Wishing I could actually use SS 64 bit

[Cary B. Cornett]

I am frustrated by a need to have something work and not being able to fix it myself.

I still use SawStudio in the 32 bit version. Why? Besides the cost of the upgrade, which later I might manage, there is the teeny weeny little matter of losing the use of all of my 32 bit tools, specifically VST plugins, some of which may be long in the tooth but they work so well.

Today's frustration started with Kontakt 6, which I foolishly updated and so LOST the 32bit VST plugin. This forced me to use Wusik's X42 to bridge the 64 bit version of the Kontakt VST to my 32 bit SAW. Result? Multiple crashes of SAW that require the use of Windows Task Manager to shut it down. So, I'm caught between the mercies of three different developers.

I really need this to work, but am not sure how.

I really wish that the 64 bit version of SAW would include backward compatibility with 32bit VSTs. I know Bob hates to hear this, but at least one other DAW platform (a free one at that) works transparently with both 32 and 64 bit VSTs. I can do this with Cakewalk. Of course, that platform has other quirks, and I really prefer working in SAW.

Is there any hope at all of having the ability to work with 32 bit VSTs added to the 64 bit version of SawStudio? This would be a serious step up for me.

Or is there some other, easier solution to my problem??

[mr_es335]

Cary,

Have a look-see at "Vienna Ensemble": [Click_me]

[Bob L]

There are other choices for VST 32-64 Bridge plugins... search the web. Perhaps one of the others will solve the crashing issue.

Bob L

[UpTilDawn]

I am frustrated by a need to have something work and not being able to fix it myself.

I still use SawStudio in the 32 bit version. Why? Besides the cost of the upgrade, which later I might manage, there is the teeny weeny little matter of losing the use of all of my 32 bit tools, specifically VST plugins, some of which may be long in the tooth but they work so well.

Today's frustration started with Kontakt 6, which I foolishly updated and so LOST the 32bit VST plugin. This forced me to use Wusik's X42 to bridge the 64 bit version of the Kontakt VST to my 32 bit SAW. Result? Multiple crashes of SAW that require the use of Windows Task Manager to shut it down. So, I'm caught between the mercies of three different developers.

I really need this to work, but am not sure how.

I really wish that the 64 bit version of SAW would include backward compatibility with 32bit VSTs. I know Bob hates to hear this, but at least one other DAW platform (a free one at that) works transparently with both 32 and 64 bit VSTs. I can do this with Cakewalk. Of course, that platform has other quirks, and I really prefer working in SAW.

Is there any hope at all of having the ability to work with 32 bit VSTs added to the 64 bit version of SawStudio? This would be a serious step up for me.

Or is there some other, easier solution to my problem??

I haven't done a lot with SAW 64 yet, but in either case (32-to-64 and/or 64-32), I've gotten vst plugins to work quite nicely using jBridge. I've only just started doing so a couple of months ago, because I wanted to use a few 64 bit only plugs in SAW 32 and this has worked great.

I don't know how different Kontakt is in this respect, but maybe it would be worth a try?

I'd also be inclined to get in touch with the makers of Kontakt and get them to provide you with a 32 bit version to install alongside your new 64 bit version - since it sounds like you're saying your only 32 bit version has been lost due to an update?

I have many 32/64 bit versions of plugs installed and do quite well just by specifying which ones are available in either version of SAW by modifying SAW's ini file and a bit of careful renaming of some plugs. Would this strategy work with Kontakt?

[Cary B. Cornett]

Cary,

Have a look-see at "Vienna Ensemble": [Click_me]

It is possible I already have that, as a while back I collected various free orchestra sample instruments. Then a while back I bought Amadeus Symphony Orchestra, which required me to install the free version of Kontakt 6. I had this all working before, but now the 32 bit Kontakt is gone (left out of update?). I can't make the 64 bit plugin work through X42, and I was just now looking back at jBridge, which I bought some time ago but now can't install and make it work. The closest I got ended with a demand for a password that I don't have or remember. I am just about on the point of buying jBridge AGAIN, if I can find the vendor. Then again, I'm concerned there may not be adequate directions to make sure I can actually correctly install it.

[Dave Labrecque]

+1 for JBridge. I couldn't get X42 to work, but JBridge seems to work great. And IIRC you don't install JBridge so much as use it to create bridged versions of the VST dlls of interest, which thereafter can be loaded just like "normal" VSTs.

[mr_es335]

Cary

You might want to check out the changes that were made in V6.6.1 and onward - in particular, for support for 32-bit hosts. All that I can say, is that the changes are very significant!

[Cary B. Cornett]

I thought I should make a progress report.

My immediate problem was getting Kontakt to work with SawStudio. I learned some things, partly from wise advice and partly from experience. Kontakt has dropped support for 32 bit hosts. I tried bridging the 64 bit VSTi with X42. While x42 can bridge some 64 bit plugs to 32 bit, Kontakt is simply too much for it. I have been advised that jBridge is also unable to "fix" Kontakt.

The answer is to use the stand-alone version of Kontakt. I can use LoopBe to sen midi from MWS to Kontakt. With some special help, I was able to use WDM2VST to port audio from Kontakt to SawStudio. This requires a very specific install procedure, and although I am a technical person, I needed guidance to get through it. It would also be possible to loop the audio through hardware, feeding an output of an interface back to an input. Doing this with any ASIO driver requires leaving some channels unused by SawStudio so they can be "claimed" by Kontakt.

I have not tried this strategy with other 64 bit synths, but my guess is it should work. One other caveat: WDM22VST is, as far as I know, strictly for one stereo pair, and my guess is one can only use one instance of it at a time. This means using only one 64 bit instrument at a time if you are working with a 32 bit DAW host. The answer to that would be looping audio through hardware ports if you have extras.

There is an advantage to using 64 bit standalone instruments with a 32 bit host. While the host is limited to the lowest 4 Gigabytes of RAM, the 64 bit instruments can operate outside that boundary, which with some sample libraries is a critical advantage.

Thanks to those who gave advice and help!

[JonathanT]

Another vote for JBridge here, I'm using it with the old Kjaerhus Golden series if anyone remembers them, Jamstix 4 32 bit version which syncs successfully, Sonoris and various others