Update:

On further testing it appears this bug is specifically associated with the project I was working on. It had been started in VE5 and updated to VE6. Completely new VE6 projects are working as expected.

PS. The software is SO much faster / more responsive!

I can confirm that VE Pro 6 is loading VI Pro 2.4.15869

It will not: auto-load Humanize on new instruments, will not load Humanize presets when selecting "Auto Humanize" in global, and certain instruments (KLB, OB2, BA etc) will not accept manually-loaded Humanize presets at all.

Upon further inspection some instruments will not even allow me to individually program humanize presets into a cell. I can select them from the menu but as soon as I click, the preset returns to being empty.  Other instruments will accept the manual entry (per cell).

None of this behavior is present in the VST or stand-alone versions of VI Pro... This error appears only the VE Pro 6 inserts.

Hi...

I installed VE Pro 6 yesterday and noticed that VI Pro instances no longer load Humanize presets for instruments (even if set to load them on new instrument loads). Additionally they do not respond to the Auto Humanize button. I can manually load each one but this is incredibly time consuming.

The stand-alone version of VI Pro is loading correctly, so this error seems to be limited to the VE host.

Any suggestions how to fix this?

Thanks.

--Leo

All tuning standards are arbitrary. Even numbers, odd numbers, whole numbers, decimals, fractions, etc make no difference because they are all based on an entirely unnatural unit of time based loosely on the (non-fixed) length of time the earth takes to revolve around the sun and later standard-locked to the more precise decay of a cesium atom. Seconds do not exist in nature. They are an agreed-upon standard, just as A=440 is an agreed-upon standard. Hertz is not a natural thing. It is a man-made reference based on a man-made unit of time. Fractions of a hertz unit are no more or less correct or natural than whole-numbered units. It's just a way for us to communicate in a standard way.

In terms of sound, an individual instrument or singer may sound more or less pleasing at a particular tuning due to resonance or range. It may get even be true of a particular piece of music in a particular room. (Although what is more pleasing to one person may be less pleasing to another, as this is a matter of subjective tastes.)

When it comes to pre-recorded audio samples, I can't imagine digitally manipulating the pitch after would yield the same acoustic properties in terms of resonance. I also don't think it would produce the same qualities as "straining" an instrument with slightly more tension, or relaxing it by reducing the tension. The only place I can imagine digital pitch manipulation changing the sound in a tangible way would be hermode or, in the case of a piano changing the temperament, where the relationships between notes are altered.

What Makes the Vienna Philharmonic So Distinctive 

This is probably nothing new for anyone who has been working with VSL a while, or has familiarity with the Vienna Phil.

Nonetheless I thought it was worth seeing this piece for "lay people" regarding some of the differences that VSL users noticed right from the beginning (horns, oboe, etc.) as well as some thoughts for using imperfection (in this case, rhythmically) to achieve more musicality.

Enjoy!

--Leo

I understand your frustrations with libraries being expensive. It's taken me a long time to work up to my current VSL collection and I still have a considerable wishlist. Like you, I began with the Giga library (first edition). It's my understanding that the library was always sampled at 24bit but dithered down to 16 bits for the early editions. The Vienna Instrument libraries are reprogrammed from the original 24-bit samples plus additional sample sessions. (Please correct me if I'm wrong - I couldn't verify this info on the site).

I still have other libraries but VSL is my go-to. The consistency of sample quality and programming from one instrument to another is brilliant. And with VI there is so much opportunity to customize your workflow. I am also completely sold on the concept of samples with minimal ambience and without pre-programmed panning. Create your dream ensemble and place them how you prefer. Use a convolution reverb to put them in your favorite room (even the Great Pyramid, thanks to Altiverb!) There isn't another library I've used which has this degree of flexibility.

I'm sure we each have a list of a million arrangements we'd like to hear before making this kind of investment. In fairness, I don't think anyone has more examples in more varied styles than VSL does on this website. And while other libraries may be able to nail a very specific sound well, I sincerely believe no other libraries are as adaptable, customizable or extensively detailed as VSL's.

