NEW: kXSFi - a VSTi Soundfont manager for Cubase SX

Lex Nahumury

kXSFi.dll v1.0.0.3537 - A kX Soundfont manager for Cubase SX
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Introduction:
One annoying thing of Cubase SX is that it's Soundfont Loader sux!
The patchnames are not displayed, banks don't get saved with the project
or you can't even load a soundfont.
People have treid all versions of sfman32 en sfms32, all with different results.
Even with CL-drivers it still does not function properly like it should be.

Although you can easly use VSTi samplers to playback Soundfonts these days,
it's my believe that all hardware features of a soundcard should be fully exploited.

Therefore I picked up an old suggestion on our kX-forum to write a VSTi
which acts like a 'router/loader' bypassing SX's lame soundfont loader.
cos.nl/lemury/kxproject/plugins/kxsfi.jpg
Questions, bugs and suggestions here.

/LeMury

[color=red]UPDATE....READ THIS..:[/color]
The latest kX developer release 3538a includes a newer version of KXSFi.
That version does NOT require additional file installation as mentioned
throughout this thread.
To use KXSFi from 3538a with 3537, simply extract kxsfi.dll and copy it to your \vst plugin folder.

[color=red]UPDATE....READ THIS..:[/color]
KXSFI 3538.7 beta
- Added Multi-card support
- fixed; midi playback timing

-kXSFi is primarly meant and tested for Cubase SX!
Due to different VST implementations used in other hosts,
midi playback timing may still suffer in those hosts.

-This is a newer version then the one in recent 3538 Driver releases

-Saved SX projects using older kXSFi versions may not open correctly
after installing this version.

-This version is compatible with all kX drivers from 3534f -> 3538x.

INSTALLATION:
Copy the new KXSFI.DLL to your ..\vstplugins folder.
That's all.http://members.home.nl/nahutec/kxplugins/KxSFi.dll


(Thanks to TravelRec for beta testing)

/LeMury

miguel

Great Work LeMury. Might try it sometime in logic and report. Thank you

dungle

hi,
I'm one of the whiners for more SF handling, so congratulations!
The low latency and hugh polyphony make hardware SF very compelling.
I will test tommorrow!
many thanks

JoshuaChang

the link just not work

__________________

Nando Dominguez

Hi LeMury. Good work. I checked it and works perfectly with all my soundfonts but one, a 'big' 25 Mb. GM. It refuses to load from the plugin saying this:

'Debug Assertion Failed!
Program: C:\Program Files\Steinberg\Nuendo 2\Nuendo2.exe
File: dbgheap.c
Line: 1044

Expression: _CrtIsValidHeapPointer(pUserData)

For informationon how...ect...
Press Retry to debug the application-

I press retry and then "A serius problem..."

This soundfont is perfectly loadable from kX Sounfont loader.

I hope everything goes right with your health, friend.

Nando

Lex Nahumury

Hi Nando,
>it and works perfectly with all my soundfonts but one, a 'big' 25 Mb.......

1. Does all your "bigger then 25 Mb soundfonts" give that error?
I can load banks as big as 73 Mb and greater (kXSFi + SX 1.68) without problems.

2. Try test loading from a smaller file path like d:\my_big_SFfile.sf2
Maybe that helps.

3. I don't have Nuendo 2.0 so I can not test this.
Besides; I actualy wrote it for "SX only".

Does Nuendo's sf loader also suck then?

/LeMury

Daniel Drummond

Great to see you back and excelent initiative LeMury! But I'm sad to report that it doesn't work under Cubase SX 2.0.1 It loads perfectly and also allows me to load lots of soundfont, but no sound comes out of it...

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Nando Dominguez

Hi again. I went to try it on another computer and unfortunally it happens the same in Cubase SX2 and .SX 1.06. I can load it from the internal Nuendo SF loader, although only in kXSynth 1 (Synth 2 doesn't load anything at all, on the contrary than your plugin).
I tried bigger soundfonts (57,1 Mb) and works perfectly. But only with a small one sound SF I couldn't get any sound, both in SX 1 and SX2/Nuendo. These two soundfonts have been downloaded from the internet and are made probably by users and might be not 100% well compiled or whatever.
As you told me I tried to move the soundfont to a root directory without results.
Please let me know if you want me to check somethig else. Is nice to see SF names back again.
Cheers
Nando

Lex Nahumury

Hmm...weird,..so let's summarize;

-Daniel can load everything in SX 2.01, but gets no sound at all.
(Looks like wrong sf dll version. To bad i dont have sx 2.01 to check. Is there a demo?)

-Nando can not load everything, but does get sound in SX1 ~ SX2 and Nuendo.
(you could mail me that very small sf file you talked about)


Did you guys check if your OS is using the right SF DLLs like I mentioned?
Do you both use latest 3537 drivers?


Thanks for reporting back guys,

/LeMury

lucioblues

I've tried to use it under Sonar 3, via Cakewalk Vst Adapter 4. When the program scans for the Vst plugins, over kxSFi.dll I got this error message:

Debug Assertion Failed!

Program: ...(...)\Cakewalk Vst Adapter 4\vstconfig.exe
File: fprint.c
Line: 56

Express: str !=NULL

(...)

And a message from the Vst Adapter: "The following plugin:- kxSFi caused a serious error during load. The adapter reported the failure point as follows:- Main Call."

I know that Sonar isn't the best way to use Vst, since it can't handle that directly, but most of this plugins work well under the adapter.

Thanks and good luck!

