This article explains how to use the Vienna Symphonic Library with Notion. In this article, I will refer to the Vienna Symphonic Library as VSL.
General Information:
- Notion supports the Special Edition version of VSL.
- The four main VSTs that Notion will support to host the VSL Special Edition instruments are Vienna Instruments, Vienna Instruments Pro, Vienna Ensemble, and Vienna Ensemble Pro
- When using Vienna Ensemble or Vienna Ensemble Pro, you can use either Vienna Instruments or Vienna Instruments Pro. This will be explained later in this article.
Using Vienna Instruments or Vienna Instruments Pro inside of Notion:
- Once you have properly installed VSL Special Edition and the VI or VI Pro VSTs, and you have made sure that you have plugged in your USB dongle, you should see the VSL Special Edition families of instruments in Score Setup in Notion 4. They will be listed as VSL Special Edition, VSL Special Edition Pro, VSL SE (Notion 3), and VSL SE Pro (Notion 3) If you do not see these families of instruments, please refer to this article for support with VST installation and configuration. Notion - Troubleshooting VST problems
- For the best experience with VSL, you will want to go to vsl.co.at, log in with your user information, and make sure that you have updated your library to the latest version. You can find all of the legacy updates in USER AREA>SPECIAL EDITIONS>Updates for Legacy Special Editions.
- Once you have updated your legacy edition of VSL Special Edition or you have installed the latest version, you are ready to start. In Score Setup, if you are using Vienna Instruments as your host, you will want to click on the "VSL Special Edition" tab and choose your instruments from there. If you are using Vienna Instruments Pro, You will choose your instruments from the "VSL Special Edition Pro" family of instruments in Score Setup.
- If you are using the legacy version of Special Edition, you will want to use the families of instruments that are labeled with (Notion 3) in Score Setup. The legacy version of Special Edition was named Standard, Extended, Standard Plus, etc. The newer version is named Volume 1, 2, 3, 4.
- We have built-in presets and rules for Notion 4 that will control Special Edition effortlessly so that you can simply add the desired articulations, dynamics, and expressions to your score and they will automatically be triggered in VI or VI Pro.
- Once you have set up a VSL instrument and have exited Score Setup, you can press "ctrl i" (Windows) or "command i" (Mac) to open the Staff VST interface. This will open either VI or VI Pro and allow you to tweak the preset if you would like to.
Using VSL Special Edition in Notion 4 with Vienna Ensemble or Vienna Ensemble Pro:
Configuration:
- Make sure that you have installed VE or VE Pro and that you have your USB dongle plugged into your machine.
- Please visit our web site and download our presets. If you are using the legacy version of Special Edition, you will want to download the "Notion 3 VSL SE fxp presets." If you are using the latest "Volumes" version of Special Edition, you will want to download the "Notion 4 Vienna Special Edition Updated Presets" (Vienna Instruments) or the "Notion 4 Vienna Pro Special Edition Updated Presets" (Vienna Instruments Pro).
- Extract the downloaded presets and copy the entire folder into your "VSL Custom Data" folder. If you don't know where this folder is, simply open the Directory Manager for VSL and click on "Custom Folder." This will display the location of your Custom Data folder and give you the option to move it if you would like. Once you have placed the presets in the correct folder, they will show up in VE and VE Pro when you load an instance of VI or VI Pro.
Setting up a Multi-channel VSTi configuation using VE or VE Pro in Notion.
- Start the Vienna Ensemble (Pro) Server.
- Start Notion
- For VE, go to VSL Special Edition>Special Staffs>Emtpy Ensemble. For VE Pro, go to VSL Special Edition PRO>Special Staffs>Emtpy Ensemble. This will create a staff for VE or VE Pro. You will not put anything in this staff.
- Go to VSL Special Edition (PRO)>Special Staffs and add as many basic staffs as you would like instruments for.
- Exit Score Setup.
- Click on one of your Basic Staffs and press "Shift i" to do an instrument change. Choose the instance of VE and set the channel to the channel that you would like to use in VE.
- Click on the instance of VE in your score and press "ctrl i" (Windows) or "command i" (Mac) and connect to VE.
- You can add instruments in VE. Choose VI or VI Pro when you add the instruments.
- For each instrument, set the corresponding channel to the staff that you would like it associated with and load a preset from the presets that you put in your VSL Custom Data folder. Make sure that you use the correct presets for the version of Vienna Instruments that you are using whether it be VI or VI Pro.
- When you are done setting up all of your instruments in VE and you have done the instrument changes for all of your staffs in Notion so that they are corresponding to the correct channels, you can simply double-click the name of the staff that is above the staff in Notion and rename it.
You can download the presets for VSL to work with Vienna Ensemble here.
