Digital Audio Workstation & MIDI > Vision & Studio Vision by Opcode

Migrating Vision 1.4 files to Logic Pro X via Studio Vision on Mac OS9.

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SuperFred:
The Trail of Tears
Project Goal: Migrating 264 Vision 1.4 files to Logic Pro X

Summary: It works! But it is going to take a million years to complete the project. ;)
Current Challenge: Troubleshoot occasional type 2 errors and make overall process easier.

The Approach:
Step 1 Install SVP Demo with bundled OMS X.X onto Blueberry G3 running Mac OS 9.1. (done)
Step 2 Install Unitor family of drivers to run emagic MT4 hooked up to Emu Proteus 1. (done)
Step 3 Configure OMS by not clicking serial or printer port and allowing it to search for devices so that it will talk to MT4 USB midi interface. (done)
Step 3 Test if SVP Demo will open Vision 1.4 files and play them. (done)
   Note it asks me to find the OMS studio setup file used to create the sequence file and if I want to make it current. I do. It asks me to remap some missing hardware. I do. The sequences play without problem.
Step 4 Replace SVP Demo with SVP PPC. (done)
Step 5 Export opened Vision 1.4 file from within SVP PPC and export it as SMF 1. (done)
Step 6 Move using Firewire drive to Mid 2010 27"iMac and import to Logic Pro (done)
Step 7 Wonder why rackmount Proteus sounds so much better than Logic's EXS24 using Emu's Proteus samples and why after so many years Logic is still not as good as Vision was for composition. (ongoing)  ;)

Current Issues:
Some songs create type 2 errors when trying OMS is trying to make their legacy studio setups current.
I tried turning off extensions.
I tried increasing the RAM to SVP.
Neither approach worked.

I would welcome any suggestions on how to debug the Type 2 error!
Thanks, and thanks to the forum for providing the links below that were essential.

How to install the SVP Demo and Studio Vision Pro PPC here:
http://vision.agektmr.com/Tips/en/Install.html
http://vision.agektmr.com/Tips/en/Install2.html

All of the Opcode software here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20090211171448/http://opcodeusers.com/opcode/vision.html

emagic mt4 drivers
http://web.archive.org/web/20020603152527/http://www.emagic.de/english/support/download/toolsmac.html

Stuffit available here:
http://my.smithmicro.com/stuffit-updates.html

GaryN:
OK… Let's try to unpack this.
Old files, long gone studio setup, reopening them with newer version of SVP, and you get occasional type 2 errors (which I assume bomb the operation and force a restart?)

Let's suppose the issue is OMS is getting lost looking for something that existed back then and is no longer present. Why? 'Cause you gotta start somewhere…

First:  Do the songs that trigger the errors ever open after retry, or do they absolutely crash every time? If you can get one to open, look for a difference in the original instruments in the setup between the "bad" song and a "good" one. OMS may be looking for the setup file in what is now a "bad" place to look. I know that sounds weird, but it may lead somewhere…

Second:  Where are your "new" OMS prefs? They should be in a folder inside an OMS folder inside the system folder - NOT inside the system folder preferences folder but just inside the system folder itself. This really smells to me like your general trouble area. Like the OMS pref / setups on certain songs (at a certain point in history) were located somewhere that was OK then, but OMS can't find now. Again, I know that's kinda vague, but hopefully you get the idea.

If the "bad" tunes absolutely will not open without a crash, you need a different approach. Try these, if you haven't already, in more or less this order:

1. A newer version of OMS. Preferably from the same era as the version of SVP. That will most likely be 2.3.8
2. Decreasing the RAM to SVP - I KNOW that sounds insane, but I swear it has resolved more mysterious SVP issues than you would believe possible. (Not holding out a lot of hope here though, this really looks like an OMS issue.)
3. Try to open them in SVP without making the setup current, if that works and it opens, save the song as a SVP file, THEN try reopening and exporting.

Now we're getting more frustrated - take a break. When you come back, try this:

4. Create an OMS studio setup file from scratch that matches the original setups from the 1.4 era. Create and enter instruments manually as needed since they're not there anymore for OMS to detect. If necessary, lie to OMS and tell it there are instruments connected to an interface on the modem and/or printer ports - note this will cause OMS to put up a screen at startup saying it can't find the alleged interface which you can then tell it to ignore and just open anyway. You don't care because you just want to make an exportable SMF, not play it. But first:

5. Create a new SVP setup file using the fake OMS setup. When you next try to open a "bad" file, start SVP first, then try to open a "bad" file.

