# Best Way To Configure Orchestral Setup in VE PRO?



## tomhartmanmusic (Mar 19, 2018)

Some libraries like CSS load Violins 1 and that single "patch" can use keyswitch between articulations. Would most of you load that patch into one instance of Kontakt, then add another instance of Kontakt for Violins 2, etc, or keep all the CSS strings in ONE instance of Kontakt, on different midi channels and going out separate outputs of course?

Other libraries like my original LASS library have separate patches for each articulation, and in that case I assume I'd add Violins 1, then all the separate articulation patches for say staccato, trem, etc, then ANOTHER instance of Kontakt for Lass Vlns 2....etc.

Very confusing as to what the correct approach should be....thx


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## MatFluor (Mar 19, 2018)

I would say:

there is no correct approach. I've seen all variations. I personally for strings, I have one instance per instrument - for Percussion, I have one instance for all, for woods I grouped them again differently.

It hugely depends on how you want to work - single articulation tracks, combos, main patch+special articulations etc.etc.

In the end _you _are the one using it - and with the myriad of ways to set up a template in your DAW, and the myriad of ways to set it up in VEP, go for what fits your workflow the best. That said, keeping the same instrument in one instance is usually a good idea, since one Kontakt instance shares samples for it's loaded patches - that doesn't work "cross-instance". So let's jsut assume you got a string library, where Violins II are made via EQ and not separately recorded - meaning same samples. In that case, put Vn I and Vn II in the same instance so they can share samples, therefore easing your RAM usage. But other than such scenarios - you're pretty much free to do whatever you want.


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## gsilbers (Mar 19, 2018)

tomhartmanmusic said:


> Some libraries like CSS load Violins 1 and that single "patch" can use keyswitch between articulations. Would most of you load that patch into one instance of Kontakt, then add another instance of Kontakt for Violins 2, etc, or keep all the CSS strings in ONE instance of Kontakt, on different midi channels and going out separate outputs of course?
> 
> Other libraries like my original LASS library have separate patches for each articulation, and in that case I assume I'd add Violins 1, then all the separate articulation patches for say staccato, trem, etc, then ANOTHER instance of Kontakt for Lass Vlns 2....etc.
> 
> Very confusing as to what the correct approach should be....thx




what matt said. 

also, DAWs like cubase and(recently) logic have articulation switchers so you can have all articulations of violin 1 in one instance of kontakt in one track and you can switch between then with your controller. 

I think this is the way that DAW companies want composers to work as its more logical as its one instrument=one track. but to me (and others) its cumbersome. its more personal than anything else. 

i sometimes add all spicc or "short notes" from all different libraries into one kontakt instrument. which gets treated with specific eq and compression. i have ensemble and solo short notes there. i do it to double up stuff when doing trailer music where realism is not the main thing.


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## DS_Joost (Mar 29, 2018)

Good advice here. I'd like to add to that how I work, which is a hybrid setup. I have a template in Cubase. Most of the tracks are just disabled tracks. Things like Albion I do one track, one articulation because there aren't that many and Albion is light on the ram, so it doesn't take that long to load. Only the real hard hitters (the ones that really cost RAM) I've moved over to VEPro. And for those instruments hosted in VEPro (which is mostly the Hollywood Orchestra stuff minus the percussion because those ones are light) I usually create 4 or 5 keyswitch tracks. So, one instance of VEPro for Strings, one for Brass, one for Woodwinds.

Then, my instances of play hosted within those are like the following:

1st VLN Legatos (hosting all different legato types, because you need most of them to make the most of these instruments)
1st VLN Sustains (sustains, harmonics, detache type stuff)
1st VLN Shorts (everything from marcatos to bartok pizz)
1st VLN Effects (Trills, Trems, Meas Trems and the like)
1st VLN Runs (playable and prerecorded runs)

Rinse and repeat for all instruments (some don't have runs or the like so obviously no need to create a track for that).

This way, I feel I get the best of both worlds. I don't like keyswitched instruments with 16 different articulations because that would make my head spin, and it would take to much space on my monitor as well, what with the articulation lane in Cubase's key editor).

Using it this way, I clean up the template rather nice (still lots of tracks but a lot less than one track, one articulation). I get the keyswitch action, which is can actually be remembered (because there's actually an organised system here). Plus, I can layer articulations, which is, at least for me, also very important to get the most out of my libraries!

This way, I always have my most used instruments (Hollywood Orchestra) available and ready to be played (I've had those as disabled tracks in my template as well for a while but I find I want especially those to be available at all times because of the enormous breath of articulations and flavors thereof, and enabling and loading those took me out of my flow). The other libraries are disabled tracks because I only add them every once in a while for layering or that one articulation the Hollywood Orchestra doesn't have. They are very light so I don't have to wait that long for them.

Things that I have to edit often (synths, drum kits, etc) are also hosted within Cubase as disabled tracks.

Takes a while to build, but it is fast, organised and a pleasure to work with.

I also always save as a copy of my big metaframe for the particular project I'm working on because of different mic positions and stuff.


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## dgburns (Mar 30, 2018)

If you will have your tracks arranged for live players, there is an argument for one artic per track, as the copyist will know exactly the playing technique without having to listen to the audio render of that track to figure it out, or try to guess.
I still do one track per instrument and keyswitch however as much as possible to keep the track count down in the daw because I don’t go out to live players.


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