Troubleshooting:

Using VSamp:

Using VSamp with a sequencer:

VSamp VST and VSamp AU:


Troubleshooting:


VSamp won't play any sound. What am I doing wrong?

Did you select "Load Instrument -> MIDI Channel 1" from the Play menu?

If you did and it still won't play try the following:

  • Double-click on the file "Acoustic Guitar Instrument" in the "Demo Instrument" folder in the VSamp folder.
  • Select "Load Instrument -> MIDI Channel 1" from the "Play" menu.
  • Select "Play Scale->MIDI Channel 1" from the "Play" menu.
You should immediately hear a scale played on your Mac's speaker If this doesn't work:
  • Select "Preferences..." from VSamp's "Options" menu.
  • Select your audio device from the "Audio Output" popup and click "OK".
  • Select "Load Instrument -> MIDI Channel 1" from the "Play" menu.
  • Select "Play Scale->MIDI Channel 1" from the "Play" menu.

If this still doesn't work please contact VSamp Technical Support

If this works:

  • Select 'MIDI Inputs' from the Window menu.
  • Tick the checkbox "OS X MIDI Input".
  • Select your keyboard from the popup menu.
  • Set your keyboard to transmit on MIDI channel 1.
  • You can play your keyboard and hear VSamp play the output.

Why can I hear clicks in VSamp's output?

Audible clicks can occur for a variety of reasons. If you are playing back a single sample:

  • Your loop is not set correctly. Samples with loops must not have any jumps between the end of the loop and the beginning. Check that this is not the case with a sample editor.
  • If you are holding down the keyboard for the entire length of the sample and you hear a click at the end of the sample before you have released the key then the sample has a DC offset ie. the waveform does not tail off to zero. In this case edit the sample and fade out the last few samples.
  • If you are hearing a click when you release the key then the sample needs a longer release envelope. Open the instrument and click on the envelope button and increase the release time. A time of greater than 20 will smoothly tail off any sample.
If you are playing back many samples at once:
  • Your polyphony is set too high and so there is a break in the sound since the computer's processor can't keep up. Before using Vsamp you should carry out the polyphony test as described in the VSamp manual.
  • You have reached the maximum polyphony as set in the preferences and so note stealing is occuring. In this case you can increase the maximum polyphony if you still have more processor power or reduce the notes in the score.
  • There is not enough headroom and the sound is clipping. In this case increase the headroom in the preferences.

Using VSamp:


How do I play my own sample?

  • Open a new instrument (File->New->Instrument)
  • Click on the "Sample" box of the first line and select your sample (or drag your sample from the Finder to the instrument window).
  • Set the "Note Range" to 1 and 127, and the "Pitch" to 64.
  • Choose "Load Instrument -> MIDI Channel 1" from the "Play" menu.
  • Select 'MIDI Inputs' from the Window menu.
  • Tick the checkbox "OS X MIDI Input".
  • Select your keyboard from the popup menu.
  • Set your keyboard to transmit on MIDI channel 1.
  • You can play your keyboard and hear VSamp play the output.

How do I set up a drum kit?

  • Run VSamp and open a new instrument (File->New->Instrument).
  • Click on the "Sample" field of the first line and select a drum sample.
  • Assign it a low and hi note range and leave the "Pitch" field as is.
  • Repeat steps this for all you samples.
  • Click on the "Track" button at the top of the page so it is UNCHECKED (grey).
  • Click on the envelope button and select "Global Envelope" and click on "Use Envelope" so it is UNCHECKED.
  • Save your instrument in the same folder as your samples and you're done.

How do I loop a sample?

VSamp is not a sample editor. All editing, including setting loop points, must be done with another program. VSamp plays any loops set in the sample


Using VSamp with a sequencer:


Why doesn't my sequencer recognise VSamp?

  • Make sure your sequencer is set up to use OMS or FreeMIDI
  • Make sure VSamp is running. Sequencers will only recognise VSamp as a MIDI destination when VSamp is running.

How do I use VSamp with Cubase?

  • Run VSamp
  • Open the file "Acoustic Guitar Instrument"
  • Choose "Load Instrument -> MIDI Channel 1" from the "Play" menu.
  • Run Cubase and open any file with MIDI
  • In a MIDI track's "output" column select "VSamp" and set the MIDI channel for the track to 1.
  • Hit the Play button and you should hear VSamp play that MIDI track

How do I use VSamp with Logic?

