Unify 1.3 - what's about batch reparation patchs

@papopap

Unify doesn't "detect" anything. Kontakt and Reaktor do. I will speak here about Kontakt, because I'm not very familiar with Reaktor.

You need to locate the missing content, and click on the "keep search mode and selected folders for the current session" button. Then you can load each patch, and Kontakt will be able to load it, because it remembers where you found the missing files the first time. When you re-save the patch (after successful load), the new saved version will point to the new path instead of the old one.

Unify's batch resave function simply automates loading and re-saving a series of patches, after you have successfully opened the first one.

I am working on the Unify manual today, and I hope to have a new page describing this in detail. John is preparing a new "what's new in Unify 1.3.2" video (should be up on YouTube in the next few days), which will include a demonstration.

This stuff IS very complicated, and everyone's situation will be slightly different, so please be patient.

@getdunne thank's for your reply 👍 

Full explanation and step-by-step instructions are now available at https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=batch-proc

From the instructions:

4. Click the “Start” button.

• Unify will automatically select and load the first patch
• Kontakt will display the “Content Missing” dialog

For me (iMac Pro, Big Sur) I'm getting a pop up window when I click the "start" button - see the attached screenshot. The "content missing" dialog only shows up if I double click on the Kontakt instrument in Unify after the scan has started, but the batch processor continues scanning while I'm trying to select the content location... and then Unify crashes. I'm trying to process the Ethera libraries.

@evo2slo

Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I didn't see that warning message in any of the experiments I did, but I wasn't doing them on Big Sur.

I have revised the instructions, to say that you should load the first patch (any one from the library) manually, and deal with whatever Kontakt pop-ups appear, and only start the batch process once Kontakt is ready to load other patches automatically.

Please try this, and let me know if it works for you.

I tried loading the first patch manually, confirmed the popup message, double-clicked Kontakt for the path location, selected the "keep search" mode, and chose the library folder. The patch loaded as expected. Then I started the batch process and I got the same pop up error window again. After confirming it the batch process continued through the scan to completion. Unfortunately the patches do not recall the path change after the scan is complete. 

I've attached a screen record of the initial selection and scan. Let me know if there's anything else I can try that would be helpful.

edit: I just noticed the "click cancel immediately and try step 5 again" in the instructions. I'll try that and report back later.

When the error message pops up I confirm, click cancel on the batch process, load the Kontakt patch, then start again but the pop up keeps, uh, popping up. Screen record attached.

If I try to load the Kontakt patch by double clicking Kontakt, without hitting cancel, Unify crashes. If I don't load the Kontakt patch it scans all the way through but the patches are not properly updated. I'm only able to get a patch's file path to stick by manually updating each one individually.

I have the same problem on Catalina. Unify fixed all the presets for Ethera Gold but after I upgraded to Kontakt 6.5 it does not work anymore. I have tested Ethera Sounscapes and Ethera EVI but no success!

So it appears Kontakt v6.5 breaks our batch re-save function pretty completely. I am in touch with Native Instruments on this. They have told me:

• There is no way to restore the old behavior in Kontakt 6.5.
• They are considering the issue in detail, and hope to get back to me within a week with some proposals.

In the meantime, if you haven't updated Kontakt to v6.5, consider waiting to do so, because it is very difficult to revert to an earlier version.

Bummer! Hope Native Instruments can come up with a solution…

Posted by: @getdunne

because it is very difficult to revert to an earlier version

I guess that means that trying to downgrade can just make things worse?

Posted by: @getdunne

So it appears Kontakt v6.5 breaks our batch re-save function pretty completely. I am in touch with Native Instruments on this. They have told me:

• There is no way to restore the old behavior in Kontakt 6.5.
• They are considering the issue in detail, and hope to get back to me within a week with some proposals.

In the meantime, if you haven't updated Kontakt to v6.5, consider waiting to do so, because it is very difficult to revert to an earlier version.

