USB‑MIDI Device Naming with Multiple Kemper Players in VST Live

VST Live
1

Hi everyone,
coming from a Kemper Profiler setup that was controlled directly via MIDI, we now want to switch to a more compact rig using two Kemper Players. However, we’ve run into a problem:

The Kemper Players don’t have a dedicated MIDI input and therefore need to be connected via USB as MIDI interfaces. In VST Live they appear as “Profiler” and “1 Profiler”.
Whenever the devices are reconnected, these names can get swapped. After several reconnect attempts, VST Live even created additional names like “2 Profiler” and “3 Profiler”.

image
image783×835 36.2 KB

In a hectic live environment, this inconsistent and changing device naming is unfortunately a deal‑breaker, because the MIDI routing can become incorrect at any moment without warning.

Best regards,
Antric

2

With this setup I see only two possible solutions.

  1. Assign each Kemper to a fixed USB-port and use a power on workflow after win has started.
    1. Start windows
    2. Power on Kemper 1 and wait 5 seconds
    3. Power on Kemper 2
    4. Start VSTL
  2. Use a dedicated MIDI interface with at least 2 MIDI Ins and connect the 2 Kempers to that over MIDI
3

You could try CME Pro WIDI devices if the Kempers are class compliant.

4

There is not much we can do. We ask the Operating System (MME Midi) for device names, and if multiple are offered, append a number. The order in which devices are listed is up to the OS as well.

What you could try is to ctrl/click a port, that will offer to remove all known port connections for that port. VST Live remembers up to 32 device ports (right side) for each user named port (left side) so that it can find them when you change environments (like going from home to rehearsal, and back).

5

Thanks for your feedback. I also considered options like a defined boot sequence or using a USB‑to‑MIDI interface in between, but I was hoping to find a more elegant solution. So I really hope Kemper will address this in a future driver update and assign a unique device name like Profiler + serial number.

Best regards
Antric

6

This is a microsoft issue, so you have to hope, that they will change their logic, how to identify and name the MIDI ports. With MacOS you don’t run into this issue.

7

Windows 2.0 Midi Services can help identify twin devices.

8

Hi Jihem,
that would be exactly what I’m looking for, but unfortunately the Kemper does not report any unique number as shown also in the MIDI Services.

image
image1174×303 11.3 KB

Best regards
Antric

9

I happen to know the guys @Kemper a little better :slightly_smiling_face:. I’ll ask Christoph if he’s aware of the problem and if there are any known solutions or plans to send/define a unique device name in the future.

10

This is where you can personalize the name of the devices (at the bottom of the Personalize screen):

image
image1197×744 19.9 KB

It works for the two M-VAVE SMK-Mixers I connected, though they don’t have Unique ID neither:

image
image718×324 14.4 KB

11

Hi Jihem,
I’ve seen that option, but I was a bit concerned because of the message shown in the Midi Services Tool.

image
image1192×847 20.5 KB

Even after several tests (different boot timings, swapping cables, changing USB ports), I wasn’t able to produce any issue. The device name consistently stayed assigned to the correct unit.
Is there anything Kemper could improve so that the device will report a unique identifer as mentioned in the Midi Services Tool?

Best regards
Antric