Routing VEPro to DAWs

Digital Audio Workstation

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Cubase

Cubase ASIO Guard

There was quite some change to the CUBASE threading model since Cubase 7. This causes issues with a variety of plugins. Audio Input behaves very badly due to this change. In Cubase 8 and higher, you should deactivate ASIO GUARD 2 manually:

[Menu] > Devices > Plug-in Manager > VST Instruments > Vienna Ensemble Pro > Click "i" for Plug-in information > Click to set ASIO Guard to Inactive.

Please perform this operation on ALL VEPro Instrument and Fx plugins. Audio Input plugins will work properly thereafter.

Screenshot of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) plugin manager window displaying a list of VST instruments. The VST Instruments tab is highlighted in magenta, and Vienna Ensemble Pro is selected in the list, showing its VST 3.6.0 version, demonstrating the routing of VEPro within a Digital Audio Workstation like Cubase.

Routing in Cubase

  1. Start the Vienna Ensemble Pro SERVER.

Screenshot showing a Cubase Pro project window and a Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 server window open on a computer screen, illustrating software routing for audio production.
  1. Instantiate Vienna Ensemble Pro as a VST or VST3 Instrument (///), ideally as a RACK instrument.

Screenshot of a digital audio workstation (DAW) interface, likely Cubase, showing a dropdown menu under Rack with Vienna Ensemble Pro highlighted, illustrating the process of routing VEPro to DAWs.
Cubase pop-up window asking to create MIDI track for Vienna Ensemble Pro plugin, showing Cancel and Create buttons
  1. The Vienna Ensemble plug-in opens up – click "Connect" and choose the Vienna Ensemble Pro instance of your choice (remember that you have to start the Vienna Ensemble Pro SERVER first!).

Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 interface displaying a Not Connected message with a highlighted Connect button, illustrating VEPro routing to a Digital Audio Workstation like Cubase.
Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 interface showing server instances, 127.0.0.1 localhost, and highlighted NEW and CONNECT buttons for routing VEPro to DAWs like Cubase.
  1. Click on the sign to the far right of "Vienna Ensemble Pro" to activate the available Vienna Ensemble Pro outputs. You can activate them separately or one by one, depending on how many you need.
Vienna Ensemble Pro VST Instruments plugin interface in Cubase, showing the routing icon highlighted.
Screenshot of Vienna Ensemble Pro software routing stereo audio outputs 1/2 to main within a Cubase VST instrument rack.
  1. The corresponding stereo channels will be created automatically in your mixer.
Cubase MixConsole displaying VEPro 7 routing with VST instruments, channel faders, and routing options for digital audio workstation integration.
  1. Assign the different outputs in Vienna Ensemble Pro. It is also possible to assign the outputs below the fader of each channel.
Cubase VEPro 7 routing menu showing output options for virtual instruments, selecting OUT 5/OUT 6 for audio channels.

Logic Pro

Logic's "Live" mode

Important

This chapter applies to LOGIC in combination with Audio/Event Input Plug-ins

For proper functionality when using the Audio/Event Input plug-ins in Logic, both the channel that has the main Vienna Ensemble Pro Plug-in and the channels that have an Audio/Event Input Plug-in must be forced into Logic's "Live" mode.

How to force a Logic stereo channel into "Live" mode:

  • Add an insert effect: Utility => I/O

  • Enable its output

  • Bypass it

Presonus Studio One

Note

Logic channels that are in "Live" mode as well as the channels connected to them will run their processing tasks on a single CPU core.

Automation in Logic

If you are using Parameter Automation in Logic: Preferences -> Audio -> General -> "Sample Accurate Automation" needs to be set to "Off" or glitches will occur:

Presonus Studio One

Merging existing VE Pro projects (*.vep files)

To accelerate the creation of your new templates with the Multiport Template for Logic Pro X and with the new MAS version for Digital Performer, you can use the MERGE function in Vienna Ensemble Pro’s FILE menu.

Merge

Merge any existing project and choose from the available import options:

Merge Menu

After you have merged your projects, please assign the appropriate MIDI ports and MIDI channels as well as the Output configuration.

Output Mapping

Routing in Logic Pro X

  1. Start the Vienna Ensemble Pro SERVER.

    Then, instantiate a multi-timbral Software Instrument track:

Screenshot of Cubase or similar DAW interface showing Software Instrument selected and Multi-timbral with 16 parts checked, demonstrating VEPro routing setup workflow for 16-part multi-timbral MIDI instrument.
  1. Assign Vienna Ensemble Pro (Multi Output).

