I am still going nuts trying to get XTC to work

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

Well, as I say in the thread title, I am still going nuts trying to get XTC to work!!!
GaryB, I have tried everything you suggested to no avail. I have installed, reinstalled Logic, Cubase SX3 and Scope, tried it with Cubase SX 3 instead of Logic, but nothing!!
Neither of my sequencers even see the plug ins even though they are in the VST folders. This really has me stumped. I am determined to get it going as the concept of XTC sounds interesting.
Is there anyone kind enough out there to shed some light on this problem?

I will at least outline what I do.
1) Installed Logic 5.5.1
2)Installed Cubase SX 3 and update
3Installed Scope and direct the XTC plugins to go to both Cubase and Logic (though I have tried every permutation-just Cubase, just Logic, both Cubase and logic, while standing on my head, while being naked, while wearing a pair of my wife's underpants on my head etc...)
4) Yes, I have Asio Scope drivers set in my sequencers
5)yes I have XTC enabled in the Scope settings.

I have done everything (as far as I know) according to the instructions!

Should I just give up? Is Scope too complicated for me? These days I tend to make music more on my laptop as that is easy. No complicated routing stuff for a start. Even without XTC I find I don't fully understand what Pulsar can do. Am I too stupid?
Let me finally say that I want to be able to figure this out. I remember in the days when I used to run Pulsar 3.1 C and I had no problems.

Thanks in advance for any help I get!!!

[voidar]

Please open XTCProject.pro with SFP, found under your SFP/App/XTC directory, or something.
Tell us what you see. Preferably post a picture.

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

What I see is the standard SFP XTC project. I have made no alterations to it.

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

Bump!

Can't anyone help?

[Me$$iah]

this may not be relevant, but I had a wierd problem oncewhen reinstalling my system...I was cshnging the drives etc...totally irelevant... but....

When i was installing it I had chosen to put the xSource on the same drive as scope...and it caused huge problems with XTC....so ensure that the xSource folder goes to a seperate drive...or disable it...
Might not be your problem ...but y'never know

Me$$iah

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

Thanks for the tip Me$$iah. I'll give it a go. But excuse my ignorance what is x Source for?

[AudioDan]

xSource seems to be a copy of the .dll VST plugins that go into the VST Plugins folder, with some extra driver information as far as I can see. It's most likely (in my less than qualified opinion) that the .dll plugs in the VST Plugins folder are like a port that directs the VST host through to the real plugins which are in the xSource folder. If anyone knows more than me about this I'd love to hear about it 'cause I'm kinda interested in it myself.

I'm very interested in Me$$iah's comment about having problems with changing the xSource folder position. I've had endless problems with XTC which I thought were related to my Dual Xeon system, but I'd really like to hear what problems Me$$iah had and compare.

Back to the point....Astral Fridge Magnet. Sorry if this is a complete insult to you but I didn't see it mentioned...are you shutting SFP down when you're using XTC. If yes then great, I hope I don't insult your intelligence too much.....my next question would be:
In SX 3 when you go to the "Plugin Information" folder can you see the XTC plugins there? If you can make sure they've got a tick next to them so that they are active.

Again, sorry if this is fundamental and insulting to you but I just had to check.

Cheers,

AudioDan



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AudioDan on 2005-10-25 22:39 ]</font>

[voidar]

On 2005-10-25 11:43, Astral Fridge Magnet wrote:
What I see is the standard SFP XTC project. I have made no alterations to it.

Perhaps you need to do some alterations? I dont't remember the default project.

Anyway, where has the XTC-guide gone? Some user posted it once. It's like the ABC of XTC.

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

Thanks for the responses so far.

First of all Me$$iah, the xSource folder automatically installed itself onto another drive (my D drive), so that is not the problem.

AudioDan, yes I do shut down SFP when trying to use XTC. Yes I can see in Cubase in the VST Folder the XTC Plugins. But, I am not sure what you mean by "make sure they have a tick next to them so that they are active."
Can you explain how I do this please?

Thanks

[garyb]

put a check mark by them by clicking the mouse. cubase automatically unchecks them(calls them inactive) when you use scope mode, as xtc plugins are not available in scope mode. tedious, but that's how it works with steinberg.

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

Hi GaryB,

Do you mean by right clicking the .dll file, so going into properties and ticking "read only" in "Attributes."

If that is not the way, could you please explain in detail how I do this (step by step).

Excuse my ignorance.

