NEW: kXSFi - a VSTi Soundfont manager for Cubase SX

Daniel Drummond

Nando, if you want, send me that file through e-mail and I'll upload it to my web space and post the link here so that LeMury can get it. ddrummond@terra.com.br

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Nando Dominguez

Thank you Daniel, but my hotmail account only let me send 1 Mb. max messages. It's like a nightmare!
Anyway, probably the file is unnecesary now, when is overcomed.

PS.: My MSN is open anyway

Nando

papag

LeMury --
I'm using Cakewalk's Home Studio 2002. I use the KX driver (which is superior in NEARLY every way to the creative one) but I have always had trouble loading soundfonts (a few load fine, but many lock up my pc, and ALL loaded fine with the creative driver). This has been with every KX driver I've used, including the newest.
Your software might help by bypassing the KX loader.

Terry

Lex Nahumury

Hi Terry,
That is very strange. My personal experiences are exact the opposite.
I used to use Cakewalk9, CW Home studio and Sonar, but had no problems loading SFs with kX.

Anyway; I'm sorry, but I'm afraid my VSTi won't solve your problems because;
1. you need a VSTi compatible host (or use a VST wrapper..yakk)
2. my VSTi uses the same kX API loader code, and
3. it doesn't bypass the kX loader, it bypasses the Host's sf loader!

/LeMury

alberto

Hi LeMury.
I can load everything in SX 2.01, but gets no sound at all.
When i open kxsfi this massage appears :"Error opening: [0]"
Why?
Cubase sx 2.0.1
Drivers kx 3537
kxsfi v. 104
windows xp

(All right in cubase vst!)

thanks, Alberto

papag

Well, I am using the VST wrapper, and can often successfully load soundfonts with the KX loader that I can't load with HS2002.

Lex Nahumury

Papag,

>>Well, I am using the VST wrapper,...

Ok. Which wrapper do you use btw?

>> and can often successfully load soundfonts with the KX loader that I can't load with HS2002

Well, it's good to know that kXSFi also works with a VST wrapper (I never tested that)
and that it works better for you.
Still, I find it very strange CWHS2002 gives you so much trouble loading SFs via it's own loader/manager.
All I can say is that I always assemble my own SF banks with Vienna.
That is; using presets from diff. sf files and save them to a custom sf file through Vienna
avoiding possable sf file corruption.
Anyway;..I'll try CWHS2002's sf loader again if i have some time left.

/LeMury

Rivera

Try This:

1. Download LeMuy's (kXSFi.dll v1.0.4.3537) Soundfont manager for Cubase (Unzip the file, place KXFi.dll in you Cubase SX "Vstplugins" folder, and the MSVCP60D.DLL in your Windows/System32 folder)

2. Open Cubase SX 2.01

3. Go to Transport/Sync Setup, and Make sure "KX Synth2"is not selected as MIDI Output.

4. Go to Devices/Device Setup/Default MIDI Ports, and there also make sure "Kx Synth2" is not selected as MIDI Output.

5. Go to Start/Search/All Files and Folders, and search for "sfman32.dll", the file that appears in the Windows/System32 folder is the one that you want to check. Right click on it and check the version, it has to be Version: 4.6.0.501, if it's not, delete it, after you do so, windows will automatically install version: 4.6.0.501 which is the one you want in there. Also if you want to place back the deleted sfman.dll, simply go to you Kx folder, copy the sfman.dll file (it's the same file that was deleted) there, and go to Windows/System32 and overwrite it.

6. Open Cubase SX 2.01 and see if it works. If is does not, then unisntall then reinstall Cubase again (make sure you also unisntall the steinberg cubase SX registries to completely delete any previous settings, do so by doing this: Start/Run/then type "regedit"/hit OK/HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Steinberg/Cubase SX-delete this whole key)-hope it does not get to this, Good Luck.

Rivera

Lex Nahumury

Alberto,

>>I can load everything in SX 2.01, but gets no sound at all.

Make sure you use the right version SFMAN32.DLL as described/discussed extensivly in this thread
as well as in the included .txt.

/LeMury

PS:
Rivera,
Nice support...

alberto

Ok
Thank you very much, whith the appropriate sfman32.dll all work.