Screenshot showing Vienna Ensemble Pro plugin selected in a DAW for multi-output (16xStereo) routing.
  1. The Vienna Ensemble Pro Plug-in opens – click "Connect" and choose the Vienna Ensemble Pro instance of your choice..

Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 interface showing Not Connected status and the Connect button for routing to a DAW like Cubase.
Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 interface displaying server instances, new instance creation button, and 64-bit connection option, relevant for routing VEPro to DAWs like Cubase.
  1. The windows you see now are the Vienna Ensemble Pro Plug-in and the Vienna Ensemble Pro Server.

Screenshot of Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 interface for routing audio from VEPro to Digital Audio Workstations, showing a connected instance, mixer, effects, and automation parameters.
  1. Now you can assign different outputs in Vienna Ensemble Pro. It is also possible to assign the outputs below the fader of each channel.

Screenshot of VEPro mixer settings in Cubase, showing the Output menu dropdown with OUT 5 / OUT 6 selected for routing VEPro to Digital Audio Workstations.
  1. In Logic Pro X, open the Mixer page. Outputs 1–2 are automatically assigned in the Audio Instrument channel.

Cubase mixer view showing faders, pan controls, and routing buttons for Inst 1, Stereo Out, and Master, with a pink arrow pointing to the add/remove track buttons.

You can add more stereo channels in ascending order comfortably by simply clicking the "+" Button underneath the SOLO button in the Instrument channel.

Pro Tools

  1. Start Pro Tools and the Vienna Ensemble Pro SERVER.

Screenshot showing Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 server connected to a Digital Audio Workstation for routing VEPro to DAWs, specifically Pro Tools.
  1. In Pro Tools, create as many stereo Instrument tracks as you will need. You can always change this later.

New Tracks dialog box in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for creating a stereo instrument track in Pro Tools.
  1. In Pro Tools, insert Vienna Ensemble Pro as a multi-channel plug-in on the first Instrument track.

Screenshot of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) interface, likely Pro Tools, showing the process of inserting a virtual instrument into Pro Tools. A dropdown menu is open, highlighting Instrument and Vienna Ensemble Pro (stereo) as an option for routing VEPro to DAWs.
  1. Launch the Vienna Ensemble Pro Server application. In the Vienna Ensemble Pro plugin, click "Connect" and choose a NEW connection and connect to it.

Vienna Ensemble Pro VST plugin interface in a DAW, displaying NOT CONNECTED and a CONNECT button, illustrating the routing process for digital audio workstations like Pro Tools.
Screenshot of Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 interface for routing VEPro to DAWs like Cubase, showing server instances, localhost connection, and the Connect button.
Software interfaces showing complex digital audio workstation (DAW) routing setup including Pro Tools, Vienna Ensemble Pro connected window, and Vienna Ensemble Pro mixer with master bus and automation parameters.
  1. In Pro Tools, assign the Instrument MIDI OUT to the Individual targets of the desired MIDI port and MIDI channel of Vienna Ensemble Pro for each Instrument track.

Screenshot of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) interface, likely Cubase, showing Vienna Ensemble Pro routing to multiple MIDI channels. The image displays mixer faders, pan controls, and a dropdown menu highlighting inputs for Vienna Ensemble Pro (VEPro) instance 1, with channels 1 through 16 listed, and channel 11 selected.
  1. In Vienna Ensemble Pro, delete the Master Bus and create your instruments. Assign each instrument to the desired MIDI IN port and channel. This connects the MIDI OUT of Pro Tools to the MIDI IN of Vienna Ensemble Pro.

Vienna Ensemble Pro with highlighted MIDI routing section.
  1. In Vienna Ensemble Pro, for each channel, set the desired AUDIO OUT. This sends audio back to Pro Tools.

Vienna Ensembel pro with highlighted output section in the mixer view.
  1. In Pro Tools, assign the AUDIO IN to the desired Vienna Ensemble Pro channel. This completes the loop, bringing audio into Pro Tools.

Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) mixer interface showing Vienna Ensemble Pro routing options with Instrument channels and Input Output selections for Pro Tools.