Thanks


P.S. I think I understand what you mean. I have to go to within Cubase:

Devices>Plug-in Information

There are all the plugs in including the XTC ones. I have ticked (checked) all the boxes on the far left hand side but still it doesn't work. When I open up my VST Instruments Panel I still see nothing except the Cubase Plug-ins.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Astral Fridge Magnet on 2005-10-26 22:57 ]</font>

[garyb]

in cubase go to devices/plugin information and place a check in the box by the xtc plugins. there's a lot of them so have fun...

i believe this is in the xtc threads here..(happy to post the info again though! )

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

Hi again,

Just before you replied I figured out what you meant. In fact I wrote it in my edit to the post above yours. So here it is again:

I went to,

Devices>Plug-in Information

There are all the plugs in including the XTC ones. I have ticked (checked) all the boxes on the far left hand side but still it doesn't work. When I open up my VST Instruments Panel I still see nothing except the Cubase Plug-ins.

So it hasn't worked. Do I just give up? Have I missed an important step?

Thanks again!!

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

Well, some progress!!! After closing and restarting Cubase, all the XTC plug-ins are there now. So a step forward at last, but one minor problem. I don't hear them. I can't even hear my cubase ones, whereas before I could. So what have I overlooked this time?
By the way I also got a couple of error messages:

"can't find file ADSR Envelope Generator 5 Please check installation and can't find dsp file Flanger R4."

Assuming I finally get it all going, I have another question. I also have Logic 5.5.1 installed on the same PC. So do I copy the XTC folder to the Logic VST folder to get it working in Logic, or is there more to it?

Once again thanks!!!

[garyb]

copying the file should work, although logic should be able to find the plugins in the cubase vstplugins folder....

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

As I said in my pevious post, I have made some progress. I now see the XTC plug-ins and can open them within Cubase (though Logic 5.5.1 doesn't yet see them), however I hear no sound even though cubase is registering midi and audio on its meters the same goes for Logic (though Logic doesn't recognise the XTC plug-ins). Even my cubase plug-ins make no sound, whereas they did before.
I can only get sound when I am in "normal" SFP mode.
I opened up the default project window and in the routing window I see nothing at all now, whereas before there was a default set-up.

Assuming, that I now hear nothing because there is now nothing in the routing window, how do I create a default XTC project that I can tailor make and will be in operation everytime I use XTC.

I am sorry if I am being annoying with what may seem like banal and simplistic questions, but I am a musician not a technician and trying to solve this is melting my brain. Since Scope 4 came out I have struggled with it constantly, I used to have far more success with 3.1, though I want to figure it out!!

I really wish someone would release a book on Scope, a type of idiot's guide, for people like me. But I guess that is not going to happen seeing that it is becoming long in the tooth now.

Please help and thanks for your patience!!

[voidar]

On 2005-10-27 06:58, Astral Fridge Magnet wrote:
As I said in my pevious post, I have made some progress. I now see the XTC plug-ins and can open them within Cubase (though Logic 5.5.1 doesn't yet see them), however I hear no sound even though cubase is registering midi and audio on its meters the same goes for Logic (though Logic doesn't recognise the XTC plug-ins). Even my cubase plug-ins make no sound, whereas they did before.
I can only get sound when I am in "normal" SFP mode.
I opened up the default project window and in the routing window I see nothing at all now, whereas before there was a default set-up.

Assuming, that I now hear nothing because there is now nothing in the routing window, how do I create a default XTC project that I can tailor make and will be in operation everytime I use XTC.

I am sorry if I am being annoying with what may seem like banal and simplistic questions, but I am a musician not a technician and trying to solve this is melting my brain. Since Scope 4 came out I have struggled with it constantly, I used to have far more success with 3.1, though I want to figure it out!!

I really wish someone would release a book on Scope, a type of idiot's guide, for people like me. But I guess that is not going to happen seeing that it is becoming long in the tooth now.

Please help and thanks for your patience!!

There was a great thread on this, with pictures and all, but I don't know where it went.
XTC is great when it works, and it has great potential if only CWA would develope it further.

Anyway, I am sure the reason why you are not hearing anything is because of the empty XTCproject.pro.

Let's do this on a step-by-step basis.

1. Copy XTCproject.pro from your driver CD to your App/XTCApp folder.

2. Open it up.

There are two essential devices needed for XTC; Merge and DirectMixerContainer.