  • In the Arrange or Environment window, click on a track or instrument so that you can see the parameter box for that instrument.
  • If VSamp is running you will see VSamp appear in the pull down menu that appears when you click on the Port in the parameter box.
  • Make sure you assign the MIDI channel for the track to the same as a currently loaded instrument in VSamp (channel 1 for the demo)

How do I use VSamp with Performer?

  • Run VSamp
  • Open the bank "Acoustic Guitar Instrument"
  • Choose "Load Instrument -> MIDI Channel 1" from the "Play" menu.
  • Run Digital Performer and open any file with MIDI
  • In a MIDI track's "output" column select "VSamp-1"
  • Hit the Play button and you should hear VSamp play that MIDI track

How do I use VSamp with Finale?

  • In Finale select MIDI Setup from the options menu.
  • Assign VSamp to 16 Finale Output Instruments by selecting VSamp in one of the popup menus and click OK
  • Assign a staff to the VSamp instruments with Finale's instruments window as you would with any other MIDI device.

Do I need to set the MIDI Inputs window if I'm using a sequencer?

Not usually. The inputs in this window are just for patching MIDI if you want to play VSamp in real time from a keyboard without having to open a sequencer.


VSamp VST and VSamp AU:


How do I use VSamp VST with Cubase?

  • Place VSamp VST.vst in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST
  • Launch Cubase
  • Select VST Instruments from the Panels menu.
  • Select VSamp VST from the popup menu No VST Instr. on the Instruments window. This will create a new VSamp VST instrument.
  • Click on the power button on the left side of the VSamp VST Instrument to see the VSamp VST editor.
  • Press the Select button and select your VSamp instrument or bank.
  • Use the faders to set the number of voices that this Instrument will play. A lower value will put less strain on your computer's processor. Select also the headroom. Leave this at 0dB unless the sound starts to distort.
  • Close the Editor window by clicking in the close box (top left of window).
  • You can create as many of these Instruments as you like provided you have enough processing power. They will be called VSamp VST (1), VSamp VST (2) ....
  • Assign a MIDI track to this instrument by selecting the instrument in the track's output window.

How do I use VSamp AU with Logic?

  • Place VSamp AU.component in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
  • Launch Logic
  • Open the Track Mixer window (cmd-2) and find an empty Audio Instrument
  • Hold down the mouse on the FIRST I/O slot of the audio object and select Stereo->AU Instruments->VSamp->VSampAU. If you want an 8-output version select Multi Channel->AU Instruments->VSamp->VSampAU
  • Press the Select button and select your VSamp instrument or bank.
  • Use the faders to set the number of voices that this Instrument will play. A lower value will put less strain on your computer's processor. Select also the headroom. Leave this at 0dB unless the sound starts to distort.
  • Close the Editor window by clicking in the close box (top left of window).
  • Assign a MIDI track to this instrument by selecting the instrument in the arrange window.
  • For an 8-output version you can access outputs 3-8 by creating an Aux audio object and selecting the VSamp output in the first I/O slot.

How do I use VSamp AU with GarageBand?

  • Place VSamp AU.component in /Library/Audio/Plug-Inns/Components
  • Start Garageband.
  • Select Track->New Track... then Software Instrument.
  • Double-click the track's icon to show the "Track Info" in the right of the window.
  • Click on the triangle next to "Details" at the bottom of the Track Info window.
  • Select VSamp AU in the Generator popup menu
  • Click on the pencil button to the right of this to open the VSamp AU window
  • Press the Select button and select your VSamp instrument or bank.
  • Use the faders to set the number of voices that this Instrument will play. A lower value will put less strain on your computer's processor. Select also the headroom. Leave this at 0dB unless the sound starts to distort.
  • Play Garageband's onscreen keyboard (Window->Keyboard)

How do I use VSamp AU with Digital Performer?

  • Place VSamp AU.component in /Library/Audio/Plug-Inns/Components
  • Start Digital Performer.
  • File->New to open a new project
  • Setup->Audio System is set to MAS
  • Setup->Configure Audio System->Configure Hardware Driver opens a window showing using CoreAudio with Built-In Audio Controller
  • Project->Mixing Board opens the mixer
  • Project->Add Track->Instrument Track->VSamp AU creates a new mixer channel and opens the VSamp AU window.
  • Click Select button to select and load a VSamp instrument (loading progress window appears)
  • Close VSamp AU window
  • Output at bottom of VSamp AU mixer channel is set to Built-In
  • Set output for a MIDI channel at bottom of its mixer channel to VSamp AU
  • Click Rec for the MIDI track assigned to VSamp AU in previous step
  • Play the MIDI keyboard to check all is working (sound from VSamp AU)
  • Click Record in main controls and play
  • Play it back