Best way to expand library for live performance?

[nomuse]

I'm setting up a laptop-based synth/sampler for Keyboard 2 on a musical. The Kontakt2 player is easy for the keyboard player to open and use, and between GPO and JABB I've got all but one of the instruments on the wishlist covered.

The exception is mandolin. I've seen a couple of nice mandolins for Kontakt, and I even have a usable one in the Sonik Synth library. Trouble is...what is the simplest (for the keyboard player and conductor, neither of whom are me) and cheapest alternative to adding that instrument?

I am assuming, for instance, that there are other licensees of the Kontakt Player software. But that would mean buying a full library (like, perhaps, RA) to cover this. Not really within my budget at the moment. Same answer for purchasing full price Kontakt 3, which I assume I could then load single instruments into (as I said, I did see a mandolin around for $49 in soundfont and Kontakt format).

Best answer I've found so far is to run BOTH the Kontakt Player and Ugly VSTi host -- the latter set to ignore all but one MIDI channel and hosting Sonik Synth 2. This gives me sixteen different instruments available to the keyboard player just by changing the MIDI channel from the keyboard (no messing around on a laptop screen during performance.)

But if anyone has a more elegant solution -- or a solution to playing from more than the two library groups -- I'd love to hear.

[Reegs]

Hi nomuse,

In order to use Sonik Synth and the Kontakt Player simultaneously, you're right in thinking that you'll have to use a host. You might check out Cantabile or Bidule if you're looking for something that's more lightweight than Cubase or Sonar.

You don't have to pay full price for Kontakt 3, either. By owning KP2, you're eligible for the Kontakt 3 Crossgrade price ($250). (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Kontakt3cg/) Not sure if that puts it back in the equation, but it's worth mentioning.

Best,
Reegs

[nomuse]

Thanks. The crossgrade option seems the best deal, even if it isn't something I can afford this month.

Bidule also looked very plausible, and potentially quite useful in other things I do....but who designed that website?! After an hour of crawling around following dead-end links I still can't figure out how to purchase a license and download a working version. The incredible dis-organization of the site, the docs, even the postings in their forum by the program's designers and admins makes me very afraid. It really gives an impression of "Will work fine, but expect a steep learning curve because even the power button is in a unique place."

If I was going to be the keyboardist on this show, I'd just load everything in Cubase and select tracks (aka VSTi assignments) to perform from there. But that isn't a good option with the kind of non-tech-savvy people who are going to be in the pit this time.



But let me make sure of this -- if I get the full version of Kontakt, then I can run the Kontakt Player as a stand-alone application, and assign instruments to different MIDI channels, and it will "see" and let me load not just my Garritan libraries but any other Kontakt instruments I've purchased or created? Using VSTi in performance is largely new territory to me.

[Reegs]

But let me make sure of this -- if I get the full version of Kontakt, then I can run the Kontakt Player as a stand-alone application, and assign instruments to different MIDI channels, and it will "see" and let me load not just my Garritan libraries but any other Kontakt instruments I've purchased or created? Using VSTi in performance is largely new territory to me.

Yes, well you'd be loading everything in Kontakt 2 (and not the player), but it functions just like the Player in, erm, playing functionality.


-Reegs