But:
This kxsfi in my pc (pIII 550) is unusable because there are many sync problems similar to those of TravelRec.
Sincerely I not task that the problem is the CPU speed.
With other vst-instruments very big and heavy I do not have this problem of sync.

Alberto

Lex Nahumury

Hi Alberto,
>>This kxsfi in my pc (pIII 550) is unusable because there are many sync problems similar to
>>those of TravelRec.
>>Sincerely I not task that the problem is the CPU speed.

Ok, let us look at the facts;
So far only 2 users have reported these midi timing errors.
Both of them using relative "slow" computers.
So unless other users with 'mainstream computers' report the same problem
it's reasonable to assume that this phenomena *is* CPU speed related.
( I said; 'related' )

>>With other vst-instruments very big and heavy I do not have this problem of sync.

No, ofcourse not. That is the well known "perfect midi sync" feature of VSTi technology.
(on mixdown anyway)
But unlike those 'real' VSTi's, the host app has no control over the "output" of kXSFi
since there is no "output data" going back into the host!

So it's not unlikely that on a slow computer the outgoing midi thread recieves a to low priority
resulting in midi sync probems.

Sorry, but at the moment I have no solution for this if my theory is correct.
Btw; IIRC, Travelrec last reported no sync errors.

/LeMury

Daniel Drummond

Do you guys (which are having timing problems) have your computers set to priorize background services? Try enabling this opton is system properties and see what happens.

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Nando Dominguez

LeMury, finally and thanks to the help from Daniel, this is the link to that soundfont. Sorry for the delay.

http://planeta.terra.com.br/educacao...li_V1.3.sfpack

Nando

PS.: Thank you very much Daniel

Lex Nahumury

Hello Nando/Daniel,

Well I got the sf file.
(It's Soeren's kickass piano which I already had hehehe..who doesn't?)

Anyway;
What is/was the problem with this sf file Nando?
I can load, play and store it without any problems with kXSFi.

/LeMury

EDIT:
Ah,....now I remember; with older kXSFi versions it would not load correctly,
but with the latest versions it works fine. Right?
(Yep, that was a bug in my VSTi with 'long bank name descriptors')

Nando Dominguez

Hello LeMury, yes you are right. In the beginning this soundfont didn't want to sound, or at least not always, which was a bit strange. Since the second release it works perfect. So it was only intended as a clue to distinguish between 'troubled' soundfonts. Probably it was solved by chance or probably you know perfectly what you did. What I am absolutely sure is that I get late , so escuse moi.

Nando

Rivera

Have you tried doing a complete XP optimization? It probably looks like you might have several unneeded background services periodically running and eating up your CPU resources, which is why you are having timing and sync problems. Try simply setting your video display to 16 bit, and you'll notice a reasonable difference in performance. Also, DO NOT install programs that automatically search for updates via the internet, as this causes the computer to stall while prioritizing the search. And if you really have to install such programs, deselect any automatic search options.

And if you want to be a real rebel, print out this page: (Windows XP Optimization Guide, below) and follow it to a t - you will not be disappointed at the significant increase in performance, and if you are not using your PC for the internet, even better!-you can delete more of the services in Administrative Tools, which means more free CPU resources. I highly recommend this optimization for any computer. Try also (if you can afford it, or have several laying around) three separate hard drives- C: System, D: Programs and E: Audio Files. This way you will have separate heads doing their own individual work, believe me, this setup is flawless. One last thing my friend, your PIII 550 still has life in it, and there is no reason why it can't handle soundfonts in a sequence. Do the optimization, you have nothing to loose.

Here is the link to the Windows XP Optimization Guide:

http://www.absdigital.co.uk/dloads/XPdawTweaks.htm

Edit:

Almost forgot. If you are doing this optimization, please be aware when you get to the section that asks you: "Memory Usage: Set this for System Cache", don't set it to this, for some reason this causes performance problems with KX Drivers (this has been my experience), leave it at "Memory Usage: Programs" and the drivers will work beautifully. Also, there is a section that asks you to "Enable APM", don't enable this if you have older AT systems, as this will cause your computer to just restart every time you want to shut down (tried it with my son's AMD K6-2 450 Mhz, AT System). Other than these minor issues the optimization should go well-VERY well.


