Has anyone shifted to GPO4 yet?

[Sherry C]

Hi Danny,

Using GPO as your MIDI playback device, you set the instruments up in the Aria player. You only have to set the channel numbers in Notation Composer to match the channel number of the appropriate instrument in the Aria Player. (The instrument grid that typically shows up in the Staff Setup is only for GM (general MIDI) sets, which GPO definitely is not ).

So, for example, in setting up the following file that I've opened in Notation Composer, I would want to load a Piccolo in the first slot (with channel 1), a flute in the second slot (with channel 2), an oboe in the third slot (with channel 3), etc.

AriaComposerChannelNumbers.png

Have fun
Sherry

Hi!

OK, so you can't do it from Composer. I suspected as much.

BTW, I see you're using LoopBe. What exactly is that supposed to do?? I followed the instructions you gave in another post, but it broke everything (and crashed my PC). Before that, Composer was already using Aria voices, as far as I can tell. After setting LoopBe up, I could get no sounds whatsoever. I disabled it, and wanted to do a second try to see what the point of it is, and verify that I really am using GPO (I disabled GS Wavetable too, so there's only the ASIO sound card under ports and devices), but now I can't see how to re-enable it, and as I say, I don't fully understand what the point is and if I really need it.

Brgds

Danny

[Sherry C]

Hi Danny,

Originally Posted by dbjorck

OK, so you can't do it from Composer. I suspected as much.

Right. Aria is set up so that you load the instruments in the Aria Player itself, rather than "call them" from Notation Composer. All you need to set correctly in Composer is the channel number, so that each staff corresponds to the correct channel/instrument in the Aria player as I showed in the picture.

BTW, I see you're using LoopBe. What exactly is that supposed to do?? I followed the instructions you gave in another post, but it broke everything (and crashed my PC). Before that, Composer was already using Aria voices, as far as I can tell.

Unless your computer has a setup that I'm not aware of which allows for automatic virtual MIDI routing, then the sounds you were hearing were most likely not from GPO, but perhaps your sound card's internal synth. What sound card does your computer have?

LoopBe is a "virtual cable" for MIDI. The Aria Player is a stand-alone player which can receive MIDI input if you have a way to get the MIDI signal to it. For instance, if you have a MIDI keyboard that you plug into your computer, the drivers for that keyboard will create a virtual cable that can go to the Aria player, allowing you to "connect" to the Aria Player, and thus use the sounds of GPO when you play your keyboard.

In order for Notation Composer and the Aria Player to "connect", you need to use a virtual MIDI cable, and that's what LoopBe (or others, as listed here ) does. It simply provides the "cable" to get signals from Composer over to the instruments loaded in the Aria player so they'll play. It's important to turn off the "In" in Composer, and only have the "Out" on, so as to avoid a feedback loop. A feedback loop (in the case of LoopBe) will shut things down, or (in the case of some others) will cause a major slowdown of your entire computer because the feedback is eating up cpu resources.

After setting LoopBe up, I could get no sounds whatsoever. I disabled it, and wanted to do a second try to see what the point of it is, and verify that I really am using GPO (I disabled GS Wavetable too, so there's only the ASIO sound card under ports and devices), but now I can't see how to re-enable it, and as I say, I don't fully understand what the point is and if I really need it.

I suspect that there was a feedback loop due to having both In and Out in Notation Composer, and LoopBe's automatic muting shut down the sound.

Routing signals can sometimes be a bit tricky, just because there are more steps involved to get the sound, and therefore more locations for things to get plugged-up, as it were. Also, there are a number of issues that start coming into play.

1. If you have an ASIO option with your sound card and MIDI Device, then it's a good idea to turn off the GS Wavetable as it can interfere with ASIO and cause either no sound (in some cases) or you lose the practically-zero-latency benefit of ASIO.

2. If you use virtual MIDI cables (eg. LoopBe), you have to make sure that for each application you have open (eg. Notation Composer, Aria player) that the cable is set either for "In" only or "Out" only. If you have the setting for LoopBe (or any other virtual MIDI cable) set for both In and Out in the same application, you'll set off a feedback loop. Fortunately in LoopBe it has feedback detection enabled, and it will automatically mute the cable. This is most likely what happened when you tried it out, as Notation Composer will detect all In's and Out's (to give you more flexibility if you're into using multiple devices). You'll need to turn off the "In" functionality of LoopBe (or any other virtual MIDI cable) to avoid the feedback loop if you're using that cable to get a signal from Composer to a playback device.

The Device settings should be (1) in Composer, the LoopBe should be set for "Out" only - turn off the "In" component in Composer by going to Setup/MIDI Device configuration/Ports, and unchecking the "In" side for LoopBe. (2) The Aria player only detects "In" connections, and so is not a problem. You'll want to check in Tools/Preferences in the Aria Player to make sure that the "cables" you want are detected (show up in the list) and connected (have a check in the box).

