Hey everyone,
I just bought the Symphony VST library from Kontakt (Player 8) but when I assign flute, oboe, then clarinet, for example,
all I get is clarinets. And they play on all tracks, even if I have them on mute. I’m sure I’m missing something obvious. I’m uploading the Kontakt standalone (which comes in thru Dorico), my VST settings, and my Track Inspector. Can anyone enlighten me as to what I’m doing wrong?
As you can see I have the three instruments in the Kontakt player box, but when I switch instruments it changes for all of them. I set the Tracks to Port 1, Channel 1, Port 1, Channel 2 etc but they still all change when I cahnge any of them, I’m stumped.
The VST and MIDI tab shows all the VST plug-ins that are loaded in the document. You have one instance of Kontakt.
The Track Inspector then shows you the VST setup for each instrument. Presumably, you would need to ensure that each of your Dorico instruments are sending to the same VST, but on different channels; and that each instrument in Kontakt is assigned to the correct channel.
I don’t know enough about Kontakt to know if what you have there shows that Oboes are set to Channel 2 and Clarinets on Channel 3 in the VST.
The alternative would be to have separate VSTs for each instrument.
(Once you’ve sorted this out, you’ll need an expression map that sends the correct MIDI messages. “Default” uses Note Velocity for dynamics, which isn’t what you what here.)
When I open Expression maps I get a bunch of HALion options. I tried to download the Native Instrument libraries, but they’re grayed out. They won’t download. Which makes it even stranger that they sound on playback.
Can you explain this a bit more, with a screenshot? Are you talking about Expression Maps, or actual sample libraries?
Also, now the flute and oboe and clarinet are all linking themselves together, so when I change one it changes all of them. They’re separate on the page but linked somehow in the Setup.
Please download a segment of your Dorico file here so we can help you. It only needs to contain a couple of measures of music.
Here you go:
Virtual orchestra test.dorico (2.1 MB)
I assume you either haven’t set separate MIDI channels for the different instruments in either Dorico or Kontakt or both. Are you using a Kontakt multi (different instruments within the one instance?) Normally I work this way with Kontakt instruments when possible
If you’re not doing this, you’ll need a separate instance (or copy) of Kontakt to be assigned in Dorico for each instrument and then most commonly everything would use channel 1 (though there other ways of doing things)
OK, so apart from the clarinet which looks as if it should be on channel 3, the instruments set up in Dorico would be assuming a single instance of Kontakt using a multi (all the instruments together on one page) with the channels also incrementing one at a time and matching what you have in Dorico. However it looks like from the Kontakt screenshot that you have a woodwind ensemble and I’m not quite clear how that fits in with the Dorico setup?
If I look at the file you’ve supplied here, open it and switch to Classic View in Kontakt I get this…
All the instruments have their Midi Channels set to Omni and all are coming in on Output 1.
Put the instruments on separate Midi Channels and assign separate Outputs.
Those .nki files load into Kontakt. They are not Expression maps, or anything else that Dorico uses.
There’s one window for VSTs and one for midi. I thought VSTs don’t need a midi channel. Also, I’m using the individual instruments on NI, but only one NI window pops up for all of them. I can call up each instrument, but I’m not sure how to assign each to a channel before moving to the next one. When I change the next one it changes the first one too. Should I set up separate midi channels for each instrument?
OK, I added three midi tracks but all I get is dotted lines. How do I assign an instrument to each track?
no, you misunderstand, I think —don’t set up MIDI instruments – you are using VST instruments David Tee has got the correct library (I don’t have it installed) so he’s absolutely correct that you need to set the individual instruments in Kontakt to individual channels – not to Omni if that’s what you have. Basically the instrument channel allocation in Kontakt must match what you’ve done in Dorico --and what you’ve done in Dorico looks largely (with the exception already mentioned) correct
Hi Donald,
You don’t need to add Midi Instruments. Everything will be done via Kontakt (under the VST Instruments). Your setup was nearly right, you just need to make a few corrections and it will be perfect.
Start by clicking on the “e” symbol next to the cog in the Kontakt 8 box highlighted in the image you posted above. That will open Kontakt.
I recommend you switch to Classic View at this point. You’ll find it under VIEW in the Kontakt Menu at the top of the Kontakt Window. Classic View will enable you to see Midi Channels and Audio Outputs up above each instrument that you’ve loaded.
The Top one is the Audio Output - set this to 1 for Flute, 2 for Oboe etc. The one below is the Midi Channel. Change from Omni to 1 for Flute, 2 for Oboe etc.
Once you’ve made all the changes for all the instruments, go back to Dorico, select Play Mode and click on the Track Inspector Tab next to the VST and Midi tab. Then select an instrument by clicking on the Name (e.g. Flute). In the Routing section , the Port should already say 1. You only need to change the Ch: (Midi Channel) to match what you assigned in Kontakt.
You can test things by clicking on the Instrument name and playing a few notes - you should get the right sound for each instrument. If you open the mixer in the bottom panel (Cmd-8) you should see the instruments have been assigned to their own mixer channels.
Hopefully that all works. Let us know if it doesn’t…
MIDI channels in Play must match Ch: input (port 1) in Kontakt for each instrument.
Virtual orchestra test.dorico (1.6 MB)
That is exactly what I needed to learn! It works fine. Now I just need to practice doing it, instrument by instrument, until I have the whole orchestra installed. Thanks. You guys always come thru!
