Missing package.info file - infuriating installation process!

[MikeHC]

I just purchased the Synchron-ized SE volumes 1-4.  Downloaded the latest Download Manager, ran it, waited the best part of a day for the downloads to complete.  Clicked the Install button, waited, got messages for all four libraries that the installation was complete.

Fantastic. Prompted by Download Manager to delete the installation files, and took that option since clearly, according to the messages on screen, the installation was complete.

Now I just need the Synchron player.  Downloaded the player installer, ran it, all fine.  Tried to run the player, but got something called the Synchron Library Installer.  That's odd - thought I'd already installed the Synchron libraries - see above.  Still, let's keep going ...

First thing it asks for is the package.info file, which - after some head-scratching - I find was included in the downloaded installation files.  Only problem is, the Download Manager has just deleted those.

And they aren't in the Windows Recycle Bin, either.  It did a hard delete.

So now I have another 24 hours of downloading to do.  Thanks so much, VSL.

Why in God's name doesn't the Download Manager warn you not to delete the installation files until AFTER you've installed the player?

[MikeHC]

... and then, the install process for the Synchron Player turns out to be a duplicate of the install process that I've just gone through, and achieves nothing at all!  What a waste of time!

So what exactly is the point of the "Synchron Library installer" entry under both "Vienna Synchron Pianos" and "Vienna Synchron Player" in the Windows 10 Start menu?  They just repeat the installation process that you've already followed in the Download Manager, in order to get to the point where they're in the menu!

And for those of us who assumed that there'd be a standalone Synchron Player (there is a standalone VI Player, so it's not an unreasonable assumption) it doubles the confusion.

[Paul]

Hi MikeHC, 

Sorry to see you so upset on a sunday. 

You are correct, the Synchron Player Standalone is still missing, and the best workaround for now is to use Vienna Ensemble as a Standalone Host (it is included for free). 

The Synchron Library Installer is only installed to give you the opportunity to "manually" install the sample content (e.g., if you are downloading from a different computer => that's why it is looking for the package.info file). 

Where you are right now, you can go ahead and use the Synchron Player in your sequencer or any other host. 

I hope you enjoy your new libraries!

Best, 
Paul

[littlewierdo]

If you check under MyVSL, you'll see there is another program you can download called Vienna Ensemble.

Download and install this. This program is like a mixer and it hosts all the Vienna VST products in one window so you dont have a bajillion windows open for each instrument. As a side note, the pro version of Ensemble will add the functionality of hosting other products that are not Vienna.

When you install Ensemble, in your DAW, add an instrument track, and choose Vienna Ensemble. Finally, in your DAW, add some midi tracks.

In Ensemble, right click on any of the open space and a menu will appear. In that menu, find and select Add Synchron player. This will create a single midi track with Synchron. This is by the way what Paul meant, you cannot run Synchron outside of Ensemble, it must be run inside Ensemble.

To add additional midi tracks, you'll right click and add another instance of Synchron player. Along the left side of Ensemble, you'll see the list of all your Synchron instruments and the midi channels they are assigned to, just click the title bar of each one to switch to that instance of Synchron and load / make changes to that instance (loading a new / different instrument, articulations, etc).

It is very confusing, I ran into this problem when I first started, among many other problems that are related to my not knowing anything about midi.

I do believe there is a video overview of Ensemble, if I were you, Id give that a quick watch, most of it is pretty intuitive, but in case it isnt...

Hope this helps, and I hope Paul doesnt mind my jumping in here, I dont like seeing people upset. This is an amazing library, and while the install process is a bit wonky, its pretty damn good compared to some other libraries Ive used.

[MikeHC]

Hi - and many thanks for the explanation.  I've actually been using Vienna Ensemble for years - and I knew that the Synchron Player doesn't have a standalone version, unlike VI.  This problem wasn't really anything to do with that.  It was just that the installation process is confusing, to say the least - because even after you've installed the libraries using the Vienna Download Manager (and then deleted the installation files) the installation of the Synchron Player puts a menu option in the Windows 10 Start Menu that seems to imply that there's another installation step still required - the "Synchron Library Installer".  (After all why would you need a separate Synchron Library Installer, when the Vienna Download Manager does the installation for you?).  So I clicked on that installer and discovered that my package.info file was missing, and had to download countless Gb of installation files again - only to discover that it wasn't necessary after all!

The Synchron Library Installer already puts up a message to the effect that you will be asked to locate the package.info file, so I'd have thought it would be helpful if VSL changed that message to make it clear exactly what this program is for - namely, to "manually" install the samples, as Paul says above - and that this is not necessary if you've already installed them using the Download Manager.

Mike

[Paul]

Hi Mike, 

Thanks for your input, I'll see how we can improve this. So far, it hasn't caused much trouble, to be honest, and we thought that the title "Library Installer" already implies what the program does. 

However, I'm also looking forward to see a Standalone version and hope this can be added soon. 

Best, 
Paul