Presonus Studio One

  1. Launch the Vienna Ensemble Pro SERVER so that it is ready for you to connect to.

Screenshot showing Studio One digital audio workstation (DAW) alongside the Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 Server for routing virtual instruments and audio.
  1. Create a new Vienna Ensemble Pro instance by dragging and dropping the desired instrument from the instruments menu on the right to the arrange window on the left:

Screenshot demonstrating how to route Vienna Ensemble Pro to a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), specifically highlighting the selection of Vienna Ensemble Pro from a list of virtual instruments within a music production software like Cubase or Studio One.
  1. The Server Interface will appear – click "Connect" and choose a Vienna Ensemble Pro instance.

Studio One digital audio workstation interface showing Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 routing setup, with a Not Connected status and Connect button visible.
  1. Vienna Ensemble Pro will launch in the background. You will see the Vienna Ensemble Pro Plug-in and the Vienna Ensemble Pro Server itself.

Studio One DAW interface showing Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 routing setup, with localhost server instance 127.0.0.1 selected for VEPro to DAWs connection.
  1. Create as many MIDI (instrument) tracks as you need in Studio One.

Studio One Digital Audio Workstation menu showing Add Instrument Track highlighted, for routing VEPro to DAWs.
  1. Open the mixer page. Outputs 1–2 are automatically assigned to your Vienna Ensemble Pro instance. You can expand these available outputs by clicking the down arrow on Vienna Ensemble and choosing "Expand". If you want to use only a single stereo channel in Studio One and mix the instruments inside Vienna Ensemble Pro, everything should be routed to the output pair 1/2 inside Vienna Ensemble Pro. In this case, you can leave out steps 7 and 8.

Studio One digital audio workstation interface showing VEPro 7 routing with Vienna Ensemble Pro plugin highlighted.
Screenshot showing the Expand option selected in a Vienna Ensemble Pro plugin context menu within a Digital Audio Workstation like Cubase, displaying controls for routing audio output.
  1. Now you can click on all the available 32 outputs and choose the ones you need. As you click the boxes to add outputs, channels are automatically created for you in the mixer window:

Screenshot of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) interface, likely Cubase, showing channel outputs and Vienna Ensemble Pro (VEPro) instrument routing with faders and controls, demonstrating audio signal flow for music production.
  1. Now when you assign outputs in the Vienna Ensemble Pro instance, they will be routed to these channels in Studio One’s Mixer:

Digital audio workstation interface displaying Vienna Ensemble Pro 7.0 for routing VEPro instruments like Vienna Synchron Player and Pianos, connecting to a DAW mixer with track faders, pan controls, and input/output routing for music production.
  1. Now you need to assign MIDI outputs, ports, and channels to the tracks in your arrangement.

Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) routing channels for VEPro within Studio One, displaying Vienna Ensemble Pro track assignments CH1-CH15 and instrument output options.
  1. Finally, set the same MIDI ports and channels in your Vienna Ensemble Pro instance:

Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 interface for routing audio from Vienna Synchron Player instruments to a digital audio workstation (DAW) like Cubase, showing mixer channels with faders, pan controls, and output assignments.
  1. Your environment is ready to go! You should now have complete synchronization between Studio One and Vienna Ensemble Pro.

Digital Performer

Multi MIDI ports with MAS Plug-ins

Your newly installed Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS plug-in enables you to utilize multiple MIDI ports with each instance of Vienna Ensemble Pro.

  1. Assign multiple MIDI ports in the Vienna Ensemble Pro Server Preferences:
VEPro Instances settings showing 16 MIDI ports per instance for Cubase ASIO Guard optimization.
  1. Choose Project > Add Track > Instrument with Options:
Digital Performer software interface showing a dropdown menu under Project with Add Track highlighted, then another sub-menu with Instruments with Options selected, illustrating how to add instrument tracks in a Digital Audio Workstation.
  1. Choose the configuration you need from the MAS plug-in list:
Screenshot showing the Add Instrument Track dialog in Cubase, with VSL selected and a list of Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS options for routing VEPro to DAWs.
  1. Connect to the VE Pro Server of your choice:
Screenshot of Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS-1 options prominently displaying routing configurations, specifically highlighting preset selection 03 and its detailed sub-options for digital audio workstation integration with Cubase.
  1. Add more MIDI Tracks, if you like, and assign any MIDI channel from the available Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS MIDI ports and MIDI channels. Do the same in Vienna Ensemble Pro.
Screenshot of Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS-1 options prominently displaying routing configurations, specifically highlighting preset selection 03 and its detailed sub-options for digital audio workstation integration with Cubase.
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) mixer interface, likely Cubase, showing MIDI port and channel routing options for VEPro plugin, with MIDI In 1 selected for a brass instrument track.

