Issue with 32 Lives and DP 8.05

[James Steele]

Hmmm... I continue to find a few interesting tidbits:

1) Slate FG-X indeed runs fine but it's still a big hit on the CPU. And for some reason jBridge has that "Performance Mode" option that reduces FG-X's processor hit. 32 Lives can't do this.

2) BetaBugs MonstaChorus (which I love) exhibits an issue. If you stop playback in DP while that plug is passing audio, you will get a stuttering "stuck CD" effect while DP is in stop. Resuming playback will make it stop and playback will continue as it should. MonstaChorus is listed as compatible on the developer's site.

3) Although Altiverb 6 is also shown as compatible, every attempt I made to instantiate it in a project I'm working on now crashes 32 Lives. I'm using Altiverb 6.3.7 which was the last version of Altiverb 6. The Plug In Manager in 32 Lives reports it as version 7.3.7 instead of 6.3.7 for some odd reason. Granted, I could throw $200 at the problem to upgrade to Altiverb 7.... but ouch...

I've reported the issues to the developer.

EDIT: I should add by way of comparison, with jBridgeM Slate FG-X also works fine and you can reduce the CPU hit. MonstaChorus works and does not have the stuttering issue, and Altiverb 6 also works no problem. Although it's not as "slick"... jBridgeM (for now) works better for these particular plugs. It will be interesting to see if the 32 Lives developer can fix these issues. I'm about to try Philharmonik CE in 32 Lives. Just did... it works fine!

[Shooshie]

I'm happy to report something I just discovered. I don't know how it does it, but 32 Lives is passing keyboard transport controls to DP while I have a bridge plug-in GUI active. It shows 32 Lives as the foreground app in the menu bar, but spacebar is starting and stopping transport and I even used the "." and the measure number to locate to a measure.

Geez… I really want that. But I just can't help but think that FG/X is right around the corner (64 bit rewrite, that is), so I will probably not get 32 Lives. But if it looks like they're going to be 6 months or so, I may go ahead and get it. It would be nice to have if it works with my old Tassman4 synth from AAS. I'm just trying to keep the blinders on for now, looking forward to total 64 bit nirvana. But I'm listening… just not sure if I should do it at this point.

Shooshie

[James Steele]

I've found that 32 Lives can introduce some instability. I suspect the degree to which it is unstable is dependent on how many and which plugs you're bridging. I suspect some bridge better than others.

On a positive note, I received an email from the developer acknowledging the problem with Altiverb 6 and that they're working on it, so I hopefully to see an update soon. Frequent updates go a long way to increase my confidence in a developer. I noticed jBridge was recently updated on the Windows side of things, but it's been a while for the Mac version.

As far as if you just want to bridge FG-X, Shoosh, jBridge seems a cheap way to go and as I discovered recently, if you choose the option to always keep the plug GUI on top, I believe you CAN adjust the plug settings while still having transport control. Also, enabling the "Performance Mode" option has the benefit of significantly decreasing the CPU hit of FG-X. Might be worth trying the jBridgeM demo. I hope Slate has an update sooner than later though. FG-X has become my go-to mastering plug.

[James Steele]

I didn't want to copy my posts from the other topic here, but if you use this link, you can read my latest adventures with bridging:

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 24#p471651

I can see jBridgeM or 32 Lives being a useful piece of software in the context of using sparingly for a few plugs that need to be updated. I wish I knew what was involved in updating 32-bit plugs to 64-bit. Case in point: although I've gotten out of the habit of using it, my Focusrite Liquid Mix is still a nifty little box, and seems if enough users got involved, they might be able to pull an "AlphaTrack" and see if the developer would let an enterprising independent programmer update it as a favor to that community and make a few bucks.

I know that Liquid Mix is working fine with either jBridgeM or 32 Lives and so I may use it for older projects that use it.

[BKK-OZ]

My LM, bought on special, just sits in the box since the move to 64, so I would be supportive of something happening like your suggestion. I've essentially given up on 32 bit only plugs, except for old projects where it isn't worth the effort of doing something to change to a 64 bit plug.

[James Steele]

My LM, bought on special, just sits in the box since the move to 64, so I would be supportive of something happening like your suggestion. I've essentially given up on 32 bit only plugs, except for old projects where it isn't worth the effort of doing something to change to a 64 bit plug.

Well FWIW, Liquid Mix is working just fine with either jBridgeM or 32 Lives right now. So it does work. I'd be supportive of "something happening" too.

[Shooshie]

I've found that 32 Lives can introduce some instability. I suspect the degree to which it is unstable is dependent on how many and which plugs you're bridging. I suspect some bridge better than others.

On a positive note, I received an email from the developer acknowledging the problem with Altiverb 6 and that they're working on it, so I hopefully to see an update soon. Frequent updates go a long way to increase my confidence in a developer. I noticed jBridge was recently updated on the Windows side of things, but it's been a while for the Mac version.