Lex Nahumury

Luciobleus,
>>I've tried to use it under Sonar 3, via Cakewalk Vst Adapter...

Why would you use this VSTi? Sonar's internal soundfont loader works great!

Daniel Drummond

Yes LeMury, I've checked those files and I'm using 3537. Thanks.

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lucioblues

Well, I just was trying to test it...

Nando Dominguez

Yes, 3537 and checked them too.

Lex Nahumury

kXSFi.dll v1.0.1.3537 Update
------------------------------------------------
Daniel,

kXSFi.dll uses 'kX Synth2' for midi playback.
Since you can load but not hear midi playback, it's most likely
that the 'kX Synth2' is in use by SX. ( setup or some midi track routing to it).

This release reports if 'kX Synth2' could be opened successfuly or not.
You can see this in the gray status bar of the plug's gui.
Every time you close/open it's gui it will display something like;

Ok opening: [0] kX Synth2 etc..... or Error opening: [0]....etc

That's all I can do for now, since there is no SX2.0 demo available for me to test.

Nando,

I'm not sure if this one is gonna solve your load problems.
I changed some stuff so, Just give it a try.

(right click and "save target as")
http://members.lycos.nl/lemury/kxpro..._3537v1001.zip


/LeMury

Daniel Drummond

Nando, did it work on Cubase SX 2.0.1 for you? I mean, could you hear the sounds? My card is an Audigy 1. Which one do you have?

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Nando Dominguez

Hi again. Yes! It works now! The 25 Mb one loads perfectly now. The small one loads too but I found that for any reason, it loaded once before updating. Extrange. But now it loads perfectly. I checked many of my SF several times. No problems. You're really impressive, LeMury. Many thanks.

Nando

Nando Dominguez

Daniel. Yes I checked it in Cubase SX 2.0.1 build 10 with exactly the same result as in Nuendo. All of them but one sounded right. Now, with the new release everything seems to be perfect. Did you check it too?
Cheers
Nando

Daniel Drummond

Nando, it looks like LeMury and I posted almost at the same time, so I didn't see there was a newer version until now. I have just tested the newer version and it works perfectly here!!!! Great job LeMury! It's awesome to be able to use soundfonts again!!!

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Nando Dominguez

LeMury, BTW I don't think you need my SF now, but... don't know, do you? It's a 16Mb file that compressed with sfPack could be 8Mb.
Cheers

dungle

ok,
SF loading works for me,
I can view patch names.
I can't play notes through the VSTi.
I can play them through kxsynth2 (but I cant select patch this way).
They are being loaded into synth2 on my primary kX card (2 card system).
I cant tell you the debug text because D: is unformatted due to a recent
system crash/failure.
thanks

Lex Nahumury

Daniel;
Ok,cool..I'm glad it works now

Nando;
Ok,..thanks for the test results with diff. apps.
I think I can not recieve e-mail as big as 8mb, but if you could put it
somewhere on webspace I can download it. I'm on cable so np.

Dungle;
Try the latest release, and read the stuff I wrote for Daniel about the kX Synth2.
Anyway; later versions will support multi-card configs.


At last;
Soundfonts load/settings are automaticly saved/restored with the Cubase project
if you want to save the plugs settings for use in other projects, use fxb.
That is; use 'save bank', not 'save instrument'.

Have fun...

/LeMury

NightBreed

I downloaded and installed the kXSFi vsti, and thus far I was able to load the SGM128 soundfont without a problem. Also if you get the assertion failure thing, I found that when you put the MSVCP60D.DLL in the vst folder with the plugin, you no longer get the error.

To get sound to work, just go to the midi channel settings in cubase, and Im sure it's the same in nuendo, and the asign one of the effect channels as a kxSynth and it works fine..

In other words.. just click lhe small 'e' on the midi channels and set one of the synth in there

peace

Great Vsti LeMury and again.. welcome back

dungle

hi LeMury,
Im getting the message in the gui saying error opening the kxsynth2. (using latest version) in SX2.01
thanks

Lex Nahumury

>>Im getting the message in the gui saying error opening the kxsynth2. (using latest version) in SX2.01

Yep, that simply means that somehow, something in your SX-setup is still using kX Synth2.
(This could be in your sx setup or a midi track already assigned to kX Synth2)

Make sure the above is not the case and kXSFi will be able to playback through that Synth.

- check your midi device setup in SX and deactivate kX Synth2 as much as possable
- Start with an empty project
- load/unload KxSFi and check the gui status. Only when it says Ok:..bla bla you will be able to hear midi.

Since you use 2 cards, keep in mind that kXSFi always uses the firts kX device.

G-Luck,

/LeMury

Lex Nahumury

Hi NightBreed.
>>Also if you get the assertion failure thing.....

Do you use the latest version of kXSFi and still get that assertion failure?

>>I found that when you put the MSVCP60D.DLL in the vst folder with the plugin
>>you no longer get the error.

Hmm..interesting. What OS do you use?

/LeMury

NightBreed

Right now Im using WinXp with Sp2 build 2082. I'd only gotten the assertion error once however then it stopped.

kuh

LeMury,kxsfi pass controllers to kxsynth2 ?

Lex Nahumury

>>...kxsfi pass controllers to kxsynth2 ?

Yes, all standard midi data is passed through.
I have not tested NRPNs. ( please test)
IIRC, cubase has limitations in passing Sysex data to a VSTi.

/LeMury

Daniel Drummond

LeMury, do you intend to make KXSFi be able to handle compressed soundfonts (sfArk)? That'd be really awesome and space saving...

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