kwyn Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 What is the best way to make sounds like VB3, Alicia's keys, etc... portable. I remember having sound modules back in the day with onboard sounds like my Kurzweil Micropiano, but I suppose today it's possible to download sounds onto the box and just use that as a sound module. I'd really like to do VB3 and a decent piano/EP sounds, but do not want to have to use my laptop and a host application. However, if what I'm asking for is too expensive, what is the best appllication and easist to use on my windows laptop to host all these sounds. I mean really simple. Just for playing, not even recording. THanks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyn Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Also, I only have a privia 300 and Nord E3 to use as controller, so can the Nord drawLEDs adjust the drawbar settings on VB3 either on the VST Box or laptop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Aiken Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 A few ways: 1. Laptop - requires "host" software to run the VST's (just noticed you don't want to do this) 2. Muse Receptor - Somewhat expensive, but has solid reliable hardware built in and can sit in a rack, taking a beating. 3. V-Machine - Cheaper than Receptor, but very limited horsepower. 4. Mac Mini - A very recent thread here got me thinking that this might be the way to go. Will take some set up work to get it functioning seemlessly. I have a Macbook pro with Mainstage, and also have a Receptor. WHile the Mac can do more, and stays more current with updates of the instruments, I use the Receptor live. Why? Well, like I said, it can get tossed around a bit in my rack, and has never failed me. I have it set up to do what I need, which involves a using a small pallette of high quality sounds, switchable from my controller, and it never crashes during a gig. The Receptor 2 is a big step up from the original in terms of streaming large sample libraries in Kontakt, or something like Ivory. I would make sure that if you go that route, you get the newer version. Yes - you should be able to use the Electro drawLED's to control VB3 or the like. Check the Electro manual to see if thsoe get transmitted. With a Receptor, you may need a small Midi Solutions box to translate the CC#'s. I have one mounted in my rack for this purpose - although the drawbar controller is a Voce V5. Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 This is a question that's very vast, and has been discussed a LOT on these forums. I'd seriously encourage you to take time, search threads with different keywords like 'VST' 'live' 'laptop', etc. But here's a summary anyways:The Muse Receptor : A 'closed' system, that lets you choose from a set of VSTs to be installed on the box. Cons: You can't install stuff yourself on it, and there are many VSTs (especially the newer ones) which don't run on it. Very expensive. Pro(s): The company takes the responsibility of getting the box to work for you; easy to underestimate the value of this.The V-Machine: Similar to the Receptor, much cheaper, and way underpowered - consensus is negative.Rackmount Pre-Built Computer - Building a computer for live pro audio is not a trivial excercise for the newbies. There are companies that do it for you, e.g Creation Station and ADK. You need to know how to install VSTs.A laptop- perhaps the most common solution (though may not be the best)Build your own Rackmount Computer: Here's a recent thread that should give you some insights There's also some yet-to-be tested (vaporware?) stuff like the Groove XR and the MuseBox There's an order to the list above; as you go down the list, you get more bang for the buck. There's also less assurance that things work straight out of the box. Remember, there is a huge difference between a Kurzweil Micropiano module and a VST-based solution: with hardware like the Kurz, there's a dedicated company with a team of engineers whose job is to make sure that all the different components (soundcard, OS, individual VSTs...) work together in a mission-critical manner. In the other case, YOU are the engineer, and if the components don't play well with each other, and things dont work on a gig... So good luck, and I once again urge you to do your homework, read the relevant threads on this forum. It's unlikely that the next dozen or so questions that pop up in your head, on this issue, haven't been discussed already . EDIT: posted this quite some time after typing, I now see a lot of overlap with BeeThree's post above . This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I recently flirted with a V-Machine, which was to be dedicated to playing nothing but VB-3. VB-3 is renowned for its light use of CPU and system resources, and has been reported to successfully run on V-Machine. Nope, not for me. I really wanted to like the thing, it was so cute and tiny. I even installed the latest and greatest OS which supposedly is more efficient. But it was easy to peg the CPU and get ugly crackling sounds if I played more than a handful of notes at once. For pro work, get something more powerful. By contrast, my old Receptor 1 can run 3 to 5 VSTs at once before overloading. