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MX4 not being recognized in VST folder..

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MX4 not being recognized in VST folder..

Postby OMNICELL » Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:15 pm

Im using Notion 3

Im using a MOTU synth; MX4. MX4 works in Finale, works in Digital Performer sequencer. In Notion, no information of this synth is showing up in the VST manager...Other soft synths are showing up. I looked for a start up file in my application folder for MX4. Im not sure what Im doing. I didn't find one. I know its in a file folder somewhere... This Synth works in other programs, or shows up in the VST managers of other programs..

Any ideas..

Thanks....
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Re: MX4 not being recognized in VST folder..

Postby Surfwhammy » Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:39 am

OMNICELL wrote:Im using Notion 3

Im using a MOTU synth; MX4. MX4 works in Finale, works in Digital Performer sequencer. In Notion, no information of this synth is showing up in the VST manager...Other soft synths are showing up. I looked for a start up file in my application folder for MX4. Im not sure what Im doing. I didn't find one. I know its in a file folder somewhere... This Synth works in other programs, or shows up in the VST managers of other programs..

Any ideas..

Thanks....


According to the information at the MOTU website for MX4 version 2, it does not support the VST effects or VSTi virtual instrument plug-in formats . . .

Image

[SOURCE: MX4 Version 2 (MOTU) ]

NOTION 3 supports the VST effects and VSTi virtual instrument plug-in formats but not the other plug-in formats . . .

However, there might be a way that you can use MX4 indirectly with NOTION 3, but it will be a bit awkward, at best, and it will be similar to the strategy I use for Reason 5 (Propellerhead Software) . . .

NOTION 3, Digital Performer 7.24, Reason 5 and Reason 6, and ReWire

Reason 5 and Reason 6 have the same general problem, but instead of not supporting only VST and VSTi, Reason 5 and Reason 6 do not support anything other than ReWire (Propellerhead Software) . . .

However, (a) Reason 5 and Reason 6 will play imported MIDI and (b) NOTION 3 will export MIDI, so the strategy I use here in the sound isolation studio is to use a simple Piano staff in NOTION 3 as a surrogate for whatever I decide to do in Reason 5, where the technique involves these steps:

(1) Ensure that no digital music production applications are running . . .

(2) Open NOTION 3, and compose the Piano surrogate part using music notation in NOTION 3 . . .

(3) Export the Piano surrogate part from NOTION 3 as a MIDI file, and then save and close the NOTION 3 score . . .

(4) Start Reason 5; import the NOTION 3 exported MIDI file from (3) into Reason 5; and assign it to a Reason 5 synthesizer . . .

(5) Do the ReWire channel assignment(s) for the Reason 5 synthesizer from (3), and then save and close Reason 5 . . .

(6) Start Digital Performer 7.24 (MOTU), followed by starting Reason 5; and then do the ReWire track(s) and channel(s) assignments, noting that Digital Performer 7.24 will be the ReWire host controller, which for Reason 5 happens regardless of the sequence of starting the two applications, because Reason 5 cannot act as a ReWire host controller . . .

(7) Record the Reason 5 generated audio as soundbites in Digital Performer 7.24 via ReWire . . .

In some respects, this is a lot of stuff to do just to be able to use Reason 5, but once you do it a few times and develop a system or set of procedures, it does not take much time, and it makes available all the fascinating stuff that Reason 5 does . . .

The brilliant aspect of this particular strategy is using the simple Piano surrogate as the source for the MIDI commands and instructions, which in turn become the source for the Reason 5 synthesizer(s), and this is a stellar strategy, because if you need to change anything, it all is based on the NOTION 3 score, so if you want to change a few notes or add something, then you revisit the NOTION 3 score and make adjustments to the simple Piano surrogate; export the MIDI and then import the exported MIDI to Reason 5; followed by redoing the Reason 5 to Digital Performer 7.24 ReWire step, where you record new soundbites, which in the grand scheme of everything keeps the NOTION score(s) as the ultimate foundation and original source document for the song . . .

