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Yes, VIP will work with any MIDI keyboard. I think that the multi and playlist features would be useful for live use, but I only use it in my home studio. I have the Alesis VX49 with the 'Advance' LCD screen for VIP integration. Needed a keyboard several years ago, got that one, and got VIP 3 bundled for free. When you launch VIP as standalone, or as a DAW plugin, the keyboard is activated in VIP mode, otherwise it performs normally as a generic MIDI controller. You can build and edit VIP multis, select presets, and control performances (playlists) all from the little color LCD and buttons on the keyboard. Seems that part probably never went over commercially in a big way, but it works. In my home studio, I would rather just use a mouse and PC keyboard, along with my large PC monitor, with VIP running on-screen in full HD. So the keyboard features are no biggie for me and I could take them or leave them. It has been a decent 49 key controller with 8 knobs, 8 pads, and aftertouch. But I would rather have a master keyboard with some sliders, which the VIP integrated series, and the NI Komplete S series keyboards all seem to lack, unfortunately.

Nope. Just my MIDI keyboard controller. Never actually thought about clicking on the fretboard. It plays the the full range of notes as Terry described, using the lowest frets (open or first position) until you reach the highest string, then advances note by note on that string all the way up the fretboard. As a keyboardist and not a guitarist, I never noticed this behavior before, as guitar voicing is all a bit foreign to me. All I care about is that the correct pitch is played via a keyboard, and it does do that.

I just updated my earlier post. Turns out that I wasn't actually running the latest AAS version... shame on me! ?

Just loaded up 6 instances of Chromaphone 3 (VST3), all playing at the same time in Cakewalk 2021.01. No issues here. Windows 10 Pro 20H2. Edit: Apologies about this post. It turns out that I was still running v3.0, even though I had downloaded and run the AAS 'all-in-one' installer after the update was released. Chromaphone 3 v3.1 now causes Cakewalk to 'stop responding' when I try to load a 2nd instance of Chromaphone 3. Several other DAWs that I have now tested this with do not exhibit this behavior. It appears to be related to Cakewalk. And as I mentioned earlier, I am still on the January release of CbB, so it's not related to the new release of CbB.

And Magix... and inMusic...

Some more detail about your VM setup could be useful. I have successfully installed Sonar 8.5 Producer (32-bit) on a Win XP Home (32-bit) virtual machine. I was able to add a USB MIDI controller input to Sonar that was connected to the host, using "USB pass-thru" to the guest. My host is a Windows machine, so the USB MIDI driver was class compliant and enabled and recognized on the host. To do this with a Linux host you would need to make certain that the host had recognized the hardware first. Then there is the audio performance question. I was just doing this to see if I could get an old copy of Sonar running, and not to actually do any music production. Not sure how far you would get with latency and all, with the audio hardware virtualized. Edit: And I just re-read your original question about controlling a soft synth on the host from Cakewalk running on the guest. I don't think there is any VM function to pass through a virtual MIDI port from guest to host, or vice versa. But I could be wrong. I am familiar with Linux (since Red Hat 9 & very early Fedora), and used Ubuntu & Mint as my daily driver for a couple of years, and used a dedicated PC install of Linux for that. Have installed VMs on both Windows and Linux hosts. Briefly dabbled with audio production on Linux, and quickly decided that Windows is much easier. It just works.

Yay! ?

I think AKAI is backing away from VIP. They have quietly discontinued their flagship VIP keyboard (Advance series) with full VIP integration, as well as have the other inMusic Brands, M-Audio (CTRL49) and Alesis (VX49). You can see that their only current products marked as "VIP Ready" are the MPK series. https://www.akaipro.com/products/keyboards

BandLab Technologies is a large group of music related businesses. https://bandlabtechnologies.com/ The BandLab CEO, Meng, purchased the former Cakewalk DAW from Gibson in order to add a fully fledged desktop DAW to the BandLab portfolio, and promised to release it for free indefinitely. So Cakewalk (by BandLab) is really a minor piece of a major company. Since the acquisition of the property rights for the Cakewalk Sonar software (the former Cakewalk company was totally disbanded), no parts of Cakewalk have ever been offered for sale. The members of the former Cakewalk development team that Meng hired have provided thousands of bug fixes, and many important new features for Cakewalk since 2018. Free for us to enjoy!

Our purpose: To continually improve the quality of life for the ordinary musician https://mu.se/about https://mu.se/muse-products

I'm not a guitarist, so AT4 is waaaaayyy more than I'll ever need. So I can easily pass on AT5 MAX. AT4 content runs well in AT5 CS btw. As an occasional bassist, the Ampeg stuff I've already got in AT4 is plenty good! But overall, after all of the IK virtual instruments, the T-Racks MAX and MixBox is plenty for me, considering that I already got good deals on T-Racks extras like Sunset Studio, Leslie, and Space Delay! ? Good to go for now! I have enough plugins!

Some background, from the guy that has been running the MuseScore project. Well worth 15 minutes if you want some insight...

Me too! An open source product acquiring another? I fail to see a business plan in that... although that might make sense from a development resources standpoint.

Since Tracktion has apparently been giving away free instruments lately, maybe they give me this one!

Consider this... Microsoft owns GitHub, the mecca for open source projects.

Biotek 2 is a deep synth. Not an all-in-one, go to synth by any means. But it is unique and powerful, and an interesting additional piece of kit. You can add layers and modulations, add samples etc., until your PC implodes. It's strengths are probably best put to use for evolving, moving soundscapes, using ambient, cinematic, environmental sounds mixed with traditional VA waveforms. Probably not so much for mainstream music such as Hip Hop, EDM, or Pop, but no telling what some creative types might find uses for.

I already have what I want. The short list of missing items are things I could care less about, so not even for $29 would I be tempted... much less for $299, LOL! ?

@msmcleodany particular reason that Cakewalk would have these plugins hidden? It seems odd that they are not on the official list. ?

Dimension Pro is a separate installer from Sonar in Command Center. Look for an entry named "D-Pro".

PX 64 Percussion was part of the old Sonar, beginning with Sonar 8.5, and is unavailable for purchase. Here are the plugins included with Cakewalk by BandLab: http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=Cakewalk&language=3&help=Plug-ins.2.html

Already have Biotek 2. Maybe they need to give me Hyperion? ?

I used to have a co-worker that would regularly skip a step, and then ask "what's my problem?" To which I learned to reply with, "you skipped a step!"

WELCOME Welcome to the KOMPLETE START Quick Start Guide. https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-start/learn-komplete-start/ SET-UP CHECKLIST Before you begin, you must install the KOMPLETE START products from Native Access, then set-up your keyboard and software. You will not see KOMPLETE START listed in Native Access. Some products are found as individual instruments, others are part of the Reaktor 6 or Kontakt 6 Factory Selections, and some appear as presets in KOMPLETE KONTROL.

5 or 7 frets? I don't understand... E1 to C5 works here. And it appears to include 20 frets. ?

Analog Lab 4 and 5 are combined into one license in Arturia Software Center. The upgrade to 5 was free and automatic. You can install both versions side-by-side, and sort out which one works best for you. Note: Arturia did change some of the macro control knob assignments in v5 to be more 'better' with the new v5 presets, so if you are expecting to find the macros as they were in v4, you may want to stick with v4 if you are dependent on legacy presets.