That said... I also find that there is no sustitute for the time you spend on detailed programming and mixing when it comes to quality results. VSL isn't the fast food of sample libraries and if speed is paramount, perhaps this isn't the place to invest.

Hopefully I've said something of use, as I do feel a bit rambly this evening. 

Found them! Thanks for the info. This is such an exciting update!

Also, I couldn't help but notice the time you posted this... You may want to give some thought to sleeping, Herb!

Thanks again! As always your customer service is phenomenal.

I've noticed there are new patches (e.g. 51 VI-6B_perf-legato) used to create the 2nd Violins in the string ensembles in VI Pro 2. They load different humanize tuning curves (in addition to the alternate panning). These patches don't seem to be available to users in the Patch section. Since someone obviously went through the trouble of programming these alternate tunings for every matrix is there any chance these could be made available as pre-programmed second violins for VI Pro 2 users?

I purchased VI Pro when it became available and was impressed with the new features. To be honest I rarely took advantage of many of these features due to the time-consuming nature of reprogramming my templates (humanizing each cell, for example). When the anouncement was made for VI Pro 2 I expected this to be a paid upgrade with new, cool features I probably wouldn't have time to program but I'd feel obligated to purchase to feel "current."

My first surprise was that VI Pro 2 was a free upgrade for VI Pro users. I'll be honest. When they went live on the site my first instinct was to load the product page. I noticed that there was no "Your price" option, so I assumed VI Pro 2 would not include an upgrade offer. With the amount of work that clearly went into the software I was not entirely surprised. I can tell you I was quite happily surprised when I realized the software was available as a free update in my downloads section!  Needless to say I did not expect to find new presets for every library I purchased, including pre-programmed templates for just about every new feature!

I just wanted to say thank you to the entire VSL team. I've been on board since the First Edition. You constantly find ways to breath new life into these amazing samples. And you never cease to amaze me with your understanding of the value of long-term customer relationships. Yours is probably the only company which could release a product that (if I had the money) I would purchase without even needing to listen first. That's how much faith I have in all you do.

Thanks again.

--Leo Wolfe

I second this request! :) Since the player is capable of both transposing and pitch-shift it would be wonderful to have an option to create a second and third player with a single setting-change for the instance. It's tedious to try to transpose every articulation individually or with humanizing curves. It's confusing to use transpose and pitch-bend within the sequencer.

Since it's not requiring new functions, simply a GUI addition, it "seems" like a relatively easy control to implement for additional solo instruments for smaller ensembles, or 2nd violins.

Just a thought... keep being amazing, VSL. =D

So far VI Pro has been cooperative with me, with this exception.

When I initiate Stretching the new patch will show up in the patch list. When I attempt to load the patch, after a period of time (anywhere between 28% and 68% complete) the beachball of death appears and VI Pro becomes unresponsive. (It reopens after a Force Quit and resumes all other functions.)

I tried this with VI Pro as a standalone, and also inserted into VE Pro with the same results.

My computer is a MacPro w/ 2 2.26 quad-cores, 16GB RAM and OS 10.6.4

I have verified/repaired disk permissions and have tried clean reboots to no effect. I am out of ideas. *shrug*

It's completely imaginary... (right now, anyway)  but...

I would absolutely LOVE to have a second solo violin.  I do a lot of pit orchestra for musical theatre and I can use stretching (+/- a half step) to get the viola/cello sections about right... and the brass, even.  but I have a lot of trouble building both 1st and 2nd violin sections using only one set of samples.

I'd also love a second, jazzier Bb clarinet.  The current one can be a bit lack-luster at times.

OK.  That's totally not what you asked, but...  those two things would definitely be "must have" to me!

--Leo

SPL Transient designer. It's around $299 but is perfect for adjusting percussion for more / less attack and increasing or decreasing ambiance. If you hunt around online, they have a demo video.

Have you tried adjusting the attack from within VI? You may be able to soften the attack without spending any money! =)

--Leo

Hmmm... I notice VST support is listed as only available on PC. :'(

Does this mean that Cubase 4 users on Mac will not be able to use Ensemble???

ugh... I hope I misread this.

