I've got a friend who is wondering about the instruments I make and I'm trying to figure out the easiest way for her to play them. This cantabile seems pretty easy. Anyone have better ideas?
 
https://www.cantabilesoftware.com/

If it's just playing a VSTi I think Savihost is unbeatable. You name it the same as the VSTi you want to run and it starts that VSTi. Kind of like getting a standalone from the dll.
 
http://www.hermannseib.com/english/savihost.htm
 

I love SaviHost, it's my goto for testing VSTs.
The other one I use is Image-Line's Minihost Modular
It says beta but the current version has been out around 2 years.

It's free.
Can use it as standalone or VST plugin.
The standalone version is one of the platforms I use to test / register plugins.

SAVIHost is the ultimate in simplicity, but its biggest limitation is that it can't host more than one plugin at a time. That shouldn't be a liability for Kontakt instruments, though.
 
But there are times when I'm using SAVIHost with a non-Kontakt instrument that I wish I could add a chorus or delay, and most important, EQ. I'd love to give the IL Minihost a go, but am reluctant to open an account that demands my physical address and telephone number for the privilege.

why not vsthost, it is made by the same dude as savihost, it does multiple plugs, works well easy to use etc. not that i think you are unaware of it as you already use savihost, just wondering if there is something i missed

That tuned out to be a very good suggestion, Grim.
 
I'd been under the incorrect impression that VSTHost was an abandoned first attempt and that SAVIHost was its successor. However, thanks to your suggestion I had a look and in fact a 64-bit version now exists, so at least as of 2013 it was still being worked on. So I downloaded it to give it a try.
 
It's not as easy to use as SAVIHost, but far more configurable. I probably wouldn't recommend it to a beginner. But as it does support multiple plugins that can be chained any way you like, it should satisfy my requirement for adding EQ to my virtual instruments for live performance. 
 
 
 

Ill add a +1 for Cantable. I use the free one all the time. 

Been a fan of Energy XT for many years. Only plug I could ever use to get Sonar to behave properly, fill the gaps, and was surprised over time that nobody uses this or maybe nobody knows about it. Based on landslide response to recommendations. Actually a DAW on its own, but have only used it as a vst plug for achieving elaborate chains limited only by imagination. Solid as a rock in Sonar and comes with some respectable synth plugs as a perk.
 
Only limitation is that it does not pick up dx native, but nothing else does these days except Sonar and Reaper.
 
Elegant modular routing of anything into anything. Parallel, series. Only Studio One comes close to this level of function native. Mystery to me why XT is not in every toolkit. Anyway, check out the demo. Can't save anything until licensed, but otherwise fully functional.
 
http://www.energy-xt.com/
 
John

bitflipper
That tuned out to be a very good suggestion, Grim.
 
I'd been under the incorrect impression that VSTHost was an abandoned first attempt and that SAVIHost was its successor. However, thanks to your suggestion I had a look and in fact a 64-bit version now exists, so at least as of 2013 it was still being worked on. So I downloaded it to give it a try.
 
It's not as easy to use as SAVIHost, but far more configurable. I probably wouldn't recommend it to a beginner. But as it does support multiple plugins that can be chained any way you like, it should satisfy my requirement for adding EQ to my virtual instruments for live performance. 
 
 

the thanks be to you good sir, as if it wasn't for your post i would not have gone back myself and 'actually' tried vsthost. when i was looking for such a thing a couple of years ago i had looked at savihost and vsthost, but for whatever reason passed them by, and part way through cantable 2's life span, purchased and started using it, not ideal for what i wanted but very good all the same, then upgraded to cantable 3, ended up not actually using them because it wasn't that much different to loading up your daw. so after reading your post i went back and downloaded and installed vsthost and am very glad i did, it is what i had wanted way back then. the no installation required routine is a huge bonus to me as well 

Thanks for all the info guys!