with Gig Performer’s built-in plugins, such as Chord Maker, and you’ll find yourself exploring entirely new ways to perform your setlist.
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Suppose you have multiple hardware keyboards. Selecting a song in Gig Performer can automatically send patch changes to all your keyboards and external synth modules. This allows for a smooth performance where Gig Performer is the brain of your rig.
Beyond that, Gig Performer’s extensive feature set makes it easy to integrate with other software and hardware devices. Gig Performer Pro includes a variety of built-in MIDI tools, OSC support, an SDK for creating custom extensions, Ableton Link, and and a powerful internal programming language called GPScript, for advanced functionality when needed.
For example, you can easily integrate a Stream Deck using this Gig Performer extension:
Further, you can easily work with apps such as TouchOSC, Lemur, BandHelper, or (our favorite sheet music app) MobileSheets. You can control lights, better integrate with your bandmates or your sound engineer.
Finally, you can automate many of your operations through timeline and song actions. Check out this video to learn more.
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Things in life are rarely black and white — there are always shades of gray. Adding Gig Performer to your hardware rig creates a true win-win situation: richer sounds, greater control, and improved reliability.
Making a hybrid rig with Gig Performer is the perfect choice for old-school hardware users looking to explore the world of VSTs. By dipping your toes into the software side of live performance, you can not only expand and enhance your hardware sounds, but also make smarter performance decisions and navigate your setlist more efficiently. On top of that, Gig Performer helps unlock the full potential of your hardware setup, removing limitations you may not have realized were there.
In this Backstage with Gig Performer episode you can learn how a modern keyboard player like Paul Gere switched from a hardware keyboard to using a hybrid rig. Paul plays in the band Mixtape Junkies and is also a moderator in the well-known Facebook group Keyboard Players in Cover Bands.
The goals are always the same: to make your performance easier, more flexible, more enjoyable, and ultimately more memorable.
Do you have questions? Share your thoughts and feedback with us in our Community forum.
Own The Stage® with Gig Performer®
Nemanja Pudar
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Related topics:
– How to change sounds and control plugins from your MIDI controller
– What can you sound like? See some artists playing.
– Gig Performer saved my show!
– Gig Performer users are our best benchmark