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  • Request-- Silly?

    Not complaining here-- please keep that in mind.

    Perhaps there is a way to do this other than the way I've been doing it... for a year now.....

    When assigning key switches to matrices, it's SO easy to click a note on the keyboard in the console-- but the console keyboard only goes down to A0, a note which is often already assigned to A/B patches.

    "Normal" keyswitches are already in place for C1, C#1, D1, etc-- and for those that aren't, the keyswitches automatically default to the "octave 1" notes.

    I am wondering if there can't be keyswitch notes included on the keyboard-- accessible through an octave transposition button or a horizontal scroll bar or something similar--- to access C0, C#0, D0, etc.

    Yes, I've been triggering these notes on my midi keyboard, but because the matrix keyswitch doesn't "set" itself once it is entered (remaining actively outlined in red), it's too easy for this to get changed inadvertently. It's happened SO many times-- and going back to correct these inadvertent changes adds to sluggish workflow.

    This wouldn't be such a problem, except that the VI console "stands in front of" or "stands apart from" the DAW. Therefore, accessing VSL Cube consoles means clicking in the DAW window first, setting the proper track and then clicking back in the VI console. For other instruments, the DAW key commands are available even when its console is on top.

    I'll even deal with the extra Audio Unit window that opens up in addition to the VI Console. But even a second or third monitor doesn't address the fact that the VI Consoles override the host's commands-- the only plugin I know of that does this.

    I along with many others would love to just hit the space bar to play the sequence while looking at the VI Console, but it's quite an ordeal to click the DAW, click the space bar, and then to click the proper VI console just to monitor a matrix or keyswitch-- only to find out that I wasn't in the proper window on the VI. Then, the whole window clicking/keyboard stroking starts all over.

    I'm averaging about 7 minutes per *initial* keyswitch doing this. That doesn't sound like a lot of time, but average number of keyswitches per track are totaling more than 60 for a 10 minute score. That's 420 minutes per track just navigating windows.

    Many times (during the ealier stages of assigning patches and keswitches), I really need to watch the Vi Console during playback, and that would be facilitated by being able to start and stop playback with the VI console on top-- the same way other plugins behave.

    Generally, I don't care how software works as long as it works and can be navigated in such away as it does not impede workflow. I've read threads about this before and only now see how time becomes a casualty of the process.

    Will we see a version of VI to come that will not override the host app?

    And if someone has another way of dealing with this, I'd love to know about it. I'm all for thinking differently and all suggestions are welcome.

    Thanks!
    J.

  • If I understand you correctly, here's what I do. When working on somethiing with the VI interface open I go to the patch window. When there, it shows me, on the left, the cell assignments. If I need to, I can just click the cell I want to trigger and it plays that cell going forward.

    jay

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    @Jay Weigel said:

    If I understand you correctly, here's what I do. When working on somethiing with the VI interface open I go to the patch window. When there, it shows me, on the left, the cell assignments. If I need to, I can just click the cell I want to trigger and it plays that cell going forward.

    jay


    This is true and is something I do often. The important thing for me is to be able to watch the console with playback rolling to see how the series of patch and matrix changes behave. I swap out lots of patches before I settle on the right combination-- I'm always adding or deleting patches and rebuilding matrices as needed since some projects require different patches than my custom templates contain.

    But, still-- in order to manually change the patch in the Console, the Console must be on top. In order to activate the playback, the DAW must be on top. I'm just trying to minimize the amount of excessive clicking back and forth to accomplish what seem to me to be very simple tasks.

    But, it's okay. It is what it is, it does what it does the way it does it so I'll go with it.

  • What works for me is a dedicated midi controller. It always accesses the Logic DAW for playback/transport control - no matter whether the VI interface is on the top or the bottom.

    If you don't want to spend a lot of money on one try the Presonus FaderPort.

    http://www.presonus.com/faderport.html

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    @Jack Weaver said:

    What works for me is a dedicated midi controller. It always accesses the Logic DAW for playback/transport control - no matter whether the VI interface is on the top or the bottom.

    If you don't want to spend a lot of money on one try the Presonus FaderPort.

    http://www.presonus.com/faderport.html


    Yes-- I'm aware of Faderport. I'm delighted to know that the transport "talks thru" the VI Console, which is not the case on all controllers.

    Thanks, Jay. This is the best news I've had all week! [:P]

  • Just to make it perfectly clear, I actually use the Mackie Control Universal. I'm just assuming that the FaderPort would do the same thing. I haven't tried it yet but plan to get one as soon as the new Mac Pro comes out. I'll dedicate the MCU's to the G5 with the Pro Tools on it and use FaderPort on the Mac Pro with Logic. (I'll probably use the G5 as a host for all the virtual instruments that don't yet work in UB.)