Explained another way, in the system or "formula" that I devised over the past two years on the Mac for doing digital music production, everything is based on NOTION 3 scores being the foundation, which is the smart way to do it, because (a) it keeps everything synchronized to the NOTION 3 scores and (b) it is vastly easier to synchronize real instruments, Reason 5 synthesizers, and real voices to a NOTION 3 score than it is to do it the opposite way, where all the real stuff is recorded first and then you attempt to synchronize it to a NOTION 3 score . . .

I do this even when there is no initial plan to do anything with music notation and VSTi virtual instruments, where in this scenario I create a Kick Drum staff and a Piano staff in NOTION 3 and then add music notation to the Kick Drum staff so that it functions as a "click" track, while I add music notation to the Piano staff to play some reference tuning notes, where the idea is to use the NOTION 3 generated audio in Digital Performer 7.24 as the "click" track and for reference tuning purposes for the real instruments . . .

The advantage to doing it this way is that if I decide to add some instrumentation later, then everything already is synchronized to the basic NOTION 3 score, which makes it virtually trivial to switch back and forth from doing music notation and virtual instruments in NOTION 3 to doing real instruments, Reason 5, and real voices in Digital Performer 7.24 . . .

MX4 Version 2, NOTION 3, Digital Performer 7.24

All I can do is make a few guesses, but if MX4 Version 2 will play imported MIDI, then the strategy is similar to the one I use for Reason 5, except that it will be different due to not supporting ReWire . . .

In other words, the strategy is to do the simple Piano surrogate in NOTION 3, where you export its MIDI and then import the exported MIDI to Digital Performer 7.24, where Digital Performer 7.24 controls MX4 Version 2, since it appears that MX4 Version 3 does not have a standalone user interface, hence requires a host controller like Digital Performer 7.24 . . .

SUMMARY

There probably is a way to use MX4 Version 3 in a complete system or "formula" based on NOTION 3 in conjunction with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) application like Digital Performer 7.24 (a personal favorite) . . .

However, (a) it is a bit awkward; (b) I hate dongles; and (c) it is vastly easier to use FabFilter Software Instruments, IK Multimedia, and Native Instruments VSTi virtual instruments on the Mac, where while the VSTi virtual instrument version of Twin 2 (FabFilter Software Instruments) does not have a standalone user interface, there is a standalone version of Twin 2 available from the Mac App Store at a small additional cost, which makes it easier to preview the various presets and so forth . . .

For reference, there is a lot more information on doing all this stuff in my ongoing topic "Notion 3, DISCO Songs, and Sparkles" in this FORUM . . .

Notion 3, DISCO Songs, and Sparkles (Notion Music FORUM)

And to put everything into perspective, this is the current version of the new Surf Whammys song "Tastes Like Anarchy", which will be on the "Electric Underpants™" album and is a vast pun on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Nirvana), which is done with IK Multimedia VST effects and VSTi virtual instruments via music notation in NOTION 3, although later I will move the DAW work to Digital Performer 7.24, since the score is approaching the upper limit for "heavy" VSTi virtual instruments, which for reference is approximately 20 to 25 "heavy" VSTi virtual instruments, which is fabulous . . .

Image

Image

"Tastes Like Anarchy" (The Surf Whammys) -- MP3 (8.4MB, 300-kbps [VBR], approximately 3 minutes and 52 seconds)

Fabulous! :D
The Surf Whammys

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Re: MX4 not being recognized in VST folder..

Postby OMNICELL » Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:43 pm

Thanks Surfwhammy!
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Re: MX4 not being recognized in VST folder..

Postby Surfwhammy » Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:40 pm

OMNICELL wrote:Thanks Surfwhammy!


Glad to help! :)

As you may know, MOTU released MachFive 3 recently, and I have been using it with NOTION 3 on the 2.8-GHz 8-core Mac Pro running Mac OS X 10.7.4 here in the sound isolation studio, where this song uses the MachFive 3 Vibrato Wurlitzer and Jazz Stratocaster with Chorus, where I added scripted Tremolo to the Jass Stratocaster with Chorus (a) to verify that MachFiveScript works when MachFive 3 is used as a VSTi virtual instrument in NOTION 3 and (b) because I like the way it sounds . . .

