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Cannot have more than 5 Stereo outputs

Discussion in 'KONTAKT' started by helot, Mar 4, 2011.

  1. helot

    helot New Member

    Messages:
    23
    Hi,

    I'm using Kontakt Player 2.2.4 and am baffled as to why it seems I cannot have more than either 8 or 10 outputs.

    Kontakt 4 only allows 4 stereo outputs, as does the so-called 16 output version, whereas the so-called stereo version allows 8 outputs.

    Has there been a mix up in the programming here?
     
  2. helot

    helot New Member

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    23
    No answer here?
     
  3. musicman7p

    musicman7p Forum Member

    Messages:
    339
    Your a questions is a little vague. When you say outputs I literally think of 4 different scenarios. Giving more information would help. Are you using as standalone or plugin? Assuming your using as plugin(because you mentioned the 8/16 output versions) What are you trying to do exactly? Are you routing instruments to a mixer track?

    More info
     
  4. helot

    helot New Member

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    23
    Thanks for the reply.

    No matter which version I use (plugin) I cannot obtain any more than 8 (4 stereo) outputs.
     
  5. EvilDragon

    EvilDragon Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    19,938
    16-output version will support 4 stereo outputs, yes. The other 4 stereo outputs are the four Aux sends, which you can reassign if you need (by that I mean not assigning any output to them and use the remaining outputs for another 4 stereo outputs).

    By updating to Kontakt Player 4 you will be able to use up to 64 mono outputs (32 stereo).
     
  6. helot

    helot New Member

    Messages:
    23
    Well, for a start I don't really appreciate having aux's assigned for me (see my other post) and secondly I am using KP4 so this situation is simply unacceptable for me as a paid user.
     
  7. kb123

    kb123 NI Product Owner

    Messages:
    1,255
    Don't really know what your beef is, you can do what you want, maybe not in the WAY you want, but it can still be achieved
     
  8. helot

    helot New Member

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    23
    So, it's a dodgy half-@ssed method that hasn't been changed ever since the program was made and it's about time the developers actually created a new system based on VST3 to unchain users from this diabolical situation.
     
  9. EvilDragon

    EvilDragon Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    19,938
    You said you used KP 2.2.4. in the first line of your post. That was a bit misleading, then.


    So, if you're using KP4 as you said, why not trying to use the output section batch commands? They're very easy to use. In plugin version you can have up to 64 outputs, surely that's enough?

    Besides, there's a good reason why auxes are assigned automatically - if they weren't, users using output FX auxes wouldn't hear them at all. You can deactivate them manually and reassign the outputs they were using to your own outputs. Not a big deal. Save it as default output configuration (or, in K4.2.2, as a preset - even better!) and there you go.
     
  10. helot

    helot New Member

    Messages:
    23
    Sorry about that, I have the service center installed and it did update to 4.2.2, of which I am very happy with the mono-sample reproduction (terratec x-table) but I am less than impressed with the ad-hoc nature of the plugin being that:

    a) auxiliaries are used in place of outputs when I don't use effects in the plugin

    and

    b) it is not clear how I can obtain more outputs

    On the whole while a good sound, it is not user friendly I am afraid.
     
  11. EvilDragon

    EvilDragon Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    19,938
    You can just press Add Channels in the Output window (press F2) to add new outputs. :/ That hard?

    If you're in standalone mode, though, you'll only be able to access as much outputs as your soundcard provides.


    RTFM also helps a bit :)
     
  12. helot

    helot New Member

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    23
    I am adding channels but they don't appear in the VST rack.

    Why can't NI just get with the program (vst 3) since there is no problem then with multiple outputs.

    Great sound but dumb methodology of working IMV.
     
  13. EvilDragon

    EvilDragon Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    19,938
    Changing to a new standard is not an easy thing to do. It might happen with Kontakt 5, but not before.

    You need to save the output settings after you add channels and reload Kontakt in your host for the host to recognize the new outputs.
     