Rivera

Nando Dominguez

Hi Alberto, probably it's a silly question but, are you using 48 khz or 44,1? I remember my frustrating beginnings with a sblive trying to sync midi and audio at 44,1. and creative drivers...

Nando

TravelRec.

Hi all there!

Boar - huge thread inbetween - was out for some days and now I can´t see the end... ... ahem - thanks for all hints and so on. BTW my system here is optimized as well as possible - no backgrund tasks and services. Only few music related progs in that partition and processor time switched to background and whatever. Tried all in the past (for weaks of tweaks ). But last week I had no time for more testing. Tomorrow maybe...

LeMury: I´ll send you the file soon, I tell you when. Don´t care about it.

To all other users: have fun with the plug if it works for you, maybe it´s an issue here I´ve overlooked...

Greetings!

TravelRec.

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Lex Nahumury

>>LeMury: I´ll send you the file soon, I tell you when.
Ok,..take your time.

/LeMury

alberto

Many thanks to all people for the answers.

1) The XP optimization had been made for a long time.

2) A incoherence in the setting of the sampling frequency between cubase project and kx control panel makes big problems of sinc sure.

3) whith correct setting smaller problems of sinc remain.To increasing of the latency setting (>40ms) they increase the problems.

Alberto

TravelRec.

Hi LeMury!

I´ve posted the file @ http://www.electricstart.de/lemury.rar
There is a short comment inside project´s notpad!

Greetings!

TravelRec.

P.S. Please check your PM

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Lex Nahumury

Hi Travelrec,

Thanks for the file. I've tried it and it works fine,
but can not reproduce those strange "velocity glitches" we talked about.
Well, that is on my P4 2.8 Ghz/1Gb ram box.
I still have a PIII 1 Ghz/512 Mb ram box (that is as low as I can go),
so I will check it on that one too and see what comes up.

/LeMury

fvi

hi all,

Thks LeMury !
kxsfi is the (master)piece I was waiting for, to go back to kx driver and throw Creative APS 1.6.

fvi

captain_rusty

Dear LeMury,

THANK YOU very much for the wonderful KXSFi It took me some time to get it to work (I had the 50k XP sfman.dll in \system32, but I'd also previously installed Eugene's 10k version in my SX VSTi folder... doh!!!

IKXSFi is a terrific solution to the very frustrating issue of SX's useless soundfont manager. I'd been drifting towards VSTi solutions, but soundfonts are so very handy, and after all they're supposed to work with the SBLive...

A [color=red]brilliant[/color] idea, if I may say so...

Thanks again for all your work...

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Can I record my solo album with a Soundblaster Live!Value???

P4 2.4GHz, 256Mb, XP Home, SBLive!Value, Yamaha MG10/2, Toneworks Pandora

NightBreed

"loading only the presets one needs."

I believe this is a limitation of the drivers at the present moment. Reasons why programs like megafont wont work correctly with KX.

Lex Nahumury

>>>>"loading only the presets one needs."
>>I believe this is a limitation of the drivers at the present moment.

That remains to be seen.
Although I haven't found the time to work out the idea, I see no reason
why kX's VIENNA_STYLE preset loading should not work.

>> Reasons why programs like megafont wont work correctly with KX

Maybe, but IIRC, megafont uses different scheme (dynamic patch caching and mem allocation stuff).
(I don't have Megafonts source code, and IIRC it was written in Delphi.)

We'll see..

/LeMury

NightBreed

I think megafont did release their sourse code, I remember seeing it somewhere. I'll search around for it and see if I can't find it.

dj_stick

if it was written in a different language to what lemury knows… it my be a little hard to work with

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captain_rusty

So the best solution at present is to compile your own banks with Vienna???

__________________
Can I record my solo album with a Soundblaster Live!Value???

P4 2.4GHz, 256Mb, XP Home, SBLive!Value, Yamaha MG10/2, Toneworks Pandora

NightBreed

Vienna, Alive, I use mostly awave because it doesn't crash as much, plus it has the ability to batch process sample files on the fly and auditioning of fonts and samples with the full banks. There's also Emu's soundfont librarian which works great with multipule soundfonts.