4.7 and project tabs and kontakt vst instances for multiple project tabs

[alextone]

The project tab function in Reaper 4.7 seems to work well here, and thanks to the devs for this important addition. (For my particular use case)

A Question.

When adding an existing project as a new tab, i first have to create a new tab, then load the project into that.

Am i missing something, where i can select a project from "Open", or from the "recent projects" list, and the project will automatically load as a new tab?

Next question.

I work from a generic large project template, that has 15 Kontakt vst instances, per project.
Each project i add results in an accumulation of RAM used. So even though, across 3 projects, i use common samples and instruments, they're treated as separate "instances" when using and allocating RAM. I assume from this Kontakt doesn't recognize already loaded samples, and doesn't work with a "common core" of already loaded samples across all VST instances running.

In case i have this wrong (user error being one of my many skills), is there a setting in Reaper that enables this, or is it purely a feature of the plugin instance, and Reaper bears no responsibility?

Alex.

[Tod]

Originally Posted by alextone

A Question.

When adding an existing project as a new tab, i first have to create a new tab, then load the project into that.

Am i missing something, where i can select a project from "Open", or from the "recent projects" list, and the project will automatically load as a new tab?

Hi Alex,

I haven't checked out the latest Project Tab features so I'm not sure. However, I've always been able to simply drag projects in from the Windows browser and they fall right into place.

Next question.

I work from a generic large project template, that has 15 Kontakt vst instances, per project.
Each project i add results in an accumulation of RAM used. So even though, across 3 projects, i use common samples and instruments, they're treated as separate "instances" when using and allocating RAM. I assume from this Kontakt doesn't recognize already loaded samples, and doesn't work with a "common core" of already loaded samples across all VST instances running.

No not that I know of unless they are copied/pasted groups in the same nki file.

In case i have this wrong (user error being one of my many skills), is there a setting in Reaper that enables this, or is it purely a feature of the plugin instance, and Reaper bears no responsibility?

No, I don't know of any setting for this. The important thing is to have each nki instrument in DFD mode and not Sampler mode.

You can also cut a little RAM use if you use one instance of Kontakt for your 15 instruments instead of 15 instances.

Another feature in Kontakt you might have overlooked, is the Purge abilities. Purge all the samples in eaach nki instrument and then play your project all the way through. You'll end up with only the actual needed samples used, loaded into Kontakt.

[xpander]

Originally Posted by alextone

Am i missing something, where i can select a project from "Open", or from the "recent projects" list, and the project will automatically load as a new tab?

When you choose Open Project and get the Open Project window, down in there are two check boxes. One of them is Open in new project tab. Select that.

[heda]

It would be nice if we could middle click in the recent project file list to open in a new tab, as in internet browsers.

[alextone]

Tod, i have 15 kontakt instances, each with 16 instruments. I also have 64GB of RAM, so it's not a case of juggling resource, but using that resource as efficiently as possible.
When i load a new project template instance, i prefer to have all instruments up and running to get on with the process of writing (hence the large amount of RAM). I can purge when the tune is written, no problem there. All instruments are in DFD mode already.

This is a fairly substantial project template.

Alex.

[alextone]

Xpander, thanks, that did the trick. Works as i would expect now.

Alex.

[Tod]

Originally Posted by alextone

Tod, i have 15 kontakt instances, each with 16 instruments. I also have 64GB of RAM, so it's not a case of juggling resource, but using that resource as efficiently as possible.

Aah, wow, good for you Alex. When you said 15 instances, I just assumed you were only using 1 instrument per instance.

When i load a new project template instance, i prefer to have all instruments up and running to get on with the process of writing (hence the large amount of RAM). I can purge when the tune is written, no problem there. All instruments are in DFD mode already.

Holy cow, please keep us informed how big the project actually ends up.

When I was talking about purge I meant for instruments you know were pretty well done.

So now this statement makes a little more sense.

So even though, across 3 projects, i use common samples and instruments, they're treated as separate "instances" when using and allocating RAM. I assume from this Kontakt doesn't recognize already loaded samples, and doesn't work with a "common core" of already loaded samples across all VST instances running.

What kind of instruments are you doubling up on. Back in my old XP days I was writing a lot of orchestral stuff for video type movies.

Many many times I would have parts using the same instruments such as strings, viola, cello, french horns, etc.. I'm talking back in K2 days.

So to cut down and use the same nki for all the string parts for example, I devised a way to copy all the groups and paste them back in 2, 4, even 6 times. That way I could do 2, 3, 4, even 6 parts with that one nki using one set of samples. Each copied set of groups would be assigned a keyswitch. Since they were all in the same nki instrument, they only took one set of samples.

I'd have never been able to do what I did back in those days without using this method.

I should mention that you do have to assign each copied group a different set of CC controllers. For example, it the original group had CC11 and CC1 assigned to it then next pasted group would be assigned CC12 and CC2, so on and so forth.

[alextone]

Originally Posted by Tod

Aah, wow, good for you Alex. When you said 15 instances, I just assumed you were only using 1 instrument per instance.



Holy cow, please keep us informed how big the project actually ends up.

When I was talking about purge I meant for instruments you know were pretty well done.

So now this statement makes a little more sense.



What kind of instruments are you doubling up on. Back in my old XP days I was writing a lot of orchestral stuff for video type movies.

Many many times I would have parts using the same instruments such as strings, viola, cello, french horns, etc.. I'm talking back in K2 days.

So to cut down and use the same nki for all the string parts for example, I devised a way to copy all the groups and paste them back in 2, 4, even 6 times. That way I could do 2, 3, 4, even 6 parts with that one nki using one set of samples. Each copied set of groups would be assigned a keyswitch. Since they were all in the same nki instrument, they only took one set of samples.

I'd have never been able to do what I did back in those days without using this method.

I should mention that you do have to assign each copied group a different set of CC controllers. For example, it the original group had CC11 and CC1 assigned to it then next pasted group would be assigned CC12 and CC2, so on and so forth.

Tod, thanks for the useful info.

The context i'm referring to is completely separate projects, with no obvious relation to each other.

For example, i have, at the moment, 3 projects loaded, a Waltz i'm working on, a backing track for an audiobook, and a fantasy-style march. None related to each other, yet they all use the same template to begin with.

So all three projects have 1st violins, 2nd violins, etc, using the same sample set. My question was related to Kontakt recognizing something like 1st violins already loaded in RAM, so "it's already there, use it, and don't load it again, using extra memory space."

I just wondered if there was a setting in Reaper, that told a plugin to "check" if a sample set was already loaded.



Alex.

[G-Sun]

PiP, ReWire?

[alextone]

Originally Posted by G-Sun

PiP, ReWire?

Good call, but i'm using Wine/Linux 64bit. No rewire. (The Jack server does all this in Linux, very well indeed.)

I guess the obvious thing to say is "use WIN or MAC", but i've had much greater stability and more efficient use of resources with a dedicated tuned Linux studio box, than commercial OS. (Just a fact for me, not a dig at the others.)




Alex.