Unable to open PC GPO Studio files on Mac version

[bmonroney]

I have found that I cannot open .gpo files (presumably ones created on Windows machine) with the Mac version of GPO Studio. This is version 1.2 which I believe is still a beta but has been posted here in the forums. For example, I tried the .I get one of two errors: either GPO Studio will report that the file structure is incorrect, or it will appear to load the file then give me the standard Kontakt "sample not found" dialog, at which point it refuses to recognize the GPO .nks files, so I can't navigate to the missing sample within the .nks.

Has anyone else experienced this? any known solutions?

thanks,
Brian

[NeverSleep]

I have found that I cannot open .gpo files (presumably ones created on Windows machine) with the Mac version of GPO Studio. This is version 1.2 which I believe is still a beta but has been posted here in the forums. For example, I tried the [ ]. I get one of two errors: either GPO Studio will report that the file structure is incorrect, or it will appear to load the file then give me the standard Kontakt "sample not found" dialog, at which point it refuses to recognize the GPO .nks files, so I can't navigate to the missing sample within the .nks.

Has anyone else experienced this? any known solutions?

Brian,

I've experienced precisely the same problem, using the Studio 1.2 beta (of May 4) under Mac OS X 10.2.6. I presume it's a cross-platform file compatibility problem, but I don't know if it's a Kontakt issue or a Studio issue. It would be nice to get a response from someone who actually knows what's going on.

Steve

[Gil]

As far as I know, it's a problem with the paths : they are 'hard-coded' with the PC file...

[David (plogue)]

As far as I know, it's a problem with the paths : they are 'hard-coded' with the PC file...

Im afraid thats right. The Kontakt engine hardcodes the full paths of the files
inside the "black box" stream of data it exchanges with GPO studio upon load/save.
Sadly the VST host (GPO Studio) cant do anything about it.

[NeverSleep]

Gil & David,

Yes, it's certainly a problem with paths, but Kontakt's "sample not found" dialog provides a mechanism for correcting paths. The frustration for Mac users is that the path correction mechanism doesn't work. If you ask it to search your entire system for the missing sample, it can't find it. And (as Brian described), if you use the manual file navigation feature, that doesn't work either because Kontakt refuses to recognize the GPO .nks files.

Also, in Brian's original post, he says that sometimes GPO studio "will report that the file structure is incorrect." I experienced that problem with the file magicflute.gpo from the Overture Resource Page. But that file is suspiciously large, and it has an internal header that includes the text "Cakewalk_SONAR". Perhaps it isn't a gpo file at all?

I've also gotten a message saying unable to load file because "An exception occurred! Type XMLPlatformException". The offending file was beethoven5.gpo, again from the Overture Resource Page.

So it appears that the broken path mechanism isn't the only cross-platform file problem in the Mac version of Kontakt. I wonder what the chances are that NI will ever fix this stuff.

Steve

[David (plogue)]

Also, in Brian's original post, he says that sometimes GPO studio "will report that the file structure is incorrect." I experienced that problem with the file magicflute.gpo from the Overture Resource Page. But that file is suspiciously large, and it has an internal header that includes the text "Cakewalk_SONAR". Perhaps it isn't a gpo file at all?

Youre right it appears not to be a gpo file. Most probably a sonar file as you suggest (ive checked the file in a hex editor) But i dont have sonar to try it out. Seems like a simple html error. Gary?


I've also gotten a message saying unable to load file because "An exception occurred! Type XMLPlatformException". The offending file was beethoven5.gpo, again from the Overture Resource Page.


Hum now this is strange.
That file downloaded on our macs works just fine (xept from the sample paths issue)

Can you tell me which browser you used to download the gpo file?
XML files are somewhat sensitive to the way they are saved and handled.
Usually right click/save as does the trick of keeping them "toghether"

Cheers

[bmonroney]

Can you tell me which browser you used to download the gpo file?
XML files are somewhat sensitive to the way they are saved and handled.
Usually right click/save as does the trick of keeping them "toghether"


The two .gpo files in question were sent to me by Gary, attached to an email, not compressed. They were included in a fodler with two standard MIDI files and a plugin, all of which came through intact. Any clues?

Brian

[David (plogue)]

The two .gpo files in question were sent to me by Gary, attached to an email, not compressed. They were included in a fodler with two standard MIDI files and a plugin, all of which came through intact. Any clues?

Brian

I might have some if you send it back to me :)
davidv atttt plogue.com
Cheers

[NeverSleep]

Originally Posted by NeverSleep
[I've also gotten a message saying unable to load file because "An exception occurred! Type XMLPlatformException". The offending file was beethoven5.gpo, again from the Overture Resource Page.]

Hum now this is strange.
That file downloaded on our macs works just fine (xept from the sample paths issue)

Can you tell me which browser you used to download the gpo file?
XML files are somewhat sensitive to the way they are saved and handled.
Usually right click/save as does the trick of keeping them "toghether"


I used Safari 1.0 under Mac OS X 10.2.6, and downloaded by option-clicking the link. Interestingly, checking the download page with Explorer 5.2, I see it's actually beethoven5.zip. Safari completely hides that detail, displaying the file as beethoven5.gpo and transparently decompressing it.

Anyway, I tried downloading again with Safari. Lo and behold, this time GPO Studio did not give me the XMLPlatformException error! Hmmm. I'm quite confident about the original incident, so I'm at a loss to explain why it worked OK this time. Perhaps some sort of downloading glitch the first time?

Of my 3 problems with downloaded .gpo files from the Overture Resource Page, it now appears that one was caused by a misidentified Sonar file, and one was likely a downloading error. That leaves me with just the original complaint -- the path fixing mechanism is broken in the Mac version of Kontakt, rendering PC originated .gpo file worthless for Mac users.

On the subject of problem files on the Overture Resource Page, the following links are broken:
www.garritan.com/mp3/Peace.ove
www.garritan.com/mp3/joplin.ove

Also, opening magicflute.ove causes Overture SE 3.6.0 to hang.

In summary, only 2 of the 5 Overture demo files are usable, and none of the .gpo files. I found that a little discouraging.

Steve

[NeverSleep]

Regarding file beethoven5.gpo from the Overture Resource Page...

Anyway, I tried downloading again with Safari. Lo and behold, this time GPO Studio did not give me the XMLPlatformException error! Hmmm. I'm quite confident about the original incident, so I'm at a loss to explain why it worked OK this time. Perhaps some sort of downloading glitch the first time?
Mystery solved -- Not a downloading glitch -- New bug discovery

Believe it or not, the reason my first downloaded copy of beethoven5.gpo gave an XMLPlatformException error is because (are you ready?)... I had placed it inside a folder that had an apostrophe in its name! You know, as in Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Simply removing the apostrophe from the folder name eliminated the error message. (Note: It was a proper "curly" apostrophe, not one of those typewriter thingies. Perhaps that character is illegal in PC folder names? It's normally OK in a Mac.)

Is there any prize for the most ridiculous obscure bug of the day? Sheesh!

Steve