vPlayer3 free at PluginBoutique

[Doug Rintoul]

12 hours ago, Jacques Boileau said:

What no link!??! Jeez, this thread is full of beginers!

And I thought people around here knew how to use the Internet. Well, maybe they do but are just lazy bustards (TM). Thanks to abacab who is more thoughtful than me, people can immediately find this gem.

I use it for a number of things, but especially if I don't want to fire up my DAW. It loads quickly and can host pretty much any VST2 and VST3 including audio and  MIDI effects. A cool feature is that you can drop any plugin on it and it will use the plugin right away without having to do a complete scan of all your plugins. Doing so also adds the plugin to your plugin list. You can use it in a live setting but it also has a VST so you can use it in your DAW. It has very flexible routing options including routing MIDI between plugins. I can easily have one MIDI plugin like Cthulhu or Scaler feeding multiple synths or even have the output of Cthulhu feeding Scaler feeding a plethora of synths for some real mayhem. 

[fret_man]

I'm seeing $2 at https://kushview.net/element/download/form/ for both the single download and subsciption.

 

[abacab]

35 minutes ago, fret_man said:

I'm seeing $2 at https://kushview.net/element/download/form/ for both the single download and subsciption.

 

That page seems a bit older and hasn't been updated yet. Click the download button in your link and you will see that this download  is $2.99 now.

[abacab]

6 hours ago, Doug Rintoul said:

It has very flexible routing options including routing MIDI between plugins.

+1

Element exposes all of the audio & MIDI ports available for any plugin used. That also makes it an excellent troubleshooting tool if you are having difficulty routing a plugin in a DAW, and wish to test it in another context.

Plus you can also connect multiple patches from a single plugin output to several other plugin inputs. Very flexible and visual patchcord routing!

Edited February 13, 2022 by abacab

[User 905133]

I love the description  under "I thought this was free software."

https://kushview.net/element/download/form/

Quote

Some people like to explain this with the phrase “Element is free as in free speech, not free as in free beer“.

Has anyone here downloaded and compiled the source code (Free as in Open Source)?  If so, any tips for compiling it for use under Win 10 (other than, "paying $2.99 will take less time")?  Never mind; I just looked at Element at Github.

Edited February 14, 2022 by User 905133
(2) Fixed typo [Elements --> Element]; (1) to strike out the questions about using the Open Source version; to add questions about compiling the Open Source version

[Doug Rintoul]

46 minutes ago, User 905133 said:

I love the description  under "I thought this was free software."

https://kushview.net/element/download/form/

Has anyone here downloaded and compiled the source code (Free as in Open Source)?  If so, any tips for compiling it for use under Win 10 (other than, "paying $2.99 will take less time")?  Never mind; I just looked at Elements at Github.

Just in case others are wondering, Element is Juce based and you use Projucer to start the process. I have compiled it multiple times under Windows. I have also paid for the precompiled download a few times just to support the developer.

[marcL]

8 hours ago, Doug Rintoul said:

I use it for a number of things, but especially if I don't want to fire up my DAW. It loads quickly and can host pretty much any VST2 and VST3 including audio and  MIDI effects. A cool feature is that you can drop any plugin on it and it will use the plugin right away without having to do a complete scan of all your plugins. Doing so also adds the plugin to your plugin list. You can use it in a live setting but it also has a VST so you can use it in your DAW. It has very flexible routing options including routing MIDI between plugins. I can easily have one MIDI plugin like Cthulhu or Scaler feeding multiple synths or even have the output of Cthulhu feeding Scaler feeding a plethora of synths for some real mayhem.

 

2 hours ago, abacab said:

Element exposes all of the audio & MIDI ports available for any plugin used. That also makes it an excellent troubleshooting tool if you are having difficulty routing a plugin in a DAW, and wish to test it in another context.

Plus you can also connect multiple patches from a single plugin output to several other plugin inputs. Very flexible and visual patchcord routing!

 

I see your applications for it! ? But for most of that I use Reaper. Its plugin scanning and startup are like a flash (even if you have annoying plugin shells!) and there are many routing possibilities.

[Jacques Boileau]

You can also still get an older version installer downloaded for free. You may want to try it out before dishing the full $2.99! ?

Here is the link to installers: Element v0.41.1

[User 905133]

6 hours ago, Jacques Boileau said:

You can also still get an older version installer downloaded for free. You may want to try it out before dishing the full $2.99! ?

A serious thanks for the link. Worth testing first because vPlayer3 triggered a BSOD. Probably my fault. With vPlayer3 open I changed the buffer size with my interface's utility and vPlayer3 didn't like that.  Other software lets me open the control panel, change the buffer size, and do a reset to get the software to update the settings. Didn't see that option from within vPlayer3, though. I can see if the older version of Kushview's Element can handle settings changes without causing the dreaded BSOD. 

$2.99 might not seem like much but it covers several rolls of single-ply, non-scented toilet paper--much more useful than software that causes BSODs.  ? 

UPDATE: YIKES!!!!! ? Good thing I tested the earlier version.  Kushview Element seems to be incompatible with my current PC audio settings.  I use Windows audio through my mobo for things like Winamp, YouTube, Vimeo, playing around with pro-audio software, etc. but I use ASIO and my external audio/midi interface for Cakewalk and more serious stuff with pro-audio software. 

It makes sense that upon initialization Kushview Element wants to takes control of all my audio since that is what it seems to be designed to do.  So, I will have to see if I can use it without requiring me to change my current PC's settings.