Getting the LoopBe back as a device in Composer will depend on how you disabled it. If you disabled it in Windows Device Manager, then you'll need to re-enable it there in order for Composer to detect it and thus show it in the MIDI Device Configuration as an option. You'll also want to be sure that it's not "muted" (using the LoopBe Monitor).

You'll also want to read up on how GPO uses various controllers to regulate volume, attack, and other nuanced aspects of the instrument performance. It can give some stunningly realistic sounds, but there is a definite learning curve for taking advantage of all the various parameters Notation Composer does have an excellent way to graph MIDI controllers right on top of the score, so it makes it quite easy to get a really good performance out of such libraries.

If enough folks are interested in routing MIDI cables for using playback libraries or devices (eg. GPO's Aria player or others), then maybe I'll put together a little tutorial video on how to do it. Any takers?

ttfn,
Sherry

Hi - have tried all advices in this thread for getting a (trial version of) Composer work with GPO4. Sound is OK in Aria player but no sound in Composer. Anyone tried this in Windows 7 with a Realtek built in soundcard?
All other connections works OK with the soundcard, also when Composer is playing without GPO4/Aria.
Hoping for a solution ... before buying Composer.
Ole Bamberg, DE

[Sherry C]

Hi,

Originally Posted by olemalm

Hi - have tried all advices in this thread for getting a (trial version of) Composer work with GPO4. Sound is OK in Aria player but no sound in Composer. Anyone tried this in Windows 7 with a Realtek built in soundcard?
All other connections works OK with the soundcard, also when Composer is playing without GPO4/Aria.
Hoping for a solution ... before buying Composer.
Ole Bamberg, DE

You'll need to be sure you have a "virtual" MIDI cable installed that connects the Aria player to Notation Composer. You can learn more about that and see a step-by-step installation of a virtual MIDI cable in the tutorial video at http://www.notation.com/vb-forum/showthread.php?t=3863 You can see a specific "Getting Started with Garritan Libraries" video at http://www.notation.com/vb-forum/showthread.php?t=3873

Enjoy!
Sherry

Originally Posted by Sherry C

Hi,
You'll need to be sure you have a "virtual" MIDI cable installed that connects the Aria player to Notation Composer. You can learn more about that and see a step-by-step installation of a virtual MIDI cable in the tutorial video at http://www.notation.com/vb-forum/showthread.php?t=3863 You can see a specific "Getting Started with Garritan Libraries" video at http://www.notation.com/vb-forum/showthread.php?t=3873
Enjoy!
Sherry

Thank you, Sherry, for the reply. My setup was (and is) Composer with Loopbe1 midi cable, Asio4all, and Aria+GPO4 sounds. After studying the tutorials you provided, and several new attempts today I can get it work - but when I change to another piece of music (ending Aria player, then open a new file in Composer, and restart Aria) the Aria player often "hangs" in a sound after a few bars, the Loopbe1 turns on it's mute - and I have to end all programs. I have of course checked that midi IN and OUT was not active in Composer.

Anyone have any ideas about from what/where this is caused?

I still consider buying Composer ... am impressed by it's possibilities for controlling varoius parameters ...

Thanks!
Ole

[Sherry C]

Hi,

Originally Posted by olemalm

My setup was (and is) Composer with Loopbe1 midi cable, Asio4all, and Aria+GPO4 sounds. After studying the tutorials you provided, and several new attempts today I can get it work - but when I change to another piece of music (ending Aria player, then open a new file in Composer, and restart Aria) the Aria player often "hangs" in a sound after a few bars, the Loopbe1 turns on it's mute - and I have to end all programs.

A couple of thoughts based on my own experience.

Have you tried not closing the Aria player, but just either loading another instrument set, or changing the instruments that are there?

I have a sound card that's quirky about only allowing one device at a time have access to it, and if I close a device that was using it (eg. Aria), it seems to go searching for another device to give itself to (a sort of wanton sound card...). Anyway, it sometimes does the same thing - if I turn off a device, then turn it back on, I don't get any sound from it until I turn off everything else that might possibly be connecting to the soundcard.

Another possibility is that there is something in the .mid or .not file that is causing the LoopBe to think it is going into a feedback loop, and it will automatically mute. Unfortunately the free LoopBe1 does not have the toggle setting to turn on or off the "enable shortcut detection". The pay-for version does, and this can eliminate that source of audio problems. I've come across some "found" .mid files that had this issue, and I had to turn off the "enable shortcut detection" to get them to play all the way through without hanging.

Hope something above is helpful!
Sherry