SonicProjects VM Bundle Installation Guide
SonicProjects
VM Bundle
Installation Guide
www.sonicprojects.ch
Indoduction
Wecome dear customer and congratulations on your purchase! The VM bundle is
completely pre-configured and ready to play. It includes:
- OP-X (V-Machine Edition)
- Stringer (V-Machine Edition)
- SimpleDelay (a simple delay plugin)
- SimpleReverb (a simple reverb plugin)
- Two pre-configured banks (one for OP-X, one for Stringer)
All of this is provided in one handy library file.
Everything you normally have to spend hours to do manually, namely create presets,
rename them, adjust levels, add effects, has already been done for you. You will find
awesome presets, using effect settings we have used in the past to create our famous
demo audio clips. This of course won't stop you setting up your own presets.
The two included send effect plugins are extremely low cpu and optimized to be used
with those synth sounds. The delay has a fixed time setting of 500ms which always
turned out to be perfect, with adjustable feedback. The reverb has got three parameters
and some useful internal presets for every situation.
OP-X and Stringer went through a long and intense adaptation process to fit the needs
and limited power of V-Machine. The result of this is amongst other things an almost
unbelievable cpu consumption reduction of up to 50% for OP-X and 60% for Stringer!
Have a look at the detailed list further below to see what's been changed.
So the goal was to make our and your dream true to have all those famous sounds
which originally were based on tons of equipment within a box of 18x12x4 cm and a
weight of just a few hundred grams!
Here's the list of adaptations:
OP-X:
- CPU usage reduced by an average of 40% up to 50%
- no keyboard animation to save cpu
- no popping up licensee window for faster loading after preset change
- instead the licensee can be displayed by clicking on "A" next to the levers
- starting phase offset correction for phasing-free startup after plugin sleep
- 128 instead of 64 internal presets, containing the best sounds of the library
- registration engine changed for easy licensing within vfx
Stringer:
- CPU usage reduced by an average of 40-60% by changing the envelopes
- linear envelope response in stacked sounds (two engines) to save cpu
- if only the upper engine is active the envelopes are logarithmic again
- in this case the lower attack knob can choose between 3 envelope types
- completely new gui; this will be the next standard version's one
- registration engine changed for easy licensing within vfx
VFX software and V-Machine firmware requirements
This updated bundle at least requires this version of the VFX software and V-Machine
firmware:
2.0.20101204
In any lower version the bundle won't work correctly!
So before you install make sure your vfx software and V-Machine firmware at least has
this version. The 2.0. prefix means it's the 2.0 software and the numbers afterwards is
the date of release (year/month/day).
You can check the current software version like this:
VFX application:
Click on „MENU“ in the top bar of the VFX application. This will show the software
version below „Menu:System Info“
V-Machine:
Depress the two buttons of the highest row (labeled „MENU“ on the right) at the same
time which will show the firmware version below „Menu:System Info“.
How to update:
If the version and release date is lower than 2.0.20101204 then please first on update
your vfx software and then too the V-Machine firmware. The newest vfx software version
can be downloaded from SM Pro Audio:
http://www.smproaudio.com/
Once the vfx software is updated you also can upgrade the V-Machine firmware.
For this start VFX, click on the small white vfx icon in the top left corner and in the menu
choose „V-MACHINE -> update V-MACHINE firmware“ and follow the instructions. Note
that this could change in later versions so always too be sure to read the user manual
provided by SM Pro audio.
Owners of the former version VM Bundle please note that the radio button sample
preset selections will be reset since Stringer has been slightly updated in this area for
clean functionality in the 2.0 software. So either re-initialize those and save the presets
again or use the new and updated Stringer bank.
Full Version - Quick Installation Guide
V-Machine users:
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There are two Methods. Which one you prefer depends on your personal preferences
and the way you work with VFX and the V-Machine.
Method 1: Directly from a stick
For this just copy the „VM Bundle.vfxlibrary“ to a stick, mount this stick on your
computer, start VFX and point the library location to the „VM Bundle.vfxlibrary“ on this
stick. Then license OP-X and Stringer with your key in the „SonicProjects OP-X“ and
„SonicProjects Stringer“ banks and restart VFX. Once licensed the plugins can be
directly played from the stick now with your V-Machine.
A detailed guide for this method can be found on page 5.
