VE Pro Template with Pro Tools

[Jean Paul]

So I am trying to convert my 'all-inside' Pro Tools9 template to a new template with VE Pro in order to utilize full RAM capacity. I thought of a preliminary plan and would appreciate any help, if you can tell me whether I am going in the right direction.

I have Win 7 PC with 8 cores (16 with hyperthreading) and assign 6 to VE Pro and 2 for pro tools and Win7 (maybe 7 and 1 would be ok as well). I am not using any slaves at the moment and only starting VE pro server on the same PC of my Pro Tools DAW. With one instance of VE Pro in pro tools, I have 16 midi ports (each with 16 midi channels). So I can load up to 16 Kontakt instances (multis) within one VE Pro instance. Is it better to have one VEPRo isntance with 6 or 7 cores allocated instead of 6 VePro instances with one core each?

My basic template has 11 Kontakt instances (16 sample patches each) + Omnisphere and 180 midi tracks. Midi tracks are bussed into instrument groups (like flutes, horns, trumpets,e tc), then are bussed to Str Hi Long - Str Hi Short - Str Lo Long - Str Lo Short, WW Hi Long, WW Hi Short, etc..etc..then are bussed into main stems like Str, WW, Br, Perc, etc

Using VE Pro, I load 11 kontakt isntances (multis) inside one instance of VE Pro. Each Kontakt instance is assigned to a midi port. Now for the routing, each midi track in Pro Tools will output to the respecitve midi port/midi channel in the kontakt instances. I would then create 180 Audio input channels in VE PRO, rename them one for each midi track, and have the Kontakt outputs into the input channels. That will be a bit tedious. Then I would buss/group the audio input channels into sensible subgroups like Str Hi long, Str Hi Short, Str Lo Long, str Lo Short, WW ditto, Br ditto, etc..(i.e. around 32 busses), and apply reverb/eq on the busses. These are then further bussed into the main stems (strings, WW, Br, Perc, etc) inside Pro tools for bouncing.

Does that make sense or is it better to have say 6 Ve Pro instances with 2 Kontakts in each, instead of one VEPro instance with 11 kontakts?

Also, I guess there is no escape from having to create an input channel in VE Pro for each midi track in Pro Tools, in order to buss them and apply reverb/eq within VE pro. Previously, I had all the routing done inside Kontakt mixer by creating subgroup Auxes, which are mirrored in pro tools, and the Reverb/EQ was applied inside pro tools.

Any help would be appreciated before I go ahead and start the transition. thanks JP

[Jean Paul]

* bump *

[Karel]

As far as instances goes, one big instance is better than multiple instances in terms of performance.

[Jean Paul]

Thanks a lot Karel

Thats what i was looking for. I will start with one instance and load it to the max.

Regarding the routing, I figured a way of using the Kontakt mixer aux to route to VE Pro Input channels. I set-up a mixer in Kontakt with 12 auxes (each named as Strings hi, string Lo, WW Hi, WW Lo, etc) and have the instruments in Kontakt output to one of the Aux within Kontakt, depending on the patch. Then the Aux outs serve as inputs in the Input Channels. However, the Aux name in Kontakt does not appear the same in VE Pro.

For instance, I have Kontakt 4 1 in one channel with the Aux outputs names Str hi, Str Lo. When I assign the input of the input channel, the name will be something like 'Kontakt 4 1 2' which corresponds to 'Str Hi', or ' Kontakt 4 1 3' which corresponds to 'Str Lo'.

Is there a way for VE Pro to see the names of the Kontakt mixer Auxes? This will make it easier to assign the right Aux output to the right Input channel. Or can you point me to where I can find information on setting up Kontakt Aux within VE Pro?


I appreciate your help
Jean Paul

[DG]

@Jean Paul said:

Thanks a lot Karel

Thats what i was looking for. I will start with one instance and load it to the max.

Jean Paul

 

Make sure that you set as many threads per instance as you can (i.e. that you don't need for Pro Tools) in the VE Pro Preferences.

DG

[Jean Paul]

@DG said:

Make sure that you set as many threads per instance as you can (i.e. that you don't need for Pro Tools) in the VE Pro Preferences.

