Hi Chuck, Cyril, DMJ and...

Thanks for sharing!

To answer DMJ´s question:

...Doesn't the Fireface 800 software TotalMix let you route a bunch of tracks internally? Such as routing the VE channels out to another channels in (which would be in Logic). I'm interested if this works actually, I was thinking of picking up a FF800...

Yes! I finally figured it out. In the Fireface Mixer there is a certain Loopback function that allows You to stay in the software domain (control click the relevant out-channels, they turn red, and there You go). I'm working on it, expecting to setup five VE (2 or 3) instances as standalones and route all five stereo pairs back into Logic.

By the way FF800 is very good bang for the buck in my opinion - and so versatile, that at least I need a "FF for dummies"

Best

Sten

 I read that too Colin.  I believe that only applies if you use the default internal audio - not if your using an external audio interface.

Thanks Fred for the outline steps.  Until you mentioned JACK on this thread, I was not aware that it existed.  I did some preliminary trials and so far, I like what I see.  I plan to modify my template to incorporate JACK.

One thing,

You mentioned having MIDI and Audio on the same track.  What is your approach to that?

@Chuck Green said:

 I read that too Colin.  I believe that only applies if you use the default internal audio - not if your using an external audio interface.

Hi Chuck.

Yes, just got a bit confused!  Also, I read somewhere you had to double-click to make the VE outs red as well as the Logic ins whereas you only need the VE outs highlighted with the blue strip.

I haven't had the chance to do a full setup as yet, but will get back to you.

Colin

@Chuck Green said:

You mentioned having MIDI and Audio on the same track.  What is your approach to that?

First create a new midi instrument or Mutli-Instrument in the environment and set the proper midi port and channel (IAC...) and name it the instrument you want. Then in the arrange, create a new software instrument track and assign an external instrument to it. Choose your new midi instrument in the midi destination  section. Choose the input that is assigned to the VE output of the instrument you want to monitor.

The big advantage is to apply any Logic's and AU plugins plus control the automation and fader directly in Logic. But you need to set independant audio channel for your instruments or group of instrument. And you can use the channel strip for the eq and other inserts (But It will not save the sound source wich is in VE3 itself of course).

It's the more efficiant setup i've had. I wish it'll work for you.

Fred

I haven't been using Leopard, but I thought it was 64 bit. I knew it had bugs, but I didn't realize that it actually wasn't 64 bit. What did I miss?

Hi Colin,

I can't give you the details -- probably someone from VSL were to chime in and explain.  I just know that I thought once we had Leopard (I purchased the MacPro 8-core) approx 2 months before Leopard's release) that I could not run and fully utilize 64 bit apps.  Apparently we have to wait until Snow Leopard.  Cubase is 32 bit not 64 bit for Mac, VSL is 32 bit - not 64 bit for MAC, VE is 32 bit not 64 bit for MAC, other competitor instrument that are 64 Bit can't utilize all the memory available until Snow Leopard arrives which is sounding like late summer early fall.  Not sure on timing though.

I would like to understand it as well....... 

sorry for a late reply... and now i guess i post this only for completion - i wrote a tutorial on the EW forum that describes the steps of how to set up the IAC and JackAudio. I works perfectly well with Ensemble and other software.
http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/showthread.php?t=18201

I've got a dual G5, running 10.4 (I know, vintage equipment ;-), using the built-in audio. Recently decided to try the IAC route with Sibelius and standalone Vienna Ensemble. Lots of pops and cackles with 10 instruments loaded in a single instance of VE. Strangely, the same instrument setup with VE as a plug-in within Sibelius performs flawlessly. Curious if anyone else has run into this sort of a problem, or knows of particular inefficiencies that might exist for IAC, Sibelius or the VE software with G5s/10.4.

Thanks!

Nick

Thanks Fred,

I'll give it a try.....