Method 2: Import library to VFX
For this start VFX and import the „VM Bundle.vfxlibrary“ library to your current library
using „File->Import from VFX library“. If you still have the demo version in there and
want to use some custom sounds furthermore then before rename the banks they are
inluded in (otherwise they will be overwritten). Be sure that „All Banks“, „With Pugins“
and „Replace existing plugins“ are checked. If you haven't renamed the demo banks
then VFX will prompt you to replace them (do it). Now license OP-X and Stringer in the
„SonicProjects OP-X“ and „SonicProjects Stringer“ banks and restart VFX.
A detailed guide for this method can be found on page 10.
Mac users who don't own a V-Machine:
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If you haven't done already for the demo version before then first on download and
install the free VFX application from SM Pro Audio:
http://www.smproaudio.com/
If you already have the demo version installed and want to use some customized
patches furthermore then before rename the concerned banks.
Now doubleclick the „VM Bundle.vfxlibrary“ file which should launch VFX and start the
import automatically. If this isn't the case then start VFX manually and import the library
by clicking on the small white vfx icon on the top left and choose „File->Import from VFX
library“. Be sure „All Banks“, „With Plugins“ and „Replace existing plugins“ are checked.
If you don't use them anymore you also can replace the demo banks. Now license OP-X
and Stringer with your key. Use „Ctrl + V“ (Strg + V) to paste. The plugins will only start
working after having closed and restarted VFX.
A detailed installation guide can be found on page 10.
Installation Guide: Method 1
Method 1: Directly from USB stick (V-Machine owners only)
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1. Copy library to stick
Copy the „VM Bundle.vfxlibrary“ to a fast USB stick. This can be the stick that also
contains your other VFX libraries.
2. Mount the stick on your computer
Insert the stick in a free USB connector of your computer and start VFX. In VFX click on
the white vfx icon on the top left and choose „options“(mac: „preferences“).
In the „Primary“ field you can see your currently active library location. Remember this
place so that you can switch back to it later.
Now click on the browse button and browse to the „VM Bundle.vfxlibrary“ on the stick.
Note that the drive letter depends on your system:
Now click on „close“. VFX will load the VM Bundle library from the stick now. VFX may
restart itself for it. Now you should see OP-X in the „SonicProjects OP-X“ bank.
If no plugin window can be seen then click on the small white vfx icon at the top left of
VFX and check „Show VST Editor“.
3. License OP-X and Stringer
Click into the blue window on the top right of OP-X to launch the registration window:
Now enter your license key. Be careful not to add any space bars at the beginning and
the end of the lines. 0 is always zero, no letter. You also can use copy and paste to
avoid typing mistakes.
Mac users: use ctrl + v (strg + v) to paste
When the key has been entered correctly then there will be a „thank you for registering“
window popping up. Click on „ok“. If the key has not been entered correctly nothing will
happen at all.
Note that the plugin will only start working after restarting VFX. But you can wait with
this until you have licensed Stringer too.
So toggle too to the „SonicProjects Stringer“ bank with the button at the top right and
unlock Stringer in the same way:
Now close the vfx application, wait 20 seconds and restart it. Go to the banks and check
if the plugins are working by clicking on the virtual keyboard or playing midi notes on
your midi keyboard. Note that the virtual keyboards are not animated to save cpu, so
they won't react to midi notes when you are using an external keyboard.
Now the library on your stick is ready to be used in the way you prefer it or the way you
are used to. If you are not familiar with this then read page 12. The following page
shows how you can play the plugins directly from the stick.
Play the synths directly from the stick
As soon as the library is licensed you can play the synths directly from the stick, and edit
them on demand with the VFX software, create new presets and banks.
Note that there are several other ways of using a library, including importing it to your
main library, and if there's enough free space, importing the plugins and banks to the VMachine's internal disk and update banks then from the stick or over USB cable from
the VFX application. Read page 13 for this.
1. Start your v-machine, wait until startup is finished, and insert the stick
If there's endless long loading that looks like a hang then your usb stick is too slow or
damaged. Take a new and faster one in that case.
Based on our own experience the quality and speed of sticks can vary drastically even
within the same series, and sticks can get damaged easily.
3. Scroll forward in the banks until you see [SonicProjects OP-X]. Press „Load“.
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