Surpassing the number of instruments slots limits.

[MacTron]

"Another trick in the wall" LOL

If you need open more virtual instrument in Cubase, but your instruments slots are full, the VSTis can be converted in to FX and then can be open as inserts but used as regular virtual instrument!

How to:

Duplicate the VSTi file and open it with ResEdit, Open the VSTx ID = 1 resource and then change the green highlighted 01 by 00 and save the changes.



Now you can open your VSTi as if were an FX!

Unfortunately this trick not always work. I tried it with 3 VSTi's and  it worked only with 2.

[DieHard]

Another trick in the wall... Part 2

Mactron... I have been selfishly sitting on this one for a while, but now is the time...

Why limit at all ?

Simply load the Spark Instrument Machine (there is also an FX Machine) and get a full Matrix (4 X 5) = 20 VSTis without any Resedits.

You can load 8 Instances of the Machine (8 X 20) = 160 Virtual Instruments... OMG, Mega Crash by just hitting an "A" note

With Each instance of the Spark Machine, the Virtual instruments loaded can be run in Parallel or in Series or any combination... A full Virtual patch bay of endless possibilities.

I have included a Pic for any "non-believers"

In this example, you can see the "Free Alpha" synth and "Plex" loaded in Parallel in the Spark Matrix (Matrix only eats up 1 VSTi slot)

Click for Larger Image...

[MacTron]

 FX Machine is a way better solution than my new trick "...in the wall" :-) . But I have unsuccessfully tried FX Machine in Cubase a few years before. I'll give it another opportunity... and if the end result is that I was so fool that I couldn't put it to work the first time, no problem for my ego, laugh at yourself is avery good thing :-)
...and better if my foolishness let me to an alternate method to doing the same thing ("my trick") LOL x3

[supernova777]

Spark Instrument Machine ?
is this in the downloads section?

[DieHard]

The Spark "Machine" plugin is included with the Suite of TC Electronics Spark Plugins.  I can add it to the download boards if there is interest.  The TC Plugins are very high quality VST plugins, probably the best Native Plugins under OS 9.  The trick to getting them is to install the 2 CD Set of Spark, this will include the Spark application and a bunch of VST Plugins.  Spark will remain unusable since you will need a challenge/response code... but the main "bug" that TC did not realize is that after the install, all the plugins are authorized and they can be copied to other VST Hosts, like Nuendo, Cubase, etc.  If there is interest, I will post the CD set.

Some More Info...(shows the list of high quality plugins that can be used separately, they do not have to be put in the Matrix)

http://www.kvraudio.com/product/spark_fx_machine_by_tc_works

[supernova777]

The Spark "Machine" plugin is included with the Suite of TC Electronics Spark Plugins.  I can add it to the download boards if there is interest.  The TC Plugins are very high quality VST plugins, probably the best Native Plugins under OS 9.  The trick to getting them is to install the 2 CD Set of Spark, this will include the Spark application and a bunch of VST Plugins.  Spark will remain unusable since you will need a challenge/response code... but the main "bug" that TC did not realize is that after the install, all the plugins are authorized and they can be copied to other VST Hosts, like Nuendo, Cubase, etc.  If there is interest, I will post the CD set.

Some More Info...(shows the list of high quality plugins that can be used separately, they do not have to be put in the Matrix)

http://www.kvraudio.com/product/spark_fx_machine_by_tc_works

so your saying you install it then move and/or copy the vst plugin files to your other vst folders in any other functional vst host and voila?

[DieHard]

so your saying you install it then move and/or copy the vst plugin files to your other vst folders in any other functional vst host and voila?

Yep.. that's right...

The FX Machine and instrument Machine were parts of the Spark package called "Spark Modular"... I can post the 2 CD Set... 1 CD is Spark and 1 is Spark modular

Read This: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep00/articles/tcspark.htm

They will yield a lot of useful plugins, simply copy the Plugins to your Host folder, but DO NOT DELETE the "Spark" folder; the application will be useless, but it needs to stay on the hard drive, so just drag the Spark folder it to an unused area.

