Battery 4 VST2 issues in Cross-Platform .gig file

General discussion about Gig Performer
1

Since upgrading to Battery 4.2.0, I’ve had major issues trying to open our 37-rackspace macOS-created gig file on Windows 10. I’m in touch with Native Instruments about the fact that Battery crashes on Win10 every time I open a Battery instance in the gig file.

But I want to bring up something else that seems to be more of a GigPerformer issue. As a workaround, I’ve opened the macOS-created gig file on Win10 (without opening any Battery instances, which would crash), replaced every Battery instance with its Windows VST2 file, and then successfully loaded the relevant Kit into the instance. I saved a new version of the gig file, which now has only Win10-added Battery instances, and opened it on my MacBook. In order to make this gig file work on the Mac, I open a Battery instance and tell it where to find its Library. So far, so good. In each rackspace, I do “Change MIDI Input Device” for all MIDI IN plugins (I’m using the same MIDI interface, and the Rig Manager has the same aliases for its ports as it does on Win10). Now, weirdly, I have to actually OPEN every single Battery instance (there are 37 of them) in order to get it to make sound. But now it’s functioning normally, so I save the gig file and close it.

Now every time I reopen the gig file, I have to do the following all over again: 1) point an instance of Battery to its Library, and 2) open every single Battery instance, all 37, to get them to make sound. Why is this, when I’d already done these two steps and saved the file?

Thanks to @pianopaul’s suggestion to open a gig file in Excel, I’ve done a thorough comparison of my original macOS-created gig file vs. the file with Win10-created Battery instances that I edited and resaved on the Mac. I don’t see any differences! Both have the correct Library path (“file” and “file60” values are all “/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Battery 4.vst”) and all the module and port names/descriptions (“prop_str_nodeName46”, “name54”, “descriptiveName55”) are identical in both versions.

The Library location I mention above is the same one that I’ve stored in Battery’s preferences as my “User” library, and Battery has no trouble finding it automatically when I open our original macOS-created gigfile, the one we use on stage, so it’s a mystery why it can’t find it in this Mac-resaved Win10 version. And I don’t understand why I have to open every Battery instance to get sound. This is all extremely puzzling and I’d really appreciate any insights.

2

So are you saying that everything was working properly on Mac and Windows before you upgraded to Battery 4.2?

3

Yes, that’s correct. And just now I discovered something interesting in the Mac’s “Gig Performer.settings” file, this is after I reinstalled Battery 4 via Native Access:

<PLUGIN name="Battery 4" format="AudioUnit" category="Synth" manufacturer="Native Instruments"
       version="4.2.0" file="AudioUnit:Synths/aumu,NBa4,-NI-" uid="279456c"
       isInstrument="1" fileTime="0" infoUpdateTime="1809eb179fa" numInputs="0"
       numOutputs="2" isShell="0" isEnabled="1" useDelayedLoading="0"/>

<PLUGIN name="Battery 4" format="VST" category="Synth" manufacturer="Native Instruments GmbH"
       version="6.72.39.936" file="/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Battery 4.vst"
       uid="4e426134" isInstrument="1" fileTime="17d811a7ea8" infoUpdateTime="184d3fafcda"
       numInputs="0" numOutputs="32" isShell="0" isEnabled="1" useDelayedLoading="0"/>

Before running Native Access, the VST version was showing like this:

<PLUGIN name="Battery 4" format="VST" category="Synth" manufacturer="Native Instruments GmbH"
        version="V4.1.6.0" file="/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Battery 4.vst"
        uid="4e426134" isInstrument="1" fileTime="13b673fd5d8" infoUpdateTime="163c7a66c37"
        numInputs="0" numOutputs="32" isShell="0" isEnabled="1" useDelayedLoading="0"/>

So I’m cycliing back to NI with this new info since it appears that Native Access is installing the wrong version of the VST on macOS.

4

So it’s basically not in fact a Gig Performer issue then?

5

mine is shown on Mac

<PLUGIN name="Battery 4" format="VST" category="Synth" manufacturer="Native Instruments GmbH"
              version="6.72.39.936" file="/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Battery 4.vst"
              uid="4e426134" isInstrument="1" fileTime="15d7f25bd30" infoUpdateTime="184d4623fee"
              numInputs="0" numOutputs="32" isShell="0" isEnabled="1" useDelayedLoading="0"
              b64UserKeywords=""/>
6

I reinstalled via native access, all fine

7

yes but afterwards did you try to open that gigfile in Windows and open a Battery instance? That’s when it crashes for me.

8

I am a pure Mac user

9

at this point it seems like it’s a Native Access issue, not GP. I’ll see what NI says.

10

Okay. When I’m working only on the Mac, as we do onstage, there are no issues. The above is all about cross-platform usage.

11

OK, please delete the battery vst and au version from your Mac and then reinstall via Native Access.

12

I already did. Afterwards, as mentioned above, the VST version now shows as “6.72.39.396”, and I’m still having the same issues.

13

Can you please do the same on your windows machine?
And why was 4.1.6 shown in your gig file on Mac?

14

Yes, I’d already done that as well.

That was from an earlier installation via Native Access.

15

So now when you create a gig with battery on windows and a gig on Mac, both show the same version number in the gig file?

16

Please upload a small gig you created on windows and upload it, I could check on Mac.

17

No, they’re different. On Windows there are two Battery 4 VST version “4.2.0.0” entries: one named “Battery 4” and another named "Battery 4 (4.2.0). These are what Native Access installs. They correspond to two different DLLs with those names.

18

So you are responsible for choosing the compatible Battery plugin?
And when you delete this dll’s and reinstall via Native Access still 2 versions exist?

19

By “choosing” I think you mean in GP? Yes. And yes, the 2 versions still exist.

20

2 Versions of the same VST plugin after installation via Native Access?
How looks your plugin Manager window?

And how look you directory in Windows on the hard drive?

And , for me to Check, can you upload a small gig that is not working on Mac?