--Leo

PLEASE HELP!

Any news on the 1.11 update?

I have switched over my whole setup from pc to Intel Mac... now that Native Instruments has caught up, my 7 VI's (10 by Friday - woohoo!) are all that I can't use in Cubase on my Mac.

Thanks...
--Leo Wolfe

Happiness Factor Restored!

Apparently, the VI really hates the GigaStudio 3 memory settings. I changed them back to WindowsXP defaults and the VI seems to have stopped being cranky.

It is now loading normally as a standalone and as a plug-in. It also no longer has trouble finding the WAV files when loading a MATRIX.

Now my only concern is, since I haven't the money to upgrade the entire library at once, how severely will my GigaStudio templates be impacted by the "tweak"-less memory settings.

By the way, I'm not sure if it's my imagination playing tricks on me, or if it's really the case with the 24 bit samples, but the VI Chamber strings seem significantly warmer than the original Giga library. I'm excited about the possibilities.

Thanks for the help!

--Leo Wolfe

I received Chamber Strings in the mail today. I was very excited at the time. Unfortunately, I am just frustrated now.

My hardware: Delta 1010 / 2.6 GHz P4 / 3 GB RAM

I run Cubase SX3, Giga 3.0, Kontakt 1.5, all without a hitch.

VI Installation itself was fine. The files were on the hard drive in about an hour. No errors. Authorization went very smoothly.

However, when I open the VI application in Standalone mode, instant problems. The GUI starts to load and stops about 2/3 of the way. Then an error message comes up about the AUDIO CARD being unavailable. Then an error message comes up about MIDI being busy or unavailable. Then there is an indescript ERROR message (no specifics, no log file).

The GUI stays open, and the pull-down menus work. It lets me look through the Options, even reset them. None of this seems to allow the GUI to finish loading correctly.

So, being the optimist, I loaded the program in Cubase. I figured this had to work right. Well, it sort of works... sort of doesn't.

The program does open up as a VSTi. It lets me navigate, change settings. BUT, when I load instruments, it provides pages listing "MISSING" WAV files. This seems to be random, because the lists are different each time I load the same MATRIX.

Also, even when I do get something to load without these error messages, the sound is choppy, as if WAV files are just not playing, but the release still plays. Turning off the RELEASE samples did not help this.

I really am at a loss. I have never had these kinds of issues with any audio software I have loaded on this computer in the past.

I really had much higher expectations. I am actually quite sad. This is the first time that I can say I am disappointed in a Vienna product, right out of the box.

Please help.

--Leo Wolfe

I haven't tried this for instruments, but I have for doubling vocals.

Auto-Tune 4 by Antares allows you to raise or lower the "target" pitch by a set number of cents +/-. If you used it as an audio insert on a given VI audio output it might allow you to slightly detune a section.

If I get a chance I'll give it a try.

--Leo Wolfe

I'm not entirely sure from your post what process you use to load instruments, but I use GIGA 3 and SX 3.

Here is how I load things in GIGA, and how I choose sounds within CUBASE. Hopefully this is helpful... []

1) In GIGA I open up the Quicksound database at the bottom of the screen. There I navigate to the .gig file that I want (i.e. VI-14_BASIC_SET), then click the + sign to show each available articuation.

2) Drag and drop the articulation you want (i.e. VI-14B_stac) into one of the GIGA instrument channels above. If you want to use more than one articulation you can use a keyswitch version (i.e. VI-14B_basic_all) or load additional articulations into other instrument channels.

3) In CUBASE, you have a few options for accessing GIGA instruments. The easiest one is to use REWIRE. Enable GIGA's REWIRE channels 1&2. This will make all GIGA instrument channels appear as MIDI Output options in your CUBASE MIDI channels. You will see the names of the articulations you've loaded listed as options (as long as you're using GIGA 3.1 on your system, otherwise it just lists generic REWIRE MIDI channel #'s, not names). (This is down below the generic GIGA PORT 1 you mentioned in your post.)

4) You can also use the generic GIGA PORT 1 and then select the specific MIDI channel you want within the CUBASE MIDI channel.

