A Bad Trip Down Giga Memory Lane

What soundcard do you use?

I don't miss that program at all. I had 2 versions of it, the original gigasampler and then gigastudio. Complete waste of money for me, never got either working reliably. The only thing that ever really worked was the S-Convert program or whatever it was called to convert sample library formats & strip out wave files.

I use GS3 all the time, without any problems.

ORIGINAL: FirmamentFX
Well, I converted to Kontakt 2 years ago after 5 months of nightmar-ish Gigastudio issues, but recently I have had to reinstall it to get the editor (to export a load of samples from gig files).

If it's not too late to save you from the madness... Why not just import the GIG files into K2? That will certainly extract the samples for you!

You could also get a conversion program to extract specific samples -- such as Chicken System's translator, which comes an an "NI edition" -- http://www.chickensys.com/products/sw_iteminfo.php?sw_name=Translator+Special+Editions

If it's not too late to save you from the madness... Why not just import the GIG files into K2? That will certainly extract the samples for you!

You could also get a conversion program to extract specific samples -- such as Chicken System's translator, which comes an an "NI edition" -- http://www.chickensys.com/products/sw_iteminfo.php?sw_name=Translator+Special+Editions

I do that with odd gig files that I find I need "on the fly". The only problem with the larger libraries is that it will not export sample folders - many of my libraries have Kontakt "conversions" which require you to either a) load up the EXS samples (I never buy EXS or "multiformat" versions if I can help it), or b) export the samples with the correct folder structure for the NKI's to read without "searching" for samples.

The one (annoying) exception is the VSL horizon series. The master install disks (with the multiformat versions) are in storage in the UK (I am in France at the moment) so I am stuck with converting *all* the gig files. The Kontakt programs (and I assume the EXS ones too) reference folders like "Einzelnoten", "Phrasen" etc etc etc, which is lovely, but not in the gig folder structure.

So, *every* time I load a horizon Kontakt 2 program (I have Opus 1 and 2, Epic Horns, Concert and Overdrive Guitars, and Saxophones) I have to search for samples. Once it is in a project it is fine, but when I start a fresh one I have to do it all over again. I don't resave the programs with the new references because the obsessive compulsive in me *wants* to get the folder structure right (one day), but the VSL manuals are next to useless...

Do you know what is causing it to hang at the splash screen? Has it become corrupted in some way?

My system doesn't hang at the splash screen... I just get BSODs with BAD_POOL_CALLER whenever I try and perform a (Windows) file operation on a folder that at some point in the past has been used by Gigastudio or the Editor.

Gotta love those kernel mode drivers... Bet they weren't signed by MS

I used to be a staunch defender of GS when it was just as stable, if not slightly more so, than Kontakt. Kontakt has come on in leaps and bounds though, and with scripting negating the need for the performance tool or any of that malarky, it is the clear winner for me.

I have not gone, and am not going, down the Vienna Instrument route because part of the joy of Kontakt for me (with the exception of the player instruments) is being able to get down to sample level and fiddle around with the samples themselves.

Sorry - I didn't want this to turn into a giga-rant... If you are managing to use it with no problems, then long may it continue! Me though - on 2 separate systems (and no, there is no way than can be corrupt - they are restores of almost fresh install images!!) I have had errors.

As I said, I once used GS3 live on a show (pantomime in 2006) - trying to conduct the actors on stage with one hand whilst restarting the computer after *another* BSOD mid-show with the other is not a memory I wish to dwell on

Cheers!

Martin

ORIGINAL: Beagle


I end up opening GS3 before sonar as well, but even then, it's still REWIRE - you still have to insert it into the project as a REWIRE before you can use it inside sonar.

I'm not clear on what you mean. I never insert it into a project. I just route the midi data to GS3 through the Giga midi outputs in Sonar and load the GS3 channels with samples. When I want to record the output into a Sonar audio track I route it into Sonar using the Delta mixer. Are you doing it some other way?

ORIGINAL: Beagle

are you doing something different that I'm not?

On my system, Gigastudio just shows up as a midi output in Sonar, even I I don't have Gigastudio launched. It's been a while since I installed all the programs, but I don't recall doing any special. When I chose my midi outputs in the Sonar midi dialog box, they were there as a choice and I selected them.

ORIGINAL: Beagle

AHA! It shows up as a MIDI output in XP, but I never thought about looking in MIDI devices as an output! there it is! I'll try that and see if that doesn't give me better luck than running REWIRE! thanks!

You're welcome. I hope that works for you.

Steve - what do you use for your dedicated machine(s) (specs)? And do you have ANYTHING else on those machines except windows and GS3?