aMusing Replacer update

[looneytunes]

Hmm - I've been thinking ....

The environment that I use the most right now to offload all my vst processing off of my DAW is Vienna Ensemble Pro. This natively handles ethernet transfer in a very smooth way, with preset capturing. It also provides a mixer-configuration environment similar to the Receptor GUI. It can also be run in 32 bit or 64 bit versions (or both at the same time). As well, it is made to take advantage of multiple-core CPUs.

The only thing is it is protected by SyncroSoft. I am assuming in a full windows environment, this will not be an issue to install and use SyncroSoft driver/key. (John, I'm not sure if you are using a stripped down windows, where there might be issues installing this).

In any case, this looks like a really good alternative. John - can you please give this one a try and let us know your results? To me, this would turn Receptor into more of a studio workhorse. In fact, you wouldn't even need Receptor to have Native Audio/Midi capabilities to run Vienna Ensemble (eg. you can run it truly as a slave, with MIDI/AUDIO coming from your DAW, and AUDIO returning).

Regards,
Kevin L

[johnrule]

...hey John, thanks again...

...hmmm...

...from the Reaper-Manual i understand that you can use ReaMote for FX only...so not with instruments...

...i'll do some further reading, but if the above proves to be correct it might not be the replacement for UniWire that i am looking for...

In my tests I was using instruments only, and I was able to play in real-time...something that UniWire would not allow because of the latency. It is actually superior to UniWire in my opinion. UniWire requires real-time export from your DAW while ReaMote allows you to do off-line rendering.

The organizational aspects of ReaMote is what really convinced me...I don't have to load anything on the other box. It's just more intuitive to have that information saved with my song files rather than "half of it here and the other half over there somewhere".

Reaper also has ReaStream and ReaRoute that you might be interested in...


JR

[johnrule]

I am assuming in a full windows environment, this will not be an issue to install and use SyncroSoft driver/key. (John, I'm not sure if you are using a stripped down windows, where there might be issues installing this).

It's a plain-old-vanilla install of Windows XP3. I really haven't optimized it that much, just disabling indexing, restore, etc...the obvious stuff. I'm also working with a distribution of Ubuntu Studio that is proving to be an alternative...with the same bit of overhead that Linux/Wine imposes though (I am using the real-time kernel too).

this would turn Receptor into more of a studio workhorse. In fact, you wouldn't even need Receptor to have Native Audio/Midi capabilities to run Vienna Ensemble (eg. you can run it truly as a slave, with MIDI/AUDIO coming from your DAW, and AUDIO returning).

That is exactly what I found with ReaMote...I stopped lamenting over all of the digital I/O I lost because of the lack of Windows drivers for the Receptor card (which I am working on by the way).

In terms of Vienna Ensemble, you are going to be limited to the default Receptor 1 hardware (single core, 100BT network, etc.), but I did find that I had improved performance in several areas, including networking and bandwidth in general. I consistently get an average 8% performance increase from my plugins. I am basing this on the information I observed using simple performance metering built-into Reaktor and Pianoteq.

If you want substantial performance increase, you can always replace the motherboard, cpu, ram, etc. with much more powerful (and exotic) hardware...but you can certainly utilize your old Receptor in new ways now!

JR

[looneytunes]

If you want substantial performance increase, you can always replace the motherboard, cpu, ram, etc. with much more powerful (and exotic) hardware...but you can certainly utilize your old Receptor in new ways now!

JR

Yes, exactly! I believe Vienna Ensemble Pro is made to scale upwards towards more recent MOBOS/CPUs and beyond. So if Receptor 1 arch is the proving ground (eg. making sure the install works and basic functionality is there), then it can only get better from there!


I think Vienna Ensemble Pro is intriguing because it (potentially) changes the balance of a Receptor towards more power-hungry studio applications, but also - it still provides basic vsti hosting and preset management for live performance applications. I'm not sure (haven't thought enough) about it's ability to change scenes/presets on the fly (eg change presets on some configured plugs, and changing instantiated plugs in only the necessary channels on the fly), nor channel muting.

Anyway - could be a lot of good potential here!

Thanks for investigating!

Regards,
Kevin L

[rudy.de.volder]

Hi, i tried to install the reastream-VST plugin on my receptor via unsupported plugins. But it failed.
I tried it with version 3 and 2 of reaplugs, but i presume that only version 1 is compatible with the receptor , wich i can't find anymore on the internet.
Can anybody help me out?

[johnrule]

Hi, i tried to install the reastream-VST plugin on my receptor via unsupported plugins. But it failed.
I tried it with version 3 and 2 of reaplugs, but i presume that only version 1 is compatible with the receptor , wich i can't find anymore on the internet.
Can anybody help me out?

Not possible...with the Receptor OS that is.

First of all, the Receptor OS communicates over very specific ports with the network and is not just going to let you open a socket to do whatever you want.