5) You can also use the VSL MIDI ROUTER, then open the Performance Tool as a go-between for GIGA and CUBASE. This is a little more complicated, but will allow you to use the Performance instruments.

Hopefully this helps a little. If you have questions, please feel free to PM me. (I definitely should not write instruction manuals for a living.) []

Cheers!
--Leo Wolfe

Hmmm...

I'd say 64 bit would be my first choice...

A close second would be sending all REWIRE audio channels out in stereo, not just the first two.

--Leo

Let me just preface this by saying I am not an expert and if someone knows otherwise, please let me know...

It is my understanding that each instance of Gigapulse can only accommodate one set of parameters...

For example... If you're working in stereo, you can select two microphone positions, and up to two corresponding stage positions... All sound going through that instance of Gigapulse will receive the same processing.

What I have done as a kind of work-around (since I can't load enough individual Gigapulse instances) is to assign each individual instrument (i.e. violin, viola, cello, etc.) to its own stereo channel in the primary mixer. I use the panning on each channel to narrow the stereo width and give each individual instrument left/right positioning.

Then I assign all individual instruments within a section to a Group channel (in this case the string section). I place one instance of Gigapulse as an insert to this group channel and try to achieve the room depth using a stereo microphone pair and left/right stage position boundaries.

The end result, each section can be assigned to a different Group, then given its own Gigapulse. So, you could use the front-row left/right stage positions with the front L/R mics for strings... Use the back row and wide mics for woodwinds... Use the back row and surround mics for brass/percussion, etc.

I've been pretty happy with the perceived depth and individual instrument clarity using this method. But it does require 3 or 4 instances of gigapulse, each on its own group channel.

Hope this helps... and I hope they hurry up with the VST version.

--Leo

Here is my setup:

Cubase SX 2 (w/ latest update)
GS3 (w/ 3.02)
MOTU Firewire 896 (w/ GSIF 2.2 drivers)
MIDIMAN 4x4 (w/ latest drivers)
Performance tool (2.0f)
VSL MIDI Router

I get perfect audio export through REWIRE without the Performance Tool.

I get perfect playback with the Performance Tool through REWIRE.

However, when I export audio from Cubase in "Real-Time," it sounds like the conductor is swatting flies with his batton. The tempo keeps shifting, and every instrument plays in its own time, and irratically. (The audio is pristine and beautiful, by the way, including GigaPulse... so it sounds like a really great recording of bunch of musicians on genetically-engineered crack.)

I have tried disconnecting the MIDIMAN 4x4 and uninstalling the drivers. I originally had Maple on my computer, and removed that. I have tried every audio driver option in Cubase. I have tried changing the timecode source (which had some very interesting effects on pitch and tempo, by the way -- unfortunately, the instruments were still playing like musicans on crack, they just added speed, as well.)

I know that I can capture the audio by cabling out ports one and two, and back in through ports 3 and 4. But I really would like to keep everything in the digital domain.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

--Leo Wolfe

p.s. I can definitely see amazing potential, if these kinds of issues can be solved. I am no expert at mixing, but already GigaPulse has added spaciality and clarity far beyond my expectations. If it can help a mixing-moron like me, I can't even imagine what the experts out there will be able to accomplish!

I'm not a "power user" by any stretch of the imagination. I have the First Edition and a few of the Horizon libraries and use them mainly for theatre composition. I am PC/Giga/Kontakt based, so I do not know if there are any differences in how repetition is executed in EXS24, but I did not find repetition at all difficult to set up or use with Giga.

It is definitely more like "programming" than Legato (which you just set and play), but I have not found it to get in the way of the tool's usefulness. The key things are to make sure your tempo is equal to or faster than the particular repetition you're using and make sure you load the correct Performance Tool file. Both of these are well-labeled.

I admit the tool is a bit confusing to describe, but once I opened it and played around for 10 minutes, it made perfect sense.

If this feature is the deal-breaker for whether or not you would buy VSL, I highly encourage you to buy it. I have yet to be disappointed with any VSL purchases I've made.

Good luck.
--Leo