You'll never guess what I did before reading this post eh Shane‽!! I then tried to use the batch feature in Unify? Dammit!! God bless NI and their Native Access app that refuses to let you go back/downgrade to an earlier working (as you want it to) version. Grrrrr!!!! Totally my bad/my stupid... well... and NI's bad for removing the method that you use without any warning whatsoever I guess. Hey ho... that's what you get for being a fully paid & up to date customer of NI products and don't ever consider using the crappy cracks of Kontakt that are all over the net. Makes you think though huh? *shrugs shoulders*

I have worked out another solution for Unified Kontakt libraries. It will take a bit more work to make it straightforward to use, and you'll have to download modified versions of any Unified patch libraries (not the full Kontakt library, just the Unified patches), but the good news is, you won't have to run a long batch process inside Unify.

Those of you who have NOT yet updated Kontakt to v6.5: Hold off a while longer, and you can use your v6.4.x version to fix up any Unified Kontakt libraries you may have downloaded.

Those of you who HAVE already updated Kontakt: Stay tuned. With luck we'll have something to show in this Saturday's livestream, and have some new downloads for you next week.

@getdunne 

Thanks for the heads-up Shane. I had already updated Kontakt when I read this 🙄 

I am looking forward to your new solution as Kontakt v6.5 does seem to load significantly faster than earlier versions.

Also, I have just finished Unifying all 350 patches of Rigid Audio Synferno for full Kontakt which works really nicely in Unify (great for combining multiple Synferno patches). I have quite a few of their libraries as they are very often on sale at less than £5 each (they currently have a flash sale on StombBox and Viego but other libraries including Synferno are often very cheap and worth picking up plus Metawave which is free).

Shane, do you know if Unify patches saved using Kontakt 6.5 will work ok in whatever the version was just before 6.5? In other words, if I post my Unified patches for Synferno will the Unify "batch process" work OK on these for anyone who has not updated to Kontakt 6.5? 

Posted by: @zinct

Shane, do you know if Unify patches saved using Kontakt 6.5 will work ok in whatever the version was just before 6.5? In other words, if I post my Unified patches for Synferno will the Unify "batch process" work OK on these for anyone who has not updated to Kontakt 6.5? 

Yes.

Am I reading right that there is a solution for Windows users with Unify (latest version), NI Kontakt 6.5 (latest update) and Unified Kontakt Libraries and that it will be described in a YouTube Video and/or the Unify 1.3 Manual?

@laurarosemisaras

We're still putting the finishing touches on the new solution. I documented the original approach in the Unify manual here: https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=batch-proc, but then NI pushed out Kontakt 6.5 and broke the whole thing.

John will definitely make at least one video showing all the details, and I'll put them in the manual too.

@zinct Good tip about those flash sales from Rigid-Audio 

Posted by: @rob

@zinct Good tip about those flash sales from Rigid-Audio 

@rob glad you found it useful.

@getdunne @pluginguruforums

Thanks for the Unified Noire patches. Very nice to have direct access to them in Unify. 👍 

I also noticed that they worked fine with v6.5 Kontakt without any modification.

Is that because Kontakt libraries which appear in the Kontakt Libraries tab don't reference the location of their samples directly like the ones that you have to access via the Kontakt files browser or some other reason?

Posted by: @zinct

@getdunne @pluginguruforums

Thanks for the Unified Noire patches. Very nice to have direct access to them in Unify. 👍 

I also noticed that they worked fine with v6.5 Kontakt without any modification.

Is that because Kontakt libraries which appear in the Kontakt Libraries tab don't reference the location of their samples directly like the ones that you have to access via the Kontakt files browser or some other reason?

Yes, that's it exactly. Thanks for confirming that this works for you!

Aha - mystery explained!  Luckily I had batch processed all my ethera libraries before the update came, and I went to 6.5, so things are still working.  I had expected to see the familiar loading error with Noire, so was surprised when they just worked straight off the bat, and had wondered if that was the explanation.  Great stuff.

Shane - I did also send an email about possibility of unifying the spitfire LABS patches, but no reply as yet - guess you may be talking to them?

@robertpeveler

Unifying the LABS patches is a great idea. Please do so; see this forum ( https://forums.pluginguru.com/unify-patchbook/) for details, and share results in this one: https://forums.pluginguru.com/unify-share/

John has tried emailing the folks at Spitfire Audio several times, but they answer only very rarely. I'm sure they are extremely busy people.

