One slave computer with sample libraries and 10 Hosts...

[imau]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for the best setup to use on Cubase with up to 10 identical computers ( but different composers ) with the same sample library installed on a powerful slave computer, connected to the others with ethernet connection.

The sample library could be up to 2To, essentially Kontakt instruments, or Spectrasonics Instruments.
I'd like to use Vienna Ensemble Pro, on each computer, but the editor says that it's not designed for it, and i don't know if it will run well.

Anybody know if VEP would work that way ?
Is there a better software to do that ?
With Gigabit Ethernet connections, can I use samples without latency, even if several computers are reading the same files ?

Thank you for any answer or advices !

[BertKoor]

I think the only viable solution is to have a network drive. That requires all workstations are part of one network, like you have in companies. The user logs into the network, and part of the login script couples a shared folder of the server as a drive letter. Then in Kontakt you can define the sample libraries are stored on drive K: (for example)

Since I'm not a network administrator I can't help you any further. Just sketching the idea...

[andrew71]

BertKoor's suggestion is a good one, but I suspect that licensing/activation restrictions will be your biggest issue here, unless you are buying 10 copies of each product.

[whyterabbyt]

BertKoor's suggestion is a good one, but I suspect that licensing/activation restrictions will be your biggest issue here, unless you are buying 10 copies of each product.

Yes, Bert's suggestion will mean you can have a single repository for all your samples, but each system will still need to be licensed appropriately for each library.

(Just map a network drive from an explorer window, make sure its set to reconnect at logon)

It would really depend on your useage as to whether a networked drive will be fast enough. Certainly simultaneous access from ten systems to one server to load large sample libraries will be noticeably slower than if the files were all on local drives. If you load everything before you start working, that's best; mid-project I suspect you'll start to find it interruptive.

And I suspect you'd actually need a 'proper' server, rather than a lower-end 'network RAID' box, those things cant really keep up with masses of sustained traffic, let alone from multiple systems. Don't even think about anything slower than gigabit either.

[Mushy Mushy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WYaqTQwEHo

Exactly what you're proposing however I doub't you'll have a few thousand instrument tracks like he does

[Guenon]

Exactly what you're proposing however I doub't you'll have a few thousand instrument tracks like he does

No it's exactly the other way around he's proposing (in the video, many slave machines controlled from one host, which is indeed the more common use case)

[Mushy Mushy]

Exactly what you're proposing however I doub't you'll have a few thousand instrument tracks like he does

No it's exactly the other way around he's proposing (in the video, many slave machines controlled from one host, which is indeed the more common use case)

Ah indeed. I see that now.
I guess my brain default to the common way.

I'd pose the question to the Vienna folk.

[imau]

Thanks Guy,

We already have a network to share samples like sound design or ambiences, but this solution is not fast enough to load a fat bank in Kontakt.
This is why i'm looking for something like VEP, to play Kontakt Instruments on the slave computer and control it through the network.
It would be better for the license issue too.

And i already questionned Vienna but they don't think their software is designed for that.

[jancivil]

--- oh, just never mind, '10 composers', no, VE Pro communicates with one host, period.

[Jim Roseberry]

FWIW, If you have 10 composers accessing the same "Slave" machine simultaneously, you're not going to have enough "speed" on the Slave machine to keep up with the performance demand.

[Tj Shredder]

You could use a Dante network for audio and send Midi to the host(s) on the master machine. That should actually work pretty flawless. Midi over IP + Dante...
Dante would also help to connect audio interfaces between the rooms...

[whyterabbyt]

FWIW, If you have 10 composers accessing the same "Slave" machine simultaneously

... then you're probably in breach of the licensing...

[Jim Roseberry]

FWIW, If you have 10 composers accessing the same "Slave" machine simultaneously

... then you're probably in breach of the licensing...

No doubt!

From a performance standpoint, a single "sample server" wouldn't be able to keep up with the load from 10 simultaneous composers.

We've got "hardcore" composer clients (usually doing large orchestral mock-ups)... where an i9-9980xe based machine with a dozen SSDs (including M.2 Ultra), 128GB RAM, etc... is barely enough.

[Jim Roseberry]

You could use a Dante network for audio and send Midi to the host(s) on the master machine. That should actually work pretty flawless. Midi over IP + Dante...
Dante would also help to connect audio interfaces between the rooms...

That's Dante's forte' (routing/flexibility)
The OP's scenario is somewhat a moot point... because no single machine would be able to keep up with the load from 10 simultaneous composers.

[Tj Shredder]

Well, depends on the computer and how much each of the composers is taxing it. On a decent high end machine you could run hundred instances of Kontakt... If each composer just needs a piano and they don't all play at the same time it could work out even for a string quartet...