Using Bome Network Pro software to create virtual midi ports, not to be confused with VST Live virtual ports, to control a lyric prompter and amp modeler presets over a wifi network.
Also using midiBerry software to connect an Airstep foot controller connected via Bluetooth to a Bome Network virtual midi port as an input to VST Live to control transport functions. Since VST Live cannot see the Airstep Bluetooth midi port.
I use this setup with Cubase and works flawlessly.
The midi signal chain is as follows:
Airstep Bluetooth MIDI → midiBerry → Bome Virtual MIDI Port1 → VST Live Midi IN → VST Live Transport Functions
VST Live MIDI Tracks → VST Live MIDI Out → Bome Virtual MIDI Port2 → Lyric Prompter & Amp Modeler
When everything works, it works great and is reliable for the session. The problem is that the VST Live MIDI engine seems to be very unstable from run to run of the program. I am not sure what VST Live does but the MIDI will just stop working with nothing changed. No MIDI in and/or no MIDI out of VST Live.
Once VST Live gets into this state there seems to be no recovery. Closing, rebooting the computer and reopening VST Live does not help. I am able to close VST Live and run a MIDI signal through the chain with no problem. So I think the problem is with VST Live.
Is what I have discovered as a workaround to temporarily resolve the problem is close VST Live. Then remove/delete the Bome Virtual MIDI Port. Reboot the computer. Then create a new Bome Virtual MIDI Port. Open VST Live and reconfigure the MIDI In/Out to the new Bome virtual port(s).
Having to do this on just about every run of the VST Live software is very troublesome and frustrating.
Hi! using midiBerry for bridging BT-foot-ctrl (via vMIDI app below), no issues (meanwhile I still can’t wait for VSTL’s direct support for BT controllers).
Could you give a try for another vMIDI application that is working me like SwissWatch? Just give a try at least: loopMIDI | Tobias Erichsen
Thanks for your reply. I can’t wait for direct support for BT controllers as well. As for trying loopMIDI. I have used that as well as rtpMIDI in the past. I have gone with BOME because they offer a reliable supported MIDI network solution with their BOME Network PRO software that integrates with their BOME Box for hardware equipment that cannot run software. All wirelessly over WiFI.
Going with loopMIDI/rtpMIDI would be a step down and require more hardware to run the software all across the stage or run midi cabling across the stage. No good.
In my case, I can take VST Live out of the midi signal chain and all the MIDI communication works flawlessly. It is only when VST Live is the MIDI source that it doesn’t work reliably. When it works, it works great, but something happens within VST Live, and from then on VST Live no longer will send any MIDI.
So, I think swapping out the MIDI port virtualization software wouldn’t solve the problem. When everything works when VST Live is not in the signal chain.
I don’t know how or why but VL doesn’t seem to like MIDI over wireless. I gave up with rtpMIDI because it didn’t remember its connections after reboot. I was also starting to see messages dropped or delayed which I would put down to rptMIDI or WiFi rather than VL. Maybe it’s a buffering issue somewhere.
I now exclusively use CME WIDI (wireless MIDI) devices for all my MIDI routes as I’ve found them to be solid - it might be worth you giving them a try.
(I have no relationship with CME apart from being a happy customer)
I also use CME MIDI for my keytar. Big advantage, I can turn it off and save battery time. VSTL still sees the connection. I also have a bluetooth MIDI controller. This one I have to let power on the whole time, otherwise VSTL loses connection and I have to restart VSTL after turning the device on again. Which is annoying, as I have to let this device on from soundcheck till the end of the show. Battery holds about 10 hours. So this is normally enough time, but I fear everytime running out of power. So yes, VSTL has a problem with power saving devices, which cuts connection in power safe mode.
I am currently using VST Live version 1.4.5.686. I have tried the pre-release 1.4.6 version but experienced the same behavior. So, I went back to the 1.4.5 version.
No. I have even tried not running midiBerry for the Airstep controller.
My setup is bare bones. I only run two or three wav file stems audio tracks and midi tracks using VST Live. I shut down any non-essential software. I only run VST Live and Bome Network Pro, which runs in the background. Thats it.
When it works it works 100%. I have been able to use VST Live in this configuration during a number of rehearsals and worked reliably for a good three hours of play. No midi dropouts or MIDI data lost.
But if I close and reopen VST Live there is no guarantee it is going to work and once it gets into this state VST Live just will not send any MIDI out even if I change the output port. It still does not work if I reboot the computer and try again.
When this happens, I am able to use other software to send MIDI data on the MIDI port as a test and everything is fine. All MIDI data flows through the signal chain with no problem. VST Live just will not send out any MIDI data on any port.
One of the upsides of CME MIDI is that the device plugged into your computer is always active - that’s why VL doesn’t see the disconnect. You didn’t mention which Bluetooth MIDI controller you are using but I have seen on the CME forums that some of them are able to connect to a WIDI host. If you are able to do this then VL should work better with your controller. As an alternative I have also heard of people using phone power packs for longer battery life in their controllers.
I really have to thank you. It worked immediately, after I disconnected the BT connection with the laptop. A short check and I had the MIDI signal of the nanoKontrol on the Input of the CME WIDI Master input. Now I can turn it on and off as I need
But that means that your multiple external tools don’t report to the system as they should.
Yes, we hear you “but it runs with other soft”, but that doesn’t mean that VST Live is not conforming to the system interface. VST Live on Windows uses MME at its fundamental level, and that works with every hardware we could test so far. It opens all devices and ports that the system offers when started.
As you are even chainig “virtual” midi software, it is hard to say which one fails. Maybe you can restrict your chain to narrow it and find the culprit, then we could possibly try to replicate the problem.
Yes, when trying to troubleshoot the issue, I have done just that. Using only one MIDI port. I can see the one MIDI port in the device manager. I can use midiBerry to send MIDI to the Virtual MIDI Port and it is all good. I see the midi message in the logs as well as see the hardware params change on the destination device. But when using VST Live with a new project with one song with one MIDI track sending notes on and notes off messages, there is no MIDI out messages being sent. I have checked/verified the VST Live outbound midi configuration and track configurations to be correct. I can even exit VST Live and go back and use midiBerry again and see the MIDI message being sent.
Everything else works except when using VST Live it doesn’t. and it just will not work until I delete and recreate the MIDI port. Even still sometimes that does not work. I eventually can get it working again, but once I close the session and reopen the problem is back. It is very frustrating.
I have used Cubase with this configuration for a very long time and it works every time. I wonder is VST Live incompatible with the Bome Network Pro software? Have you tested VST Live using Bome Network Pro software? I have included a URL to their product page.
I was able to download and use v1.4.61 during our rehearsal over the weekend. There were other issues but not related to this particular issue. It seems that this issue has been resolved. Thanks for addressing this quickly.
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