Pro tools 10.3 vienna ensemble pro 5 midi problem

[glasswing]

This is complex.
New to Server/Slave setup.

Relevant Facts:
2 machines
2013 Mac Pro 6 core 32 gigs RAM-10.8.2-Pro Tools HDX 10.3 HOST/SERVER
Late 2008 Mac Pro 2X2.8 QuadCore 28 GIGS RAM - OSX 10.6.8 - VEP5 SLAVE
Lynx Aurora VT 16X16 -Synchrolock OFF
AVID HD 16X16
BIG BEN
CAT5E connection Ethernet 1
C24 Controller (Ethernet 2 on 2013 Mac Pro)
Kurzweil 2600 MIDI controller
All instances 64 bit

All worked fine with one instance. Beautiful in fact. I love VEP5.

Slate SSD4 Platinum, Trillian, Ivory II and American Concert D, Epic Orchestra, Alturia Mini Moog, Broadway Big Band (Fable Sounds).

On 2nd Instance VEP5 doesn't seem to see the second port of 16 MIDI in.
It sees the first port. Paul Steinbrenner (fabulous human) says I can set the MIDI port in the Server interface but I don't see anywhere to do that.
When 2nd instance instrument (plugin) is set to OMNI, it can receive ANY of the 16 MIDI channels from the 1st Port. When it is set to MIDI IN 1 it behaves the same as in OMNI, but when any other MIDI channel is selected at the Slave 2nd Instance all MIDI communication with VEP5 seems to come to a screeching halt.

On the second Instance I am trying to use Broadway Big Band Horns (Fable Sounds). It's hosted in Kontakt 5 (argh). At first (all day yesterday) I thought all my problems were due to the notorious Kontakt, but MIDI communication is kaboshed even with all the other instruments (Ivory, Trillian etc).

Have deleted all preferences, audiomidi plist etc.

Restarting does seem to have some beneficial effect. Not sure why. But still no 2nd Port MIDI in no matter how many restarts.

The bad news is, once I solve this problem, I still have to grapple with the unusual audio output tar baby of Kontakt 5. THe audio ins and outs on VEP5 are no cakewalk themselves! Any hints on that would help too.
I will need around 20 audio outs from Kontakt 5/Broadway Big Band.

Slate SSD4 multiple outs now works very well by the way. That's controlled by NI Maschine. That took a week or two.

Only downside of VEP5 so far is that it's stereo only. Up until trying the 2nd Instance it's been really glorious and I highly recommend it.

Digidesign/AVID user since well before Pro Tools! (Sound Designer, Sampler Editors etc)

Thanks

Richard Sales
www.glasswing.com
vancouver island, b.c. canada

[glasswing]

I have figured out how to select ports. So second instance works now but... first instance doesn't. Very strange.

I told Paul it would have helped if there was a rollover or some indication in the manual what was what in the MIDI select menu.

Still foraging in the wilderness awaiting brilliance from the forum VEP wizards.

[Hanswurstlsepp]

Originally Posted by glasswing

I have figured out how to select ports. So second instance works now but... first instance doesn't. Very strange.

I told Paul it would have helped if there was a rollover or some indication in the manual what was what in the MIDI select menu.

Still foraging in the wilderness awaiting brilliance from the forum VEP wizards.

Hi,

every VEP Server Interface (the PlugIn which is inserted into an InstrumentTrack within PT) tells you the MIDI Node. This makes it easy to identify the correct instance (slave) within the correspondent the VEP-Server.
Maybe you mixed up the instances when trying to connect the Midi ?
Just a guess, though.

In the VEP-Server Preferences you can limit the available " VirtualMidi ports".
AFAIK it's set to 8 by default. I personally have this limited to 1 as I never use more than 16 VIs within one VEP instance. If I need more than 16 VIs, I simply setup a 2nd VEP instance.

