Gig Performer looks really good, if only for the UI. Using the extra 10% discount code you get for signing up for their newsletter, I went ahead and picked up a license. Brainspawn's Forte is too over-the-top for me, and expensive, and I never got comfortable with Cantabile. And VSTHost? Sorry, can't stand the UI.
 
I love the fact that you can hide a VST's GUI and map the important controls to their GUI.

I have used Brainspawn's Forte since 2006, for live performance, and I am currently running it with literally 20+ instances of Kontakt and several instances of Arturia synths and Reaktor, and even a smattering of Korg Legacy Collection synths, with ZERO issues.
 
Forte has been bulletproof for me for the past 10 years, and does a magnificent job of allowing presets (snapshots to them) from any combination of any of the loaded synths and effects, further supporting splitting controllers into multiple zones, filtering and remapping of midi data, transposition, etc.
 
Furthermore, I can tell it - on a preset by preset or a global basis - to have individual synths not reload samples on a preset change - HUGELY powerful - as this gives me the ability to INSTANTLY switch between presets without having any sample load time at all.
 
They have a fully functional 30-day trial (might have a 30-minute session limit or something reasonable), at www.brainspawn.com
 
They have also been quite speedy and helpful on the 2 occasions I have requested tech support in the past 10 years.  It has never failed me ever, and has been a complete joy to work with.
 
They even have a 'stress rack' test mode that will automatically switch between all of your presets over and over again for as long as you want to run it, so that you can make sure everything is cool prior to relying on it in a live situation.  I believe Marillion has used it for about as long as I have.
 
I believe there is an additional $49 bit of software you can pick up from them that may allow you to send out midi data to externally do things like control lighting sequences and such (though I do not have that - as I am typing this that capability might be in the more robust version of Forte, rather than an additional piece of software, but you can see on the site which piece allows that sort of thing).
 
I am able to create incredibly lush layering of sound, and switch to altogether different sets of sounds instantly - you can even have control over it holding the last sound from one preset after switching to a new preset, until I lift up my fingers, and then it will switch in between with the next key strike being on the new preset - OR you can have it not do that.  Total control of that sort of thing.
 
You can also set up a whole series of presets and then arrange them into whatever is needed for a given Song.  
 
Lastly, I use a midi pedal board controller (Behringer FCB1010) because it has 2 midi expression pedals, and I can change Forte presets using either the foot switches or I can punch in preset numbers on my Axiom Pro 61 midi controller, depending on whatever my hands or feet are doing - and the midi expression pedals can be assigned to volume or wah, or both for volume for different instruments or whatever.
 
I LOVE using Forte - one of the most bang for the buck rock solid pieces of software I have ever purchased.
 
Bob Bone
 

I remember this 60s stereo test record with classic sound bytes:
"Do you know how to play Russian roulette?"
"... BANG ..."
"Aha, you're dead."
And that infamous department store elevator gag:
"Sir, I want to register a complaint."
"... BANG ..."
"Next please."

Thanks, Bob. I watched some Forte videos this morning - the UI looks to be very streamlined, uncluttered and intuitive. 
 
So you are using multiple instances of Kontakt, as opposed to 1-2 instances with instrument banks? How much memory do you have on your laptop? Mine was not purchased with audio in mind, being intended as a portable office. It's just an i5 with 8GB RAM.
 
You're switching scenes with a MIDI footswitch...does that mean you can define a specific MIDI CC for each one? I'm thinking I could use my controller's touch pads for that.
 
 

Hi Dave ,
 
I just pulled the link for Airrack after downloading it and giving it a go ....It just wasn't happening ....
 
all the best ,
 
Kenny

bitflipper
Thanks, Bob. I watched some Forte videos this morning - the UI looks to be very streamlined, uncluttered and intuitive. 
 
So you are using multiple instances of Kontakt, as opposed to 1-2 instances with instrument banks? How much memory do you have on your laptop? Mine was not purchased with audio in mind, being intended as a portable office. It's just an i5 with 8GB RAM.
 
You're switching scenes with a MIDI footswitch...does that mean you can define a specific MIDI CC for each one? I'm thinking I could use my controller's touch pads for that.
 
 

I use a desktop now for live performances, but I used a laptop with 32-bit XP Pro and Forte up until 2008, and it worked flawlessly, even with multiple Kontakt instances.
 
