Garritan and Aria Ensembles in Pro Tools

[bearscat]

I was having problems using Garritan's Multi Stereo Player Ensembles in ProTools. Clicking, notes cut off, etc. However, an excellent You Tube by Loudan Sterns : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J12IibKInP0 provided the approach that worked. Though he was working with Kontakt, the approach is readily adaptable to ProTools. Step by Step Summary follows.

1. Create one or more Instrument Tracks.
2. Enable View>Edit Window (and Mix Window)>Instruments, so can assign channels from Midi.
3. Insert Aria multi stereo plug-in as an insert in first track. Open desired preset or User Ensemble
4. If relevant user ensemble does not already exist, simply add instruments to the popup player and add different Output Assignments (click next to last selector right before channel assignments) for each (as well as channel assignments). For ProTools stereo outputs, they will be 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 etc. If a preexisting User or Aria Ensemble is used, be sure that each instrument in set has separate midi and Analog outputs. Note: do not need to mess with ProTools I/O under Setup! Keep Window open to help with subsequent tracks.
5. Note that first track will already have (or should be) assigned Aria 1-1 (i.e. Player 1, channel 1) on midi out, and Analog 1/2, on the I/O. Name the track with whatever the instrument is or whatever other naming convention is useful.
6. Next Track.
a. On I/O input, choose for Input (that's right!): plug-in, Aria multi stereo with its Analog output (3/4). That is the key! Then verify that midi output is to the Aria channel for that instrument (here: channel 2).
b. Note: do not insert further Aria Player inserts in the further tracks. Everything is being done with the single player through the I/O input, and the midi channel output assignments.
7. Repeat for further tracks for discrete input and midi output assignments for each.
8. Shift to Mixer view ^=. Will now have separate "Aux" tracks for each instrument that can be record enabled and played or sent to busses for recording audio tracks prior to mixing.

The approach seems to avoid prior problems I was having with clicks and cut off of notes. The samples are marvelous and play cleanly.