As far as if you just want to bridge FG-X, Shoosh, jBridge seems a cheap way to go and as I discovered recently, if you choose the option to always keep the plug GUI on top, I believe you CAN adjust the plug settings while still having transport control. Also, enabling the "Performance Mode" option has the benefit of significantly decreasing the CPU hit of FG-X. Might be worth trying the jBridgeM demo. I hope Slate has an update sooner than later though. FG-X has become my go-to mastering plug.

Thanks, James. I'll try that!

Shoosh

[James Steele]

I may have spoken too soon. I think it works with some and not others. I'm posting in another topic also, but Joao released a 0.82 version of jBridgeM and it has a nice feature that makes the plug-in GUI always appear to be in DP's plugin window which I like.

You can get the newer jBridgeM (if you don't have it already) here:

http://jstuff.wordpress.com/jbridgem/jbridgemupdates/

You just go there and then enter the email address that you gave when purchased it, and you'll get an auto response email with the new version attached.

I'm feeling like the latest jBridgeM is pretty solid. I have a bit more confidence in it (so far) than 32 Lives. I feel the best scenario is to have BOTH and then through experimentation determine for each 32-bit plug whether it behaves better bridging its VST version with jBridgeM or it's AU version with 32 Lives. Once you do that, set up a Plug-In set in DP's Audio Plug-Ins prefs accordingly.

So far Altiverb 6 is for sure jBridgeM (as 32 Lives is broken with the AU of Altiverb 6).

I also have Ultra Analog VA-1 working in 32 Lives... don't believe there's a VST of that one.

BetaBugs MonstaChorus is best as VST/jBridgeM. I found that the AU in 32-Lives passes sort of "stuck CD" audio if you stop DP while it's passing audio.

Philharmonik CE (the version I have) likes AU/32 Lives. The VST/jBridgeM gives a weird GUI issue.

Slate FG=X I felt is best with VST/jBridgeM because of the "Performance mode" option lessening its CPU hit. However, I can't use the "Plugin editor in host's window client area" option as it seems to activate the "Bridge plugin's GUI always on top" option as well and that prevents FG-X's present menu from opening. You can step through presets with the arrow buttons on FG-X's GUI, but you cannot open the menu when those options are enabled. All of this will be moot once Slate releases the 64-bit version of FG-X, which I hope isn't much longer.

Strangely there are times if I run a mixed plug-in set (some 32-bit VSTs and some 32-bit AUs... using jBridgeM and 32 Lives respectively) when DP 8 crashes during loading the project and I get MOTU crash reporter telling me MachFive 3 is to blame. I'm beginning to suspect if 32 Lives isn't responsible for this somehow. I don't think it happens in projects where my I'm bridging ONLY VSTs.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but have y'all noticed the absence of posts reporting problems with Plogue Bidule? It ain't because people don't use it. It's because it just works and were past trying to work around it or use multiple apps to accomplish one simple thing.

Buy. Install. Setup. Done.

Isn't that the way you want a bridge to work?

Just sayin' and sayin' and sayin' and sayin'...

[James Steele]

I don't really want to get into Bidule or use ReWire. Thanks though. You understand these bridge apps are both BETA, yes? They'll get it sorted out. I prefer this approach.

[Shooshie]

Yeah, I have Bidule. I just want something simple and out of the way. And as soon as my affected plugin(s) get updated to 64 bits, I'll probably ditch any bridging app and go back to "just" DP and plugins. I appreciate the bridge apps, and I'm happy to pay for their use. I hope the developers make some money at it. But those are apps with limited futures as people get their updates sorted out.

Shooshie

[James Steele]

Yeah, I have Bidule. I just want something simple and out of the way. And as soon as my affected plugin(s) get updated to 64 bits, I'll probably ditch any bridging app and go back to "just" DP and plugins. I appreciate the bridge apps, and I'm happy to pay for their use. I hope the developers make some money at it. But those are apps with limited futures as people get their updates sorted out.

Agreed. It's a stop gap. Although, there are some plugs I might be "stop-gapping" for a while or always. I have a couple of plugs I like that will never be 64-bit. Also, it's actually nice to have an option for keeping my Altiverb 6 humming as I just really can't justify the Altiverb 7 upgrade fee of $215. It's just not an expense I can justify right now.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Yeah, as much as I scream BIDULE! BIDULE! I haven't needed it for DP since moving to ML and beyond. But I still use it for Finale which is still 32 bit and because it makes working in Finale much more efficient.

[David Polich]

I downloaded the demo for Bidule and found it way too much of a PITA
to set up. Too many steps, and it reminds me of the old Logic Environment
where you made music by connecting lines to boxes. That, plus the price,
made it a no-brainer for me to pass on Bidule.

I used J-bridge for awhile and still have it. But frankly, since moving to
ML on my Mac Pro, I'm 32-Lives all the way, and I have had zero problems
with it. One thing I really like about it is that I can open all my old
projects that have umpteen instances of legacy plugs (like T-racks version
1 equalizers, for instance) and they launch with all those instances intact
AND my user presets recalled.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I will grant you that the setup is a ROYAL PITA, but you only do that once and then it's truly magical, IMO. Then again (speaking of royal PITAs) I enjoy reading Bach at the piano, so there's no accounting for taste. LOL!