Hello Vienna,

I have a couple odd problems.  I am currently testing out VEP5 so I'm not sure if these are occuring because of my demo license, but I thought I would check anyways.

First, Everytime I open up VEP5, I get a pop up window saying "Do you want the application 'Vienna Ensemble Pro Server (64-bit).app' to accept incoming network connections?"  Now, every time this occus I click "Allow" but for some reason VEP5 asks me everytime.  I even went into the OSX 10.8.2 security & privacy section in system preferences, under firewall, and VEP5 is listed under the allowed connections.  Yet this happens everytime VEP5 is opened.

Secondly, When I was using VEP4, if I closed windows (instances) and then saved a metaphrame, those windows would stay closed when I reloaded that project in the future.  Now in VEP5 however, those windows (instances) open every time I load that metaphrame.  This is really annoying because some of my projects have a lot of windows and I have to close each one to free up my screen again.

Let me know what you think.

Cheers.

Hello VSL,

Does the student discount special work when purchasing a software upgrade (for example moving from VE Pro 4 to VE Pro 5?)

Thanks!

Paul,

Will there be an update for VE Pro 4 in order to ensure compatibility for OSX 10.8?

Thanks.

Can't tell you how excited I am for a more than 16 channel AU.  This will make worlds of difference in my template.

Vienna, can you squeak it out before October?  Please?

Vienna, could I also recommend VE Pro 5 have a setting where you can enable and disable instances?  This way you could load a template but disable an instance you're not using to free up memory for other instruments, but then re-enable it later on if you want to.  Would be AWESOME if you could!

Thanks!

I must insist this would be a VERY USEFUL addition to VE Pro as I hate scanning through a large amount of windows.

+1

+1000000

bump,

Any news on this VSL?

Yeah I've definitely figured out that hyper-threading is way complex.  Thank you for the reply Martin.

Just out of curiousity, you said that you can see the benefit of using up as many virtual cores as possible.  Would you mind explaining a little more about how you see the benefit?  I'm sure I'm benefiting from it (since I have nothing really to compare it to), and I would just like to see how much I can make my machine run better.  Any recommendations other than what I've already said?  (putting the multi-threading in preferences down to a lower setting)

Also, is there a reason that you don't use Grand Central Dispatch for Snow Leopard?  I don't know much about the programming of it, but it seems like an interesting way to spread out the CPU.

Thanks again,

ea

Hey Vienna,

I'm currently trying to figure something out on my Nehalem Mac Pro with 8-cores.  Intel introduced the hyperthreading technology with these computers which brings the level of virtual cores up to 16, doubling the amount from 8.  And In VE Pro's preferences, I have the option for using all 16 threads.  I however find that I use less CPU with putting that thread count down to 1, 2, or 3 since I'm using 13 instances of VE Pro on my orchestral template.

But here's the weird part, VE Pro is by far the biggest CPU user on my computer, yet when I look at my iStat application, it only shows every other core (of the 16 cores/virtual cores) being used to its full potential.  It looks as if most of the regular cores are being used to about 40-70% while the virtual cores are sitting at 10%.  The link below goes to a picture of what I'm talking about.

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=243214&d=1280812451

Now I'm not sure if this is just a OSX issue, or what.  But I know that in some other software, like rendering, when actually enter rendering, it full utilizes all 16 cores/virtual cores.

So how does VE Pro handle hyper-threading?  Is there any way to enhance the performance?

Thanks,

ea

I don't know how feasible this is, but I thought I'd list it here because I think it would make an awesome addition to VE Pro.

It would be useful if there was a connect switch or an automatic connector for when you open a VE Pro metaframe after you open your host sequencer.  It would basically connect all the servers to the VE Pro instances with one click (by connecting them to their last known connection).  This way, you could easily close a project and open a new one without having to re-connect all of the servers individually.  This is especially useful since in my template I have 13 instances of VE Pro running with Digital Performer.  This would also be useful because it seems that I can never open a DP project with VE Pro already open without running into some sort of a problem loading.

Granted, if Vienna was able to create an MAS version of VE Pro I wouldn't mind reconnecting a few instances instead of 13.  :)

Thanks for reading.

-ea

You know, I thought I had checked that, but apparently I didn't.  DP is sending a midi message at the beginning of each track.  And I think I know (because the corresponding midi track in DP is at regular volume).  My mistake!

DG, yes I've used xFade before and that helps, but only a little bit.  I'd still like to have complete control over those transitions so I can tweak them towards the sound I find more realistic.

I've noticed in the last few versions of VE Pro that Kontakt 3.5 the 4.1 Player both have a problem with the individual instrument levels within Kontakt.  It seems that whenever I press play or record in DP 7.2 that the individual instrument volume levels that I changed within Kontakt return to their default volume position.  I'm on a Mac Pro using OSX 10.6.4.

-ea

Just thought I'd make a request for the forthcoming VI Pro.  I'd love to see a way to turn down the volume of the legato samples so that when I'm working on softer, slower passages, the transitions aren't so jarring.  Also I find that some instruments just have transitions that are too loud for many contexts.  I don't know how well this could be implemented, but I think its possible and would be a worthy addition to Vienna Instruments.

