vArranger Forums

Quote from: DjTony1981 on July 05, 2024, 10:15:42 PMHi to all, this is my edited version of "Ketron SD1000 Cakewalk INS" file with "Live Drums" banks added!!
Bye!

thank you DJ Tony1981!

Thank you for sharing your VEX60 samples, I will try them out, by a quick glance in Viena it looks very promising. \drepalla

Very interesting, I see it uses text files to map GS/GM to the corresponding PSR or Genos model, maybe we can make our own text files to map to SD1000 or other hardware we are using with the Varranger?

I am 97,5% sure that if you use Microsoft Edge as your default PDF viewer, it is capable to show 2 pages, and this is working from Varranger2 Check it out! Regards from Denmark

The initial question, Varranger - is it worth it? IMO, yes, it is definitely worth the 349,00 € you give for it! ( I've had it myself since april 2020)
Remember it has been in development for over a decade, while maintaining the status of being by far the best live arranger/style player available running on a PC.

\drepalla

Hi agaton
Thank you for the headups!

I have a MOTU 2408mk2 running on a MOTU 424 PCI audio driver, samplerate at 48.000. What I found out is that it is multiclient, but not officially supportet function. I will try to run the VA software synth along with it at see what happens.

I have been thinking about Dan's Yamaha soundbank since I have no Yamaha devices in my setup, (Would this work while using another host for my VST plugins?

The instrument is still under construction, the fourth manual is mounted on the top of these three. Basically it is a Beech wood structure resting on top of the original instrument.
Two of the touchmonitors are hooked up to a NVS300 and one is using the onboard graphics, it work pretty well, I choose the NVS300 because it has no fan motor, only passive cooling. I post a better photo of the finished system once I get there





Are you still using the SD2 for the Varranger2 accompaniment?

Great idea garciarob!

I am still experimenting with my setup, I have a full 4 x manuals (4x61keys) + Bass pedals (1x25keys) setup, with 3 touch monitors.
For modulation/control: Aftertouch on all manuals, Velocity sensitivity, Breath controller and 3 pedals for expression/control, and some others like a B4D drawbar controller and Behringer BCF2000.
The VA2 limitations with only Right, Left and Bass midi input is rather restricting so I am using EarEckons BloxPander as my VST host instead of VA2. My sound source for VA2 is Ketron SD1000; The PC is an old Core i7-3700K, LGA1155, 3,5GHz, 8MB Cache with 32GB RAM. The mentioning of Spacedesk got me curious, so I am looking into that right now!

Hi fellow VA2 users.
These are the untouched original preset styles from various Roland Arrangers, shared by Rolandfan on the Keyboardforums.
I have not tried all of them, but those I have, sound great!

Here is a table with the contents:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR3aJBqBUcwlcG__U5OGajTRQVYLy8ial2X4oWNOGMcf55mtt12o0QdojYz6EyoIAm94hSgvEj2Al8n/pubhtml?gid=1737873153&single=true

Hi
I just discovered how brilliant this Song Database feature is within the Yamaha Arrangers for searching styles for particular songs!
The Song information data is saved within the Yamaha style files!


http://www.wierzba.homepage.t-online.de/psd/psdmain.htm

This database software by Peter Wierzba can be setup to call for an external player for auditioning the found style, but I can not make it work with Varranger2, any other users here have experience with this?

\drepalla

Hi Dan
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction
I found the solution on the Cakewalk forum, by a user named Maotar.
By setting a responce latency in the BCF2000, in my case i set it to 500ms for maximum smoothness and it works perfectly, thanks again!

Here is the instructions by Maotar:

QuoteInstructions:
Select GLOBAL EDIT mode (press EDIT + STORE button)
Turn PUSH ENCODER 7 to change the dead time
Push the EXIT button to leave the GLOBAL EDIT mode
Remark:
The range is between 0 to 1000 ms (milliseconds); the default setting is
100 ms and should be optimal for trouble-free working
hope this will help.

Hi Dan

I have connected my BCF2000 to the Varranger2 and when activating the LED feedback for the same device, it functions very well like we see in this great example from Ferdi van Gijzel on youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRZy_5cedWo

The problem is that if you want to move the sliders on the BCF2000 you get a very strong reacting force from the LED feedback, so this is only useable if you only change the volume faders on the VA2, not the other way around, which renders it useless to have the BCF2000 motorized controllers.

The solution could be adding an option to select feedback type, either LED or Motorfader:

Motorfader:

Controller hange message that is coming in from the MIDI port would only update the VA2 slider, but not be sent again out as MIDI controller to the BCF2000, because it makes a conflict.

Any thoughts?

Quote from: garciarob on December 29, 2020, 06:19:04 PM
Hi Dan,
waiting for the resolution of the first problem, I've found another strange behaviour.

1. I set a left sound 1 (vst) and I set at OFF and zero volume.



2. Save Song



3. Immediately after (and when I recall the song)



The volume is set at a certain volume >0 and the track is set at ON

Is it only my problem?

I experience this too in version 1.19.13, I save the song with Right 1 set to Off, but as soon as I have saved, it is turned on again, and is still turned on when loading the song.

This has my vote too

Hello

My Organ setup has 4x61 note manuals and 25 bass pedals.

I use the basic organ setup in Varranger with the standard midi channel 1/2/3=upper/lower/bass
with a Ketron SD1000 for the sound and this is working very well.

Then I have extra 2 upper keyboards which I like to use as Midi input 2 and play exclusively the voices of RIGHT 3 or RIGHT 4.
Until now I have not figured out how I can setup Varranger up to do this, any suggestions?

with thanks in advance, drepalla

OK, thanks for the explanation Dan

Sometimes it is convenient to browse the sounds from the INS/SF2 menu in Varranger, I like the right-side list with the alternatives to jump straight to sound to test it out.