@getdunne

did John ever demonstrate how to fix the Kontakt 6.5 issue?  I haven’t seen it.  

@jawad

I'm not sure what you mean by "the Kontakt 6.5 issue".

The Kontakt 6.5 update changed how Kontakt presents its "Content missing" dialog, such that the "batch re-save" function we added to Unify is no longer effective. We have switched to a new approach: all the Unified Kontakt libraries we publish will be set up with the underlying Kontakt library located in a specific folder, and we provide a small utility program called Guru Link, which creates a symbolic link from that special folder to wherever you have chosen to put the Kontakt library on your own machine. John, Taylor and I are in the process of re-building every unified Kontakt library to work this way.

If you are facing a different issue with Kontakt 6.5, please explain precisely what it is, and I'll do my best to advise.

@getdunne

the guru link did not work with del Norte and none my old patches can find kontakt without a deliberate search. Batch re-save does not solve the issue long term either. So that was my question. Why unify can’t recall any of the patches that use kontakt.  

@jawad

You have raised multiple issues here.

the guru link did not work with del Norte

Did you download the latest PlugInGuru Kontakt Del Norte for Windows? This is an updated version of the Unified Del Norte library for Kontakt, which has been rebuilt to work with the Guru Link program. If you have an older version, you should delete it and replace it with the latest, then use Guru Link to re-create the symbolic link.

When using Guru Link on Windows, it's unfortunately very easy to select the wrong folder. After clicking the "Find Kontakt folder manually..." button, and navigating to the where you see the Kontakt library folder you want to link to, you MUST click on the folder, so its name appears in the text box at the bottom of the folder-selection window, BEFORE clicking the "Select Folder" button. Otherwise, you might create a link to the parent folder.

none my old patches can find kontakt without a deliberate search

I don't quite understand. Does Unify report that it is unable to find the Kontakt plug-in, or does Kontakt load, and pop up its "Content Missing" dialog?

If Unify can't find Kontakt, you need to make sure Kontakt is registered in Unify's Known Plug-Ins list; see https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=scanning.

If Kontakt can't find required content, it's most likely because the content folder has been moved or deleted since you created the Unify patch.

When you say "my old patches", do you mean patches you made yourself, or patches that are part of a PlugInGuru unified library?

I need you to answer some of these questions before I can give you helpful answers.

Also, please tell me a couple more things:

• Are you working on Windows or Mac?
• Which version of Kontakt are you using?

@getdunne

I am working in Catalina and have Kontakt 6.52.  The dialog reads content missing.  The batch resave function fails to work to locate the Delnorte material even after I direct it to the plugin link on the hard drive.  That's what I meant with that.  I think I understand the process but even Ethera Gold 2.5 that previous worked can't find the content no matter how many times I direct it and resave. The other patches that I previously saved in unify cannot remember the path either.  That's just why I am confused. 

@jawad

Thanks for clarifying. When you say "the batch resave function", are you talking about the one in Unify, or something in Kontakt?

The batch-resave function we built for Unify works only with Kontakt 6.4.2 and earlier. NI's 6.5 update rendered it useless, so we had to develop the symbolic-link approach.

The symbolic-link approach requires us to re-work every unified Kontakt library, creating a new Windows version AND a new Mac version, each made with the underlying Kontakt content folder in a specific location on our disk. When you download one of these re-worked, unified libraries, you can use the Guru Link app to create a symbolic link, FROM the same location on your disk, TO wherever you actually put the content.

With this new approach, you should not need to manually re-direct Kontakt to the library content, and you should not need to use Unify's batch-resave function at all.

What you DO need to do, is to replace the unified libraries that aren't working, with new versions specific to your platform (in your case, Macintosh), then use the Guru Link app to create the necessary symbolic links. If you do that correctly, all the unified patches should load first time, every time, and you should never see the "Content Missing" dialog. If you do, something is not set up correctly.

For Del Norte, we have prepared new Windows and Mac versions of the unified libraries. For Ethera Gold, we will be working with Stefano to create new Windows and Mac versions, but these are not done yet.

Let's try to get Del Norte working for you first. Can you tell me the exact name of the .zip file you downloaded? I think there may have been more than one version, and you might not have the latest. I need to confirm this with John, but he's not available just now.