I may have figured this out. However there may be a couple things going on yet...I have to test this out on some other files. It did seem as though the samples were "sleeping". I would drop the instrument at some point in this particular session....I would go to the instrument instance (Play) and drag the mouse pointer on the keys and the samples, according to the external drive light, where being accessed... but there was no audio coming from play. So that's a little weird. I lost my double basses in this particular piece...as described above...however when it got to the very last note in the piece it would trigger! I went back and no audio when playing the keyboard or using the mouse. So I looked at my midi data...i.e. expression, velocity and the such...the velocity of the note that was playing versus the note before it was the same and when I clicked in the velocity node it didn't trigger the sample.

So I opened a new session with the template in question and reimported the midi data and before I played anything I went and "engaged" the expression data in PT10. Meaning I brought it up a hair or down....that seems to have solved the issue. So there's something weird going on there...as though PT is not registering the expression data right off the bat? Then it's causing a conflict with VEP5"

While I was writing this post VEP5 lost all communication and is saying 0% cpu? It was however more stable with the above? I'm going to try a new cable.

I'm not sure if you left some information off, but it reads as though you're assigning 'threads' the same for one instance of VEP as for 4. ie., that would seem to be a heavier instance. if you haven't done, assign more threads per instance. if you have PT on the same machine, give VEP 3.

but, whole dropouts makes me wonder if this is somewhat a coincidence/ are you using a fixed IP or dynamic? A dynamic IP is the first culprit I would want to eliminate, seeing that symptom.

the sleeping samples also prompts the question about IP settings.

Hey Civ,

I think I know what you're talking about....maybe not...but in the preferences for OSX 10.6>Network> I currently have listed:

Ehternet 1

Ehternet 2

Firewire

Ethernet 1 is connected to an ATT router with the Config IPv4 set to using DHCP. And location is automatic. Now I'm assuming you're not talking about changing that as it's connected to a device.

Do I need to "create and new service" and if so what would I choose? I'm not sure if this is what you are referring to. Thanks again for the help.

"Location = Automatic" is dynamic.

when you set your IP, 'Location' will read 'Self-Assigned IP'.

'advanced' tab> Configure IPv4: Manually. IP Address, eg., 169.254.165.0

there is a thread here that specifies what you *should* use, ie. what would be a problem. I don't remember the details. I know my setup works, and that you can't have two computers with the same address, so a different address for you slave(s) than the master.

the server will just reflect what the address is automatically. you mentioned a router (which you don't need with 'local host' or unless you need more than one connection off of one port)and I wonder if that's a problem. also be sure that this ethernet is not connected to the internet or anything else. I think an internet address start with 192? Sorry, I'm not that much a geek. I managed to set addresses that work great here.

Ok. So I set up a templates 2 instances of VEP putting those other channels on the second instance of VEP. I'm having the same issue...so that's not it. Here's the weird thing...I played the piece through once....Dbl Basses dropped....if I go to the Play instance and look at the double basses everything looks normal only no audio....midi plays through and when I play the instrument my sample drive flickers and Play is registering that voices are being fired? The mb indicator shows this as well as the voices. Bassoons dropped as well same thing. Now...trombones are firing but you can barely hear them. So I just played the piece again after about 10 min and it's like there's volume or expression controller data somewhere getting triggered.. as the trombones just started playing normal. And the bassoons are back on line...double basses however still no sound.

Now this can be unrelated. I still have no Dbl Basses... as above the memory and voices in Play is still registering...but nothing out of play. I did mess around with the play back engine in PT which is usually set to 512.....I set it to 1024 and it dropped VEP....i.e. VEP showed 0% CPU. I went back to the play back engine reset it to 512 and it came back on line....but still no Dbl Basses. This is leading me to believe maybe I've maxed out the voices in PT or it's getting a volume or expression controller from some other source other than whats written?

Update. I just brought the written expression controller data in PT for the double basses up a hair and I have Basses now. This is telling me that some how the expression or midi controller data is not resetting or there is a conflict somewhere. I tried this with the trombones when they first went out and it did nothing.

This however does not explain why at the end of the piece VEP just lets out and we're at 0% CPU. Now in this new template where I have 2 instances of VEP it was only the one instance....the larger of the 2 which has a full 16 channels loaded the dropped. When you go to VEP it's as though Play is frozen where it went out...volume bars are frozen and memory indicators to. Also no midi is being received by this instance of VEP. The other of instance which has percussion and tuba, etc....plays fine and midi is going through via PT....and when I look at the instance that's disconnected and play the instance thats still connect you can see the Play instance registering CPU usage. At any Rate at this point I have to force quit both PT and VEP.

I'm going to reopen the session and delete all controlled data and see how it plays through.

So I reloaded the template and test out the expression data controller again on the double basses. I moved it up hair....but it doesn't play the basses right away I have to play the piece from the beginning and then it's on line. If I play the piece anywhere past the last notes it drops. It's like there a controller telling it to purge or something.

So I went back to the original source session....which I did not use VEP. I had several instances of play in pro tools.....equal to the template in VEP. I'm experiencing the same weird issues.....voices going in and out....weird responses to expression data. Back to the drawing board?