Dorico Limiting Number of VEPRO Plugins

I seem to have an issue where Dorico is limiting the number of VEPRO VST’s that can be utilized in a score. That number seems to be 4. That leaves me 24 short or what’s wanted.

For example, I’m setting up a String Quintet

In Dorico 5 players are created (with only one instrument each) with it’s own VEPRO Entry under the “VST and MID” tab looking like this:
:
02 Vienna Ensemble Pro
03 Vienna Ensemble Pro
04 Vienna Ensemble Pro
06 Vienna Ensemble Pro
07 Vienna Ensemble Pro

Now lets go to the “Track Inspector” Tab to assign player / instrument
In VEPRO have 28 tabs each containing only one instrument on Port 1, Channel 1.

Now I click on “E” for 02 Vienna Ensemble Pro and select from the list of 28 tabs —Works fine. .I selected Violin 1—
Next I click on “E” for 03 Vienna Ensemble Pro and select from the list of 28 tabs
—Works fine. I selected Violin 2—
Next i click on “E” for 04 Vienna Ensemble Pro and select from the List of 28 tabs
—Works fine… I selected Viola—
Next I click on “E” for 06 Vienna Ensemble Pro and select from the List of 28 tabs
—Works fine. I selected Cello—
Next I click on “E” for 07 Vienna Ensemble Pro and TRY to select from the list of 28 tabs…but the LIST IS GONE. My only option is “New” from the selection list.

Am I missing something here?

I don’t have Pro, but I have and use Vienna Ensembke as my vst for full orchestra works. I’d assugn the quartet in 1 instance of Vienna Ensemble. I just hit the “SY” button on the kower left and load 4 instances of Synchron Player string instruments I need. Assign the correct midi channel in Vienna Ensemble from the track inspector in Dorico (there’s only 1 instance of Vienna Ensemble) and I’m good to go. You may have different needs, though🙃

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All I can say is, Dorico has a total limit of 768 (I think) plug-ins, but within that there is no limitation on a particular plug-in.

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I can’t quite picture what you’re describing here, @Shubus. It sounds like perhaps you’re having problems choosing something from one of Dorico’s menus, perhaps because it’s taller than your display? Provided you’re using the latest Dorico 4.3.11 update, you should find that all menus in e.g. the Mixer and the Track Inspector are limited to the height of the current display, but if you have multiple displays attached to your system with different sizes/resolutions, it might be worth moving the Dorico window to the larger of the two displays to see if the menu shows more items there. Also, it may not be obvious, but you can scroll the menu by dragging upwards to “reveal” more items at the bottom.

Maybe this will clarify what I’m seeing. This 1st image shows ready to select the VEPRO tab for the Cello (VL 1 Vl2, Vla are already correctly entered)


After having successfully selected cello, this 2nd image shows where I should be able to select the double bass, but there is no list.

Running Dorico 4.3.11.1117 …I do have 2 screens running but both are the same resolution. MacOS Monterey 12.6.2

Difficult to tell what’s actually preventing the Server Instance Dialogue seeing all your Instances. I’m on the same OS as you and I can access multiple Instances, so it’s not a Dorico limitation. I would experiment with a brand new Dorico project - create 5 instruments and 5 VEPro VST’s - Does the same thing still happen? Can you select the BSS Basses instance on your Violin Instrument for example? I know that’s not what you want, but you have to try a few things out because it should work…there’s no reason why all your available instances should suddenly disappear from that list.

I can have any 4 VEpro tabs selected on any 4 instruments in Dorico. I just cannot add that 5th VEPro tab. I created a brand new Dorico project for a String Quintet and got exactly the same results: I cannot select the 5th VEPro tab.

What is slightly unusual in my VEPro setup is each tab contains one and only one instrument each set to Port 1, Channel 1. Why? I use this VEPro template in Cubase as all Track Instruments.

I have been able to create a new VEPro Template with 5 tabs with each having a single port and. up to 16 channels. and can access tall 5 tabs inside of Dorico without issue.

My goal is have one VEPro template that I can use in Cubase and in Dorico, but keep getting stymied by “gotchas”.

