High CPU with Basic Rackspace

Hi there! This may be a moot point but I thought I’d show you the single backspace I use for my entire live set. My point is that it evades using multiple rackspaces!
As you can see I use a lot of plugins as well as addressing my hardware synths and admittedly it helps to have Korg Kronos enabling control over all 16 simultaneous midi channels. In fact the main reason Main Stage never worked for me was because one couldn’t patch change within the plugins themselves and you were forced tp set up a separate scene for every new combination of sounds! Ridiculous! I think GPs scene (or “backspace” as they call it) capability is the best as live hosts go as far as speed is concerned but doing so at fast speed is never going to happen even with only one plugin in use. I change sounds between verses and choruses which of course demands instant change on a program patch change message: that’s why I only use a single rackspace.

Hope this helps!

typos!.. (backspace = rackspace!)

Interesting, but why don’t you use different rackspaces?
As soon as you need to use scripting with only 1 rackspace it will be to complex I think.

Thank you, GPman for sharing your rackspace.

I have adopted a similar “uber rackspace” concept for my live performance gig. I have one master rackspace that include two MIDI keyboard controllers that I assign various acoustic and electric piano, organ, acoustic and electric guitar, and string patches. These are my bread-and-butter sounds that cover about 2/3 of my group’s setlist. I bypass and activate patches using front panel switches. I also have controls that allow me to transpose and change split points for each variation. For the main B-3X organ patch, I have front panel drawbars, Leslie cabinet and amp selectors, as well as percussion, chorus and distortion widgets that can be modified for each variation. My bottom rack panel is the master mixer that combines the four sub-mixes (pianos, organs, guitars and strings) into one unit.

Bottom line, I can map any patch to either controller, full or split, through variations on the same basic rackspace. The rackspace loads in about 45 seconds, which is far less time than if I had created 40 to 50 individual rackspaces on a per-song basis. I will post a picture later, but we’re essentially on the same page.

Here are some screenshots of my “uber rackspace” detailed in my post above.




Looks impressing.
As I see you are bypassing the plugins, did you never face an issue with hanging notes?

Not yet, although I rarely have to switch variations while holding notes.

I use the green switch widgets to bypass and un-bypass individual plugins using “inverse” logic, which is really pretty cool.

I should mention that this gig setup has allowed me to replace a HEAVY (physical) rack full of synthesizer gear: a Motif Rack-XS, Emu Proteus 2000 and B3 modules, a Roland XV-5050, and Korg Trinity TR Rack, plus a Behringer mixer. I’m getting too old to lug all that crap around.

So far, I am very satisfied with my GP purchase and really enjoy the active support I receive through the GP community and developers!!

There is a joke, “You know you’re too old to be in a rock band when you buy gear based on its weight”

That joke used to be funny :cry:

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Sad, but true. Even back in the days when I was carrying a C3 and a Kawai electric upright, I hated lugging…

As I said I patch change many times within the duration of a song- intro-verse-chorus-verse-m8-verse-chorus-outro etc. Rackspaces don’t change instantly so it makes sense to have a single space full of virtual sound modules which can be addressed with program change messages to access their respective sounds. And anyway as I already use up all 16 midi channels I don’t even have spare midi channel available to relay a rackspace change!

When you say “scripting” what exactly are you referring to?

Scripting = GP Script

With scripting I do such things as fade out of a sound via widget.
Or I start the AudioPlayer
Or I do send out some midi notes to a Midi Out Block for example to control some visuals running on a different machine.
Or sometimes I automate variation changes on specific bar/beat coming from the global play.

Yes! I do very similar things too including triggering a sample playback player via midi notes all within the same rackspace! Have no problems whatsoever!
GP is by far the most comprehensive and well thought out live hosting software by a country mile and I’ve tried most of the competition!

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But your script can be very long because it has to check which variation is selected to do the correct things, right?

Thanks for the kind words — the good news is that we continue to do serious work on GP so it will keep getting even better.

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Why doesn’t that surprise me?! Excellent!
P.S. finally resurrected my live repertoire with a fund raising gig last weekend so hope to be back in touch with Larry soon with a video! H

Scripting is always in context of a rackspace.
Callbacks like on WidgetValueChanged or on Variation could be very useful.

I understand not duplicating rackspaces because each rackspace uses ram.

But, my preferred option would be to create different songs/song parts and reuse rackspaces.

GP allows you to have some flexibility in using that rackspace, capturing different widget settings for a particular song (volume being an important one) (as well as transpose and some other particularization in the Song Edit window).

The great Tom Bukovac (who is not a plugin guy) says “Good tone is heavy and hard to carry.” lol

While my band does work off a setlist, occasionally our vocalist reads the audience and “calls an audible”. In which case I us cmd-f to locate the song.

I put an extra song in each set so we can skip one if needed. Much quicker and easier to skip than add a song.