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  • Best way to open midi ports & VE Pro 5 instances in Cubase

    After reading this post: 

    http://community.vsl.co.at/forums/p/29669/190863.aspx#190863

    I am wondering if this is still the case? Is one better than the other  (i.e. opening up multiple midi ports in a single instance of VE Pro 5 or opening up multiple instances of VE Pro 5 with only one midi port per instance).

    Organizationally, it would make sense to me to open up multiple midi ports per instance, per family of instruments. (e.g. Violins would have a maybe 4 ports on a single instance of VE Pro, Percussion maybe 2 ports, etc.) Is one way better than the other for loading time/memory management/cpu etc?

    Also, now that Cubase 7.5 allows multiple midi channels and audio outputs on an Instrumet Track, is using the Instrument RACK (F11) still the preferred way of setting up VE Pro 5?


  • Hello Sunshy,

    I am disappointed there are no answers for you.  I would like to see them. I have the VEP tutorials which do not include sequencer  routing for cubase.  I have Cubase tutorials which do not include the newer Gray instruments rack.  I have a comment that using add instrument track in the new rack and the VI symbol in the channel window to add an instrument track are two different things.  I have Kontakt 4 tutorials.  I have Kontakt 4 Explained (Groove 3) and Vienna Ensemble Pro explained (Groove 3).  I have the manuals of all three apps, read, underlined, handcopied the routing sections, and followed the instructions on one computer while putting the instructions to work on another computer. I have tried all the combinations I can think of, but no instruction solves the routing problem of having all apps playing in the same project. My DAW is a VisionDAW custom computer, designed for composing.  It has 64 G memory.

    If you should ever find a method to incorporate VEPro5, Cubase 7.5, Konkakt 4, and EW Play Symphonic Orchestra, I would much appreciate how to locate it. 


  • VE Pro is essentially a multi-timbral instrument to the host, eg., Cubase in terms of routing. There is no mystery, you enable outputs in the F11 rack the same as you would anything that provides them to Cubase. Then in the Vienna Ens Pro instrument channel there are the subchannels representing those choices.

    One thing I would suggest is having a reason for these choices. If at some point you need 'stems', ie., a separation of the mixdown of that instance, this is a concrete reason for more than one out. Or you may want a level control in Cubase in addition to the level you can automate of VE Pro's mixer so you make an output. But with the automation mapping and control you don't necessarily need to clutter Cubase.
    It's a matter of how you want it organized. I like 4 outputs, maybe a couple more in a really involved setup, the master and three rather inclusive categories. Some really just need one stereo master output. 

    It's a host. You add the plugin eg., Kontakt or Play or Vienna Instruments to VEP, I don't know what the mystery is. Right-click and 'add plugin' or in the case of VSL's engines, 'add instrument (VI)' or 'add VI Pro' and there are key commands to do the same thing.

    I remember when I started with virtual instruments and trying to suss things by reading. Just get in there, the interface is very intuitive, and do it.

    There are these types of channels in VEP: instrument; bus, which the instrument can be sent to in order to be effected by its inserted effects, or assigned to so that everything in that bus effects it; and input. The latter functions for a couple of things; the basic one is this: If you assign outputs from eg. Kontakt, you input that from the menu of that Kontakt channel's outs. Or a bus is just a group, such as I have a whole flutes ensemble assigned to 'flutes' bus which give me a master level for the group.

    I make a midi port for a family; similarly I make a (not-huge) multi in Kontakt for like things and set outputs as needed for mixing. It's all up to you and your idea of organization.

    I don't think there is going to be much difference as to the loading times of channels using one or many viframes, other than the obvious time to start up the frame. It uses a little bit of cycles to use more than one vs one, so I think dozens of instances is not very useful. I do 2-4 typically for various reasons. I used to have to isolate Play. I isolate BFD2 because of a couple of bugs. I use some FX which are not 64-bit so there's an instance.


  • Well, my question was mainly: "Is it better to use an 'Instrument Track' in Cubase? Or better to open up an instrument in the 'Instrument Rack' (F11) and add midi tracks?"

    I have been using the Instrument Rack (F11). Though there has been some discussion as to whether this will, at some point, be phased out, supplanted by the Instrument Track (now multitimbral). 

    I also looked for a video specificaly using VE PRO 5 with Cubase but couldn't really find a good one for the setup. I'll make a simple one, post it on youtube, and post the link here. Once you get it up and running, it's really nice. Though I'm still wondering what the best way to organize instruments would be. 


  • Hello Sunshy,

    Thank you for your answers.  I will look forward to your method.  I am going to create the four instrument groups, winds,brass,perc and strings using Vienna instruments for the first chairs, Kontakt 4 for the second chairs and EW for the third chairs. I have placed a folder track at the head of each group for the section simply with the name of the group - WWIND, list of winds, BRASS, list of brass, etc.

    Vienna is offering an eight month class to use their instruments and will be demonstrated using Cubase as the sequencer by a composer and expert.  I can't afford the required missing vienna instruments, but it is the first I know of to use Cubase for the video classes.  On their website now, class next starting August 1.

    Thanks again for taking the time to reply.  You are a good man to offer making a video and hope you can find the time to accomplish it.

    best regards,

    tony h


  • I'd be interested in taking these classes. Where is the link for them? In the meantime, here is a link to the basics of setting up VE Pro 5 with Cubase 7.5


    using it on the same computer, so if you're using a separate computer you'll have to connect to that one. Also, pay close attention to the end of the video where I change the port # on the Kontakt instance on the VE Pro 5. If you don't do this, all of your instruments wil play at the same time. Good luck.

  • Shushy,                  

    A Google search for  Vienna Symphonic Library will bring up a Vienna Symphonic Library heading - the second ad down.  Opening it will show     the training registration page.  I'd like to take the first month's lessons.

    Best of luck to you.

    Thank you for the video,

    tony h