Cantabile is a feature-rich host application built for live performers and musicians who use VST plugins. It allows you to manage your songs, plugins, and set lists in a seamless environment. While adding songs to your set list is a common task, knowing how to delete a song is just as important—especially when you want to clean up your workspace or remove unused entries.
In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the process of deleting a song in Cantabile, including precautions, troubleshooting tips, and step-by-step instructions.
Understanding Cantabile’s Song Management System
Cantabile structures your live performance workflow around what it calls “Songs.” Each song contains specific plugin configurations, MIDI routing, rack assignments, and more. Songs are typically organized in set lists, but they also exist as individual files on your disk.
What Is a Song in Cantabile?
In Cantabile, a song is a complete setup environment saved as a .cantabileSong file. It contains everything you need for a specific performance scenario—plugins, audio routes, MIDI bindings, and preset states.
You can switch between songs during a live set or arrange them in a sequence for automation. Understanding how songs are saved and managed will help you safely delete them when needed.
Where Cantabile Stores Songs
By default, Cantabile saves song files to a directory specified in its Tools > Options > File Locations section. Knowing this location is vital if you want to manually delete or back up your songs outside of the application.
Methods for Deleting a Song in Cantabile
There are two primary ways to delete songs in Cantabile: removing them from your set list within the application or deleting the actual song file from your computer.
Deleting a Song from the Set List (Non-Destructive)
If you simply want to stop a song from showing up in your performance lineup but don’t want to erase the file, you can remove it from your set list.
Steps:
- Open Cantabile and navigate to the Set List tab.
- Right-click on the song you want to remove.
- Click Remove from Set List.
This does not delete the file from your hard drive. The song can still be opened or re-added later.
Permanently Deleting a Song File (Destructive)
To completely remove a song from your computer, you’ll need to delete the actual .cantabileSong file.
Steps:
- Navigate to the folder where your songs are stored.
(Use File Explorer or the location found in Cantabile’s settings.) - Locate the file with the
.cantabileSongextension. - Right-click and select Delete, or press the Delete key on your keyboard.
- Empty your Recycle Bin if you want to permanently remove it.
Warning: This action is irreversible unless you’ve created a backup.
Precautions and Backups Before Deleting
Before you go ahead and delete anything, it’s important to protect your work. A few preventive steps can save you from losing hours of configuration.
Backup Your Song Files
Backing up your Cantabile projects is as easy as copying the song directory to a USB drive or cloud storage. You can also use version control tools like Git (if you’re technical) to track changes over time.
- Consider backing up the entire Cantabile folder, not just the song file.
- Include associated media or rack files that the song depends on.
Check Dependencies
Sometimes, songs reference linked racks or shared presets. Deleting a song may not affect these files, but if the song contains unique plugins or states, make sure they’re not used elsewhere before deletion.
Troubleshooting: When Deletion Doesn’t Work
Sometimes, even after following all steps, the song still appears in Cantabile or causes load errors. Let’s explore why that happens.
Song Still Appears in Set List
If you delete a song file but don’t remove it from your set list first, Cantabile may throw an error when trying to load the missing song. This happens because the set list is still referencing it.
Fix:
- Open the set list and remove the missing song manually.
- Save the updated set list to avoid future issues.
File Permission Issues
Occasionally, Windows may prevent deletion due to file permission settings or if Cantabile still has the song open.
Fix:
- Close Cantabile before deleting the file.
- Make sure you have administrative privileges on the system.
- Check if the file is marked “Read-Only” and uncheck it if necessary.
Final Thoughts on Managing Songs in Cantabile
Cantabile is a robust tool, and managing your songs effectively is crucial for a smooth live performance. Deleting a song isn’t difficult, but it’s a good idea to double-check what you’re deleting and whether it’s referenced elsewhere in your workflow.
By following the right method—removing a song from the set list or deleting the file outright—you can keep your Cantabile environment clean and efficient. And remember: when in doubt, always back up your work.
