I need the expertise from those of you who know how to use vst's. I am trying to help a good friend of mine get his computer/keyboard rig set up.

Since my set up is in Linux, this is my first try with Windows so maybe someone here can give me some direction.

My friends set up consists of the following: 2 midi keyboards a Windows xp pc running Kontakt2 and Native Instruments B4. The PC has an M-audio Delta 1010lt PCI card installed.

He wants to use the bottom keyboard to play sounds through Kontakt2 and use the top keyboard to play the NI B4 organ.

I think that by connecting the midi out of the top keyboard to the midi in of the bottom keyboard and the midi out of the bottom keyboard to the midi in of the M audio PCI card. And by using the midi merge feature on the bottom keyboard to merge It's midi in info with it's midi out, I can then accomplish this goal by putting the two keyboards on different midi channels to match the program that I want each to control.

Now here is my dilemma. If I open either of the programs separately they each play but if both Kontakt2 and NI B4 are opened together then Kontakt2 will play but the B4 will not. I assume it is not receiving a midi signal.

Is there a free vst host that I can use to remedy this problem? Or will something like Midi Yoke work? Or maybe even a device or driver in windows that will help?

I have already checked out a few possible vst hosts with the following results:

Forte- I did not download as I read that the demo has audio dropouts

Chainer - I could not get to recognize the PCI card

Krystal - seemed to be able to host only vst effects and not vst instruments, unless I misunderstood.

“VST-Host” - Had sound with both programs running simultaneously but it had extreme latency, almost a full second latency making it completely useless.

Maybe I am not using these programs properly or there is a better solution, hopefully free!

Thanks for any advice or info you can give.

Richard Shiflet


[This message has been edited by richard_shiflet (edited 10-06-2006).]