Thanks DG. (Daryl is that you?) I will experiment and see how it goes.

I just wish there is way for VE Pro to 'see' the Auxes names assigned in Kontakt. This will make it easy and intuitive to route everything to the right channel.

[DG]

@DG said:

Make sure that you set as many threads per instance as you can (i.e. that you don't need for Pro Tools) in the VE Pro Preferences.

Thanks DG. (Daryl is that you?) I will experiment and see how it goes.

 

You guessed it.....!

DG

[Jean Paul]

Good to see you here! and thanks for your advice

best
JP

[DG]

 As you can see, this is my usual haunt. [8-|]

DG

[laurentmis]

Any progress in the template ?

I am stocked with the multi instruments set-ups of kontakt . I was able to output 2 instruments with one instance of kontakt to prot tools and play them and record midi , but the second instance of kontakt doesn't route properly in pro tools with other out puts, and midi, I don't know what to do. Any advice ?

[Jean Paul]

 Yes, the template is working just fine. I am using 3 instances of 64-bit VEP, each with 16 instances of Kontakt (and a few omnisphere). The template is around 12 GB, but most patches are purged in kontakt to minimize usage. Once in a while I re-purge everything to keep it lean.

Make sure you set up the number of midi ports to 16 and audio inputs to 32 or more in VEP. You also have to create several aux output channels in Kontakt and set that to your default (close kontakt and re-open). For example, one Kontakt instance in one of the VEP instances, contain 16 instruments that are routed to 16 midi tracks in Pro Tools. You assign midi port 1 for that kontakt instance. Just as an example, out of these 16 patches, you have 8 flute articualtions (sus, stacc, runs, grace, etc) and 8 oboe articulations..So you want to output all 8 flute patches into one Audio input channel in VEP seperate from the audio input for the oboe. That way you can apply different EQ, reverb for each group. From within Kontakt, you would assign all flute patches to St. output 3/4 and all oboe to St. output 5/6. (normally St. output 1/2 goes to the master channel in VEP). You can have more grouping if you want more control.

You create 2 input channles in VEP and use the output assignments in Kontakt as the inputs. Make sure you have set the number of audio output in VEP, and assign an output to each audio input bus. These outputs will serve as the inputs for the aux channels in Pro Tools. You do that for all orchestral instruments, grouping them as you see fit. The main criteria is how you want to apply reverb for the various patches, especially if you are mixing instruments from various libraries that do not have similar reverb.

You repeat the same with the next Kontakt instance, assigning midi  port 2-all. Once the kontakt isntance is full, save it as a multi and back-it with a version number (like Strings 1.1), as you make changes and balance the volumes, you will keep a kack-up and save it as version 1.2. Do that for all yout kontakt instruments, grouping their kontakt outputs as you see fit for your mixing and FX applications.

For instance, I have grouped my strings as per the library they came from, then by Shorts and Longs in VEP, but they are bussed in pro Tools to Strings Hi and String Lo aux channels. Reverb is done wihtin VEP through sends to an aux channel that has an algorithmic reverb for ER and positioning, and the aux channels in pro tools have sends to a reverb channel with Lex for the reverb tail. EQ is done in VEP mainly, to preserve CPU power, but I also use occasional EQ in PT on Str-hi and Str-lo channels with plugins that are not yet 64 bit (like Waves SSL).

Hope this helps.

JP

[laurentmis]

Thanks so much for the great explaination , it's working !

[Jean Paul]

You're most welcome

JP

[samnarboni]

Hi Jp,

hi all,

me i have a another method to use VEPRO5 with Protools 10 or 11 in Localhost.

then in protools, i create directly a "instruments tracks" for each output of my instance Kontakt.

ex: _VEPRO1 Kontakt Percu out 1/2--> Instrument track PERCU  input Midichanel 1/2 (percu)

      _VEPRO1 Kontakt Horns out 2/3--> Instrument track HORNS input Midichanel 3/4 (Horns)

      ...

Is that clear? sorry my english is so *"Mauvais".

the advantage of this (to me) is to avoid creating duplicate (doublon) midi and audio tracks in Protools.

Is that a good Method?

All regards,

Sam

*Bad