[Jakl]

Wasn't there also a SE version sometime back in 2001 for cheap - if I can recall it was only a plugin version not an instrument version - is that right?

I think I may have it somewhere.
But I think the instrument version must be absolutely awesome to use with vsti's. I would definitely be interested.

[MacTron]

....but I have unsuccessfully tried FX Machine in Cubase a few years before. I'll give it another opportunity...

...well, I finally  put  Instruments Fx Machine to work.

FX Machine is a way better solution than my new trick "...in the wall" :-) .

not really, just different.

My "new trick in the wall" (I like this title LOL) have some benefits as its can be seen on this picture:



(1) All instrument slots are filled with FM7 instances.
(2) Each one with his audio and MIDI channel.

All impOSCar instances are open as FX inserts (thanks to my trick):
(3) Each one with his own independent audio channel!
(4) And with his own independent MIDI channel!

Cool!

[IIO]

funny thread.

last picture == thats what i was thinking too, regarding the spark solution! at least when you are a steinberg user, you really want instruments to behave the way shown in your screenshot.

i also use the resedit way for a handful of plug-ins. have never tried if it works for all? mabye thats my next thing on the to do list?

however, it would be wise to also change the plug-in ID if you do that. so that you can keep the original instrument version installed and use both independently – or together.

[IIO]

oh wow, it actually does not work with a whole lot of products. lets see if we can find a pattern. i´ve been doing it with synapsa audio products and some freeware stuff and it always worked. but i just tried the PPG and steinberg plug-ins and it did NOT work.

[IIO]

okay as it seems it is simply the number of outputchannels. i forgot that the PPG has 4 outputs.

well that fits perfectly, you mostly need it for the "small" ones (unless you have a 75GHz G4 upgrade installed.)

[DieHard]

Interesting thread... I just mentioned the Spark thing to get a rise out of you guys

While Mactron's solution provides maximum control. The Spark solution works best when all instruments are parallel.  This is helpful if you want to create an "Instrument Stack" instrument. It is a great solution, if you want to create a "Thick sounding" synth out of a bunch of "Thin sounding" ones and you don't want to use up a lot of mixer channels or instrument slots.  Each item it the matrix does have a "MIX" level, so you do have at least an effective "volume" control over each instrument.  Any effects (delay, reverb) applied to the channel will obviously be on the Mix of the entire Instrument Matrix.  One MIDI track triggering a bunch of parallel VSTi's is pretty cool, you can make some pretty unique layered sounds without having to copy the same MIDI info to multiple tracks.

[IIO]

i agree, if you use them parallel, fxmachine is probably the easiest.

just tried PPG in a nuendo surround master bus, but no. lol. the FX version does not even appear in nuendo when you search it with the scan utility.

[MacTron]

funny thread.

Thanks

last picture == thats what i was thinking too, regarding the spark solution! at least when you are a steinberg user, you really want instruments to behave the way shown in your screenshot.

This trick was very important for mi because the first thing I usually fulfill in my workflow is the number of instruments ( and afterwards the poliphony )...
The first time I've tried this trick, it didn't worked. I thought that was too easy to be true!.
But I was wrong, I just had the bad lucky to tried it with one of those VST that don't work...

i also use the resedit way for a handful of plug-ins. have never tried if it works for all?
 mabye thats my next thing on the to do list?

I'm very interested on read about your "ResEdit works" ....

By mi side I still have another two "big ones" to post:
- How to use NI standalone Apps to make standalone versions of other VSTis.
- How to load most of the Kompakt based libraries on NI Kompakt, even those that never were available for Mac Os 9.

however, it would be wise to also change the plug-in ID if you do that. so that you can keep the original instrument version installed and use both independently – or together.