Holler back - I'll cross my fingers for ya…

supernova777:
thanks for offering your expertise gary!

SuperFred:
Thanks Gary,
I really appreciate your suggestions.
I'll give it a try and let you know how it works.
Thanks,
K

SuperFred:
Hi Gary,
So first, thanks again for the suggestions.
I really appreciate it. I spent the evening diligently trying them out. I did not succeed.
I think you are on to something that there is something in the particular studio setup of some of the old files that makes SVP crash.  That said, I haven’t managed to crack it.

So I tried the different ideas you suggest, summarized here:
First:  Do the songs that trigger the errors ever open after retry, or do they absolutely crash every time?
It crashes every time. Oddly, the “SVP Demo” opened them but SVP PPC won’t. The problem is that the demo does not allow exporting SMF files.

Second:  Where are your "new" OMS prefs? They should be in a folder inside an OMS folder inside the system folder - NOT inside the system folder preferences folder but just inside the system folder itself.
Yes, the are in System Folder/OMS Folder/OMS Preferences

If the "bad" tunes absolutely will not open without a crash, you need a different approach.
Ok! :)

1. A newer version of OMS. Preferably from the same era as the version of SVP. That will most likely be 2.3.8
Installing 2.3.8 fails in the middle of installation saying an unexpected error occurred installing the Proteus 2000. :-(

2. Decreasing the RAM to SVP
Same result.

3. Try to open them in SVP without making the setup current
Type 2 error
 
Now we're getting more frustrated - take a break. ;D True that.

4. Create an OMS studio setup file from scratch that matches the original setups from the 1.4 era.
In trying this it hung while searching for drivers after I clicked the modem and serial ports.

5. Create a new SVP setup file using the fake OMS setup. When you next try to open a "bad" file, start SVP first, then try to open a "bad" file.
See above.


I tried creating a fresh OMS setup that approximated what I thought might have been the configuration tied to the old files that are crashing. I remembered I used an Emax II on the modem port in addition to the Proteus 1 on the serial port. I tried doing a setup that used the MT4 over USB but told it there was a Proteus on port 1 and an Emax II on port 2.

Upon launching SVP PPC it asked:
Make a new set of instruments from the output devices and channels in the current Studio Setup?
Instruments which are currently in use and custom instruments (for example with bold face names that you typed in) will be preserved. This operation is not undoable.
[]Always make from Studio Setup which I left unchecked. Check this to remind you to update your instruments whenever the current Studio Setup changes.
[Don’t make][Make]

I tried [Make]
And left the []Always...box unchecked.

SVPPPC launched without problem.
I opened one of the files that have been working without a problem.
OMS threw a dialogue box:
The patches “All Proteus” do not match those in your current setup.
[Don’t][Make Current]

I chose [Don’t]
OMS: Would you like to keep patches that are saved with “All Proteus”? If not “All Proteus” will be permanently changed.
[Go Back][Change][Keep]

I chose [Keep]

This file that had opened in the past without problem opened again without problem.

I now tried opening a “bad” file.
When the File/open dialogue opened I left []Use setup instruments unchecked.

OMS threw a dialogue box:
The patches “All Proteus” do not match those in your current setup.
[Don’t][Make Current]

I chose [Don’t]

OMS: Would you like to keep patches that are saved with “All Proteus”? If not “All Proteus” will be permanently changed.
[Go Back][Change][Keep]

I chose [Keep]

It threw a type 2 error and had to reboot the machine.

I tried variations including:
checking the [x] Use setup instruments in the File Open dialogue
[Make Current} in the patches don’t match dialogue
(At this point OMS reported: In order to make the names in “All Proteus” current please be sure to manually load these patches into these devices: (It displayed two icons, one was the icon of the Proteus 1 instrument from the OMS current setup, the other icon looked like the icon of an OMS document and had the name of one of the old OMS setup files (from v1.4) called “All Proteus/Proteus 1”.

It once again threw a type 2 error.

Summary:
I feel like I have tried the permutations of the different choices available.
Would I be a quitter if I just worked to actually recreate the original hardware environment the files were built under? (get Vision 1.4 running on a MacClassic under OS7 using a serial Midi interface) and try it there?  :-[

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