-ea

I am also having this problem when I load up a new project in DP7.2 (and all the previous version of DP) using the latest VE Pro.  It only happens when I'm actually loading the DP project with VE Pro open.  And if I have another K4.1 Player, only the first instance says it cannot load the plug-in.  I'd be happy to send a console report.  Please let me know if you want me to.

Interestingly, a way around this problem is to save the metaframe and open VE Pro and the saved metaframe AFTER the DP project is open.  When I do that, the metaframe loads just fine.  But it is a hassle.

+1

I've had the same problem.  If I have DP7 running VE Pro and then add an instance of PLAY (in DP NOT VE Pro), DP7 crashes.  It is quite weird.  Maybe the Vienna guys could chime in and let us know why this happens because it didn't happen before VE Pro was there.

I have figured out a temporary work-around.  I'm using DP's interapplication midi to send midi to PLAY's Standalone.  I then reroute the audio back to DP through Soundflower.  Works great.  Just adds another step to my set-up everytime I open a project.

Vienna guys, you have any idea why adding an instance of PLAY in DP is crashing DP when an instance VE Pro is open?

Thanks

-ea

weird, i'm running DP 7.01, 10.6.2, and VE Pro (the 4657 beta) on my 2.26 Ghz 8-Core Mac Pro with 16GB of ram and I'm not having any problems at all.  In fact I loaded a 76 Instrument template up tonight and it was ridiculously smooth!

Is DP's Pre-Rendering set to "All instruments in real time"?

Are you using an audio interface with your Mac Pro?  My MOTU 828mk3 is acting crazy right now with DP (little audible clicks everywhere) so I'm waiting for them to update the drivers so it works right.

Since I have a working system you may want to post this over at MotuNation as well.  There are some really great guys there who know a lot more than I do.

Good luck!

-ea

So false alarm,

Apparently there is something wrong with the latest audio driver for my 828mk3.  I ran a project on running on the Mac Pro's internal audio and no clicks were heard.

Sorry for the trouble!

-ea

Hey VSL forum,

I just recently purchased a new Mac Pro 2.26 Ghz 8-core with 16 GB of ram.  I'm currently running a project with two instances of VE Pro (the newest beta, but it also did it in the last beta), each with 16 VSL SE tracks for a total of 32 VSL SE tracks.  Now even when I'm playing ONE instrument, I'm getting a ridiculous amount of audible clicks when I play each instrument.  The note doesn't drop out at all, it still keeps going, but there is this clicking sound that usually happened when I had a CPU spike on my Macbook Pro.  I look at my CPU and it's hardly hitting above 10% and my RAM is only using about 4GB out of the available 16.  I'm using DP 7.01 as my sequencer and currently none of my other instruments (which include Kontakt LASS, Ivory, Omnisphere, Stylus, and PLAY) are having this problem.

I don't believe its my hard drives, because I have strings, woodwinds, and brass on separate WD Caviar Black 1TB  drives.  DP7 is also on a different drive than the samples.  I've also tried messing with the multi-processing.  I had it set to 16 but pulled it back to 8 and then pulled it back to 2 but it still creates the same result.  I've also tried setting the DP7 pre-rendering to "All instruments in real time" but that didn't help either.

Anyone have any ideas what may be causing this and how I may fix it?

Thanks

ea

I think you're right.  VSL seems to be trying to fix the problem but from what I've read here and read on the EastWest forums, EastWest is extremely unwilling to help.

No terribly surprised by that move by EastWest.  I've had some really terrible experiences with them and some of the worst support I've seen.  PLAY is currently useless for me in DP7 and Snow Leopard.  I know that they haven't officially made PLAY compatible with Snow Leopard, but I really have no idea what is taking them so long.  And all my other plug-ins work.

Here's to hoping for a solution soon.

-ea

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Studiologic VMK188 Plus.  I tried about 10 different keyboards (including the Rolands and Yamahas) but none of them come close to this keyboard.

Studiologic is Fatar's midi controller company.  The VMK188 Plus is a graded hammer action (so its more like a real piano feeling heavier at the bottom and lighter at the top).  It has 9 assignable sliders and 8 assignable knobs.  While the action is a bit heavier than a Steinway D, it is still the best I can find.  Plays beautifully.  Its also a great deal selling at around $650 US.

My only downside is that the modwheel/pitch bend is a fairly useless module.  But I just reassigned a slider for each of those controls.

I couldn't be more happy with mine and would recommend it any day over any other keyboard.

-ea

The range is from E3 - F6 on short and long articulations, and E3 to D#6 on legato (which is a fantastic range for a sampled trumpet if I may say so myself)

I would go for the Bb Trumpet if I were you.  While the VSL cornet has a great sound and is a great instrument, cornets are not commonly used anymore.  They were the big thing to use in old concert bands but now trumpets are much more commonly used even in concert band settings.

I've haven't seen any recent compositions in the orchestral, wind ensemble (concert band) or solo repetoire written for cornet.

Now if you're going for a unique sound for your trumpet sound, then the cornet will definitely give you that!

Just my two cents.