Thanks Fred,

I've begun setting up the template using the approach you suggested.  So far everything seems to work nicely.  I'll let you know when I'm completed.  Thanks again.

@Chuck Green said:

Thanks Fred,

I've begun setting up the template using the approach you suggested.  So far everything seems to work nicely.  I'll let you know when I'm completed.  Thanks again.

Hi Chuck.

Can't seem to get past 2 VEs in Jack as yet,  but shall keep on configuring away.  Still, with the addition of a plugin version it's a major leap forward for my setup. Good luck with your's.

Colin

That's not good news Colin.  I'm still working on the first one.  I'll let you know if I get past 3.

Chuck...would that be 3 VEs or 3AM!  Been clicking away for 8 hours now and it's definitely time to call it a night. Good news is that it loaded the Studio Setup OK. I have the weekend off work so hopefully will be able to expand it to full capacity. Even with a couple of 10 instrument VEs have still been unable to get the Connections Manager to recognise a third. Better luck at your end. Cheers..

Colin

It's 10:48 p.m. and I'm calling it a night.  Was able to get all four VE up and connected.  Make sure your #3 and #4 are different VE than your #1 and #2.  I loaded them, went to the connections manager, and about 10 seconds they showed up.  Selected the outputs and was up and running.  Good luck tomorrow.

Good Morning/Afternoon Chuck.

Glad to see you got it sorted out. Unfortunately there's been no further progress here so far today[:'(]

Yesterday I was just creating External instruments in the Arrange window. I had 4 Multis in the Environment assigned to the 4 IAC busses I created for each of the 4 VE templates I had set up. As I posted earlier I could only get 2 of them to show in the CM, regardless of how many outs I assigned in the VEs. Apart from that everything worked nicely- a quick test piece, with the inclusion of a plugin VE, totalling 26 stereo channels and 3 Altiverbs, pushed the cpu just past 40% on my Dual 2.66.

This afternoon I've been trying to set it up using Fred's method of creating a Software Inst and assigning it to an External Inst. The windows appear and I can assign inputs and destination. Only(!) problem I have here is that if I launch Logic 1st I cant get the CM to recognise any VEs and if I launch VE 1st I get an " Audio driver returned error code 28733" message which disables the External Instrument in Logic.[:'(]again.

How many virtual inputs and outputs did you create in Jack, and how many VIs have you in your VEs? Are you using seperate HW OUTs for each instrument? I've no problem creating enough inputs in Logic but whichever method I use it's still not working as it should.

If you've any idea where I may be going wrong, any help would be much appreciated. Cheers..

Colin

@Chuck Green said:

Thanks Fred,

I've begun setting up the template using the approach you suggested.  So far everything seems to work nicely.  I'll let you know when I'm completed.  Thanks again.

Hi Chuck.

Can't seem to get past 2 VEs in Jack as yet,  but shall keep on configuring away.  Still, with the addition of a plugin version it's a major leap forward for my setup. Good luck with your's.

Colin

I had this problem to when I tried set to much channels in Jacosx Preferences. Less than 60 in and out allow you to load 3 VE3 plus Logic. I tried 64 and it load only 2 VE3. So just trie decreasing the number of channels.

Fred

Well Colin,

I may have spoke too soon.  I had four instances of VE all set up - 16 Instruments each.  I established 64 individual External Instruments in logic and assigned 64 Instrument tracks to the respective external tracks.  Everything appeared to be working correctly until I noticed that channel 2 on VE 1 audio input was also being routed to Channel 2 on VE-2, 3 & 4.  I had only set up 32 Virtual Input and Output Channels in JACK.  I exited everything, changed the 32 to 64 and save the config.  Then started to reload everything except VE #4 won't load.  It also gives me an error.  Not sure what to do at this point.

Look's like you and I Fred was replying about the same time to Colin.  Also looks like what I found to be the issue you have already replicated.  That clears that up.  Wonder why we can't have 64?  It's such a nice even number.