Screen Shots

Main Window

Cantabile's main window is where most session editing takes place and also includes the recording list, set list, sub-session list and on-screen keyboard. The large status panel provides easy "at a distance" viewing of the current state of things.

All panels can be hidden when not it use for streamlined, efficient workflow.

Racks and Plugins

The racks and plugins panel is where you load plugins and connect them using racks. All plugins in a rack are processed sequentially with the output of one going to the input of the next.

The output of a rack can be routed to either physical outputs or to another rack. Partial sends allow peeling off part of a rack's output signal and sending to another rack (say an effects rack).

Each rack has MIDI device and channel selectors as well as keyboard split and transpose setting making multi-timbral and layered instruments easy.

Recording List

The recordings list shows all audio and MIDI recordings. The pin to the right of each entry indicates if this recording should be kept or discarded when the session is closed. New recordings can be automatically pinned (optimistic recording) or not (pessimistic recording).

Recordings are typically created by the auto-record feature which automatically starts and stops the recorder when sending input. Manual recording is also available.

Media Players

Cantabile supports multiple simultaneous media players for playback of audio and MIDI files.

Each player has it's own transport controls which can be optionally synced to the master transport. Media files can also be individually controlled from MIDI controller assignments (eg: use a hardware button to start playback of a particular file)

Media players can be routed directly to output or to a rack for processing by plugins.

The visual representation of each file can be collapsed to save screen real-estate when not needed.

MIDI Routing Table

The MIDI routing table allows routing particular incoming MIDI events to specific racks, or external hardware devices.

Each routing has a set of associated conditions (eg: only route when a particular program number is active) and a set of transformations (eg: transpose, apply velocity curve, change MIDI channel etc...)

The enabled state of each routing can be controlled through sub-session allowing different sub-sessions to have different routings active.

Triggers

Triggers are primarily used for configuring external MIDI devices (say a sound module) when loading a session or sub-session. Send MIDI program and controller change events, MIDI sys-ex data and more...

Alternatively, use triggers to launch external programs and scripts to perform other actions.

Triggers can be invoked either automatically on session or sub-session load, or manual from a MIDI controller assignment (eg: press a button on a MIDI control surface to invoke some action).

Sub-sessions Part I

Sub-sessions are saved states within a session and are used to allow extremely fast switching between setups.

In this screen shot notice how the Ivory VST plugin is enabled while the others are bypassed. In the next screen shot, where a different sub-session is loaded, a different set of plugins becomes enabled.

Sub-sessions Part II

Switching sub-sessions can enable different plugins but can also control over many other aspects of the session - mix levels, tempo, master transport, media files, MIDI routings and triggers and more...

MIDI Filters

MIDI Filters manipulate MIDI events and can be used for applying velocity curves, mapping controllers to different channels, keyboard splits, transposing notes, controlling VST parameters and more.

Filters can be applied at various points in the processing pipeline such as global MIDI input, rack input, plugin input or even on a single MIDI routing entry.

MIDI Controller Assignments

Controller assignments allow control over Cantabile from an external MIDI devices. Map an external slider to Cantabile's master output gain, assign a button to start playback of a media file, control VST parameters and more...

Just about any setting in Cantabile, or any VST parameter can be controlled through MIDI Controller Assignments

On-screen keyboard

While not intended as a realistic method for playing music, Cantabile's on-screen keyboard is a valuable tool for testing plugin sounds.

The on-screen keyboard supports playback of notes, the sustain pedal, 8 customizable buttons, 8 customizable sliders and a customizable X-Y pad.

The keyboard capture feature allows playing of notes from your PC keyboard - even while other applications are active

Set Lists

Set lists are a way to define a set of session files (say a set of songs) and quickly jump between them either directly in Cantabile's user-interface or by creating MIDI Controller assignments.

Each entry in a set list can specifiy a session and sub-session to load allowing for flexible combinations of sessions and sub-sessions to be used when defining a performance.

Morph and Randomze Tools

Cantabile's Morph and Randomize tools can be used to create interesting new sounds by either randomizing a plugin's settings, or gradually changing the settings from one preset to another.

These tools are integrated with the plugin editor where they appear as a second toolbar.

Multi-Channel Audio

Cantabile supports multi-channel audio and comes pre-configured with presets for common formats and also supports custom formats.

Program Organiser

Cantabile's Program Organiser simplifies the task of managing a plugin's preset bank. Cut, copy, paste or drag/drop presets within a bank or use the shared bank for commonly used presets.

Customize

Customize the Cantabile's Quick Access Toolbar with the commands you use most often.