Using only one instrument per instance is not the recommended way to use VEPro. Try one instance, Port 1 - channels 1-16 and host all 5 instruments in this one instance. In Cubase you can create a rack instrument using the righthand zone, and this can be set up in the same way, i.e. One VEPro instance with 16 midi channels. That way you can mirror your Dorico setup.
Once you’ve used 16 instruments in your template using Port 1, channels 1-16, create a new instance and do the same thing again. (‘rinse and repeat’ I believe is the technical term).

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I am not seeing the problem here.

I know about Cubase “Rack Instruments” I have a very large template working in Cubase with the method you described. However, I want to use Cubase “Track Instruments” and I don’t think it’s possible to have multiple Cubase Rack Instruments within a single Cubase Tab. I would very much like to be wrong about this. If it was possible, that would probably solve my Dorico problem.

What happens when you select New from the VE Pro list on VST 6? Does it open a new VE Pro instance where you can open a server project or set up as you like?

If is clicked on then it get’s highlighted…waiting for a new INSTANCE to be entered.

At least this glitch in the matrix is easily reproducible.

I routinely have way more than 4 VEP Instances connected, so haven’t experienced this either. Will it work if you apply a Playback Template? Manually connect them one at a time, and while connected, hit the Endpoint Setup wheel. Save each Endpoint Setup while still connected to VEP. After saving all the Endpoint Setups, create a Playback Template using the Endpoint Configurations you just saved. If you then apply your new Playback Template, will everything connect properly?

My big band Playback Template below has 11 VEP instances, and I’ve gotten them all to connect at once, so it certainly “should” be possible to get your setup to work. (I’ve never come close to having 28 VEP instances open though.)

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I think I’ve discovered the issue. Dorico seems to be limited to connecting to 21 Tabs in VEPro. If I have 22 Tabs present then the tab selection list in Dorico won’t appear for the 5th instrument. So if only 21 VEPro tabs are present, I can connect VL1, VL2, Vla, Cello, Bass.–all 5 working fine. If 22 tabs are present in VEPro, then I cannot get the tab selection list to appear for the Bass. So the magic number appears to be 21.

Can you access more than 21 VEPro instances in Cubase, just out of interest?

Yes My VEPro Template for Cubase has 42 Tabs and each Tab has a lot more than just one port being used-- some as many as 15 ports. One VEPro port per tab is the Dorico limitation. Accessing all with in Cubase is completely as expected. The entire Cubase template is a Disabled Template, and I can turn on/off individual instruments within any tab inside Cubase itself, so there are no memory problems. You can well imagine how long it too to get that setup!

Hi @Shubus,
There isn’t any VE Pro port per tab limitation in Dorico. I’m running multi-port and multi-channel tab VE Pro templates in Dorico without any issues. Well I’m on Windows 10 Pro 22H2, so I can’t tell what’s the issue on your Mac OS.

Here it is:

7 instances of VE Pro 7 plugin in Dorico Pro 4.3.11 fully connected to their instrument groups/tabs


18 Woodwinds - dedicated port per single instrument.


10 Instances of VI Pro Dimension Strings - Multiple Ports and Channels.

The overall VE Pro template contains 8 tabs, but 7 of them are involved in the Dorico project given as example here. Everything works as expected. :slight_smile:

If you can’t find any solution, would be better to contact the VSL Support on this issue.

Best wishes,
Thurisaz :slight_smile:

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I cannot get multiple ports to work at all. Other folks on this forum have said you can only use one port per VEPro tab…and I got that working…up to a limit of 4 VEPRO tabs.

While I have no Vienna instruments, I do have BBCO and will report my test results tomorrow.

Greatly appreciate your posting your success. Gives me hope

Hi @Shubus,
There is no port limitation per VE Pro tab in Dorico.
Just you need to define the Ports and Channels you need in the Endpoint Configuration:

When you set the number of ports, or channels, or both you need, press “Set”, and when you are ready with the Expression Maps assignment, press “OK”.

Before that you should respectively assign the Ports and Channels in the Track Inspector:

Of course you need to be sure that you are having enough dedicated Ports and Audio Channels in the VE Pro 7 Server (Options > Preferences) and Plugin, too:

I hope this additional information would be helpful! :slight_smile:

Best wishes,
Thurisaz :slight_smile:

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