Groove Agent 1 with Pro Tools 6.2.3

[ChrisMitchell]

Hi guys, I need help with a problem. My setup:
Power Mac G4 Digital Audio Dual 533 Mhz
Mac OS 10.3.2
Pro Tools HD3 w/ Version 6.2.3
96 I/O Audio Interfaces (3 of them) going to a 24 channel analog console.
FXPansion's VST to RTAS Wrapper Version 1
Groove Agent Version 1

I purchased the VST to RTAS Wrapper, and installed it with no errors or problems. Then I purchased and installed Groove Agent Version 1. It installed with no error messages, but there was a problem with configuration.

When I run the FXPansion VST utility to convert Groove Agent to work in Pro Tools, I get an error message saying that Drummer.000 file is not found and to load the editor to set location (or something similar to that). When I insert the plug-in into an insert point in Pro Tools on an audio track, I get that same error message, and no sound comes out. When I click RUN in Groove Agent, I see the measures counting, and no other error messages come up.

I beat this thing up last night for over 3 hours, and could never get it to produce any sounds. I've already posted on Steinberg's forum, and am heading to FXPansion's forums next.

[ChrisMitchell]

OK, some additional information, as I've spent yet another night (3 hours) trying to get this to work. Steinberg and Cubase.net support have been completely non-responsive on this whole matter, so take that as a warning when purchasing one of their products. Thank God Digidesign's support has proven to be more... supportive.

OK, I discovered the root of the problem with this. The error message says that Macintosh HD:Library:Audio:Plug-Ins:VST:Groove Agent.drummer.000 is not able to be found. It's looking for a hard drive called Macintosh HD. Swell, except my hard drive is called Macintosh Hard Drive, not HD. Well, lo and behold, I found a fix for this exact error message I'm getting on http://ga.clubcubase.net/faq.html (http://http://ga.clubcubase.net/faq.html ) . I followed the steps for the "Mac OSX: Groove Agent can't find drummer.000" FAQ. Now, the error I'm getting is some kind of splice/meld of two error messages into one, like a programmer's bug or something. If I remember correctly, it says Macintosh HD:Library:Audio:Plug-Ins:VST:Groove Agent.drummer.000oove Agent:drummer.000 is not able to be found (notice the hiccup/repeat in the path name).

I did a search on everything called Groove Agent and Preferences trying to find the place where it's looking for Macintosh HD, and 3 hours later, I had gotten a raging headache and no further to a solution than before.

What a major waste of time this has been so far. The whole reason I'm still being persistant about this is 1. I've spent $200 on this (which came with Groove Agent 2, which won't run on my old Mac) and 2. Groove Agent Version 1 is one of the few drummer plug-ins that will run on my old Dual 533 G4 Mac. All I wanna do is lay down some simple drum grooves to do some demo tracks to, and here I am, becoming a Mac tech Groove Agent repair expert instead.

[crizdee]

Hi,

Try here..

http://www.bornemark.se/ga/downloads.html

I did have the same problem as you and had to manually write the preference for the drummer.000 location etc. The link above explains the procedure.

Chris

[ChrisMitchell]

I received this very same suggestion from someone else the same day you posted it, so I tried it.

OK, I have half of my problem resolved, thanks to my e-mailing Sven Bornemark, and him directing me to Micha Spork, who via e-mail was most helpful. He actually found and installed a copy of Groove Agent 1 on an OS X Panther system, so that he could see the problem first hand.

I installed the update at ftp://ftp.steinberg.net/Download/VSTi_GrooveAgent_1/Logic_Mac/ and followed the directions. Lo and Behold, is that actual sound I hear coming from Groove Agent??!?!?! Why yes, it is. Drum beats coming out of my speakers. Who'd a thunk it?? Woo Hoo!!!

Wait, why did it stop playing for no reason at all?? How come I can't get it start playing again unless I remove the plug-in from the insert point, and re-insert it again? At least it's not crashing Pro Tools or my system at all, but having to constantly remove and re-insert the plug-in is getting annoying. I don't dare touch the complexity settings or attempt fills, as that's a guarentee of a lock-up.

Next problem, when I hit PLAY in Pro Tools, why does the plug in not start playing automatically? Why do I have to open the plug-in and hit RUN to get it to go.

ALSO, why does it not synch up with the clock in Pro Tools. Oh, it TRIES to synch up if I hit RUN in GA, and THEN hit Play in Pro Tools, as I can hear the beat interrupt and try to synch up. However, it never does quite get there.

Those two problems are absolute must solves for me, or the plug-in is just as useless as when I had nothing playing at all.

One thing of note, I use an Apogee PSX-100 external clock that Pro Tools synchs up with, so I'm not entirely sure if I need to switch to the internal clock in my 96 I/O audio interfaces when using Groove Agent. I didn't think of that until I left the studio, so that will be my next step.

Any idears fellers??

Chris

[td.Lemmon]

hey ChrisMitchell,

I just bumped into your topic.
Myself I am using GA2 with tiger 10.4 and pt7 on a powermac g4 mdd.
Recognising your problems with starting groove agent by hand and the not-so-very-willing-to-synchronise-thing.
I have the exact same problem over here ( Holland, that is...) with version 2 (!)