Yes, I've done that already. If you look at the picture You can read "impOSCar FX", the "FX" was added to avoid confusion with the original "impOSCar"

Interesting thread... I just mentioned the Spark thing to get a rise out of you guys

While Mactron's solution provides maximum control. The Spark solution works best when all instruments are parallel.  This is helpful if you want to create an "Instrument Stack" instrument. It is a great solution, if you want to create a "Thick sounding" synth out of a bunch of "Thin sounding" ones and you don't want to use up a lot of mixer channels or instrument slots.  Each item it the matrix does have a "MIX" level, so you do have at least an effective "volume" control over each instrument.  Any effects (delay, reverb) applied to the channel will obviously be on the Mix of the entire Instrument Matrix.  One MIDI track triggering a bunch of parallel VSTi's is pretty cool, you can make some pretty unique layered sounds without having to copy the same MIDI info to multiple tracks.

Yes, I agree, both solutions are very useful. Each one of them has his own benefits

[IIO]

now i almost uploded a generic VSTi to VST crossgrader upgrade patch, but luckily i notived that it also changes the version number of the file to 0.0.

[IIO]

Thanks

no, thank you. OS9lives brings my attention back to cubase and the like, normally i´ve worked only with programming languages during the last years.

I'm very interested on read about your "ResEdit works" ....

i remember projects/compositions with 20 instances of "scorpion FX" and "mda piano FX".

but soon i will try them all and maybe provide an updater. seems i dont have vise updater installed, with rescompare it is a mess (because of the version thing i was talking above.) wasnt there an updater utility for OS9 which gave you some if-then-else and search functions? was could have been its name?

- How to use NI standalone Apps to make standalone versions of other VSTis.

that will be some more work than changing 2 bits of code. and it does not sound like a good idea to use half an app of another company. it would be less work to write your own i think!

may i ask why would it be no solution for you to just host a plug-in in a host? (which already has ASIO, which lets you open more than one instance, and which has total recall for presets?)

- How to load most of the Kompakt based libraries on NI Kompakt, even those that never were available for Mac Os 9.

there is a working solution but only for a few of them. please send me an email for more info. for the majority of libraries it can not work, for they require the new functions in newer versions of the kontakt engine.

there are a few, even free ones, which i´d also like to have running, but most of the NI stuff was available as AKAI, too, afaik.

what i really, really, surprisingly good, is the standard piano coming with K2 OSX. it is by far better than all of the dedicated piano plug-ins and worth alone to buy K2. well, if you have OSX, and if you really want to use this multitasking bullshit with aqua buttons to make music.

Yes, I've done that already

right. and use the same naming convention which NI did for their "FX", fine.

[MacTron]

- How to use NI standalone Apps to make standalone versions of other VSTis.

that will be some more work than changing 2 bits of code.

Not really. The basic procedure is to paste aEff and PICT resources in to the host program
... of course if you want a more "Pro" result you have to change a few bytes more...

You can check how it goes with the attached example.

and it does not sound like a good idea to use half an app of another company. it would be less work to write your own i think!

Well, not in my case. I know very little about programing, but enough to know that a "little" project like this, will take me several months or years!

may i ask why would it be no solution for you to just host a plug-in in a host? (which already has ASIO, which lets you open more than one instance, and which has total recall for presets?)

I usually prefer the VST version of the instruments and effects, but the standalone version has his vantages:
Can be connected to virtually any MIDI software or hardware and are fast and lightweight than a full DAW host.

- How to load most of the Kompakt based libraries on NI Kompakt, even those that never were available for Mac Os 9.

there is a working solution but only for a few of them. please send me an email for more info. for the majority of libraries it can not work, for they require the new functions in newer versions of the kontakt engine.

I'll send you a PM about this topic.

there are a few, even free ones, which i´d also like to have running, but most of the NI stuff was available as AKAI, too, afaik.

Only a few are available in AKAI format...

[supernova777]

another 'trick in the wall'
for those of us with extra pcs/macs

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr01/articles/pcmusician.asp

[MacTron]

another 'trick in the wall'
for those of us with extra pcs/macs

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr01/articles/pcmusician.asp

This would be better if we could hack Yamaha mLAN drivers (MIDI + Audio over Firewire) to accept Computer to Computer link (as in Linux):

http://download.yamaha.com/search/product/?site=usa.yamaha.com&language=en&category_id1=16244&category_id2=16268&category_id3=&product_id=106050