Torch, I am glad to see you ordered the Code61....
I read earlier you were going for a cheaper controller..

When I tried to install the VIP 3.0..there were no instructions... I actually found a way via an old 2.0 install video.. And iLok was a hassle too...

Did you just save the VIP dll in a VST folder to work in Mixcraft 8 pro ?
I have yet to try it successfully..

I have made two folders in my PC; 32 bit VST folder and 64 bit vst folder so that whenever I stall a new VST plugin they don't get mixed up. So yes, I saved the 32 bit VIP dll in my "32 Bit VST folder" and the 64 bit VIP dll in the 64 bit folder. For some reason, at first the VIP was acting funny in Mixcraft 8 Pro while it behaved just fine in other VST hosts and DAWs. Then I realized that somehow Mixcraft 8 Pro opened up the 32 bit VIP 3.0. I manually deleted it within VIP 3.0, and scanned for the 64 bit version of the VIP, and everything was OK.

Initially I wanted just the software. That was the reason I was going to get the $99 controller. What a value! Then I read your post again, which convinced me to get the Code 61. I gotta thank you for your post, Fran!!! I am very happy about he VIP. It is only going to get better! I know I will be happier when I receive my Code 61.

I noticed that VIP 3.0 has cataloged 2,470 patches by a number of different categories just for Xpand! alone, which often sells for $1 or comes free with a whole bunch of controllers by M-Audio, Akai, and Alesis. Xpand!2 was at first part of Pro Tools. Extremely lean, and yet tons of great sounds. However, you can't access sounds from midi program changes. Now VIP 3.0 has made it possible to call up sounds with such ease and patch remain; Xpand!2 took on new life.

Chris

Chris, I combined the VIP 64 exc file and the VIP dll in the same folder.
I was able to get VIP running in both Ableton live9 and MixCraft8 pro.

That's great, Fran.

Finally, Sweetwater shiped my Code 61 today, but I couldn't wait, as the demo version of VIP 3.0 expires tomorrow. I was able to buy a small controller on eBay and had the seller email me the serial number. With it, I was able to activate VIP 3.0.

Don't you just love how VIP 3.0 shows all the patches of your VST plugins? You can also download plugin maps on the internet. I have been asking Akai to create a platform where users can upload and download maps. VIP 3.0 loads sounds so quick! Another killer feature is smooth sound transition; how sound patches change without the previous sound being cut off. This is a must feature for me, but oddly these days only just a few keyboards like the Kronos and the Roland FA-06/8 have this feature.

Great support from Akai, too. There is online chatting. I was chatting with someone, and he said he will have an expert call me. Someone called me right away while I was chatting with someone else!!! The guy on the phone was indeed a VIP expert. He went out of his way to help me out.

I even use 32 bit plug-ins in the 64 bit VIP 3.0 by using a bridge app called jBridge. I wanted to use the discontinued 32 Hypersonic 2. It works fine, but I have to make sure I open VIP 3.0 as administrator.

Chris, one of the problems with the VIP .... Acoustica library won't load... it is proprietary... It will list the Acoustica sounds but they are not present...

If you find a way to play them with VIP ... let me know..

Fran,

I didn't even know until now that Mixcraft Pro 8 has a few good analog VST instruments. OK, I made a copy of the whole VST folder located at Program Files/Acoustica Mixcraft 8/VST and moved it to my VST 64 bit folder. Then I had VIP 3.0 and my favorite VST host Gig Performer scan it. Except for a couple of commercial plug-ins (They wanted more money for full versions of these plugins to be used out of Mixcraft) and some other effects plugins, many were detected including two sound packs called Acoustica Instruments (264 sounds) and Expanded Instruments (68 sounds).

These too packs are more like a GM set, and even within Mixcraft the plug-ins do not even have a GUI to edit the sounds. Anyway, these plug-ins do show up in VIP 3.0 with the full lists of patch names and numbers automatically, but only the first sound plays. Gig Performer or other VST host can access all other sounds. I found out that all the sounds in the two packs do respond to midi program changes. Sure enough when I send PC messages to the sound packs within VIP 3.0, I was able to play them all. They played like a piece of hardware; instant, and also with patch remain. All other Mixcraft detected by VIP and Gig Performer played fine.

I think I am going to send two sound packs to Akai Pro. In the meantime, if you need to go back and forth between Mixcraft and VIP, you can load VIP in Mixcraft.


I might add that I run 64 bit Mixcraft and 64 bit VIP 3.0.

Chris, ditto here too.

Acoustica sound banks are good less a few... terrible saxes..

I also run 64bit on my windows 10 and VIP 64 bit..

Honestly I don't see the gain in running VIP in MC8..
The categories are enough to find what you need quickly...and they all play..

I am going to try and find my MediaStation saxes they were some of the best... They are giga sample but I have a converter to wave..
I think one of the MC8 samplers will play giga sample..

When do you get your Code61....I feel lonely here..

If you have 10.000's or even over 100.000 vst sounds, the searchable database of VIP is so nice...

On top of that, you can make performances of up to 8 sounds including full effects setup and use them in any DAW you want...


Imagine people using cubase, bitwig, reason and V-arranger..
For thise people VIP is a godsend..

Why would someone use several of those daws? Because the daws i just described are all 3 totally different in nature...


Also the interface for realtime changing sounds and effects is far beyound what a daw can do...

And if you use the akai advance keyboard, you can close your pc and just browse select and navigate using the screen on the keyboard, makes it feel like you are playing a hardware keyboard.. but that requires an advance keyboard

Bachus , most of what you say I agree..
A lot depends on the Daw..

MixCraft8 pro can have as many layers, splits as you want.. more than VIP 's eight.. same with effects..

I think I have less than 6,000 VST patches.. again easily organized with MixCraft8..
100,000 sounds is way overkill... they will be all atmosphere and synth sounds... How many great pianos do you need?

The reason I don't have an Akai advance or a NI complete Kontrol.... I don't want to use knobs for drawbars... been there..

I do like VIP and enjoy playing with it... but it has some things that just won't work for me... As I mentioned many MC8 sounds show in a list but will not load...and not just the proprietary VST's..

To borrow your quote... I guess I am spoiled..

Bachus,

Great points as usual. I am looking at my plugins in VIP right now. VIP has cataloged 11,723 sounds for Omnisphere alone. 1,525 for the Korg M1, and 4,025 for Sampletank. The list goes on! Wonderful and ridiculous at the same time. I am not going to play every single sound but with VIP it feels like you don’t even have to open a plug-in. Just jump around among the plugins, and either click or search only the ones you are interested in by various tags.

For the first time, I can sample sounds from all the plug-ins real quick that I didn’t even know I had. Now I need to get into how all will this translate for live performance with various midi controllers. I am just impressed and delighted by the performance of VIP.

As you mentioned, I am looking into using VIP in vArranger. That’ll be a powerful combination.

Fran, you seem to be very familiar with MC8, but I am not. What sounds or plugins from MC8 do you like and play? The two sound banks in it are really not more than General MIDI sounds. I don’t think you are referring to them, correct? I liked two or three analog synths in MC8. Then again, those are readily available, and many of them are even free. Anyway, let me know what sounds of MC8 you like. I’d like to check them out myself. I agree to your point that probably there is not much benefit in running VIP in MC8, but I like the fact that not only can you run VIP as a standalone, but open it up in a live performance oriented VST host like Gig Performer. Finally, I feel like I have pretty good control over all my plug-ins.

My Code 61 will be here on Friday, and the APC Key 25 before that probably.