Cantabile Lite Features

The following summarises features common to Cantabile Lite and the full version.

Features exclusive the the full version are described further down this page.

General

Simple, powerful real-time VST host.
Supports VST instruments, audio effects and MIDI effects.
Plugins are arranged in to racks for easy but flexible way of connecting plugins.
Highly optimized audio engine.
Support for multi-core and multi-processor machines.
Support for ASIO and DirectSound audio drivers.
Support for MMX and SSE CPU instructions.

Audio Recorder

Writes directly to wave file.
Can record audio input or the output.
Automatic start/stop mode.
File name formatting allows flexible naming of recorded files.
Supports pessimistic and optimistic recording modes ie: keep all recordings or only keep selected recordings

MIDI Recorder

MIDI recorder writes directly to .mid file.
Automatic start/stop mode.
Can record from MIDI input or output of plugins that generate MIDI.
File name formatting allows flexible naming of recorded files.
Can automatically load new recordings into MIDI sequencer.
Supports pessimistic and optimistic recording modes ie: keep all recordings or only keep selected recordings

MIDI Sequencer

Plays any standard MIDI file.
Can play using either the loaded VSTs and/or external MIDI devices.
Includes a "microscore" display for visual representation of the notes in the file as well as the current play position and loop range.
Track list for solo/mute, device and channel selection of each track.
Combined with audio recorder can be used as a simple realtime MIDI file renderer.

Metronome

Ability to define time signature and tempo presets
Use built-in sounds or custom wave files.
Uses own internal clock or be synced to the MIDI sequencer.
Includes "tap tempo" feature to set tempo by playing notes.

MIDI Filters

Allow translation and manipulation of incoming and outgoing MIDI events.
Can be defined for each MIDI input/output port and for the loaded VST.
Channel Map MIDI filter allows reassignment of one MIDI channel to another, or suppression of a particular channel.
Controller Map MIDI filter allow reassignment of one MIDI controller to another, or suppression of a particular controller.
Velocity Curve MIDI filter allows fine tuning response of keyboards.
Controller to VST parameter MIDI filter allows controlling VST parameters from a MIDI controller.
Note transposition (keyboard split) MIDI filter.
Note to Controller MIDI filter emulates a MIDI controller using MIDI notes events.
MIDI Filter "learn" capability simplifies configuration of MIDI filters.

MIDI Controller Assignments

Flexible mapping of external MIDI controls.
Allows control of Cantabile settings and VST parameters with MIDI control surfaces.
Quick MIDI assignment for easy assignment of MIDI controllers to VST parameters.

Session Files

Session files save all settings to a single file.
Recently used session menu for quick switching between configurations.
Option to auto-reload last session.

On-screen Keyboard

Onscreen keyboard can be played with mouse or PC keyboard.
Keyboard capture allows playing using PC keyboard even when on-screen keyboard doesn't have focus. (eg: when plugin editor is open).
Ability to send simple program changes.
Ability to hold notes by pressing the Control key while playing notes. Pressing the 'A' key releases all held notes.
Assignable onscreen X-Y controller can be use to emulate controllers such as pitch bend and modulation wheels.
Each axis separately configurable.
Optional ability to snap back to minimum, center or maximum value.

Miscellaneous

Shell integration allows MIDI, FXB, FXP and VST DLL files to opened via right click Open With Cantabile command, or by drag dropping file onto Cantabile's main window.
Internal MIDI mapper allows re-direction of MIDI events to either specific racks/plugins or external MIDI device.
Ability to disable VST directory scanning for fast start up.
Built in tools to delete/rename recorded files and the loaded MIDI file.
Saves and loads VST program and bank (fxp/fxb) files.
Automatically loads the correct plugin for a particular fxb/fxp file.
Favorite FXBs for quick loading of commonly used plugins/banks.
Output limiter avoids hard clipping for out-of-range audio data.

Limitations of Lite Version

Plugin hosting limited to two racks of two plugins for a total of 4 plugins.
Master bus limited to 2 channel stereo.
Audio recorder limited to 16-bit, 2 channel stereo audio recordings.

Full Version Features

The full retail version of Cantabile includes all the features of Cantabile Lite plus the following:

Unlimited Plugins and Racks

No limit on the number of plugins and racks (except as limited by memory and CPU usage).

Multi-Channel Audio

Support for up to 28 audio channels.
Flexible N-N audio channel assignments.
Allows recording of audio channels arrangements different to sound card capabilities.
Support for standard speaker placements + unplaced/auxillary audio channels.

Improved Audio Recorder

Full version supports 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit and 32-bit floating pointing file formats.
Also supports multi-channel audio.

Improved Plugin Editor

Ability to undo all changes since opening plugin editor to either current program or entire bank
Ability to restore current program or entire bank to state saved in session file.
Ability to restore current program or entire bank to plugin's factory default state.
Command to toggle between previous two selected programs (allows A/B comparisons of two presets)

Morph and Randomize Tools

Tools for inspiration in designing new sounds, integrated tightly with plugin editor.
Morph tools allow smooth blending from one program to another.
Randomize tools randomize program parameter either by a predefined amount or between two existing parameter sets.
Parameter selector allows selection of which parameters are morphed/randomized and includes learn include and learn exclude capabilities.
Animate mode allows automatic morph/randomize on a timer.
Randomize tools have Go Back command to return to a previous randomized values

Incremental Saving

Incremental save commands for sessions and FXP's
Supports Save then Increment and Increment then Save.
Intelligent filename formatting automatically recognises common filename numerical formats and increments correctly.

A/B Program Toggling

Each plugin has a single shared "B" slot.
Commands are available to toggle current program with the B slot (A<->B) and to copy the current program to the B slot (A->B)
The B slot is shared between all instances of the same type of plugin so it can be used as a simple way to move programs within a single instance of a plugin or between instances.

Program Organiser and Shared Program Bank

Provides tools for easy management and organisation of programs.
Supports drag/drop programs between loaded plugin, shared bank and Windows Explorer file system.
Cut/copy/paste/delete programs between loaded plugin and shared bank.
Import and export multiple FXPs.
Supports a "shared program bank" - a single virtual bank of presets for each type of plugin.

Plugin Organiser

Ability to re-group and hide plugins.
Automatic grouping of plugins according to plugin type (Instrument, Effect, Room Effect etc...)
Plugin selector menu mirrors folder heirarchy
Commands to rescan VST directorys (quick and full)
Option to promote single plugin in a folder to parent menu (saves creating extra depth in the selector menu)

Quick Sessions

Allows assigning a saved session to one of eight quick session slots.
Quick sessions can be loaded by short cut key or by external MIDI controller button.
Fast session switching re-uses plugins from previous session when loading next session.

--- That's All ---

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