Quick Guide – Migration to MAS

To migrate from existing AU/VST Digital Performer projects to MAS projects, uncheck the AU and VST items in the plug-ins list you find in the Digital Performer Preferences > General > Audio Plug-ins:

  • Vienna Ensemble Pro

  • Vienna Ensemble Pro Audio Input

  • Vienna Ensemble Pro Surround

Click Done and all Vienna Ensemble Pro AU/VST Server Interface plug-ins will automatically be replaced with the MAS plug-in version.

Screenshot of MOTU Audio System Plug-in Preferences, showing Audio Plug-ins selected and Vienna Ensemble, Vienna Imperial, Vienna Instruments Pro, and Vienna Synchron plugins listed with Done button highlighted.

Tip

To take advantage of the multiple ports available with MAS, you can now merge multiple VE Pro instances into one instance.

Audio Input / Event Input plug-ins

Bouncing (offline rendering) does not work when using Audio Unit Event Input or Audio Input plug-ins, but Freezing (real-time rendering) works fine. As a workaround for straight bouncing it is possible to freeze first and then bounce the resulting frozen tracks.

Important

This only applies when using the Audio/Event Input plug-ins in Digital Performer. For regular operation, Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 works as expected, especially when using it as a MAS plug-in with Digital Performer 8 or higher.

Routing in Digital Performer

  1. Launch Digital Performer and Vienna Ensemble Pro Server.

Screenshot of Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 Server open on a desktop with a Cubase DAW project in the background, illustrating VEPro routing to DAWs.
  1. Add a new Instrument Track with Options.
Digital Performer DAW interface showing the Project menu, highlighting Add Track and Instruments with Options to add VEPro virtual instruments.
  1. Assign it to Vienna Ensemble Pro (stereo)
Screenshot showing the Add Instrument Track dialog in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), with the VSL (Vienna Symphonic Library) option selected, expanding to reveal an extensive list of Vienna Ensemble Pro routing choices including MAS stereo.
  1. Add 16 MIDI tracks. If you are using VE Pro as a MAS plug-in in Digital Performer 8, you can get up to 768 (48 x 16) MIDI channels, as you can use up to 48 MIDI ports per instance, depending on your settings in the VE Pro Preferences!

Cubase Add Instrument Track dialog showing options for adding one stereo Vienna Ensemble track and 16 MIDI tracks.
VEPro preferences window showing Server settings for MIDI ports, audio outputs, and audio inputs under the Instances tab, relevant for routing VEPro to Digital Audio Workstations like Cubase.
  1. Click on OK – this is will bring up the Vienna Ensemble Pro Plug-in.
Digital Performer interface showing VE Pro 7 routing with a Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS-1 instance with Not Connected status.
  1. Click on Connect, select a Server IP from the list of available servers, and confirm the connection.
Digital Performer screen showing an instance of Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 displaying not connected with a connect button and track routing to Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS-1.
Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 interface showing server instances, new instance creation, and the connect button for routing to a Digital Audio Workstation like Cubase.
  1. The windows you will see now are the Vienna Ensemble Pro Plug-in and the Vienna Ensemble Pro Server. Create Instrument Channels in Vienna Ensemble Pro and assign MIDI channels to them.
VEPro 7 routing setup for digital audio workstations, showing Vienna Ensemble Pro Server and Vienna Symmetric Library interfaces with connection and mixing controls.
  1. Add one or more auxiliary tracks to your project.
Digital Performer software interface showing the Project menu, with Add Track selected, and the Aux Track creation option highlighted, ideal for routing VEPro to DAWs.
  1. You can now check the available Stereo Outputs of Vienna Ensemble Pro in the inputs of your Aux Track.
Screenshot showing Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS-1 output routing options, with Vienna Ensemble Pro MAS-1 Out 19-20 highlighted, demonstrating VEPro to DAW audio routing configuration.
  1. Assign the different outputs in Vienna Ensemble Pro. It is also possible to assign the outputs below the fader of each channel.
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software interface, showing Vienna Ensemble Pro Server integrated with Cubase, displaying mixer channels for instruments like Vienna Synchron Player and Kontakt 5. A dropdown menu is open, highlighting the Output 19/20 selection for audio routing, indicating advanced signal flow management within a music production setup.

