VST instruments and effects have revolutionized the music world by becoming the space-saving solution that virtually emulates every kind of music hardware you can think of from huge modular synths to effects units and amplifiers. It's no longer far from one's imagination to conceptually fit an orchestra, piles of synthesizers, world instruments, effects units, amplifiers, etc. into a computer that you can actually gig with, bringing just a laptop and a MIDI controller hooked up to it--not to mention the fact that MIDI control has never been easier thanks to MIDI-to-USB interfaces. Coming to the aid of today's musician are VST plugin racks designed for both live and studio use, among these class of plugins includes today's feature named ifoundasound LiveProfessor.

Despite being an alpha release subject to testing, LiveProfessor Alpha 4 is already quite useful for performance. As with most VST racks out in the market, LiveProfessor allows you to load as many VSTs as your computer is able to handle, supporting both instruments and effects. The matrix view allows for easy routing of all your loaded VSTs. Snapshot automation allows for easy recall of VST or workspace settings. As the requisite MIDI control is present to allow manipulation of VSTs, LiveProfessor features the cue list to recall snapshots, patch changes, etc. during live performance. LiveProfessor also has great support for MIDI controllers enabling you to control any plugin parameter with a MIDI message. As LiveProfessor supports ASIO, your performance is virtually latency free.

The following are new features in LiveProfessor Alpha 4:

• Cue lists. Recall any number of snapshots at once
• MIDI hardware control
• Meters, on inputs and outputs of the plugins
• Set ASIO sample rate
• Possible to set default MIDI patch
• Midi input on units now filtered by midi channel
• Possible to ban a plugin from being scanned when looking for new VST plugins
• Now possible to copy one snapshot from one plugin to others

LiveProfessor offers a lot of options only to be limited by the VSTs you have, your MIDI controller, and your computer. You can either drive up a VST synth into a chain of effects all in one instance. Just like a physical rig, it's possible for you to create layers and layers of sound from multiple VST instruments simultaneously. However, as it is still an alpha release, it's not without its set of problems waiting to pop up (they're still soliciting people to use it and give feedback for further development) and the folks at ifoundasound are still planning to make major changes. Despite being in the alpha testing phase, using LiveProfessor is worth your time to explore a lot of possibilities and options for your performances.