PVx use in Cakewalk by Bandlab

[August Spencer]

I have used Cakewalk since its first inception with Sonar until the excellent current version by Bandlab. Also, I have used EMU Proteus/2 and Ultra Proteus. Currently, I am using PVx on Windows 10 but lately, the stand alone instance of PVx does not make sounds to audit instruments even though the Options/ Audio shows DirectSound, as before. Fortunately PVx continues to work flawlessly from within Cakewalk via Loopbe. Windows 10 has not been kind to MIDI or audio with its updates which break things instead of fixing them... I am not a software writer or troubleshooter and it is very annoying searching for fixes. DirectSound is a Windows sound interface but does not show up anywhere except in PVx.  So, is there a fix for PVx  going mute or is there a better different sound interface that PVx can load and handle ?  Help. Thanks. Melachrino.

[User 905133]

As far as I know, E-Mu software synths were never intended to work with Windows 10--much like PatchMix DSP ? .  They did work on older versions of Windows 10, but I have also been having audio routing issues with the *.dlls.  I have tried to understand Windows Audio for years and it is always a mystery--sometimes it works the way we expect it, sometimes not. In Emulator X (standalone), I also get Direct Sound as well as other sound devices/ports including a Magix-branded version of ASIO4ALL.**  

I suspect Direct Sound in more recent versions of Windows is somehow tied in with Windows 10 Sound.  I am not sure though.  In Emulator X Direct Sound shows up, but not my High Definition Audio outputs.

I am pretty sure I have various versions of E-Mu softsynths on my PC (including Proteus VX), though I seem to recall I removed them most of them from Cakewalk (either via scan location or by plug-in exclusion).  Proteus VX might be a 32-bit plug-in which I haven't had working in years.

If no one can help directly with your questions, in a few hours I could take a look and see if I can get Proteus VX to work.  BTW, I only have a non-working Proteus Ultra, but I have long admired the control it offers of the legendary E-Mu filters.

What version of Windows do you have?  I know the upgrade to 1903 borked the use of PatchMixDSP on my PC (and others from what I have read).

**For what its worth, I do have Emulator X standalone routed to my HD Audio out via Magix's rebranded ASIO4ALL:

I will try this in Cakewalk and Proteus VX if I have it and can get it working.

Update 1: Proteus VX (standalone) also works the same way:

Update 2: Emulator X works within Cakewalk using WASAPI (Shared) directly to my HD Audio outputs:

Since my version of Proteus VX is 32-bit (not sure if there is a 64-bit version) and BitBridge doesn't seem to allow the Proteus VX UI to display correctly, I cannot get any audio from it. But it does show up in Cakewalk's Plug-in Browser and I can insert a non-working version of it.

 

What version of the Proteus VX plug-in do you have?

BTW, another soft synth (standalone) does work with Direct Sound on my PC:

Not sure this helps answer your question, but maybe someone else can use the results I get to help. Sorry; I tried.

Edited November 23, 2020 by User 905133
To add updates relevant to the Proteus VX / Direct Sound issues

[August Spencer]

Thanks 905133.

I found the problem with PVx sound. 

Each instrument has a Volume global setting, different from the multi 16 volume the latter of which respond to MIDI CC7.

The instrument global setting must be set to a usable level. For now I set each global volume manually. It seems to act as a master gain control.

Now my question is how to address to control that global setting via a MIDI command.

Thanks.

[User 905133]

Ahhhh.  The vertical slider at the lower right.   I tend to set that manually first off and then use the volume slider on my usb keyboard on a  per channel basis (CC7) on the single page and the 1-16 page.  I think its analogous to the volume knob on E-Mu hardware--turn-it by-hand control. In any of the software versions, I don't recall seeing a midi parameter for the master volume, but I will keep my eyes open for it.   

Update: The MIDI Implementation Chart for the Emulator has "yes" for recognizing Master Volume. If that's accurate, maybe there's hope!  The Proteus/Command Station Sysex Manual** says hardware responds to Master Volume as part of MIDI's Universal Real Time System Exclusive messages **[page 4 of Version 2.2]. I will see if I can make it happen.

"Because the Master Volume message addresses the entire 'device' instead of MIDI 'channels,' it has been defined as a Universal Real Time System Exclusive message [sub ID#1 = 04h]."

F0 7E <dev ID> 04 02 vv vv F7

Its been ages since I looked at the Proteus X data format; not sure what the dev ID would be.   

Bad News: The MIDI Implementation Chart for the Proteus VX version says "no" for recognizing Master Volume.  Highly doubtful even if it works on the Emulator X it would work on the Proteus VX.   

Edited December 23, 2020 by User 905133
(2) to add a "Bad News" update; (1) to add info from some manuals that might help find a way to set the Master Volume.

[August Spencer]

Tnx 905133 for your help.

Regrettably as you indicate, PVx does not respond to SysEx neither in send nor receive per implementation chart.

The volume slider lower right is a global volume control for all the voices and does not have MIDI control access.

The volume control wheel, upper left on single voice is also a global volume control but only for the single selected voice and does not respond to any MIDI message. Therefore it is useful to manually balance initially an ensemble, one voice at a time.

And in Multi 1-16 etc, volume and pan respond to MIDI messages and the sliders move accordingly.

Having finally deciphered  how PVx implemented volume control, I can now hear clearly when I audition different voices.

Also, now I see that one has to save the current settings upon exiting   PVx in order to retain the single voice settings for the project. 

PVx is still the best sounding Orchestral module for me with Virtuoso.ebx bank. Emu did a superb job.

[August Spencer]

Since 905133 referred to the Emulator X, I ran into the Emulator X3, downloaded it, installed it. As expected, Windows 10 does not run it BUT using compatibility mode Windows 7 the X3 works perfectly. GUI looks similar to PVx but seems to have more bells and whistles requiring further study.

In addition, there are Giga files with the original EMU sounds in exb format which play directly in both PVx and Emu X3. Of note is the Modern Symphonic Orchestra from 5 DVD iso files. Such riches.

EMU lives.