Pitch bend problem when using third-party VST instruments

Windows/Mac
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1

I’ve been trying out MIDI Guitar 2 and have run into a problem with pitch bend. When I use the stand-alone app pitch bend info does not get passed to instruments in NI Kontakt 8 and IK Multimedia SampleTank 4. I know that the patches I used respond to pitch bend directly from a keyboard. The MIDI monitor in MG2 shows pitch bend info is being generated.

I have tried all the different settings for bend in MG2 and tried a variety of pitch bend range settings in the VST instruments. Legato and aftertouch are disabled in MG2.

But pitch bend does work with several programs in the JX10 AM Synth included with MG2.

When I tested MG2 as a plugin in Sonar pitch bend worked with the third-party VST instruments. In Sonar I had a separate track for the VST instruments rather than placing it in the MG2 interface.

During the searches I made on this topic I found one thead somewhere (not sure where) where the author described all of this specifically. I don’t think they ever found a solution.

It’s important to me to be able to use the stand-alone MG2 app for live performance. And I want to have the option to use pitch bend even though I might not use it on every patch.

I’m ready to buy the full version if I can resolve this problem with the trial.

Scott

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The other thread about this problem on the forum that I mentioned is Bending notes not working on external VST Synths?. There was no resolution mentioned in the thread.

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for debugging purposes please try the mg3 beta to see if you experience the same behavior.

also, basing your setup on mg3 rather than mg2 may make sense in terms of future-proofing things and the add’l capabilities.

in mg3 you need to instantiate a midi output module for external instruments.

the beta is here:

https://jamosapien.com/t/download-midi-guitar-midi-bass-midi-cello-3-0-63-beta/8557

4

Kimyo - Thanks for your response. I’ve installed MG version 3 and it does pass the pitch bend info along to third-party VST synths. I confirmed again that version 2 does not - even with the same plugins and patches.

Do you think that the version 3 beta version is stable enough to rely on?

Scott

5

i do occasionally experience glitches with mg3, such as it reverting to one of the default presets. but i also experiment with various different configurations and multiple instances of mg3 inside a daw.

all in all though i think mg3 standalone is pretty close to road-ready.

i’d find it hard to go back to mg2, things like the controller cable links and envelopes are just so useful.

6

I assume that you mean the plugin versions of these 3rd-party synths are loaded inside MG2.

FWIW, I just loaded ST4 (AU) in MG2 standalone and pitch bend transmits fine to the plugin so you may be doing something wrong there. Kontakt 8 does not receive MG2’s pitch bend data but the pitch bend wheel in the Kontakt 8 interface can manipulate pitch.

I also tested the same Kontakt preset in MG3 standalone and the pitch bend data from MG3 does reach the Kontakt 8 plugin.

You didn’t mention whether you are on macOS or Windows.

In my experience, it’s more reliable than MG2 and I expect we’ll see an update relatively soon that will further stabilize operation.

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In my opinion, it’s very reliable and free of erratic errors. Only when the audio device settings or tracker modes are changed the current preset is getting lost and the last opened factory preset is loaded.
Usually such changes are not made during a session and therefore not reducing the reliability of the current beta version.

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Thanks to you all for your responses. I’ve purchased MIDI Guitar and have been using version 3 without any problems so far. FWIW, I am using the Windows version and I was loading the VST instruments into the stand-alone interface.

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