I have not been able to find any update/upgrades/patches or whatever for this seemingly beautiful tool.
(actually i did find different web sites, but i found them pretty unclear and couldn't find what i was looking for)

Maybe someone out there did?

The thing i noticed, though, is that you can enable midi beat clock for the 8 different stereochannels (I'm not sure about version 1, but you could check it out if that changes anything in the positive way) I did not notice any different behaviour (darn....)

Maybe it'll help you,

good luck

[ChrisMitchell]

I'm trying to keep a professional attitude about this situation and not badmouth anybody, because as an IT professional myself, I realize how difficult it is to get a piece of software completely functional across multiple platforms and OS's. However, for anybody thinking about purchasing a Steinberg product, keep in mind that their tech support is basically non-existant, and many of their plug-ins (Groove Agent, Virtual Guitarist, etc) are riddled with bugs that are very rarely patched/fixed. There are specific people who I am particularly angry and disgusted with, but I won't mention names. The only support I've gotten at all is from other users such as myself, and Angus F. Hewlett, CEO of FXPansion Audio (this guy ROCKS!!!) and also from this forum.

All that being said, I have a few more ideas I am willing to try on my own before completely throwing in the towel. I'm using an Apogee PSX-100 external clock, and Pro Tools uses that as its clock source. I'm going to try to use the Pro Tools internal clock, and see if that helps any (I doubt it, but I'm running out of things to try). Also, I'll look for the MIDI Beat thingy-ma-bob that the previous post mentions (I'm a MIDI moron, so thingy-ma-bob is as technical as I get).

I actually looked into going up to Pro Tools 6.4, but jeez that's an awful lot of work for me to POSSIBLY get Groove Agent working. I'm running
Power Mac G4 Digital Audio Dual 533 Mhz
Mac OS 10.3.2
Pro Tools TDM HD3 w/ Version 6.2.3
96 I/O Audio Interfaces (3 of them)

and to upgrade to PT 6.4 (from what I've seen) will require an OS upgrade plus the 6.4 upgrade. Considering everything else works perfectly on my system for what I do, that's a risk I'm just not willing to take.

[crizdee]

Hi,

Just to let you know i had it working perfectly in PT 6.9 and panther, since going to 7 and tiger i haven't bothered installing it as i don't really need it now!

You definately need to enable midi beat clock for this plugin to sync to the program.

This is quite an old plugin and unlikely the code will continue to work well into tiger!

I have Virtual guitarist accoustic and electric and both work flawlessly with the fxpansion wrapper version 2 in tiger and 7.


Chris

[ChrisMitchell]

Just a finish up post to my long, turgid tale. Short version is that I got Groove Agent Version 1 to work on my Pro Tools system, after MUCH blood, sweat and tears. Let's go down the list.

1. I got the "couldn't locate drummer.000 file" error message when trying to insert or install the plug-in. That was fixed by going to ftp://ftp.steinberg.net/Download/VSTi_GrooveAgent_1/Logic_Mac and installing the patch as instructed. The fix on http://bornemark.se/ga/faq.html for Mac OSX systems not able to find drummer.000 files didn't work on my PT system.

2. Then, my next problem came in that Groove Agent wouldn't lock with the Pro Tools clock. It TRIED, but never did it right. I fixed THAT problem by enabling MIDI BEAT CLOCK in Pro Tools, which apparently for MIDI users is a "duh!" fix; since I rarely use MIDI, it wasn't a "duh!" fix for me.

3. THEN (yep, another problem) I had a problem when I tried to acutally USE GA to write a song, I got the error message from PT saying that my CPU resources were low and to remove some RTAS plug-ins to continue. Now, keep in mind that GA was the only plug-in inserted at all, and I only had one BLANK audio track (where GA was inserted to) at the time of these error messages. From what I found, GA1 requires a minimum of a G3 500 MHz with 300 MB of free disk space (I have a Dual G4 533 Mhz with TONS of space). I SEEMED to resolved that by increasing the CPU allocation in Pro Tools from 40 to 50 per cent. I haven't gotten the error message since, so I'm assuming I'm good.

For what it's worth, that's how I got GA1 to work in my PT system.

[lionel payet]

Hi All,

I use Groove Agent 2 with no problem at all using rewire, it's the best way to have no difficulties with it. The same for Virtual Guitarist 2, The Grand 2 and Virtual Bassist. Note you can have them working together at the same time, with different rewire streams.

I recently wrapped all the plugs with VST-RTAS V2. The play-stop thing is working fin with GA2, but the mute problem happens for time to time. Anyway, I had this problem with Groove agent 1 in Logic. You have to force the wrapper to convert those plugs as they are not recognized as convertible plugs. The problem is the steinberg key.

Anyway my experience with wrapped plugs is that it makes PT to be fragile to much. Rewire is not simple but once my part is made, i record it and that's all.

Lionel

[td.Lemmon]

I still have problems to get it working smoothly with rewire....

to Lionel:

Could you tell me how you set it up?
Did you install it on the system drive? And the samples also?
Do you enable the midi beatclock for all 8 channels?
What are your system specs? Pro tools version, os version?

Maybe you could help me out...

many thanx