I am trying the trial version. I am coming from Cantabile so I used to that midi filter. I use an Akai VI61 with the 16 pads on the left side. I use the pads to trigger functions(turn vst on/off, trigger a loop, etc)
I also remap the pads note values. For some songs I have the pads trigger a scale in a specific key. So the first 12 pads might be a "c’ scale in one octave. Sometimes the pads are more specific notes so I can play a bass line with pads close together so the pattern is easier to play.
In cantabile I can do this all from one window. I can set a key range so only the first 12 pads trigger a note. I can then add a mapping feature and change the key note for all pads at one time.
I am trying to figure out an easy way to do that with GP.
Some general information about the philosophy of MIDI filtering in GP:
Indeeed, the built-in MIDI Filter blocks in GP don’t include the filtering of notes by range or the transformation of notes.
Nevertheless, these transformations (range and velocity filtering, transposition etc.) can be done very easily in MIDI In blocks, so instead of having a single MIDI input block and multiple filters connected to it, you can just have multiple input blocks
This is a great way to do zones or trigger in your case, use the pads for chromatic scales. The approach for having each of the pads assigned a unique function, like you describe is to having a button widget for each of the pads (in rack view, not connection view). You connect each widget to the MIDI event sent from your controller as well as to an automatable parameter of any of your blocks in connection view (for example having a MIDI In block sending out a note, controlling an Arp or anything else )
Also, you might want to check out the collection of plugins called pizmidi. They’re designed specifically for doing the kinds of transformations you’re trying to do and they work great with Gig Performer.
In fact, this is one of the reasons that Gig Performer doesn’t come with many plugins - there are so many plugins out there (including many free ones) that we made the deliberate choice to focus on management of plugins for live performers.
We tried using Cantabile and various other available products before we decided that it was time to create our own system that we envisioned would be more accessible to musicians (and not just keyboard players by the way) who want to stay focused on creativity and performance and not have to be distracted by technical stuff.
Our visual approach is very different than the traditional channel strip model but we think it’s easy to get the hang of it.
I’ve been touring with it for three years now (US, Europe and Japan) and I don’t even bother with physical synths anymore, just a laptop with GP, an audio interface and controllers.