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyn Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Let's say, I do go with the laptop route, what is the absolute easiest host to use. Just drop the vst .dll file in and go. I know how to use and set up ASIO (or whatever that midi driver is). I just want a host that is really simple. THANKS AGAIN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Cantible Lite for PC. Keep it greazy! B3tles - Soul Jazz THEO - Prog Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 A rack mounted Mac Mini or two with MainStage is looking enticing to me lately. http://www.sonnettech.com/product/images/hdr_rackmacmini.jpg Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyn Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 how would you see what you're doing with the MAC mini? Wouldn't you need some kind of monitor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Cantible Lite for PC. Checking this out now. Thanks for the tip! I'm imagining my rack-mount PC with this and a touch screen monitor... Sweet... A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Let's say, I do go with the laptop route, what is the absolute easiest host to use. How many different VSTs do you expect to use?Do you need to setup complex patches, with splits/layers/octave shifts, etc?Do you need to scroll between multiple patches?Do you need visual feedback about the patch changes? From the tone of your posts, however, I'm guessing you're currently considering just a single VST, no patches, etc. - the simplest context. If so, as far as hosts go, it does not get simpler than Savihost. Cantabile is a step-up in terms of features and sophistication. Quite nice, too. I've used both on stage. This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Cantible Lite for PC. Checking this out now. Thanks for the tip! I'm imagining my rack-mount PC with this and a touch screen monitor... Sweet... I confirm Cantabile lite being great ! Enough for many, many tasks, stable and freeware. The payware Cantabile Performer is worth the buy too and for more complex setups. Only drawback (for Phead Reason users p.ex.),- no Rewire. Very good live host incl. Rewire and avoiding all the DAW bloat: Plogue Bidule A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Can't you run VB3 stand-alone? I run Kontakt - heck maybe that is a host I am far from knowledgable. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 No, VB-3 needs a host to run. In regards to the Mac Mini "seeing what you are doing" problem - there are 3 solutions. 1. Treat it like a preset box live, and use a controller kbd to send preset info - no display. 2. A mini monitor. If it has touchscreen capability, you don't need a mouse or keyboard. See Brad's thread from a couple days ago for a great example. https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2386044/VAX77_Mac_Mini_Mainstage#Post2386044 3. iPad as wireless remote controller Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fusker Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Cantible Lite for PC. Checking this out now. Thanks for the tip! I'm imagining my rack-mount PC with this and a touch screen monitor... Sweet... Excellent tip! Playing with this over the weekend. Steinway L, Yamaha Motif XS-8, NE3 73, Casio PX-5S, iPad, EV ZLX 12-P ZZ(x2), bunch of PA stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 maybe that is a host I am far from knowledgable. VB 3 runs perfect in Cantabile (lite) as also in Plogue Bidule. A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Can't you run VB3 stand-alone? I run Kontakt - heck maybe that is a host I am far from knowledgable. Kontakt can be run both as a host and as a VST plugin, within another host software. Kontakt cannot act as a host for other VST plugins. As for VB3, this is from the VB3 FAQs: Q: Is there a stand-alone version of VB3? A: No. The current version of VB3 only comes as a plugin in VST and AU format for Mac and Windows. If you're using Windows, you can turn any VST plugin into a stand-alone application by using a freeware application called SAVIhost by Hermann Seib (please Google for it and refer to its user manual for more information). This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyn Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Gonna try Cantabile (lite) But can you elaborate on this: iPad as wireless remote controller Will it show the drawbars, leslie speed, etc... on the ipad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 No, I wouldn't use iPad for VB3 - user controls are too intricate. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Aiken Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Gonna try Cantabile (lite) But can you elaborate on this: iPad as wireless remote controller Will it show the drawbars, leslie speed, etc... on the ipad? Yes. You will need a VNC app, and your laptop will need wireless. I actually use this with my Receptor. It does not make for a great live controller, but it works a treat for tweaking at the gig, during soundcheck, etc..... Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Yes. You will need a VNC app, and your laptop will need wireless. I actually use this with my Receptor. It does not make for a great live controller, but it works a treat for tweaking at the gig, during soundcheck, etc..... Yesterday, I stumbled over the new RME Fireface UCX interface being fully class compliant w/ iPad and iPad 2 and offering stunning features like being a full console w/ aux sends per channel and DSP FX incl. delay/reverb. So, if VB3 or later VB3-2 would run on an iPad 2, the laptop would be obsolete and the 9.5" interface would be the only necessary to connect the hardware keys. http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_fireface_ucx.php The UCX is the clock master always w/ the iPads, so the jittery MIDI and audio is history. Once programmed, UCX works in standalone mode too. But it´s not cheap... A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Gonna try Cantabile (lite) ... Will it show the drawbars, leslie speed, etc... on the ipad? Irony is that, if you use Cantabile as a host, by default the VST GUI (VB3, in this case) is hidden, and you'll need a few additional clicks to bring up the GUI so that you can see drawbars/leslie speed, etc. With SAVIhost, the GUI is all that you'll see. If VB3 is all you intend to run, then Cantabile - even the lite version - might be overkill. This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 BTW, a heads-up for those of us interested in Cantabile. Few years ago, I was using it extensively on stage. I was also fairly active on the official KVR forum for cantabile. The developer used to participate in discussions over there. About 2 years ago, he stopped posting and releasing any updates. It turns out that the effort just wasn't commerically viable for him (or he got bored of it). This thread has a bit more info. He's since moved on to other non-music related stuff. Bottomline - Cantabile is dead comatose in suspended animation / whatever. I am still a big fan of Cantabile - I think it was a very nice, solid creation. For more complex needs, I can also see the flaw in the design, where other hosts - Ableton Live or Bidule simply outclass it. Nevertheless, I'm sure for a whole lot of users, it does the job very well. But in my experience, if you ever need to move on to more complex requirements, you may have to switch hosts, which involves a completely different learning curve. YMMV. This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Ashville makes a good point. If you're only trying to run VB3, better to use an app that keeps the GUI visible. I'm interested in Cantabile because it will give me access to quickly editable sounds I wouldn't otherwise have in my ROMpler... I STILL haven't figured out the damned menu functions on my XP-50... A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 you'll need a few additional clicks to bring up the GUI so that you can see drawbars/leslie speed, etc. You need exactly ONE click to bring up the GUI,- there´s a button right beneath each slot for a plugin. It makes sense because it´s designed to fit a laptop screen and plugins are organized in a column. There´s also a 2nd button which decouples the GUI of the plugin from Cantabile lite or embedds the plugins GUI in Cantabile´s own GUI environment again. If you´d see all your plugins GUIs immediatedly and stacked in the column, you´d have to scroll endless w/ the mouse-wheel until you´d find it. What do you think is the better solution ? A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm interested in Cantabile because it will give me access to quickly editable sounds I wouldn't otherwise have in my ROMpler... Thanks, Griff... but I didn't quite understand what you mean by 'editable' sounds...? Cantabile has some serious competition. I remember being wowed by the demo version of Brainspawne Forte 2. There's also Bloxpander. Both of these seem to be powerful, user-friendly, polished products designed solely for live professionals. Then there's also Plogue Bidule, which is (sorta) freeware - in perpetual Beta version. In terms of design, sheer genius, and there's nothing you can't do very easily with this. It lacks polish and eye-candy, though, and it seems a bit geek-oriented. Finally, there's Ableton Live - what I'm currently using (along with Bidule - killer combo). Gold, if you know how to make it work for you. Bottomline - Cantabile is just one among many hosts designed for live VST use. I'd seriously recommend evaluating demos, before settling on any one. Worth the investment of time. This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Correct me if I'm wrong but VB3 doesn't run on iOS devices. Keep it greazy! B3tles - Soul Jazz THEO - Prog Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 If you´d see all your plugins GUIs immediatedly and stacked in the column, you´d have to scroll endless w/ the mouse-wheel until you´d find it. What do you think is the better solution ?If VB3 is all you intend to run, then Cantabile - even the lite version - might be overkill. I hope the emphasis clears the confusion. My post assumed single-plugin use. Of course it's obvious - if you have multiple plugins, you don't want (resource-hungry) GUIs cluttering up your screen. Hi A.C ! This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I hope the emphasis clears the confusion. My post assumed single-plugin use. Of course it's obvious - if you have multiple plugins, you don't want (resource-hungry) GUIs cluttering up your screen. Hi A.C ! yes, but that doesn´t change you need only ONE mouseclick to bring up the GUI and not several ones. thx A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashville.Guru Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 yes, but that doesn´t change you need only ONE mouseclick to bring up the GUI and not several ones. Ahhh, you're right, I stand corrected (though I said few, not several)! I used Cantabile many years ago. OTOH, difference between one mouse click and few mouse clicks? Nothing much at all. Difference between one mouse click and zero mouse clicks? Considerable . Your mileage may vary. This is really what MIDI was originally about encouraging cooperation between companies that make the world a more creative place." - Dave Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.