I'm not getting anywhere with 'latch mode'. I'm struggling in Vienna Ensemble trying to figure out how automation applies. Is there a tutorial JUST on Vienna Ensemble automation -- something I have never used before? The available tutorials seem to gloss over it at best. I'm very comfortable using automation in Cubase, but I don't get how this relates to the automation feature in VE.

I'm not finding the Vienna Ensemble manual helpful either. In the chapter "Parameter Automation", for example, the first step is "Choose the corresponding parameter in your sequencer [OK, this must be one of the organ stops in the Rieger] and choose from the available automation modes (Read | Latch | Touch | Write)." Where? I'm not seeing how to select that option anywhere.

I would be grateful for pointers to where all this is explained.

Thanks!

William Zeitler

Regarding latch mode:

It looks like you need to set up automation for each stop individually. Ugh! Hopefully I'm wrong about that!

The following doesn't work, but seems like it should:

1) Figure out the stop number of the stop you want to control. You can find that by clicking 'E' for E)dit on the stop itself.
2) Pull up the automation panel in VE (under 'View')
3) Select 'Midi Parameters'. Here you can map automation from your DAW (e.g. a CC) to the desired VE parameter. Search for 'Enable Stop' in the list of available VE automation parameters and then scroll down to the stop number you determined in step 1.

No joy. :-(

VE 7.0.1056
Cubase 11.0.20
Windows 10 (latest)

@wwzeitler said:

It looks like you need to set up automation for each stop individually. Ugh! Hopefully I'm wrong about that!

Recording all automation including individual stop enable/disable is working for me in Cakewalk by just clicking on one button, I suppose every host has a way of doing it with VST3 plugins somehow. But how do I do individual stop selection via MIDI? My PC monitor doesn't have a touch screen and I can't really use a mouse whilst I'm playing. Well, I think Cakewalk has some limited facility for this, and probably other hosts have ways too, but probably not enough for all the stops. I could also do it by making some modifications to my control surface plugin (isn't open source great!), but that option isn't open to everyone. The player should allow the use of RPN/NRPN for stop selection. Or the computer keyboard (the typing one, that is) itself. Just look at how Hauptwerk does it for some ideas.

BTW, you can easily find the stop number by double-clicking on the manual name (underneath the Play/Combine/Mix section) - the stop selection panel for that manual will then expand and you can see the numbers. However, the stop numbers as presented by the player to the host are sequential from 1 to 120, and they don't map one-to-one onto the stop numbers shown in the player. For example, say I enable "stop 80" from my DAW - that actually maps onto stop 116, Soloflute 4' in the player. So, I could write down the mapping, and even implement it in my control surface plugin so it shows the correct names if I really wanted to

@wwzeitler said:

... - Bach had one built to his specifications. In his own day Bach was a music technology freak!

@Angelus said:

the stop numbers as presented by the player to the host are sequential from 1 to 120, and they don't map one-to-one onto the stop numbers shown in the player. For example, say I enable "stop 80" from my DAW - that actually maps onto stop 116, Soloflute 4' in the player. 

So how does one figure out this mapping?

BTW, I also have Hauptwerk, which is marvelous: for the benefit of other posters it occupies an entirely different use case space, being a standalone program for those who want to emulate a pipe organ on a dedicated console and do nothing else. Churches who don't have millions of dollars for a pipe organ, and organists who want a convincing instrument at home are their main audience. Organ consoles that generate nothing but MIDI for Hauptwerk are available -- monster MIDI controllers! A supreme virtue of Hauptwerk is that sample sets from all manner of amazing instruments can be loaded into the program. They've provided a VST for connecting a DAW to it. With Hauptwerk you also have to program your own automation to manipulate stops (and pistons, etc.)

@wwzeitler said:

So how does one figure out this mapping?

The long way! I was planning on writing it out anyway so if you like I'll post it here in text/csv format so you can do what you want with it.

@Angelus said:

The long way! I was planning on writing it out anyway so if you like I'll post it here in text/csv format so you can do what you want with it.

I for one would be grateful!

Here you go, it turned out to be fairly logical in the end. I had to change the file extension to .txt, so rename it to .csv and then you can open it in a spreadsheet and sort the columns how you want.

[EDIT] Just for clarification, the numbers in the left column are the ones in the VST parameter name, which is "Enable Stop n". To get the actual raw VST parameter number, add 911.

@Angelus said:

Here you go, it turned out to be fairly logical in the end.

Thank you kindly! I've got some real work to do first, I'll play with this soon.

You're welcome. Just check out my edit above first.

@Another User said:

[EDIT] Just for clarification, the numbers in the left column are the ones in the VST parameter name, which is "Enable Stop n". To get the actual raw VST parameter number, add 911.

I didn't need to add 911. I just chose CC xx and mapped that to 'Enable Stop 1' and lo and behold the Hauptwerk Principal 8' toggled on and off. The problem I was having was that the stop number you see when you display the stop info is not the same as the stop number in 'Enable Stop X'. Your chart takes care of that mapping.

Thanks again!

Glad to hear it helped.

Despite Cakewalk's "documentation", I've now got stop selection via MIDI working. It's going to be a bit laborious to set up for each stop individually, though, which is why I still think the player should have the ability to map each stop to something like an NRPN according to its displayed stop number by just checking a single box in the options.

[EDIT]To quote someone on the Cakewalk forums, "A lot of VST's use NRPN's for their automation parameters" 😉

@badibeat said:

I was listening to the Big Fugue in G Minor demo, and it made me sad that it sounds so static.

Well, like the other guy said, there are ways to manipulate the organ based on lengths of notes.  Take another listen, and aside from the different combinations, you will hear different approaches to the fugue subject depending on where they take place in the piece.  👍

Hi Stephen,

I wonder what version of the Fugue this is. Years ago I played this piece (it was one of the pieces that made me fall in love with the organ and especially Bach's music for the instrument). From about 3.40 there are substantial differences between the version that I played (and heard from many others) and the version you play.

I was wondering when someone was going to catch my changes in the various demos. ;)

It's the same kind of things I did in the Beethoven piano sonata or Chopin demos... random modulations, or in this case swapping voices here and there.  Just little jokes for me.  But of course I make sure that the spirit of the library comes across.

MMKA, oh don't worry.  I'm making no claim that these changes are "good" or better... just that they are little jokes.

Maybe just consider it my best Cameron Carpenter impersonation. ;)

Hi everybody,

We just released a software update for the Vienna Organ Player, with new features and some bug fixes that will come in handy!

Fabio Amurri has also created a video about his 5 Favorite Features of the Great Rieger Organ, and you can check out a video that takes you through the new features of the software update right here.

Of course there's also a changelog available and we have updated the online manual.

Enjoy!

Best,
Paul

Hi Angelus, 

Thanks for the feedback!

1) Please save your current state as a user preset, then reload that user preset - do you see the new stop now?

2) You could work on different MIDI channels for the different manuals. 

3) Stepper: What did you try? Clicking on it / or on the corresponding keyswitch should work right away.

4) Still on the list, that's correct.

Happy to see that you still like the organ!

Best, 
Paul