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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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