Second, you need a full OS like Windows or possibly Linux (I haven't tried ReaStream on Linux myself) so I am not sure where you got the idea it would work at all.

Do you have other information that would indicate that this should work?

JR

[dizzidecazz]

Hi,

I don't pop my head into these forums often but glad I stumbled on this thread.

I have a few questions. I only use my receptor for live use. If I use your aMusing replacer set-up, can I still use the receptor as a standalone unit on stage, ie- no monitor/mouse/qwerty keyboard (obviously i'd still have usb and midi keyboards plugged in), just control from the front panel?

Which brings me toanother question, do the midi ports still work? (though with being able to use multiple usb controllers, it probably wouldn't matter much)

I think I already know the answer to my next question, can I still use a VNC client of some sort as a remote viewer replacement? I usually just plug in my macbook to program the receptor.

and I guess the biggest question for live use.... is it stable?

Thanks,
Damien

[aMUSEd]

Hey no piece of software is replacing me!

[johnrule]

I have a few questions. I only use my receptor for live use. If I use your aMusing replacer set-up, can I still use the receptor as a standalone unit on stage, ie- no monitor/mouse/qwerty keyboard (obviously i'd still have usb and midi keyboards plugged in), just control from the front panel?

Sorry for the delayed response Damien...

Yes, that's the only reason to do this conversion...so you can still utilize the Receptor box and user panel (otherwise a laptop or tablet would suffice). The aMusing Replacer is a software gateway between the front panel and OS and you can program it to do whatever you want. I programmed it to respond to the dials for selecting a file on the hard drive, and then a push loads the file into Bidule...updating the LCD display:

Code: Select all

RECEPTOR.LCD("COM1", 1, "Load Bidule Program:    ");
RECEPTOR.LCD("COM1", 2, "***  Piano Serenade  ***");

This is an example of the scripting that sets each line of the Receptor display...you simply send up to 24 characters for each line, and the Receptor will update.

Which brings me toanother question, do the midi ports still work? (though with being able to use multiple usb controllers, it probably wouldn't matter much)

That's the only downside of this...you have to replace the audio card (with midi) with another interface. There is no work around that I can see...we simply do not have access to drivers for the custom Receptor audio/midi card in Windows. You can replace it with just about anything though, including installing a half-height fire-wire card. I basically had the components already so it was easy and inexpensive for me.

I think I already know the answer to my next question, can I still use a VNC client of some sort as a remote viewer replacement? I usually just plug in my macbook to program the receptor.

That's the benefit...install any Windows software normally...including updates to your plugins. You can also make it a full 64 bit system too.

and I guess the biggest question for live use.... is it stable?

It's as stable as you make it. I could say as stable as Windows, but you can definitely tweak a default Windows install to be more specific to your needs, thereby making it more stable. The software itself is written in Java, but it is actually converted to C/C++ using a (very expensive!) optimizer/obfuscator from Excelsior. So, this eliminates the need for Java on the machine...one less thing to worry about. You should (of course) test it rigorously for your purposes...you can use it for free as long as you can ping the server when it starts up (and you must download updates before the expiration). To eliminate those stipulations, I ask that you buy the usb master key.

The software does a lot of other stuff like midi, sockets, html, etc...there is much more to it than just the "Replacer" interface. You can download and install it and just run the IDE/editor to take a look at the "Replacer" interface and other examples just to get a feel for it. However, it will only run as a Receptor interface when it is running on Windows on the Receptor obviously

[drfunkeys]

Hey John. I'm hoping to try this out at some point. I only discovered recently that Receptor won't run Kontakt 4, so all the new sounds I've bought in the past few years won't run on it.

Just wondering if you've had any luck with the onboard sound. Otherwise I suppose I could put in a firewire card like you did and run it to my Focusrite Saffire Pro40.

[johnrule]

Just wondering if you've had any luck with the onboard sound. Otherwise I suppose I could put in a firewire card like you did and run it to my Focusrite Saffire Pro40.

I think that a firewire card is the best way to go. If you want something that you can share with other hardware (like a laptop) then USB is the way to go. There is no way to get the existing audio card to work with any other OS...not unless Muse wants to help (I've already asked and was curtly denied though).

(edit)
When I last did the research on this it seemed like a firewire card with the connector on side (or out of the top and a 90 degree cable) was a good option (to avoid any case mod).

[Meestor_X]

Sorry to revive this old thread, but it's VERY interesting.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever tried "hackintosh"-ing the Receptor and somehow load OSX on it?

We're at the point of replacing the Receptors with Mac Minis but if there was a way to make the Receptor into a Mac....

[Meestor_X]

Regarding the soundcard, have you tried the VIA Vinyl Envy24 drivers?
[edit]
Whoops! I see earlier in the thread you were trying the driver... Did you ever have any success?