The beta for VSampler 3 is out. It now recognizes the MIDI tracks from arranger keyboards (at least my PA80) separately, which means that you can assign your own software samples to the MIDI channels coming from the arranger, making ANY arranger (with midi Type1 outputs) quite a versatile tool indeed.

You have to have a fast computer, I think (mine was up around 60% with all PA80 channels enabled. But everything sounded great (mind you, the PA80 samples are so good anyway, that it is sort of like carrying coals to Newcastle...:-)

Anyway, I think it is worth checking out, especially for those with SONAR - and if we can only talk Maz into importing DR-008 presets/drumkit, it will be perfect!

This sounds good, but I am not sure I understand. Are you saying the previous version VSampler2 or whatever was not multitimbral?

The problem with the earlier version was that you couldn't assign samples to the different tracks of a single instance; all the midi channels would play together with the same instrument. (Unlike the Edirol Sound Canvas). That is, the "multi" would not work when triggered by live incoming midi.

(At least I couldn't get it to work - I haven't checked the latest version 2.75 yet.)

The new version (version 3 beta, that is) works fine, so you can assign an instrument to each channel, mute,solo, etc. from within VSampler 3.

I don't know how you got it to work' even Maz thought it was not functionally viable at the time. The same situation existed with the dxi version of the DR-008, since I wanted to use it for both channels 10 and 11, triggered by the drum and percussion tracks of the PA-80 (with the other tracks triggered accordingly as well.

Maybe we're talking about different things.

What I tried to do was to use a single dxi instance of VSampler in SONAR, and assign individual tracks to the inputs. The problem was that only the track with the focus would play, and all the channels would play on that one track (the track that had the focus).

In my system, the same thing happened in the stand-alone version.

Mind you, this is using the EXTERNAL input of the arranger using 16 channels on a single port in a single instance of VSampler.

In SONAR, Windows 2K, etc. Maybe your system is different than mine. In my system, VSampler works perfectly in VSampler3, with all channels triggered independently both in SONAR and as a standalone.

Hey, if 2.0 worked for you in that situation, great. But I don't believe it.....:-)

Frank, I am sort of following the trail you have blazed.
I ordered VSampler a few days ago from Cakewalk; I bought Sonar 2.0 earlier. I am not sure what version I will get. Presumably, 2.x something. I downloaded Live-Styler and paid the registration fee, but have not been able to convince the program that it has been registered. I am thinking I will try Kontakt as my main sampler. If I can get this stuff to work, I will try VoiceMachine for vocal harmony. If and when Karma Creator comes out, I will get that too. I am not in a hurry, my hardware studio sounds great. But I would like to whittle things down to a controller (Roland A-50) and a laptop.

VSampler will play the midi notes separately from within the software. But that's not what I was refering to.

What I do is connect the MIDI of the keyboard directly to a single port on my MIDIman 4x4 ("B"), and then into the computer, either triggering VSampler as a standalone, or as a dxi.

The drums are on channels 10 and 11 of that single instance/channel, with the live voices on channels 1,2, and 3, a live instrument on 4 from the lower split, bass on 9, and the accompanying tracks on 12 thru 16. I then set up the multi accordingly, with a drum kit on channels 10 and 11, a bass on 9, strings, trumpets, etc. on the other channels.

In Vsampler 2.0+, all the midi would play back on the same channel (i.e., all the channels would be merged, and with the instrument selected playing all the voices.)

In SONAR all the midi channels were merged on the selected track. Edirol VSC DID handle the process correctly; and DR-008 did not (hopefully that will get fixed also in the near future).

The new version 3 corrects this, and I can play the VSampler just like my arranger (muting the PA-80 or layering the voices on toop as I like. Who needs the Flash Card if you have a portable computer? Well, ok, it better be gonzo fast, because it uses a lot of power at present)

Frank,remember when several of us were so excited about JammerLive? I tried to get David Castles to provide a Yamaha style converter for the program, but to no avail. I think he missed the boat. I wonder what Elle is doing these days, she was so active in that discussion.

What I am wondering now is how important disk streaming will be for me. I know that Kontakt will get it, but my feeling is that I can get a laptop with enough memory that I can do without, at least most of the time. I think I can get 1GB memory in a laptop these days. But I might as well try to get 7200rpm as well. My biggest fear concerns integrated VoiceMachine into the system. I don't expect this software arranger to replace my hardware in 2003--this will have to be step by step. But at least I know from your efforts that the approach is workable. Clif

My midi was set correctly (I tried everything except the Bank63 thing, but I can't see how that would have helped my Percussion track, or the accompaniment voices in the style (since they also merged). I think we're talking about apples and oranges here (I'm running Win2k and SONAR on a PC).

In anycase, VSampler 3 solves the problem (which is where I started out), so the question will be moot shortly - and version 3 is definitely a no-brainer upgrade from Version 2+

You can't (at present) get a 7200 rpm drive for a laptop unless you connect an external drive with Firewire or USB 2.0. 5400 is as good as you get, and it is not sufficient (IMO) ...

Thanks, Frank, your info is very helpful. Clif

Frank--actually, the need for converting the Yamaha styles hadn't occurred to me, so it's good you alerted me. Even though I have not had time to solve my problems with Live-Styler, I can use it to audition the thousands of styles I have collected. Even for someone who intends to perform with an arranger, Live-Styler can be of use for this purpose of auditioning. I have found a few good ones auditioning Roland styles converted to Yamaha format. It is thanks to your pioneering efforts that I found this time saver.