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How to connect more than 16 instruments in Vienna ensemble pro server ?

Posted

Would be useful to have folders for the instruments list in Synfire.
How to connect more than 16 vienna instruments in Vienna ensemble pro server ?
It is not really clear to me yet ?

<We recommend you create a separate server instance per Synfire rack module. The screenshot above shows 4 instances Strings, Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion, for example. Each of them corresponds to a rack module and device description at the Synfire end.

This means in VEP server that you then have separate 4 mixers for each instrument group?

What do these 4 separate racks in Synfire look like and how to select instruments in Synfire in arrangement screen ( structure)? 


Mon, 2023-07-24 - 11:37 Permalink

Vienna Ensemble Pro Event Input Plugin

The Event Input Plug-in is inserted as a virtual instrument into your sequencer. You will most likely use it as a multi-timbral virtual instrument (with multiple MIDI channels).

This additional plug-in is only useful if you are using Vienna Ensemble Pro 7 as a VST2 or AU Plug-in. You will not need it if you are using VST3, AAX or MAS.

I used the VST3 Vienna ensemble  Pro (VST3) , so using this for a second midi port assignment  in a synfire rack should be working for one instance in Vienna ensemble pro server  ?
Note : The Vienna documentation : You will not need it if you are using VST3, AAX or MAS. ?
They don't explain why not and doing this setup ?

Note :  Event Input Plug-in was this plug in in Synfire also as VST3 possible?

Mon, 2023-07-24 - 15:02 Permalink

Even with the input device pro event for VST as rack in Synfire and connected to 1 instance where there is already 1 midi port with 16 instruments connected you don't get midi port 2.

Synfire keeps playing this through midiport 1 and channel 1 when I had set midiport 2 and channel 1 on the VEP server in the instance

With VST3 the event input device plugin would not be needed?
Just load a 2nd Vienna ensemble Pro (vst3) plugin and it would be set to midiport 2 ?    ..no.. not possible , because cannot choose the instance 

Info

If you’re running Vienna Ensemble Pro as a plug-in, a dedicated Plug-in MIDI In port will be offered for every Instrument. Used as a VST 3/AAX/MAS plugin, up to 48 ports are available within Cubase, Nuendo, Pro Tools, Sonar and Digital Performer.

 

Mon, 2023-07-24 - 21:50 Permalink

Maybe a pic makes it more easier

-There is one rack 1 in Synfire what supports 16 midi channels ( made copies from the rack 1 from instrument 1 assigned to the Instance of the VEP server

No further plugin in Synfire to find for a rack 2 what has a working midiport 2 and 16 midi channels 

 



 

Mon, 2023-07-24 - 23:25 Permalink

Yes, I am aware of that, but any server instance e.g. in Cubase can have multiple midi ports if I understand correctly?

Now I would have to switch between the instances for the mixers in Synfire?

Tue, 2023-07-25 - 14:01 Permalink

I have now used two VST3 Vienna ensemble Pro plugin for a rack 1 and rack 2 in Synfire and connected to instance rack 1 and instance rack 2 on the VEP server.
Turns out that both instance are on midiport 1 (VE Pro plug in midi 1).( and putting them on another midi port does not work) 
So means there are 2 instruments playing on the same midi channel at the same time ?   

Tue, 2023-07-25 - 14:01 Permalink

A device description can be used for 16 channels. If you need 32, you create another rack module and use the same device description and a VEP Event Input plugin on that.

Tue, 2023-07-25 - 14:51 Permalink

A device description can be used for 16 channels. If you need 32, you create another rack module and use the same device description and a VEP Event Input plugin on that.

If i do this , what about the instance on the VEP server? : can i get now one instance with 32 midi channels ?
Or two instances with midiport 1 and midiport 2 ?  
Using the same device description for de VEP plugin suggests that it is only a extension with new midi channels
 

Tue, 2023-07-25 - 15:48 Permalink

Sorry my mistake. It should be "A rack module can be used for 16 channels."

Of course each rack module will end up having different sounds on its fixed channels. You merely copy the sound properties from the same device template. If you have a device template with all sounds already, that is. If you have multiple device templates you copy from whatever you have.

Tue, 2023-07-25 - 17:17 Permalink

I used the VEP Event Input plugin VST3 and with this i managed to extent the 16 midichannel rack into a 32 midichannel ( 2 midiports)  instance on the VEP server.
Seems to be possible to get 7 extra midi ports ( total of 8 ) , so  8 x 16 = 128 midichannels for one  instance coupled with Synfire.

It works as intended..good

Wed, 2023-07-26 - 11:23 Permalink

I think the idea of running more servers is to spread the load across multiple cores. I guess it depends on your CPU, you would get better performance with fewer higher clocks cores having less instances, but with more cores with lower clock speed, multiple servers will be more efficient,

Wed, 2023-07-26 - 12:21 Permalink

Don't worry about the CPU load on the computer with 6 cores my computer has now.
Vienna ensemble pro sever must be optimized for Vienna's Synchron player which I also use for some instruments.
It will also be optimized for the contact player I assume.
Vienna ensemble pro server also advertises the low processor load which would be a strong point of the server.
In addition my arrangements will not have very many instruments.
Also using a Steinberg UR22C usb audio driver and will surprise me if the instruments will stutter.
In short , I do not expect performance problems from the computer with Synfire + VEP and would be surprised if it did.  

Wed, 2023-07-26 - 23:25 Permalink

Now it is possible to create 8 racks each with a midi port for the VEP server in Synfire.
Problem now is the rack management, it is not possible to label a rack in the arrangement screen for a particular midi port. 
Open the (template) files a month later on your computer in Synfire , then it is not clear where a rack stands for 
That is not easy to work with.

Thu, 2023-07-27 - 08:23 Permalink

I'm not sure what you are talking about. You can (re)name and label (and color) almost every object, preset and file. Check the inspectors. When saving a preset, enter the desired name. 

Thu, 2023-07-27 - 09:13 Permalink

 

Here is a picture 
This is the setup for the Vienna ensemble Pro server 
For now, have 3 midi ports for 1 instance on here from the VEP server.

The folder : Global Rack Modules has
VEP eo 2.0 rack 1 ( VEP pro plug in as start)
,, rack 1 (2) (automatically numbered)
 ,, rack 1 (3) ( ,, ,, )

rack 1 is port 1, rack 2 is port2, rack 3 is port 3 , etc
These are the device descriptions and there is nothing more to change the naming.

It would be more convenient if there was a rack symbol, along with the device description in the global rack modules folder to which a name could be given to the rack symbol That is the point of this post

As an aside, didn't get it to colorize an instrument header either?

Thu, 2023-07-27 - 10:37 Permalink

You can rename the rack module here:

That name is not listed on the sidebar though. Maybe it should.

For the sidebar display you need to rename the device desciptions.

Thu, 2023-07-27 - 10:57 Permalink

That name is not listed on the sidebar though. Maybe it should.

Yes, that should be a good idea to show there the rack name too and its easy

 

For the sidebar display you need to rename the device desciptions.

 

No, preserving the original device description and the derivated DD  is ok
Its laborious and loose oversight possible when try to chance the naming of the DD.  

Sun, 2023-08-06 - 12:30 Permalink

Can this be simplified so that on the sound tab of an instrument track this can be seen, in order to select instruments on the VEP server?
Should be a lifesaver.