Subject:Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Posted by: pretzelz

Date:3/12/2013 2:49:14 PM

Hi all,

In a bid to step up my entire music production setup, I have purchased Kontakt and several sample instruments from Native Instruments such as 'session strings', 'session horns' etc. I have also made the leap and purchased Acid Pro 7. However, I completely overlooked the fact that it is only a 32-bit only application... meaning my nice 8GB ram on an i7 laptop won't even get touched! But to cap it all, I can't actually use Acid, because Kontakt crashes with fatal low memory warnings just after loading even one instrument 'session strings' and then Acid crashes with it!

Having researched the issue, the solution seems either to move to another 64bit DAW completely (but I've just paid £120+ for Acid) or change the 'instrument settings' for a loaded instrument in kontakt between 'sampler' and 'DFD' (direct from disk) mode. However, of the two bought instruments I'm initially trying, this edit mode seems unavailable and all I can specify are some other more general 'instrument settings'. (the cog icon rather than the spanner). Thus I don't seem to be able to set the loaded instruments to use less memory.

What am I to do here? I've just bought Acid... and I've just spent a few hundred pounds on quite a few fully sampled instruments for use with Kontakt... and I've just spent a lot on a new laptop to do it all especially...

I can't be the only one out there hoping to use Acid and also use it with Kontakt instruments - advice will be very much appreciated. I'm literally at a standstill with anything after shelling out quite a bit of hard saved dosh!

Many thanks for your insight!

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: 519tbarr

Date:3/12/2013 9:48:27 PM

Hey Pretzelz

Unfortunately Acid Pro 7 was created in 2008 and it's last update was February 2010. Sony has said nothing about Acid Pro in years publicly. Most of us suspect Acid Pro is discontinued or.... (unlikely) they are working on a port to mac.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news. I too last year paid for AP7 at full pop $299 only to find out from others here that it looks like Acid Pro is a thing of the past.

A 64 bit version would be beyond welcome at this point. I had to do the same thing and look at other DAW's because 32 bit music platform for the amount of plugins I run is just not an option. I own Studio One V2 and Reaper (along with Pro Tools 10 - which I rarely use)

Sorry bud!
Write to Sony Creative Software and express your discontent.

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: pretzelz

Date:3/13/2013 9:18:14 AM

Thanks for your reply. The news doesn't come as much of a shock. I wonder if there is some way to get a refund? But I expect not, as I bought what the product said it does on the tin. Strange to me why if they originally had a good product, they would just let it go. Very sad. And obviously annoying that I and others have parted with the money. If they're not going to develop it, they should make this clear and even stop selling it if it will inevitably discontinue.

A video warning of this on youtube is in order I feel! One search of that for an acid review, and people won't fall for it anymore. Either that or sony pull's their finger out and quits or updates this product.

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:3/13/2013 4:15:05 PM

Well not discontinued, cos they were advertising it in an email promotion just yesterday !

geoff

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: 519tbarr

Date:3/14/2013 8:44:30 AM

Well Geoff
not discontinued you are right on that!
That's all I will say on that...

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:3/14/2013 10:01:17 AM

There's an answer for this but it entails spending a few more bucks. Get VE Pro and it will allow you to run your memory hungry vi's whether 32 or 64 bit and allow one to access all of one's memory past the Windows (or Mac) 32 bit memory limit. $270 at Sweetwater; see: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VSLEnsPro-e/

It's what Pro Tools users use when they need to run memory hungry plugs due to PT currently being a 32 bit app. You don't need multiple computers which is the beauty of this as it can all be done on one machine. It's also a great thing if you have older spare computers kicking around allowing you to use them as servers with only a single Ethernet cable connection between machines.

You'll also need the Vienna key license dongle as an iLok won't work.

Here's the VE Pro site page: http://www.viennaensemblepro.com/

Jack

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: b.complex

Date:3/15/2013 7:46:15 AM

As a long time ACID user (since version 1) I ran into similar issues when I began upgrading my workstation, VSTi's, and plugins to a 64bit OS and workflow.

The bottom line is that ACID for all intents and purposes is a dead app. I still use it, and it works fine on Win 7 64...but I can't use KONTAKT or many of my plugins with it anymore because those programs are 64bit and even trying to use KONTAKT 4 has become unstable because the libraries themselves have been updated and optimized for KONTAKT 5. It's a no-win game of "leapfrog".

My advice is to use ACID for loop based music or sketching ideas, and then export it however you can into another "proper" DAW that is up to date and can work with your 64bit OS, all of your RAM, and all of your virtual instruments to finish the project.

I'm currently working with PreSonus Studio One, but Reaper is often suggested as an affordable alternative for ACID users to leap to.

Good luck.
-B

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: iamser

Date:3/16/2013 6:29:46 AM

Native Instruments Kontakt does work with acid pro 7. did you download the patch for acid pro 7. that would be the 7e build.
I have all the native instruments bundles reaktor, kontakt etc running on my rig.
I run on windows 7 64 bit.
make sure you have the native instruments install in that windows programs 86x folder. then add the path to your vst's in acid pro
plus make sure you are installing the native instrumenst 32 bit apps. I believe they ship with both 32 and 64 bit

the only thing that acid pro 7 doesnt seem to support is vst2 and vst3

acid pro 7 is robust. does alot.

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:3/16/2013 10:38:15 AM

you wrote:
The bottom line is that ACID for all intents and purposes is a dead app. I still use it, and it works fine on Win 7 64...but I can't use KONTAKT or many of my plugins with it anymore because those programs are 64bit and even trying to use KONTAKT 4 has become unstable because the libraries themselves have been updated and optimized for KONTAKT 5. It's a no-win game of "leapfrog".

