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VST instruments and instrument tracks
• If you do not want the plug-in control panels to open ev-
ery time you load a plug-in, open the Preferences dialog
(VST–Plug-ins page) and deactivate “Open Effect Editor
After Loading it”.
You can open a plug-in panel at any time by clicking the “e” button of the
corresponding plug-in slot.
4. If you now look in the Project window track list, you will
find that a dedicated folder for the chosen instrument has
been added, within a “VST Instruments” folder (where all
your VST instrument channels will be listed).
The separate folder for the added VST instrument contains two types of
automation tracks: one for automating the plug-in parameters and one
for each Mixer channel used by the VST instrument. For example, if you
add a VST instrument with four separate outputs (four separate Mixer
channels), the folder will contain five automation tracks. To keep the
screen less cluttered, you may want to close the folder for the VST in
-
strument until you need to view or edit any of the automation tracks. For
details about automation, see the chapter
“Automation” on page 156.
• When you select the MIDI track routed to the VST in-
strument, you will see that the Inspector contains a sepa-
rate section for the instrument.
This section contains the audio channel settings for the VST instrument
(inserts, EQs, Sends, and fader settings). The tab has two buttons for
opening the Channel Settings window (for the VST instrument channel)
and the Edit Instrument button which opens the control panel for the VST
instrument.
5. Depending on the selected VST instrument, you may
also need to select a MIDI channel for the track.
For example, a multitimbral VST instrument can play back different
sounds on different MIDI channels – check the documentation for the
VST instrument for MIDI implementation details.
6. Make sure that the “MIDI Thru Active” option is acti-
vated in the Preferences dialog (MIDI page).
7. Activate the Monitor button for the MIDI track (in the
track list, Inspector, or Mixer).
When this is activated (or when the track is record enabled), incoming
MIDI is passed on to the selected MIDI output (in this case the VST in
-
strument), see the chapter “Recording” on page 74.
8. Open the Mixer.
You will find one or more channel strips for the audio outputs of the VST
instrument. VST instrument channel strips have the same features and
functionality as group channel strips, with the addition of an Edit button
at the bottom of the strip for opening the VST instrument control panel. In
the Inspector you will also find an Output Routing pop-up menu for rout
-
ing the VST instrument, e. g. to an output channel or group.
9. Play the VST instrument from your MIDI keyboard.
You can use the Mixer settings to adjust the sound, add EQ or effects, etc.,
just as with regular audio channels. Of course, you can also record or man
-
ually create MIDI parts that play back sounds from the VST instrument.
• VST instrument channels give you full access to multi-
timbral instruments.
You can have several MIDI tracks routed to the VST instrument, each
playing a different part.
• Similarly, you can route channels to any available output
provided by the VST instrument.
The VST Instruments window
When a VST instrument is loaded, six controls are dis-
played for this slot in the VST Instruments window.
• The button on the far left is used for the Freeze function,
see
“Instrument Freeze” on page 150.
• The On/Off button is used to activate or deactivate the
VST instrument.
When an instrument is selected from the instrument pop-up menu, it is
activated automatically, i.
e. the On/Off button is lit.
For some instruments you may also bypass the instrument by clicking the
Bypass button to the right of the On/Off button.
• Click the Edit (“e”) button to open the control panel for
the VST instrument.
• Below the Edit button is a small LED that will light up
when MIDI data is received by the instrument.
Opens the Channel Settings
window.
Opens the control panel for
the VST instrument.
Instrument
on/off
Instrument
Freeze
Activate outputs
Bypass
instrument
Open instrument panelEvent received