    I can't think of any reason the FaderPort wouldn't work. For $199 you couldn't miss.

  • I also use Logic Control (same as a Mackie Universal, perhaps with a different silkscreen). Unfortunately, my "hit enter" instinct is imprinted after ten years' use, so I rarely hit the transports.

    But here's a question I've never answered. These controllers only talk to our computers via MIDI. But is it that hard to ask the space bar or enter key to send the same message, either via an intercept / translator in Logic's Environment or through VI itself?

    More curiously, my Unitor only talks to my computer through USB, and my qwerty keyboard is also going into the Mac by USB. Why can one USB message find its way to a running program and another is forced to talk to the topped window?

    I'm sure there's a reason. It's one of those "I don't know how to do it but I can't understand why it can't be done" things.

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    @Plowman said:

    I also use Logic Control (same as a Mackie Universal, perhaps with a different silkscreen). Unfortunately, my "hit enter" instinct is imprinted after ten years' use, so I rarely hit the transports.

    But here's a question I've never answered. These controllers only talk to our computers via MIDI. But is it that hard to ask the space bar or enter key to send the same message, either via an intercept / translator in Logic's Environment or through VI itself?

    More curiously, my Unitor only talks to my computer through USB, and my qwerty keyboard is also going into the Mac by USB. Why can one USB message find its way to a running program and another is forced to talk to the topped window?

    I'm sure there's a reason. It's one of those "I don't know how to do it but I can't understand why it can't be done" things.


    Yeah, Plowman.

    I never really wanted to complain about this, but the cumulative time I've spent this week doing workarounds has really cost me dearly.

    I don't have my project running at the moment, but something just occured to me:

    Regarding the little Audio Unit Interface that opens (which I've not seen on any other plugin)--- I wonder if that little window is active instead of the VI Console whether the DAWs keystrokes work as expected? I'm having another semi-unrelated issue regarding MIDI data being read or ignored by the VI Console....

    Seems like some MIDI/USB signals are just not being put through to the interface layer that houses the Console itself. Hmmm.

    Film at 11.

  • "I never really wanted to complain about this, but the cumulative time I've spent this week doing workarounds has really cost me dearly."

    I feel the same way. I'm concerned that people will use a complaint as a pretext to dismiss VSL, which remains the best orchestra out there. Nevertheless, hitting enter to play and any appearance of the "Show Window" box are the two most common annoyances I face with VSL. A third would be dragging in a new sound and needing to re-edit the cell settings, which return to default. (I'll make a second request for a modifier key as we drag to avoid this behavior.)

    If I understood you correctly, you were wondering if the Audio Units box allows for play-through. Mine does. But when I hit "Show Window" and enter the plug-in proper, Logic keystrokes cease.

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    @Plowman said:

    "I never really wanted to complain about this, but the cumulative time I've spent this week doing workarounds has really cost me dearly."

    I feel the same way. I'm concerned that people will use a complaint as a pretext to dismiss VSL, which remains the best orchestra out there. Nevertheless, hitting enter to play and any appearance of the "Show Window" box are the two most common annoyances I face with VSL. A third would be dragging in a new sound and needing to re-edit the cell settings, which return to default. (I'll make a second request for a modifier key as we drag to avoid this behavior.)

    If I understood you correctly, you were wondering if the Audio Units box allows for play-through. Mine does. But when I hit "Show Window" and enter the plug-in proper, Logic keystrokes cease.


    Aha!! I've been closing the AU Iinterface window to cut down on visual clutter. Now it seems reasonable to leave these open-- which means I'm going to need a bigger monitor!! I sure wish these windows could be popped into a grid or consolidated somehow, but there may be hope as I'm limiting my instances to 6-8 per session and then running the instances out as audio to augment the orchestra.

    It's not the most ideal solution, but it may prove to be less unwieldy.

  • On a tangential subject, if the always unwelcome "Show Window" box will be with us for a while. it would be nice to have a clear, largely printed read-out of the name of the instrument (or matrix, or first matrix of many) in that box. The only point of differentiaion is that tiny "Instrument ##." With multiple AU windows open, I usually have to click on one to remind myself which instance it is.

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    @Plowman said:

    On a tangential subject, if the always unwelcome "Show Window" box will be with us for a while. it would be nice to have a clear, largely printed read-out of the name of the instrument (or matrix, or first matrix of many) in that box. The only point of differentiaion is that tiny "Instrument ##." With multiple AU windows open, I usually have to click on one to remind myself which instance it is.


    See? This is what I'm talking about.... such sensible matters of practicality. It's really amazing the amount of time I spend guessing and clicking through windows.

    It's not the end of the world, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one who likely clicks on the wrong box. This explains how I get cello patches in my violin matrices so easily!!! [:D]