Ableton Live

  1. Start Vienna Ensemble Pro Server.

  1. Instantiate the Vienna Ensemble Pro Plugin into an empty MIDI track.

  1. Vienna Ensemble Plug-in opens up – Click "Connect" …

... and choose the Vienna Ensemble Pro instance of your choice. Remember that you have to start the Vienna Ensemble Pro Server first!

  1. The most effective and at the same time, the easiest use of VE Pro in Ableton Live can be achieved by employing the "External Instrument" option. Create the required number of channels in VE Pro and adjust the audio outputs.

Thereafter, load the respective number of external instruments in Ableton Live – for example, into empty MIDI tracks or with Drag & Drop into the Mixer Drop Area.

  1. Now you have to adjust the routing of the External Instrument in Ableton Live: First, select the Vienna Ensemble Pro instance in the "Midi To" area in the respective External Instrument.

Then choose your "target channel" in the appearing field.

Now you can choose the desired output in the subjacent "Audio From" area.

The External Instrument allows the user to send MIDI Signals into VE Pro and receive the resulting audio signal in the same channel. Consequently, no additional audio channels are necessary to hear the signal.

  1. Repeat the same process for every additional channel, just with the desired settings for "MIDI To" and "Audio From".

Cakewalk SONAR

  1. Launch the Vienna Ensemble Pro Server so that it is ready for you to connect to.

  2. Create a new Vienna Ensemble Pro Instance by selecting "Insert – Soft Synth"" in the top menu bar, then go to "Orchestral – Vienna Ensemble Pro" in the menu that pops up.

  1. The following dialog will appear. Depending on whether you wish to have multiple outputs (for mixing instruments inside Sonar) or a single stereo output (for mixing instruments inside Vienna Ensemble Pro), please choose the appropriate option as well as the option to display the "Synth Property Page", and click OK.

Screenshot of the Insert Soft Synth Options window in Cubase, showing selected options for a Simple Instrument Track, Synth Property Page, and All Synth Audio Outputs: Stereo, relevant for VEPro routing in a Digital Audio Workstation.
  1. The Vienna Ensemble Pro Plugin will appear – click "Connect" and choose a Vienna Ensemble Pro instance.

Vienna Ensemble Pro will launch in the background.

  1. Now when you insert buses and instruments, and assign outputs in the Vienna Ensemble Pro instance, they will route to the previously created tracks in Sonar. For using only a single stereo track in Sonar, everything should be routed to the output pair 1/2 inside Vienna Ensemble Pro.

  1. You will need to insert MIDI tracks (as many as you need) into the Sonar project. To do so, please select "Insert – Multiple Tracks":

  1. Please set the audio track count to 0 and the MIDI track count to as many tracks as you need to create. ‘Port’ should be set to display the previously inserted Vienna Ensemble Pro synth instance.

  1. For the newly inserted tracks, you will need to pick MIDI channels. Please select "I/O" in the track options display first.

  1. If the view is shorter than in the picture below and doesn’t show MIDI channel [C] combo boxes, then please resize it horizontally to make it wider. After this, select the desired MIDI channels. Here, channels 1 …16 were selected for the MIDI tracks.

  1. Finally, route the proper MIDI channel from the Vienna Ensemble Pro instance to Sonar:

  1. Your environment is ready to go! You should have complete synchronization between Sonar and Vienna Ensemble Pro. If you need to repeat these steps too often, we recommend saving the above setup as a starting point and using it as a project template.

Sibelius

For Sibelius users, it is possible to have all loaded instruments in one Vienna Ensemble Pro instance, even if more than 16 instruments and different sound sets are used in one Sibelius playback configuration.

Any additional Vienna Ensemble instances can be substituted with the Vienna Ensemble Pro Event Input Plugin, which delivers up to 31 additional MIDI ports with 16 channels each.

In this way, all instruments are routed to the same Vienna Ensemble Pro instance. MIDI ports have to be set up in Vienna Ensemble Pro for every instrument. Sound sets and the settings on the Manual Sound Sets page have to be configured in the same way as with Vienna Ensemble (free).

For further details on how to set up Sibelius and Vienna Ensemble (Pro), please refer to the manual Sibelius Integration manual.