My (and your) "combo" for vArranger // sounds, pc, keys, midi interfaces

[garciarob]

Hi all,
just to share with you some info.

I've all soundbanks from Dan, a ketron SD2 and some VSTs (from friends and second hand market).

Soundbanks from Dan are great for styles sounds but for "SOLO" sounds I'd like more expression.

So in my experience I've found that my best choice for SOLO sounds are:

PIANO: Ketron SD2
E-Piano: VST Xpand2
Organ+Hammond: VST Xpand2 + Ketron SD2
Acoustic - classic guitar: VST Ample Guitar or some SF2
Electric Guitar: kontakt+strawberry
Sax: Ketron SD2
Strings: Ketron SD2 + VST Xpand2
Other brass and accordion: Ketron SD2

Too heavy? Maybe. 8 gb of RAM occupied.

There are two problems in this setup:
1. SD2 sounds are routed in midi output2 so I have to save each sound of the ketron expander as a preset sound - (please Dan, let see all sd2 sounds in suond list also if they are in VST2  )
2. switching between xpand2 preset is a really a mess. save some of them as vst preset. click on VST, click on Xpand2 and click the preset. In LIVE playing is a bit difficult. But this is a know problem! 

here you find some jamming with some of this sounds (and Dan soundbanks for style sound, I don't remember which style it is):
https://soundcloud.com/leoblues/jamming-with-varranger

And you? please share you setup and opinion!

[garciarob]

After 1.5 year, an update about my config.

I've simplified my setup for SOLO sounds.

PIANO: VST Halion
E-Piano: VST Halion
Organ+Hammond: VST Halion
Acoustic - classic guitar: VST Ample Guitar
Electric Guitar: kontakt+strawberry
Sax: VST Halion
Strings: VST Halion
Other brass and accordion: VST Halion

Master VST : Reviber

I use also Korg Triton vst for some 80s-90s sounds.

PC is a Intel Core i5-5257U+16gb ram+2 SSD HD

Keyboard is a m-audio oxygen pro61
Soundcard a behringer EMU-202.

vArranger is guided by a second touch screen (an android tablet), by app "spacedesk".

(photo is here --> https://www.varranger.com/vforum/index.php/topic,4374.0.html )

All is guided by program changes.

Next step is converting OTS in uservoices merging halion sounds (1 in right1 - 1 in right2 and so on). So I'm waiting Dan's fix for this!

And you? What's your configuration? Why don't you share it? Maybe we could fine some tricks for all!

p.s.: A complex job, but results are not so different from genos. Considering that there are more than 2000 euros of difference ... and absence of obsolescence 

[giupa]

Beautiful setup

After 1.5 year, an update about my config.

I've simplified my setup for SOLO sounds.

PIANO: VST Halion
E-Piano: VST Halion
Organ+Hammond: VST Halion
Acoustic - classic guitar: VST Ample Guitar
Electric Guitar: kontakt+strawberry
Sax: VST Halion
Strings: VST Halion
Other brass and accordion: VST Halion

I use also Korg Triton vst for some 80s-90s sounds.

PC is a Intel Core i5-5257U+16gb ram+2 SSD HD

Keyboard is a m-audio oxygen pro61
Soundcard a behringer EMU-202.

vArranger is guided by a second touch screen (an android tablet), by app "spacedesk".

(photo is here --> https://www.varranger.com/vforum/index.php/topic,4374.0.html )

All is guided by program changes.

Next step is converting OTS in uservoices merging halion sounds (1 in right1 - 1 in right2 and so on). So I'm waiting Dan's fix for this!

And you? What's your configuration? Why don't you share it? Maybe we could fine some tricks for all!

p.s.: A complex job, but results are not so different from genos. Considering that there are more than 2000 euros of difference ... and absence of obsolescence 

[garciarob]

Beautiful setup

Hi Pino,
I know you're using Kontakt NeoSoundstation2, could you send some recording of acoustic typical "right" sounds? guitar, e-piano, and so on?

[giupa]

Beautiful setup

Hi Pino,
I know you're using Kontakt NeoSoundstation2, could you send some recording of acoustic typical "right" sounds? guitar, e-piano, and so on?

Hi Leo. Next weekend, I'll do some audio with the sounds you asked for.

[drepalla]

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!

[garciarob]

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 drepalla, 4 manuals? great? How did you assemble them? are touch monitors connected by same video card? Could you send a photo of your setup?

I don't know EarEckons BloxPander, I'll give it a look!

[drepalla]

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?

[garciarob]

Thanks for your explainations.
No, my SD2 lies in a drawer. For accompaniment I use the Dan/Magali's soundbanks. I own all 4 but for a long time I only use the yamaha (genos) one.

[drepalla]

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?

[garciarob]

Yes, you could assign vSynth with yamaha genos soundbank on midi out1 and your host on midi out >1.

So you could use genos soundbank for accompaniment sounds and your host for right hand sounds.

[Dan]

You can try to see if it works with the vArranger Software Synth
Most sound card drivers don't allow to be used by 2 software simultaneously

[agaton]

...Would this work while using another host for my VST plugins?

Which Audio Interface you use ? It must be multiclient ASIO !!!

[drepalla]

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.

[agaton]

MOTU 2408mk2 & 424 is full multiclient ASIO audio interface. All Motu's interfaces are multiclient ASIO, don't worry.

[drepalla]

Hi agaton
Thank you for the headups!