MachFive 3 scripted instruments (Notion Music FORUM)

[NOTE: This is a headphone mix, which is what I do when I am working on a song. The basic rhythm section is done exclusively with music notation and virtual instruments in NOTION 3, where the generated audio is recorded as soundbites in Digital Performer 7.24 via ReWire and then produced and mixed in Digital Performer 7.24, which is where I do the VST effects plug-in work as part of producing. Currently, this is done with five cloned and synchronized NOTION 3 scores, which is the way I spread the work to avoid the 32-bit application workspace limitation . . . ]

"I Want To Dance With You" (The Surf Whammys) -- Basic Rhythm Section (June 11, 2012) -- MP3 (9.9MB, 286-kbps [VBR], approximately 4 minutes and 34 seconds)

[NOTE: There is a competitive upgrade for MachFive 3, and if you are in the US you can get if from Musician's Friend at a discount. It requires an iLok 2 USB dongle for the licensing, which costs approximately $50 and is available at Musician's Friend. They also have additional discount promotions that might apply, but it depends on whether MOTU is participating at the time, where for example Musician's Friend currently is running a Father's Day discount promotion where using the coupon code "DAD15" reduces the price by 15 percent, which is almost enough to pay for the iLok 2 USB dongle. Another useful bit of information is that the competitive upgrade for MachFive 3 runs with no restrictions after you do the iLok 2 licensing stuff using the codes provided in the MachFive 3 package and install MachFive 3. However, to receive technical support and to be eligible for future updates and so forth you need to send the first page of the user manual of one of the competitive products to MOTU as proof or whatever, which then registers you, but I have been running MachFive 3 for about a month, and I have not sent the registration and first page of the Kontakt 5 user manual, yet, although I will send it pretty soon. I mention this, because one might suppose that, for example, you could get the IK Mulimedia Total Workstation 2 Bundle which currently is on sale for the nearly absurd price of $199.99 ((US) at Musician's Friend and the MachFive 3 competitive and then send the first page of the SampleTank user manual to MOTU to register MachFive 3. The MOTU foks are very flexible, and since Kontakt 5 does not have a "user manual", I called and told them that the Kontakt 5 retail package only has a tiny booklet with installing instructions, and they said the first page of the tiny booklet would be fine, since they only need to know that you actually have a competing product. SampleTank is a qualifying product for the MachFive 3 competitive upgrade, and the Total Workstation 2 Bundle includes SampleTank, so there will be something that counts as the "first page", where the key is to get the Total Workstation 2 Bundle from Musician's Friend and specifically to get the one that has the "Price Drop", which is an odd aspect of Musician's Friend, where they will list the same product several times at different prices, so I always do a bit of searching first to find the one that is lowest, since I really like saving money . . . :D ]

MachFive 3 (MOTU)

MachFive 3 is a very "heavy" VSTi virtual instrument, but it also works in other technologies, including as an Apple AU, and it has a scripting language (MachFiveScript) that you can use to create your own special effects that apply to the MachFive 3 instruments, which is what is doing the Tremolo on the MachFive 3 Jazz Stratocaster with Chorus virtual instrument, which makes MachFive 3 very powerful, which is fabulous . . .

Fabulous! :ugeek:

P. S. I did a bit more work on "Taste Like Anarchy" before I switched to having FUN with MachFIve 3 for a while . . .

[NOTE: Mostly, I just added more "sparkled" instruments, but this is mixed with the new full-range studio monitor system here in the sound isolation studio, which is an ongoing project I am documenting in the IK Multimedia FORUM. And everything is done with virtual instruments and music notation in NOTION 3 with the generated audio recorded as soundbites in Digital Performer 7.24 via ReWire, where it is produced, mixed, and mastered . . . ]

"Tastes Like Anarchy" (The Surf Whammys) -- Basic Rhythm Section (May 2, 2012) -- MP3 (8.8MB, 301-kbps [VBR], approximately 3 minutes and 51 seconds)

The Fabulous Affordable Studio Monitor System Project (IK Multimedia FORUM)

Lots of FUN! :D
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