Vienna Ensemble Pro

What is it and what is it's reason for being? How is it used and why? Why do I need it?

Well, Vienna Ensemble Pro is a application with a lot of features. In order to make it better readable, I will list them and explain them a bit. After that you hopefully can judge yourself whether you need or not ;).

- Network Functionality: With Vienna Ensemble Pro you get 3 licenses, which mean that you basically could build a system with up to 3 computers in it. These computers just have to be in the same network (if possible with Lan cable connection). The advantage of that is (or could be) that you can make one computer handling just your Notation Software or DAW, while you have a second (and maybe third) computer which have all your Sample Libraries on it. This also works cross-platform (so if you have, let's say a powerful Mac Pro and an average Windows computer) you could use the Mac Pro to be responsible for the Sample Playback and calculation and the Windows just for mixing purposes.
- When you have a DAW which is, let's say, 64-Bit but you still have a lot of Libraries which only have Players which are 32-Bit you can host these 32-Bit Plug-Ins over Vienna Ensemble Pro. In that case Vienna Ensemble Pro would be in your DAW 64-Bit, but for your Plug-ins 32-Bit. It works of course also 32-Bit Host, 64-Bit Plug-Ins (as long as your Operating System allows 64-Bit) and the usual 32 -> 32 Bit and 64 -> 64-Bit Connections
- You can host almost all VSTi Instrument Players in one Window. So when you are using Sibelius, for instance, you can load all different Instrument Players (like Kontakt, Vienna Instruments, etc.) within Vienna Ensemble Pro and in Sibelius itself you just have to load Vienna Ensemble Pro Instances.
I use that for example to have my standard orchestra always loaded in Vienna Ensemble Pro even when I change my DAW. I just make Presets of my Standard Orchestra with the same Routing (Port and MIDI Channel) and when I feel that I should work in another DAW, I can keep my orchestra open and just reload it in another DAW. This way I don't have to reload everything. And my standard orchestra consists of some Kontakt Instruments, a lot Vienna Instruments and some Play Instruments and all are in the same window and are processed there as well.

I think I have the main features. Additionally you have in total 48 MIDI Ports max (so 48 Ports x 16 MIDI Channels), you can also insert audio files there, you can host the MIR Pro in it (if you mainly use Vienna Instruments it might be very interesting), ITU Surround Sound capabilities and a Power Panner for all Channels.

If you have any questions left (either be it one of the additional features, a specific question whether something is possible or not or that you simply didn't understand me), don't hestitate to ask.
Also you might want to take a look at some of the Videos at the VSL webpage: http://www.vsl.co.at/en/211/497/1685/1990/1999/1688.htm

Kind Regards

Thanks so much for your response. I will check out the VEP videos and may get back to you with further questions. It appears to be middle-ware of some sort, an aggregator, to handle very large systems.