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

That's the one Bit was referring to in his first post (see post 8)

I guess I could have made it clearer that it's supposedly cheaper during NAMM @ $99. But I don't know how "real" the 60% off is.

AllanH
I guess I could have made it clearer that it's supposedly cheaper during NAMM @ $99. But I don't know how "real" the 60% off is.

I paid $112. If I'd have waited, I'd have saved $13. YMMV.

For me, for gig worthiness, the recording must continue through dropout cases. It can't be that I have to notice and restart the transport.

So, I don't use Sonar for the recording part. I can just use DigiCheck from RME.

If I want to use Sonar for synths, amp Sims or drums, I can just route it through the RME and record with DigiCheck.

TotalMix has EQ, compression, delay and reverb with effectively zero latency. The only drag to running sonar is that it works on the other side of the device buffer. For this reason I almost never use Sonar live. To use Sonar I have to bring the buffer down. With the RME alone, I can set the buffer to the max and experience zero latency.

Gig Performer is a lot of fun because you get to lay out your own UI if you want. This is helpful because most plugin UIs are designed for studio use, where you've got a large display and one hand on the mouse. Small controls, multiple tabs and tiny labels are not much of a problem in the studio. On stage, you need large controls, high visibility, and minimize use of a mouse or touchpad. This is where GP stands out from the crowd.
 
But with a list price of $250 Gig Performer is positioning itself with the big boys. Forte is $100 (more for the advanced Producer edition), EAReckon's BloXpander is $73, Cantabile is $69/$199. Forte and Cantabile are more mature and feature-rich. I wouldn't be surprised if GP settles in at a lower price point.
 
I've just turned my attention from Cantabile Solo to Cantabile Lite. The obvious attraction is the price (free). But so far it seems to satisfy my own needs just fine. I've got it set up with Keyscape, Zebra, Omnisphere and VB3. Next step: configure the touchpads on my controller to select them. If that's possible, Cantabile Lite could very well be my immediate solution.
 
For those who have purchased Gig Performer, please let me know (here or via PM) how your experience is going. I will be reviewing it in the March edition of SoundBytes, so all input is appreciated.

Just to add to the options: Blue Cat Patchwork is a contender in this space.  Run as a standalone application, it can host VST plug-ins, including MIDI instruments, plus you can add an FX chain as well.  Within a DAW, it has innumerable uses to set up highly flexible FX configurations.  Maybe there are better mini-hosts, but given its utility both inside and outside a DAW, this one should be on anybody's short list who are shopping for a mini-host.

Just got around to checking out PatchWork - thanks for that recommendation, David. This one's the champ in terms of routing flexibility. Unfortunately, the demo, rather than being time-limited, is periodically muted. This is OK for evaluating within a DAW but makes it impossible to test in a live situation. My plan is to give each of the products I've downloaded so far a real-life trial-by-fire, on stage.
 
At my next gig, I'll be using Cantabile Lite. I've got Keyscape, VB3 and Zebra configured as a starting point and so far it's working out well, at least here in the garage under no pressure. Before going live, I have a few more tasks to accomplish: add some effects (Pro-Q, ValhallaRoom and tkDelay), and figure out how to switch instruments via the touchpads on my MIDI controller. Then I'll be set.

Thanks Bitflipper for starting this thread and all the other contributors.
 
I never knew that this kind of software existed and after trying some of the demos I am also finding Cantabile Lite just right for my needs.
 
Cheers
ZT

I've since realized that Cantabile Lite suffers from a serious limitation: you cannot MIDI-learn the program's own controls. That means you have to reach for the mouse to adjust or bypass individual racks. I've been playing with the more-expensive Performer edition which lets me configure my controller to quickly switch instruments. I can also set up multiple controllers, so I'm thinking about using my tiny AKAI keyboard as a separate keyswitcher. Keyscape, VB3, Zebra and Kontakt are all loaded and are not stressing my laptop at all. 

Thanks for the info BF.