VSL Tutorials

Kontakt "Monitor" Method (Performance Tool v2)

This tutorial will describe how to use the Legato Performance tool provided with VSL when using
Kontakt as your sampler and Cubase as your sequencer. It assumes a basic working knowledge of
Cubase and Kontakt.
Topics
Background
Before Starting
Getting Started
Configuring the Performance Tool
Configuring the Sequencer
Advanced Use of Monitor
Background

This tutorial shows how to record a live performance and maintain the original source (for editing
purposes) into your sequencer using the VSL Performance Tool. The high level design for this
approach is depicted below:

Advantages
A source or reference track is maintained for editing purposes
Only a single track is required for "monitoring" per instance of Kontakt.
Disadvantages
This is an advanced approach to using the Performance Tools when not using GIGA Studio and
may only be compatible with the Cubase sequencer.
The Performance tool(s) must be open to play a recorded track.
Before Starting
The following tasks must be performed before starting this tutorial:
1.The VSL GIGA files have been imported into Kontakt.
2.The MIDIYoke tool (provided on the VSL Demo disk) is installed. MIDIYoke provides some
internal MIDI channels; there are also other tools that offer this functionality.
Getting Started
3.Create a new blank project in Cubase.
4.Load up Kontakt as a VST.
5.Load some samples into Kontakt - once of which should be legato or repetition. This examples
uses Legato Violins and Legato Trombones and Crescendo Horns.

6.In Kontakt it is vital that the MIDI setting for each instrument is unique (i.e. from 1 -16) and not
set to OMNI.

Configure the Performance Tool (Version 2)

7.Launch the VSL Performance Tool and configure the inPort, outPorts and Performance type.
With version 2 of the Performance Tool you can have up to four virtual ports. For now use Port 1.

The inPort should be configured to receive data from a MIDI Yoke Port (in this case MIDI Yoke
NT:1) whilst a second MIDI Yoke Port (MIDI Yoke NT:2) is used for the output.

8.Ensure that the legato channels are configured for the appropriate legato instruments. In this
example we are setting Channel 2 to handle legato violins.
Firstly set channel 2 in the tool to Legato.

Then "Open" the appropriate legato tool set, in this case VI-14_perf-leg.

Configuring the Sequencer

9.In the sequencer (in this case Cubase) add four new MIDI tracks. One track will be used as a
"Monitor" and should be named likewise. The other three tracks (which should be named after the
instrument) are used for holding the instrument specific data (but not the performance data - see
Source Method)

10.The Monitor track should be configured to accept inputs from the Performance tool outPort (in
this case MIDI Yoke NT: 2). And set to output to Kontakt.
IMPORTANT: The chn: setting must be set to ANY. The prg: setting is irrelevant.

11.Each Instrument MIDI Track Monitor should be configured to accept inputs from your MIDI
Keyboard (in this case Midi Keyboard) and output to the Performance Tools inPort (in this case
MIDI Yoke NT: 1).

For non-performance instruments such as the Crescendo Horns, you can either send the output to
the Performance Tool (which should be set to Thru mode for that channel) or simply send it straight
to Kontakt.

12.Now arm the Monitor track to monitor mode and any other MIDI Track to monitor or record and
start playing your Legato Instrument.
Note that Monitor must always be set to monitor mode otherwise you will not hear any sound.

there are 2 ways of inserting the midi-tool into the signal-chain!

1. physical midi in -> virtual midi-port -> performance tool -> virtual midi-port -> sequencer ->
kontakt
2. physical midi in -> sequencer (a normal midi-channel) -> virtual midi-port -> performance tool
-> virtual midi-port -> sequencer (instrument-channel with kontakt)
additional information: the 1st midi-routing has the disadvantage that editing the performance-tooltracks is not very easy, because you are recording the already processed midi-data, so there are a lot
of keyswitches recorded.
the 2nd midi-routing has the advantage, that you may record either the processed or the nonprocessed midi-data. BUT you'll need twice the amount of channels (2 for every instance of
kontakt, physical in -> sequencer and performance tool -> sequencer)
check out www.timkiel.com (upper) for tutorials about how to use the tool with HALion/Kontakt (I
strongly recommend to use HAL because of its better gig-Import) (3rd tutorial is the best way to do
it btw)