Here's a screenshot showing you how it looks with 8 enabled Midi(port) Inputs:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/427719/VEP-Midi-8Inputs.png

And here's a screenshot how it looks with just one enabled Midi(port) Input:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/427719/VEP-Midi-1Input.png

As you can see in the 2nd screenshot, it's easier to identify the correct VEP instance with less enabled Midi(ports) inputs. Also, as you can see, I'm using 4 VEP instances within this PT-session.

I hope that helps a bit.

[Hanswurstlsepp]

Originally Posted by glasswing

The bad news is, once I solve this problem, I still have to grapple with the unusual audio output tar baby of Kontakt 5. THe audio ins and outs on VEP5 are no cakewalk themselves! Any hints on that would help too.
I will need around 20 audio outs from Kontakt 5/Broadway Big Band.

You have to set up the outputs once within Kontakt and you can use this as a template.
I did this once, but cannot tell quickly from "out of my memory" how to do this.

But good news is: It works

If you can't figure it out by yourself and the Kontakt5 manual, I could look into it again. It's a bit tricky but it works.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by glasswing

The bad news is, once I solve this problem, I still have to grapple with the unusual audio output tar baby of Kontakt 5. THe audio ins and outs on VEP5 are no cakewalk themselves! Any hints on that would help too.
I will need around 20 audio outs from Kontakt 5/Broadway Big Band.

Are you talking about multiple outputs in Kontakt? This shows how to do it with Kontakt in PT but the basics should also work in VEP (just substitute VEP for PT I guess): http://www.native-instruments.com/kn...n+Pro+Tools+10

[glasswing]

Thanks for your excellent replies!

I'll let you know how it goes today.

[glasswing]

SteFF!!!

You saved my life! Very SUPER cool.

Another revelation is that it doesn't matter which instance is Port 1 or Port 2. I had assumed Instance 2 was Port 2.

Thank you so very much. I sent your email to Paul at Vienna for reference. It would help so much if they had labeled that Preferences dialogue MIDI PORTS instead of MIDI Channels. Same with the dialogue on the instrument window. The one of the left should be labeled MIDI PORTS.

This was the Easter Egg I was looking for!

Now it's onto Kontakt separate outs. Hopefully I can get that far today. It's a busy family holiday day here on the farm!

Thanks

Richard

[glasswing]

Music Man!

Thanks for the link on the NI site. I think I have it working. Will test in a minute.

On my configuration I get MAYBE 16 channels using the very unusual Surround Outs. I was hoping for twenty. If this works I can make do with it, but do you know if it's possible to get say TEN stereo outs instead of the Surround business?

What confuses me is after a certain number the Surround outs the numbering seems to start over again. I guess I'll find out soon what that means - whether it's gonna go out the same output as the previous version with the same name or its own out.

Will report in when I know more.

Thanks a million!!!
richard

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by glasswing

Music Man!

Thanks for the link on the NI site. I think I have it working. Will test in a minute.

On my configuration I get MAYBE 16 channels using the very unusual Surround Outs. I was hoping for twenty. If this works I can make do with it, but do you know if it's possible to get say TEN stereo outs instead of the Surround business?

What confuses me is after a certain number the Surround outs the numbering seems to start over again. I guess I'll find out soon what that means - whether it's gonna go out the same output as the previous version with the same name or its own out.

Will report in when I know more.

Thanks a million!!!
richard

If you follow the example I linked to it's possible to get 16 stereo outs in Kontakt for a total of 32 channels - it shows in steps 8 and 10. No surround outputs used. It takes a bit of careful work to make it happen but it can be done.

[Hanswurstlsepp]

Originally Posted by glasswing

SteFF!!!
This was the Easter Egg I was looking for!

Hi Richard,

glad I could help.

But you are of course right - for me it was always clear, that the MidiInputs can only meant as MidiPorts - it is a kind of confusing when you look into the VEP-Prefs for the first time and if u don't have a complete overview bout the "global VEP concept" yet.

However, I wish you a lot of thick and nice colored eggs, too