3. Create 4 or more ASIO source channels.

4. ASIO 1L&R should be routed directly to the DirectMixerContainer-module and from it to your monitoring.

5. ASIO 2L&R should be routed directly to the Merge-module and from it to a ASIO destination of choice - IMPORTANT - this should be used as your output-bus (in Logic/Cubase) for REALTIME mixdown of tracks. I.E. You will have to record the ASIO-destination connected to the Merge-module to a new stereo-track in either Logic or Cubase, or whatever sequencer, to mixdown your music in XTC mode.

6. IMPORTANT - connect the Merge-modules L&R output to it's L&R inputs. I don't know why, but this must be done. It will look like the routing is done above the Merge-module itself when this is done correctly.

Now, this is essential for getting sound in XTC-mode. Try this and report.

If this works you can choose to do some advanced stuff like multiple output-busses etc.

1. CW mixers do not work in XTC-mode for some reason. So, download the free Switch-it module and enable it to pass all inputs to its output.

2. Create as many ASIO-sources as you wish and connect these to the Switch-it module.

3. Hook the Merge- and DirectPlayMixerContainer-module's inputs to Switch-it's outputs.

You can now bus out multiple stereo-stems from your sequencer and mix them in native SFP resolution, if you feel that is an improvement. But this technique is used all the time by pro's through high-end consoles. 32-bit integer might be an improvment over the 32-bit float engines of the common sequencer, especially in crowded mixes.

Anyway, do the first steps and report back.

[Astral Fridge Magnet]

Thank you very much Voidar for the detailed procedure. Thanks to your help I have made a bit more progress. I can now hear sound at last. I basically had to open the XTCproject.pro, make some of your suggested alterations and rename it as "default.pro"

Things though are still not 100% right yet.

1) Not all the XTC synths will open. Such as,
EZ Synth, Inferno, Miniscope and Miniscope MK II, Poison, U Know 007 and Vectron Player. When I try to open them I get a message saying:

" Can't find ADSR Envelope Generator 5 - please check installation"

Some of the synths do work though

2) Logic still doesn't recognise the XTC stuff.

I haven't tried the XTC effects just yet. One step at a time I suppose.

3) You suggested I download the free "Switch-It Module", where do I get that?

Once again thanks for your help. It is really appreciated!!! Step by step I am getting there.

Regards

[voidar]

On 2005-10-27 09:38, Astral Fridge Magnet wrote:
Thank you very much Voidar for the detailed procedure. Thanks to your help I have made a bit more progress. I can now hear sound at last. I basically had to open the XTCproject.pro, make some of your suggested alterations and rename it as "default.pro"

Things though are still not 100% right yet.

1) Not all the XTC synths will open. Such as,
EZ Synth, Inferno, Miniscope and Miniscope MK II, Poison, U Know 007 and Vectron Player. When I try to open them I get a message saying:

" Can't find ADSR Envelope Generator 5 - please check installation"

Some of the synths do work though

2) Logic still doesn't recognise the XTC stuff.

I haven't tried the XTC effects just yet. One step at a time I suppose.

3) You suggested I download the free "Switch-It Module", where do I get that?

Once again thanks for your help. It is really appreciated!!! Step by step I am getting there.

Regards

Hello. Good to be of help

Let's see.

1)

Your installation seems to be a bit wierd.
It seem to me you are missing some dsp-files. Try to manualy copy files from CD to disc.

Under my App/Dsp folder I have a file called ADSR-EG5.dsp (with a paired .nfo(help) file) i.e. Do yo have this file? It fits the device-name in the error-message.

2)

Logic only recognizes DirectX effects I believe. Every VST effect must be in Logic's plug-in directory.
Try to copy the XTC effect .dll's to that directory.
Also remember to copy the xtc.ini file to the same directory. Mine says:

[SCOPE]
Application=I:/Program Files/Audio/SFP/App/XTCApp/XTC.pro
Bin=I:/Program Files/Audio/SFP/App/Bin
Config=XTC-Config

3)

I would try to do a search on this board under the "Devices"-forum. A lot of good stuff to be found there.

[garyb]

is that file in the dsp folder(or anywhere on your computer)? if so, is it marked "read only"? if it's marked "read only", uncheck that. if it's not there, copy it from the install disk.

perhaps there is a problem with the install?was this a downloaded version? the cd's installer seems to work much better, call your dealer for a cd if you don't have one....

switchit is available in the devices forum.
read some old threads!