Questions about 'VE_Optimizing_Sibelius_Playback'

[stine1]

Hello Andi,

A few of questions:

1. On p 3 of your document at the end of paragraph 2 you say 'If you are using one of our bigger collections, use the presets that came with the Sound Set.'  I don't know what you mean by preset in this context.  If I'm using VSL SE + and I click on the 'Patch Assign' button, then I select 'flute +' is that a preset I should choose?, or is it the 'SE11 Preset Flutes'.  I would think that I should use a Patch rather than a preset.

2. I don't quite understand how Sibelius and Vienna work together and I've been unable to find a concise description. I'm working on a orchestra piece (2.2.2.2-2.2-timp-6.6.5.4.2).  I'll be using separate staves for all wind instruments from time to time, so there will be times where the flutes, for example, will be split on to 2 staves; at other times they'll be notated on a single stave playing unisons (either rythmically, or both pitch and rythmn).  The strings will be usually notated one stave per section; but occassionally they'll be divisi a 4 (except db of course).  So, all told, this should add up to a maximum of 31 channels/instruments, give or take.  This means 2 instances of vienna ensemble will be required.  In VE I'll need to assign an instrument for each of these channels.  When the score calls for the 1st flute to switch to piccolo, how will this occur in VE; do I need to assign a piccolo to the patch too?, or does VE somehow know to load the piccolo patch?

3.  I've got some VE documents I've created for sibelius templates and for Digital performer, and I've noticed what appears to be a bug.  It occurs in both Sibelius and Digital Performer; once a template is loaded (which takes a long time in VE) it completes, then starts loading again; in other words, templates are always being loaded twice! After the second load it seems to be ok for a while, although I've noticed that certain actions in Digital performer will cause it to load again. So, I think there's something going on with VE.

4. I also have a very large orchestra piece I'd like to do in VE: 3.3.3.3.-4.3.3.tba-perc,timp,harp,pno-str.  I have a very elaborate percussion battery: about 20 instruments total, notated each on a separate line as is customary.  How would I handle some of this percussion in VE?  I'll need to handle some of it using Kontakt in a separate instance. Is it possible to run down a score and assign 1 instrument to VE, then the next to Kontakt, then the next to VE, and so on?

5. Do you, or anyone else have Sibelius template files for orchestras of various sizes with all the instrumentation assigned properly available for download anywhere?  This would be an enormous help if these could be made available.

Thanks,

Robert Stine

[andi]

Hello Robert!

A few answers. [:)]

1. With bigger collections I mean our dedicated collections like Solo Strings I+II, Orchestral Strings I+II, Woodwinds I+II, ...
For the Special Edition and Special Edition PLUS just load the matrices (under Matrix Assign) that were included in the library.

2. If you want to make an instrument change (like Flute to Piccolo), please do it with the Instrument change command in Sibelius (Create/Other/Instrument Change). You have to reserve one channel for both instruments on the Manual Sound Sets page and in Vienna Ensemble. In your case this would be one channel for the Flute and one channel for the Piccolo Flute.

3. Bigger settings may take a while to load. That is normal. Could it be that you are using two instances of Vienna Ensemble and therefore it seems to you, that everything is loaded twice, while in fact first the content for VE instance 1 gets loaded and then the content for VE instance 2? There is no bug that makes VE load content, then discard it and load it again.

4. Yes, it's possible to use different VST or AU instruments at the same time. For every percussion instrument, you want to use with VE, please reserve a distinct channel on the Manual Sound Sets page and in VE and make sure, that you are choosing the right program (Drums, Cycmbals, Percussion).

5. Sorry, but we don't offer template files for Sibelius.

Best wishes,
Andi

[cm]

 reply on behalf of robert (was sent via email)

I think I know now what was causing the double load in VE.  There was  a VE preset stored at the root level of my system; ie hd/library/audio/ presets/vsl/vienna ensemble/. I don't know how it got there, probably  my mistake.

This would always load on top of any other preset after the other had  loaded!  Sounds like a bug to me.  Try it on your system.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks!

@Another User said:

5. Sorry, but we don't offer template files for Sibelius.

That's really too bad, and I think you would save your customers a lot of time and grief if you could make a few template files available. I know you must have them for internal testing.  

 

 And thank you for all of your help...

Robert

[andi]

Hi Robert!

Wow - a post with an epic length. [;)]

I'm not quite sure what's happening exactly when you open your score. First everything gets loaded correctly and then it gets discarded and a wrong preset gets loaded? In both VE instances? How do you then change back to the correct playback configuration? Do you have to load that again manually?
What did you set in the Sibelius playback preferences? I recommend activating "When starting Sibelius, load this playback Configuration: Default". This way you avoid loading big playback configurations on startup, that you might not need.

If you use instruments more than once, you also have to load them more than once in Vienna Ensemble. For example I have seen, that you are using two flutes, but in your Vienna Ensemble there is only one flute.

Normally saving your playback configuration from within Sibelius should do. I recommend saving the playback configuration everytime after you made a change in Vienna Ensemble (impotant!). Your Vienna Ensemble settings get saved with the Sibelius playback configuration. If you want to share a Vienna Ensemble project (VIFRAME) with other playback configurations or other users, you should also save this VIFRAME. You can do so in the Vienna Ensmeble window under File/Save Project.

Best,
Andi