New to Gig Performer and looks great - Questions

General discussion about Gig Performer
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I am a guitar player using a Fractal Axe FX and a GR55 along with a Piezo pickup.

While I would not have believed it, it seems I could replicate this rig with Gig Performer, Midi Guitar 2 and plug ins from Neural and Sampletank. Gig Performer would be the heart of the set up and while I’m coming up the learning curve - some quick questions for you pros!

-Today I use GR55 presets and Fractal Presets and Songs a re a combination of both (I use Bandhelper to trigger them but that can wait for another day) My question is whether I can set up backspaces for the guitar parts (Magnetic and Piezo) and Synth Parts and then combine them for songs or do I have to replicate them all into one Rackspace and song. Using separate ones would be easier to combine but not a deal breaker.

  • Axe FX uses scenes (similar to variations I believe) and my question is whether I could trigger scenes with MIDI foot switches that would be 1,2,3,4,5 irrespective of song (or rackspace)

  • Global Rackspaces look very useful and I was wondering if they can be overridden for a specific song. For example, let’s say 95% of my songs use Exp Pedal 1 for Synth volume control but 5% of them use it for a different function. Could I override the Global for those 5% or would I just set up the expression pedal outside the Global Rackspace.

  • My hold pedal (cc 64) is almost always set up as momentary (and programmed into my FC300 that way) but I see I can set it to latching in Gig Performer. I am having trouble having Midi Guitar recognize this but I 've been reading about using VST vs AU version so maybe I’ll check that out.

  • Any other recommendations from gigging guitarists on how best to set up global vs backspace vs songs ?

Thanks all!!

MM

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Hey @WITELITE welcome!
Probably the best starting point is to familiarise yourself with the song/part and rackspace/variation relationships.

The common approach is to use the rackspaces and variations to build your sounds, and then reference them when you set up your songs and song parts.

The important point is that a song part points to one specific rackspace/variation. So while you can use many different rackspaces/variations in a single song (if you need to), you can’t run them simultaneously.

https://gigperformer.com/docs/GP4UserManual/songs-and-setlists.html

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In terms of the midi foot switching, if you end up using the setlist/song feature, you can set up dedicated CC messages to select the specific song parts. This way you can use the same footswitches to select song parts 1-5 in every song.

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In terms of the expression pedal, it also depends on how you are setting up everything in GP. If the plugin you want to control is in the local/standard rackspaces, then the easiest thing is to just set up the expression pedal widget in each rackspace. That way you can change what it controls from rackspace to rackspace.

Otherwise, there are always options/workarounds to get it working as you want.

I assume you’re on Mac? For MidGuitar2 you also have the option of running it outside of GP as a standalone app. It will create a Midi Port in GP so you can then route it to synth plugins within GP. This can have some advantages, such as offloading the processing work of MidiGuitar2 to other processors on your Mac - particularly helpful if you are pushing the limits of the machine with the plugins/setup you want to run.

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Thanks @rank13 ! Most helpful. I was trying to minimize number of occurrences in the backspaces which was why I asked. This makes sense though.

MM

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Thanks @rank13 . I’ll have to give the MIDI Guitar standalone option a shot. (Yes on a Mac) especially given the previous backspace discussion!

MM

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Why? (Just trying to understand your thinking)

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Two reasons.

I thought more occurrences or rack spaces would consume more memory. ??

If I used a specific guitar preset with 5 different synth sounds and I changes that preset I would only have to change it once versus 5 times.

Let me know if that makes sense and thanks !!!

MM

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It will, to some extent, depending on the plugins — not much though unless you’re using large samples.

But so what? What else do you need your memory for?

Were you planning on reading emails, writing documents, playing games and/or surfing the internet while you’re performing???

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Note that you can also use Predictive Loading.
Link: Predictive loading

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I’ll check that out thanks!

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Don’t get distracted by predictive loading until you have considered why you’re concerned about memory in the first place.

Predictive Loading is a useful and powerful tool if you need a HUGE number of rackspaces and plugins but until you determine that memory actually is a problem, it’s not necessary to go there.

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Hey, why not for some boring performances… :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Yeah, that was an awesome performance

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Yeah, but in fact he his a drummer:

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Yes, I’ve seen that too but to be honest, I think the funniest version of this kind of thing was done by a German comedian

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Oh God! :sweat_smile: :rofl: :joy:

I almost choked on the first guitar chord. But actually after that it was even worse, I had to pause at the end of the guitar to catch my breath. I thought that after that it would be ok, but I almost died again during the keyboardist’s sound check. There were similarities with your own keyboard rig, right? God, next time warn me, I had something in my mouth when I started watching!

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Back on the Global vs. Local rackspace thing, I’m putting all of the constant, such as my inputs and outputs and a mixer and most of the vocal chain into my global rackspace. The stuff that varies, like guitar effects and MIDI instruments are local.

In the recent video on Setlists, there is some info on controlling global widgets from local ones.

I recently setup a Standby rackspace with Standby and Run variations. Stadby mutes all (front-of-house and monitors) and Run opens them back up.

In the Global rackspace, set up at least one mute widget, depending on your needs. In the Advanced tab for the widget, give it a parameter number.

Now set up a local rackspace called Standby with a variation called Standby. Add a “To Global Rackspace” plugin. Edit the panel and add your mute widgets. Make it control the To Global Rackspace plugin and select your mute parameter. You’ve just linked the local and global widgets.

To make sure that you don’t accidentally bump a switch with a broomhandle, set your mute switch to the off position, edit the panel, and go to the Value tab for the mute widget. Set it to ignore variations, select This Value as the initial value on gig load, and set it to Reset on Rackspace Activation. Now, everytime you enter this rackspace, your system mutes with no additional plugins loaded.

Make a new varation called Run. For this one, lockdown the mute button in the not-muted configuration.

I made a song called standby with song parts Standby, Run, and Normalize. (For normalize, I have a different local rackspace that uses the same techniques to turn off mute and to set my mixer values to unity.) Now I can select Normalize before I start a gig, Standby, when I go pee, and Run, when I get back.

I can use similar techniques to mute the mic on an instrumental or whatever.

I don’t know that I save memory or processing with this, but I save time by not having to replicate the main mixer in every local rackspace, and it’s always consistent.

Also, let’s say I need to trim the level of the bass for a given venue. With that in the global rackspace, I can tweak it once and it will be consistent throughout the gig, from song to song. When I get home, I select the “Normalize” song, and everything will be back to, well, normal.

The magic of GP is that it allows so much flexibility and provides so many levels, but it also allows things to be associated, shown or hidden, and locked down or variable. It’s really perfect for performing live - and I haven’t even started scripting or working with OSC yet.

Let us know how you set up your system. It’s fun to see how various people make it fly. :slight_smile:

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Thanks so much for this useful description for a way to organize a gig

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These were funny! A good break as I work through this.

So now that I’m getting close, any recommendations for a Guitar Foot Controller. Coming from an Axe FX, I’m spoiled by the bidirectional updating which the FC300 does not seem to provide.

I’d like something that if I had say 4 song parts on switches, that only one would be lit at a time. And also one that would update say the status of a reverb or overdrive if it were selected via a song part change. It seems like the FC sends CC messages but won’t take them back to update a switch status.

And lastly, I’m using Neural DSP Soldano (which I really like) and if I want to switch presets within a backspace, I assume I need two instances of the plug-in. (as variations seem to update settings of the existing preset only)

Still learning and thanks for the help!!

MM

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What’s your budget? I use a GT Mastermind pedalboard which is awesome but it’s very expensive. But it has the ability to receive sysex to change the labels on the display which makes it awesome for use with Gig Performer

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