My reply:
Kontakt 5 will work in a 32 bit host DAW without any kind of bridge and you don't need VE Pro which I mentioned earlier (though that will help you get around the 64 bit address malady and it lets you run both 32 and 64 bit apps inside it) as I use K5 and other NI stuff in Pro Tools 10 which is still a 32 bit app. So that kind of puts the lie to what you are saying.

Jack

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: AudioVizionz

Date:3/16/2013 12:06:10 PM

@bcomplex...read this again....this time take it UN-serious:

http://www.emusician.com/gear/0769/craigs-list-%e2%80%93-five-totally-delusional-reasons-for-switching-daws/150618

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: b.complex

Date:3/16/2013 12:47:30 PM

Hmmm...

I don't appreciate being called a liar. I've had a LOT of problems trying to make a fully functioning KONTAKT 5 work properly in ACID - maybe it isn't that KONTAKT "won't" work with it so much as that when I load up the libraries I want to use, the system becomes unstable because I NEED ACCESS TO THE FULL 8GB OF RAM THAT I HAVE ON MY SYSTEM in order to do what I'm trying to do - or maybe it's just that when you use a 64bit OS along with a 64bit app and you have a fast computer with a lot of RAM, you would like to actually make use of the advantages offered by having that type of system. If you are working with ACID using all kinds of bridges and other workarounds, that's great. I got tired of fighting with ACID CRASHING all of the time (not when using loops or audio, only when trying to use VSTi's - namely KONTAKT.)

If they took ACID right now and just updated it to be a fully functioning 64bit app, that would probably solve most of my issues with it, but don't call me a liar just because I've had stability issues with AP7 and KONTAKT 5, or because I don't want to use a bunch of workarounds. I LOVE ACID, and it was difficult for me to accept that if I wanted to make the best use of my system resources AND the updated VSTi's I have invested in, I needed to ABANDON ACID as my primary host. That is the reason I jumped from ACID (after 10+ years of using it!). I'm still getting used to Studio One, and if a new 64 bit version of ACID Pro came out...I would have a hard time deciding whether to jump back to using it or not.

It's funny that KONTAKT 5 and Superior Drummer work without flaw in Studio One, but cause instability in ACID Pro 7. There must be a reason. I'm chalking it up to lack of access to all of that RAM. With a 64bit host, that is a NON ISSUE.

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:3/17/2013 7:05:52 AM

b.complex:
Maybe it is Acid, maybe it's the way you're working but all I can say is it doesn't take a 64 bit app to use Kontakt 5 in a daw. I never used Acid as a daw because I don't consider it one but some do. Anyways, I used to use Sonar and then moved on to Pro Tools (now PT10). 32 bit app and I can run 16 tracks of Kontakt each hosting 2 instruments and still have plenty of room. You just have to configure Kontakt right - that's all.

What I'm saying is 64 bit daw won't necessarily solve your problem.

Jack

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: b.complex

Date:3/17/2013 9:38:55 AM

Actually, it will and it DID. I regularly use a rack of at least 5 or 6 instruments in KONTAKT and my drum tracks use Superior Drummer 2.0.

Now, you try loading up EVIL DRUMS in Superior Drummer, the Rickenbacker 4001 library in KONTAKT, piano libraries from Imperfect Samples, Kirk Hunter strings, an instance of GeForce's M-Tron Pro - you will WANT access to that 8GB of RAM and a stable 64bit host to make all of that run smoothly. I open all of that in Studio One and it WORKS - plain and simple. I opened HALF of that in ACID Pro and it crashes...almost every time, and always when I'm in the middle of something. Then try to add a couple of Waves Plugins to the mix and...That's why I migrated to Studio One. The bottom line for me is that I love ACID, but it is completely underpowered to handle what I'm throwing at it. A 64bit version of ACID would most likely address my main issues with it. That said, there is a LOT to like about Studio One, drag and drop groove matching right on the timeline, instant audio to MIDI (using built in Melodyne - which I upgraded to EDITOR), REX file support right on the timeline, lots of MIDI snapping options, the included effects, support for VST 2 and VST 3, the list goes on and on. I still can "work faster" in ACID, but not if it's going to crash every 10 minutes.

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: Martin Henry

Date:3/28/2013 4:03:59 PM

Hello Pretzelz:

It would be helpful if you showed us your sys info within your profile. The clock speed on your mobo is part of your challenge. Unfortunately, it's possible that your laptop processor is not as beefy as your 8 GB's of RAM and would be difficult to switch out if that were the case.

Here are two hardware devices for both i/o and multi-port midi interface as follows.

Motu micro-lite (midi):

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/microlite

Motu audio express (Hybrid firewire-USB audio interface w/ 6 channel on board mixing for DAW / ASIO):

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AudioExpress/

Both units are driver supported by Motu for OSX and Microsoft for Windows. SW offers great discounts and you should be able to invest in these two products for well under $600. U.S. dollars.

I use Komplete 8 and my PC set up is customized for DAW exclusively. Never-the-less, the Motu products I suggest will solve a lot of your problems. But not without also optimizing your i7's performance for DAW yourself.

Just go to my website on my profile which will lead you to my blog on DAW. Click at top where it says:

"PC Optimization DAW Tips For Both Mac and Windows Platforms."

I hope this info and suggestions are helpful to you. Keep us posted on your thoughts to my tips and best of luck to you and your own creative DAW journey!

Respect,

MH~

Subject:RE: Can't use Acid with Kontakt N.I. instruments?

Reply by: AudioVizionz

Date:3/9/2014 2:45:14 PM

Been using kontakt 4 for a long time in ap7e (win7u 32) and just got kontakt 5, etc with komplete elements (included with tripleplay). The dll is in the vst folder but doesn't appear on the add synth list. It opens fine in reaper. Any suggestions?