Basic question for Brass in Digital Performer

[DevinThomas]

Hi, I just got brass and I am trying to figure out how to use it to play back 3 midi tracks in Digital Performer. I tried Riff Mode, but it doesn't do what I want. I don't want to trigger any Riffs, I have my own parts that I have written. I just want to have MIDI track 1 play a trumpet, MIDI track 2 play a sax, and MIDI track 3 play a trombone. IS THIS POSSIBLE?

Why is this feature not explained anywhere in the manual?

The only work-around I can think of is to open 3 instances of BRASS and then assign a part to each using LIVE mode. BUT THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT CAN IT?

Arturia has to have put this functionality into the software, right? RIGHT?

PLEASE HELP!!!!

Thanks!

DevinThomas

[Antoine]

BRASS v1.x is not multitimbral, v2.0 *is*. Still in debug phase, at this time, but shall worth the waiting.
For the moment, you must run multiple instances of BRASS if you want one instrument per track.

[DevinThomas]

When you say Brass in not multitimbral that is incorrect. Brass is capable of playing three parts in Riff mode, is it not? I don't understand what you mean by not multitimbral. Do you mean that Brass does not give the user the ability to play back the user's own midi tracks and hear three parts at the same time?

If this is true, than I think you are being very deceptive in your advertising. There is nothing in your literature to indicate that a user cannot write their own parts, but instead must rely on inferior pre-made Riffs that will never fit into an original composition (at least none of mine).

Please don't insult the serious composer with these Riffs and try to pass them off as something that you can use to add brass to your compositions. I cannot believe that Brass 1.0 was released without this basic functionality. It is mind boggling. Doesn't anyone at your company ever talk to end users?

If you are telling me that I must wait for Brass 2 to get this functionality, then I have another question for you. When is Brass 2 going to be released?

Thank you,

DevinThomas


P.S. The current version of Brass is buggy on my MacBook Pro with numerous graphic glitches and crashing in case you are interested.

[Antoine]

Sorry DevinThomas if some misunderstanding may have raised.

Here are the facts:
_ Brass v1 has 2 operating modes: LIVE and RIFF;
_ In LIVE mode, you can play one instrument at a time (monotimbral);
_ In RIFF mode, riffs can be played and edited, and one riff can contain up to 4 instruments. Also you can import or export your own MIDI files, as suggested in the User's Manual pages 40-41.

As far as I know, Brass v2 is scheduled for release in August/September period.

PS: yes I'm interested in such bugs. Would you please be kind enough to post a Tech Support inquiry through your Arturia account, with a detailed report? That will be useful for our beloved developers.

[slammah2012]

you can have multiple instances of brass running for live multitimbraelity.....chose a different midi channel in each instance and select your instruments.....
I read version 2 was free for owners of version 1....

[DevinThomas]

Yes, but Brass is buggy to begin with, so using three instances is just undoable. Besides the manual even recommends against this as it taxes the processor too much. If Brass can play 4 parts in Riff mode, why can't it do it in Live? What's the difference? I don't get it.

DevinT

[janice]

Hi Devin,
Did you ever get Brass to work properly in RIFF mode? I'm running it on a MAC PowerBook G4 in DP4.6 with 2 gigs ram and 1.6 htz processor and the Riffs sound like absolute SHI%.  I have adjusted the buffer sizes from 512 adding incrementally all the way to 4096, and no success. Am I the only person who feels like they wasted $350?! Are you as mad as I am?

Regards,
Janice

[DevinThomas]

Hi Janice,
Yes, I am pretty upset about my experience with Brass, however, I got it for half-price so I'm not quite as mad as you. I figured I might wait for version 2 as it is a free upgrade for me, but that doesn't excuse the fact that this program is buggy and does NOT work as advertised. I can't believe that Arturia didn't test Brass on a Mac laptop. Maybe they don't have one, but c'mon isn't there a beta tester anywhere on a Mac? I mean, how hard can it be? I had similar graphic glitches with their mini-Mg software a few years back, so I really should have known better. But I figured that perhaps they worked out the bugs. I was wrong. Obviously they didn't and now the nightmare continues in Brass! I think Arturia should offer refunds to all their Mac customers or at the very least come clean and admit there is a problem and explain what they are doing to FIX it. This silence on their part is very disturbing to say the least. Just telling me to wait for version 2 isn't helping me now! I don't know what else to say but, Arturia, WHERE ARE YOU AND WHAT IS GOING ON???

[Antoine]

Of course BRASS has been tested on several Mac systems and sequencer hosts, but last version is dated now, and all development effort has been put on upcoming v2.0.
During the while, SDK's have changed (notably VST), introducing new incompatibilities and unwanted behaviors. Sure we should have posted bug fixes as long as we discover them; unfortunately we do not share the "release early, release often" dogma, preferring big updates projects rather than little fixes.
That' a fact, and I have no better advice than try to workaround teh problems you encounter, and wait a bit more for v2.0.

[Trevor]

I won this program from Sound on Sound when it was first released. Got it and discovered it couldn't be used in any way on the computer I had then. When I moved up to a MBP (2.4 gHz, 4G RAM) 2 years ago, I installed it again to discover all of the limitations and dysfunctions represented by all the other contribututors to this forum. I was one of very few forum members (and by implication, program owners). Reviewing the history of my postings, I can only say that support was minimal, and that the program was released prematurely. Had I paid for the program my patience wouldn't have been what it was.

I've managed to use the program for a number of recordings (mostly as sections) using the 'multiple instance' approach. It's been possible, but certainly processor-heavy. I've also been watching the numerous competitors who've come to the fore while BRASS has sat stalled with no bug fixes, updates or upgrades. There are now some pretty astonishing alternatives to this program. I've even got one with built-in breath contol on my iPhone!

If and when v 2 appears, I hope that not only the interface/MIDI implementation/ CPU demands have been addressed. I actually enjoy playing music with this program, but it isn't a miraculous replication of the represented instruments, and it will need to move on to more than just one member of each instrument family. To be in the running we should also have access to flugel horns, cornets, bari/tenor/alto/maybe soprano saxes, and tuba. These options are available through the competition (Wallander etc.) even if they do cost 'per instrument'.

I hope they take this program more seriously in future. I've held back from buying other of their products on the basis of my experience. I do think BRASS could still be a contender, but not unless they first fix everything in V.1, and then develop and expand it in some way along the lines of the direct brass emulation software competition.

I wait with baited breath...