  14. helot

    helot New Member

    Messages:
    23
    Hi

    It seems no matter how many stereo inputs I can make be it 4 or 5 that whatever remains is mono.

    Is there some kind of grouping function I am unaware of?
     
  15. EvilDragon

    EvilDragon Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    19,938
    No grouping functions as far as I know.

    I just know when I'm using Kontakt 4.dll (the main DLL), I can have up to 64 plugin outputs active. Not sure what went wrong over there. Might try reinstalling Kontakt?
     
  16. helot

    helot New Member

    Messages:
    23
    Hi

    Thanks for helping with this.

    I'm using Cubase and only 5 outputs appear in the VST Instruments Window as stereo, even if I have more than 5 the rest are all mono.

    This has not happened on versions prior to 4.4.2.

    As I say, I dig the sound very much in particular the mono sample reproduction but it does restrict the separation I can have between various groups of instruments I can have, eg Basses, Strings, Brass, Reed, etc

    cheers
     
  17. EvilDragon

    EvilDragon Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    19,938
    Can you try doing this:

    1. In the Outputs section, go to "Add Channels".
    2. Set "Quantity" to, say, 10, and "Number of channels" to 2.
    3. Select the first output from the list "Soundcard/Host output", and make sure "Ascending output assignment" is checked.
    4. Also make sure "Delete existing..." is checked, and if you want "Make this your default configuration" too.
    5. Press OK.
    6. After new outputs have been added, reload Kontakt in your host.

    Do you get mono outputs in this case? You shouldn't. I get everything working correctly in Reaper.
     
  18. helot

    helot New Member

    Messages:
    23
    Hi again

    I've done everything specified but anything after 10 (5 stereo) outputs on the VST Rack are all in mono (but stereo in the plugin) and are therefore unusable, as are the additional banks of midi channels under cubase.

    On the Steinberg forum, it says if a developer makes a VST3 plugin then they automatically obtain both a VST 2.4 and an AU plugin, so are NI working on this because as of now it means I must open additional instances and that is not what I am always wanting to do as a "workaround".

    Basically, my thought is while Aux outputs are involved in some way, eg Kontakt 4 plain vanilla then there will never be a true fix and each subsequent update aka Cubase will "break" this architecture to the detriment of paying customers.
     
  19. EvilDragon

    EvilDragon Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    19,938
    This is very, very strange. Everything is working over here in Reaper, without a single hitch. Try reinstalling Kontakt completely. Try another host instead of Cubase...

    Can't you just select the aux channel track in Outputs, open its properties, and remove the assigned channels from there? Then go to your supposed to be stereo tracks, if it says they have 1 channel only, add another channel, then assign it to a plugin output? Then save that as default and reopen Kontakt? That should most definitely work. In all honesty this sounds like you're not using 64-channel version of Kontakt 4 plugin at all...


    BTW nobody knows if NI is working on VST3 version of their products. I'm not sure, because that would mean a LOT of code rewrite. Steinberg/Yamaha basically introduced VST3 because they were lazy to fix multichannel implementation they were using in Cubase which wasn't working as well as it does in other hosts (for example Reaper, eXT2, Sonar, etc.) So I'm not sure if they'll jump on VST3 bandwagon. A lot of developers are simply ignoring VST3 for now, here's an interesting read on the topic, in which developers like Big Tick, AdmiralQuality, Voxengo, and others are participating on the subject, so you can see that VST3 is not all that it shines:

    http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=308498
     
  20. helot

    helot New Member

    Messages:
    23
    It was a fresh installation, hence my other problems of not being able to log into the Service Center.

    As I had said previously I have been trying all 3 versions of the plugin but they behave the same way. Regarding the aux channels, I have removed the outputs and thus thought that any regular outputs I might create could be stereo or mono as I saw fit, but it seems after 5 stereo out's they can only be mono.

    It does seem very strange that not only can I have just 16 instruments in each instance of Kontakt Player, but also I can have not 4 but 5 stereo outputs in Cubase.