Edited February 14, 2022 by User 905133
(2) Fixed typo [Elements --> Element]; (1) to add a YIKES!!!! Update.

[abacab]

3 hours ago, marled said:

I see your applications for it! ? But for most of that I use Reaper. Its plugin scanning and startup are like a flash (even if you have annoying plugin shells!) and there are many routing possibilities.

Yes, Reaper is without a doubt the DAW with the most comprehensive routing ability! I even paid for a license to support the developer, even though Reaper is not my daily go-to. But Reaper always seems to just work when I am having issues with a plugin in another DAW.

That said, IMO Element is even more flexible and faster if you don't need a DAW for tracking at the moment, and just want to wire up some instruments and plugins. Could also be used for live playing because it will allow MIDI in from hardware controllers. Save and recall your sessions.

Element can also be used as a [VST / VST3] plugin in your DAW as a wrapper to host plugins [AU / VST / VST3 / AAX Plugin] that your DAW cannot host.

[abacab]

2 hours ago, Jacques Boileau said:

You can also still get an older version installer downloaded for free. You may want to try it out before dishing the full $2.99! ?

Here is the link to installers: Element v0.41.1

Awh, buy the dev a cup of coffee!

$2.99 won't even get you the good stuff anymore!

[Doug Rintoul]

31 minutes ago, User 905133 said:

It makes sense that upon initialization Kushview Elements wants to takes control of all my audio since that is what it seems to be designed to do.  So, I will have to see if I can use it without requiring me to change my current PC's settings.

Element shouldn't be taking over all your audio devices. You can specify which audio device it uses in the options. If you are using ASIO, then that is the nature of ASIO; only one application can be using an ASIO device at a time to reduce latency. You can use FlexASIO to allow mutiple applications to use ASIO at the same time, but you give up a bit of low latency to do that.

Edited February 13, 2022 by Doug Rintoul

[abacab]

Element v0.46.3 (latest version) change log:

Changes in this version

FIXED: Problems with MIDI “learn” when mapping a controller.

Changes in 0.46.0 – 0.46.2 listed below:

https://kushview.net/article/element-v0-46-3/

Edited February 13, 2022 by abacab

[abacab]

46 minutes ago, User 905133 said:

UPDATE: YIKES!!!!! ? Good thing I tested the earlier version.  Kushview Elements seems to be incompatible with my current PC audio settings.  I use Windows audio through my mobo for things like Winamp, YouTube, Vimeo, playing around with pro-audio software, etc. but I use ASIO and my external audio/midi interface for Cakewalk and more serious stuff with pro-audio software. 

Sorry to hear you have troubles with your PC audio!

I use my external USB audio interface for everything on my PC, hooked up to a pair of powered studio monitors.

My pro audio software finds the USB ASIO driver when needed, and Windows uses the USB interface for basic audio for everything else on the PC. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, works great, and no conflicts!

[User 905133]

3 hours ago, Doug Rintoul said:

Element shouldn't be taking over all your audio devices. You can specify which audio device it uses in the options. If you are using ASIO, then that is the nature of ASIO; only one application can be using an ASIO device at a time to reduce latency. You can use FlexASIO to allow mutiple applications to use ASIO at the same time, but you give up a bit of low latency to do that.

Thanks.  I will take another look at Kushview's Element when I have time to fiddle with it.  It looks very handy, including potential for diagnosing software that uses audio. 

To be clear, once I figured out how to set up my Windows 10 settings several years ago, I have had no trouble using ASIO with my external interface for some things (as mentioned above) and Windows Audio with the mobo audio for other things at the same time.  So (to take one example) for any standalone soft synths (among other software--including web browsers) I can set them up to use (A) ASIO Out (FW --> Interface) OR (B) Windows Audio (headphone out --> audio in to the Interface.  It affords me tons of flexibility.

Thanks for mentioning FlexASIO. I remember looking at that a while ago.  Maybe its worth another round of exploration.

I didn't debug the issue(s) with Kushview Element yet.  Too much to do; too little time.  All I know is with my current PC settings, when Element started running, it killed the audio coming from  WinAmp [Windows Audio] and Browser-based audio [also Windows Audio] no longer worked.

I suspect I will have to read the manual and reconfigure things (possibly just the default Element session).  Fortunately, when I exited Element, both  WinAmp audio and Browser-based audio worked as usual.  That's cause for optimism--I should be able to run Kushview Element and have audio the way I want without it permanently interfering with my usual work flow when not using Element.

I just don't want to read a manual at the moment.  But without question,  starting the default Element's session caused my usual audio to not work and exiting it gave control over my usual audio back.  My days of reverse engineering software have long been over.  So to me it looked like a takeover.  But it wasn't a full-scale incursion.  ? 

Edited February 14, 2022 by User 905133
Fixed typo [Elements --> Element]

[abacab]

On 2/13/2022 at 4:23 PM, User 905133 said:

But without question,  starting the default Element's session caused my usual audio to not work and exiting it gave control over my usual audio back.

This detail suggests that Element is grabbing the Windows audio driver by default, and hogging it exclusively. So then your Windows audio apps are unable to access the on-board audio driver.

Maybe if you just go into options in Element and select the same audio device that you normally use for Cakewalk, the result will be the same as if you had started Cakewalk.

Assuming that you have set Cakewalk up so that it is currently playing audio nicely through your external interface, side-by-side with your other Windows audio apps running with the on-board audio. Not suggesting here to attempt to run Element and Cakewalk at the same time though. Just one or the other...