Forte is really amazing at swapping stuff out of memory that isn't being used, and the reason I use multiple Kontakt instances is well there are two reasons actually, 1) I set Kontakt instruments to not reload samples on preset changes, so I will use 1 instance for a Piano, 1 for Organ, etc, and have instant switching because each instance already has its samples loaded, and the 2nd reason is that I may mix and match Kontakt instruments to route through differing controllers, depending on the song, so one preset might have a Kontakt organ instrument assigned to the upper controller and the bottom controller is playing an RMI Electric Piano sound (Like when I play the Genesis Seconds Out live version of the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - which then segues into the 2nd half of The Musical Box, which is heavy organ, and another preset will have that same Kontakt organ sound assigned to the lower controller, with a Kontakt instance of an ARP Pro Soloist Fuzz Guitar 1 sound to play Genesis Sqounk.  At the End of Squonk, I hit a preset change that leaves the organ on the lower controller, but sticks the RMI Harpsi Organ Mode sound on the upper controller for the ending part.
 
I have unbelievable flexibility with Forte - go try it out - they have a free download demo version.  It is insanely powerful - each preset can also have different zones and differing transpositions for each of those zones, with different sounds for each of those zones, and the next preset can completely reconfigure the same exact sound to be played on the other controller transposed 2 octave the other direction and zoned completely differently, and all of those presets would change out INSTANTLY with no lag.
 
And YES, your controller pads or knobs or whatever, can be used to trigger preset changes.
 
I LOVE Forte and even though I also have Cantabile, Forte is my go-to VST Host for live performance.
 
Bob Bone
 

I did download and try Forte, along with every other host I could find, plus a lightweight DAW (Ableton Live Light).
 
You're right, it's very sophisticated. It has the feel of a mature application. But so does Cantabile (e.g. the only one that found my VSTs on first run, without me entering a search path). Most of the others had awkward idiosyncrasies that made me wonder if the developers actually use the software themselves.
 
I didn't have Kontakt installed at the time I was doing my initial testing (I've since installed it for Round 2) so I had no basis for comparing memory management. It's good to know that I can switch quickly between instruments. That's important.
 
Unfortunately, Forte crashed several times with an access violation, usually when attempting to save. That's not a deal-killer, though, since it's not something I'm likely to ever do mid-performance. I'd planned on returning to it today, but so far my day's been overwhelmed by day-job crap. Reality. It sucks.

The 64-bit Forte will die a horrible flaming death if you load in a non-bridged 32-bit plugin into its 64-bit version.
 
There is an option to use JBridge automatically, if installed, and I have JBridge, so do not suffer that fate.  And, I happen to run Forte with Run As Administrator (don't know if needed, or if would solve your crashes).
 
I only have the free version of Cantabile, and though more limited than the full version, I don't dislike it.  It just feels to me like Forte is setup that is easy on my brain, and for me is both rock-solid and powerful, while also incredibly efficient.
 
Oh - if you DO test out switching presets using multiple Kontakt instances, after you add a Kontakt instance, click the arrow to the right of the instance's name to open the UI.  Click on the double-arrows t the left, to float Kontakt to a sizable window to expose the whole Kontakt UI, and click on the Scene Commands tab (I think that is what it says - it is the rightmost tab, of maybe 4 tabs).  Anyways, once that tab opens, click on the options list and click on the option that tells Kontakt to NOT load samples, but use what was last saved.  THAT is how it knows to leave samples in memory, so when you switch away from it and back when switching presets, it will then be an instantaneous switch, as it won't load any samples.  There is also a global option you can look up, to where you just enter Kontakt and any other sample-based synths there, and then that acts like a global override to always make sure that samples do not get reloaded on scene change.  Both options will result in the same effect, but the global setting is well, global.
 
My current rig has 20+ Kontakt instances, and no issues - I have 32 GB of memory, which certainly helps.
 
Bob Bone
 

Thanks, Bob. And thanks to others who have offered off-line advice regarding Cantabile, Forte and Ableton. Hopefully, reality will give me a little break today and I'll be able to get back to fun stuff.
 
Ugh, that reminds me, my gear is still out in the van from last night's gig...maybe what I really need is a roadie. Then it wouldn't matter how much stuff I wanted to drag around.

I just received this in email
http://www.gigperformer.com/kvr-namm-2017
 
It looks interesting; but I have no experience with the product.