In this article, you will learn what is Gig Performer, how it fits into a modern music setup, and how it helps musicians perform with software instruments.
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So far, you’ve learned what MIDI is. You’ve discovered software instruments and effects. Now it’s time to connect the dots. If software instruments create the sounds and effects shape them, what actually brings everything together into a complete live performance setup? That’s where Gig Performer comes in.
Software instruments and effects need an application that can load them, organize them, and connect them into a playable system. That application is called an audio plugin host or VST host. At its very core, Gig Performer is an audio plugin host specially designed for live performance. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
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Think of Gig Performer as Mission Control.
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Imagine your live setup as a team. In that team:
– A MIDI keyboard sends performance data.
– Software instruments generate the sounds and effects shape the sounds.
– Your audio interface sends everything to the speakers.
– Gig Performer sits in the middle, coordinating every part of the system. Your mission control — the ultimate brains of your rig.
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Although Gig Performer loads software instruments and effects, that’s only part of what it does. Gig Performer combines those sounds and effects into patches and afterward organize those patches into songs and setlists.
With Gig Performer, you can:
From keyboardists and guitarists to vocalists, drummers, FoH engineers, multi-instrumentalists, and soundscape artists, musicians rely on Gig Performer every day, in other words, anybody who needs a reliable solution for anything live. Check out this page to see Gig Performer in action.
Gig Performer is unobtrusive—it’s there for you as much or as little as you want it to be. If you’re used to hardware keyboards and want to see what the world of plugins has to offer, Gig Performer is a great solution for that scenario. You can simply use it to enhance just a few sounds. Setups like these, where we combine hardware with software instruments and effects, are called hybrid solutions.
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If you’ve followed the First Things First series so far, you’ve already learned three of the most important building blocks of modern music technology. You now know what is MIDI, what software instruments and effects do, and where Gig Performer fits into the picture.
Of course, the real fun starts when you put them into practice! In the next article, we’ll create a simple patch in Gig Performer from scratch. You’ll learn how to insert plugins, connect them, and play your very patch in Gig Performer.
Welcome to the world of live performance with Gig Performer—we’re just getting started.
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You’re just getting started, and that’s exciting! Before moving on to the next article, let’s answer a few common questions that new Gig Performer users often ask.
Yes. Gig Performer includes the LostIn70s plugin suite, plus special editions of Overloud TH-U and SynthMaster Player, with 1,000 preset sounds.
Gig Performer is a cross-platform audio plugin host that runs on both Windows and macOS.
For macOS, Gig Performer is available in two versions. The Universal version runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs but requires a more recent version of macOS. The Intel version supports older Intel-based Macs running macOS 10.9 and later.
Gig Performer itself is lightweight and doesn’t require a high-end computer. In fact, one of our team members successfully tested it on an Intel Core 2 Duo laptop from 2009 with just 4 GB of RAM.
However, your computer’s overall performance depends primarily on the software instruments and effects you use. Large sample libraries and CPU-intensive plugins require more processing power, memory, and storage than Gig Performer itself.
Absolutely. Most modern keyboards can send MIDI to a computer via USB or a MIDI interface. Many musicians use their existing keyboard as a controller while Gig Performer provides additional sounds and flexibility. You can also use software instruments and your hardware patches in tandem. Check out this article to learn more.
Yes. Gig Performer is designed to scale with your experience. You can start with a simple setup using a single software instrument and gradually build more advanced live rigs as your confidence and needs grow. Want to know the secret? It comes down to a visual approach that Gig Performer users rave about. Click here to read the full story!
Musicians consistently praise Gig Performer for its reliability, flexibility, intuitive workflow, and ease of use. It’s trusted by everyone from weekend performers and worship musicians to touring professionals and musical directors working with major artists. Across our community, interviews, and social media channels, users share real-world stories, live rig breakdowns, and firsthand experiences that highlight how Gig Performer helps them perform with confidence. If you’d like to learn more, check out our article Gig Performer through the Eyes of Musicians: Setups, Stories, and Artist Insights.
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If you have any questions or want to share your feedback, please see this Community thread.
Please share it to help spread the word! 🙂
Own the Stage® with Gig Performer®
Nemanja Pudar
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Related topics:
– What Is MIDI — First Things First
– What are Software Instruments and Effects — First Things First
– Gig Performer is the best companion for all your musical efforts and more
– Gig Performer is Extremely Easy, Intuitive, and Fun to Use