Good idea, although I am sure Agathon only had good intentions, this file has given me pretty bad headache, so lets prevent others from the experience 

Hi again!
Now it is working, by following Dan's instructions!
Many thanks, now I can start playing around again!

drepalla

Quote from: Dan on December 08, 2020, 10:49:22 PM
Ah... I think there is a problem in the SD1000 INS file from Agaton

Try to delete it (right clic on the INS button and delete the file, then restart vArranger) and load the one from Ketron website
https://www.ketron.it/images/ketron/software/CakewalkSonarSD1000.rar

Hi again
The .ins file from Ketron website is the working one, thank you Dan! - now I can select voice from any of the 4 banks from the INS/SF2 menu.

Right click does not work on the INS/SF2 button nor on the INS file itself in the INS/SF2 menu.
I had to rename the  .INS file to make it load and work. . or maybe I should have tried to restart Varranger?

Now I just need to delete the not working .INS file from the menu - I am not allowed to right click and delete the .ins file.

I check it again tonight, thanks Dan

I find it convenient to have this cross brand compatibility, so my friend who has a Yamaha arranger and sends me a style he likes,  I simply can try it out, play and adapt to my system fast and easy. Same with another friend who has a Roland sound module!
Varranger is by far the best software arranger available and still getting better, therefore I decided to put my money on it, now after 8 months I am very satisfied.

yes it is a problem because from the INS/SF2 menu I can only select one of the 128 sounds from the first bank.

I am using SD1000 or SD2 as a midi output number 2.

Hi Dan
Thank you for prompt reply!

I have now checked this further and can confirm what you wrote about Varranger does not send the Bank message again when within the same bank and sounds are selected by the GUI.

Still it sends no bank change at all when using the INS/SF2 menu to select sound, regardless of which Bank I choose from.
So far the problem occurs when either SD2 or SD1000 is chosen in the Midi settings.

Hi all
I have loaded the KetronSD1000xSonar.ins into Varranger.

When I select sound from the INS selection screen,  Varranger does not send any bank information, only the program change message.

00023534  25  --     CC    77    --   13  ---  PC: Reverse Cymbal   


When selecting from the built in voice menu it works as usual, sending both bank and program change.


0001F3EF  25  --     BC    00    00   13  ---  CC: Bank MSB         
0001F3EF  25  --     CC    77    --   13  ---  PC: Reverse Cymbal



Dan has written somewhere that we should load each .ins file only once!
How do I clear the loaded .ins files from Varranger?
Any idea of why it does not send Bank change message when selecting sound from the INS/SF2 menu?

with thanks in advance

I now have tested the Sync-in feature,  both from an internal VST host, Eareckon BloxPander, and from external source, where I used my Roland RA800 for the test.
It was most interesting with the RA800, I loaded the same Roland style in both Varranger and RA800. Both arrangers can be triggered by the RA800 start/stop button and stayed perfectly in sync, so I could use a fader forth and back for style auditioning purposes, pretty cool!
It is of course wise to use a dedicated midi port/cable (not only dedicated MIDI channel), midi data is serial so jitter always increases with more data being transmitted over the cable.

Conclusion:
+Midi sync in is working well.
+The Varranger2 is extremely good at playing the Roland styles!

best regards, Gunnar K

RTP Midi is very good to share MIDI access over ethernet or Wifi, I have used it for many years, both on Windows 10 and XP (XP needs older version)

thanks for reply, better to be sure

Question: is it a Midi Clock input or Midi Time Code?

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/what-difference-between-midi-clock-midi-timecode/

Great news, looking forward to try this out!

Quote from: Dan on February 11, 2019, 12:21:22 PM
Hello Yury,

vArranger allows you to load original Korg styles without conversion to other format
However I did not decoded yet the "guitar mode" notes that will be muted, but I plan to do it in a future update

I am actually working on a SYNC INPUT feature for vArranger

Yes, we also have KETRON SD1000

Hi Dan

A Midi sync input feature would be very useful for us who might have more than one hardware arranger and drum machines or even DAW's running along with Varranger2. I have a Motu Midi Time Piece AV unit which I intend to use as my Midi time master.
Will it make it to version 1.20?

This is only an interface with the same functions, there is apparently no real improvement to what we already have in Varranger2 is there?

Look at this approach of a Tyros5 interface, here you can see how the Registration buttons/settings are working:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa26oAcFzgY
The difference is that he is offering a solution that actually adds functionality for the user.

My Roland G800 had it, maybe even my Solton MS40 has it too, need to  check. It was more than just a adjustment in volume, it changed the playing of the style from gentle to more power and drama as you hit it harder with your chord hand.

Pay attention to the fact that the accompaniment voices used by the arranger are velocity sensitive too, so like say a playing piano part would shift dramatically just as piano would do as you play with different velocity.

That worked as you described thanks for the explanation!

Hi, I am a new Varranger2 user!
I already have one question regarding displaying text files. Can the font type be changed? I ask because the type that is default has reduces length of the space character, so when displaying text with chords above, the chord symbols get misplaced, see the attached photo I took of the Varranger2 display window and the same file in notepad.

Regards, Gunnar K

That is an amazing collection, I just tried a few of the midi files and was really impressed by the sound (SD1000) now I need to test the styles too
Thank you Dan and your buddy who shared his collection.

Quote from: Dan on May 09, 2020, 11:10:20 PM
If you find something in V-Console that can't be done with vArranger, let me know

The dynamic velocity switching is very nice feature, to be able to layer voices and enabling them when hitting the keys harder.