In this article you will learn top 10 reasons why Gig Performer based guitar rig is the ultimate rig for any modern guitarist and why you should move to a Gig Performer based guitar rig.
If you are subscribed to the Gig Performer YouTube channel, you probably have already checked out the awesome top 10 video from Cameron Winters showcasing various Gig Performer features that will make your guitar performance be as great as possible.
NB: If you are interested in learning more about how Cameron uses Gig Performer, you can check out this terrific write-up in the Gig Performer in Action section of our community forum.
We will expand on the top 10 points presented in this video with further explanation, screenshots and videos.
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1. Wiring view
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No channel strips, that’s right! You don’t have to be an audio engineer to use Gig Performer. Simply connect your plugin blocks together using virtual wires just like you would connect your hardware pedals with short patch cables. The simplest example is a connection as shown in (A): Audio interface input -> VST plugin -> Audio interface output:
If you want to add a third-party reverb (or a delay, a phaser, etc.), simply insert it after the first effect block (B). (Hint: if you hold the Shift key down you can just drag it over the existing wires to insert it)
If you want to connect multiple plugins from different manufacturers – well, that’s a piece of cake (C). You can easily layer plugins from different plugin manufacturers (or the same manufacturer) in under a minute. We additionally inserted an Audio Mixer (bundled in Gig Performer) to control levels and balance.
Beside this approach, familiar to guitar and bass players who connect pedals using patch cables, the Wiring view provides you with a great overview of your signal flow and ease of programming; to expand or modify your setup, simply add new blocks in your wiring view or rewire your existing blocks.
Check out the guitar templates bundled with Gig Performer to see more examples. If you already own guitar plugins from companies such as Overload, Scuffham Amps, Neural DSP, ML Sound LAB, you can also check out the work of our community members and browse through these great custom guitar templates, where plugin parameters are already set up. Simply plug your guitar into your audio interface and start playing and experimenting immediately.
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2. Instant sounds switching
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We mean it. It’s really instant!
If you are a hardware guy and you have delved in the software world by trying standalone versions of plugins or you used plugins in a DAW, you have certainly noticed the latency when you change from the preset A to the preset B.
Not any more: Gig Performer’s revolutionary rackspace mechanism allows you to change your sounds instantly. This way you don’t rely on the plugin’s own mechanisms for changing sounds, but on the meticulously developed mechanism that allows sounds to change with zero latency.
This allows ultimate guitar shredders such as Igor Paspalj to get the most of their plugins.
You can see some examples on our own YouTube channel; check out this video:
or this video. You can change your clean and distorted sounds instantly.
We are proud to see people using Gig Performer and talking about rackspaces on their own channels, for example, check out this video.
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3. Controlling Gig Performer
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Gig Performer provides you with a complete control of your rig. First, you can create custom panels to show the important details of your rig. It can be as simple or as complex as you want.
Check out the blog article Working with panels and widgets to learn more.
Next, you can choose how you want to control these widgets or change sounds in your Gig Performer based guitar rig; you can use:
– MIDI Controllers,
– OSC Touch surfaces, custom extensions (click here to check out our Stream Deck extension),
– you can change your sounds automatically, using Actions,
– you can leverage the power of GPScript, a very flexible language, designed for use by musicians without programming experience
– a non-MIDI USB footswitch. In this community thread there is an example of such an USB foot switch that simulates pressing the letter “b” on the computer keyboard when it is pressed down. Since, Gig Performer can respond to keystrokes, you could use this foot switch to, for example, change rackspaces or songs.
In Cameron’s video, you can see how it is easy to set up your MIDI controller. To learn more, check out our Getting Started guide, where all important resources are listed to get you up to speed.
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4. Sound Design
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Previously mentioned, the Wiring view allows for flexible sound layering and experimenting with your sounds. You can then tweak your sounds in the editor windows of your plugins and add widgets to further tweak your sound. If you want to experiment with ‘controlled ideas’ and random patches, you can use Gig Performer’s Probabilistic Sound Designer.
This feature allows you to design random but related sounds by randomizing selected values of plugin parameters and using probabilities to determine how each parameter can be varied. To see this feature in action, check out this video.
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5. Not just for guitar
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One product to rule them all – Gig Performer is a universal tool for all music makers, singers, keyboardists, guitarists, bassists, wind players, drummers, and FoH engineers.
Make sure to check out our Gig Performer in Action index to see many stories and setups of pro musicians, such as Trey Gunn, using Gig Performer. You can easily browse the list by an instrument and the genre.
As may be expected, Gig Performer is also used in many other fields where quality audio is of utmost importance. Check out the blog Gig Performer is the best companion for all your musical efforts and more to learn more.
Gig Performer’s multiple instance support allows it to accommodate multiple band members on a single computer. This is very popular for solo artists (if you play guitar and sing) and duos. If you perform with backing tracks, Gig Performer, also has much to offer. Read the blog article Gig Performer and Backing Track Users to learn more.
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6. Automation
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Gig Performer provides you with sophisticated automation options, not only through Timeline Actions, but also with scripting.
You can automate widget movement, control your lights using MIDI and OSC, and automatically scroll lyrics as you perform. Refer to this blog article to learn bout Gig Performer’s Chord Pro support and automating lyrics movement.
NB: Gig Performer supports Ableton Link and its tempo can be synchronized to Link or an external MIDI clock.
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7. Multi Track Recording
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Gig Performer allows you not only to record dry and wet signals but also to record all your MIDI.
NB: by using the free MRecorder plugin, you can record any part of your signal chain.
Gig Performer’s recording capabilities are trusted by many well-known FoH engineers running live shows; for example, check out the blog article: Gig Performer in Bearsville Theater with FOH engineer Robert Frazza.
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8. Keep your rig separate
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You can keep your rig separate from your DAW – DAWs are designed for recording. They are not meant to be your guitar rig.
And a little teaser at this point of the Cameron’s video. The upcoming Gig Performer release will include many new features one of which will allow better integration with DAWs and other audio applications. Stay tuned!
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9. Portability
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Your Gig Performer based rig can fit into a backpack! You don’t even need multiple guitars for your shows. The rackspace mechanism allows you to change tuning of your guitar on the fly, with zero latency, and experiment with different tunings. You can see this Short for the demonstration of the Neural DSP Archetype Petrucci’s built-in pitch shifting feature:
You can also use a dedicated pitch shifting plugin, an example is in this video.
Needless to say, you can carry only one guitar and play different songs with different tunings at your show, rehearsal or in a hotel room.
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10. GPScript programming language
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Finally, for the most advanced use cases and MIDI processing you can leverage the power of the GPScript programming language. Make sure to read this dedicated blog article The most flexible MIDI processing to learn about advanced MIDI operations, GPScript and Scriptlets.
If you are a MIDI guitarist, these features will be particularly useful for your use cases.
Needles to say, you can add hardware pedals to you Gig Performer based guitar rig to build a hybrid rig. Whatever setup you decide to build, Gig Performer will serve you as the central place for your live performance management.
If you have any questions or want to share your feedback, please visit this community thread.
Own the Stage® with Gig Performer®.
Nemanja Pudar
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Related topics:
– Guitar rigs: Computer-based vs. hardware-based
– Why use a computer with Gig Performer rather than hardware
– Gig Performer as an ultimate enhancer
– Music software has failed you and here is why