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VST instruments and instrument tracks
What do I need? Instrument channel
or instrument track?
• If you need a particular sound without knowing which
VST instrument to use, create an instrument track and use
the preview features of the Presets browser to find the
sound you want.
• Do likewise if the instrument track restrictions described
above do not matter.
• If you are planning to create an instrument track preset,
complete with inserts and EQ settings, you have to use an
instrument track.
• If you need to use multitimbral parts and/or multiple out-
puts, set up a VST instrument channel.
Instrument Freeze
Like all plug-ins, VST instruments may require a lot of pro-
cessor power. If you are using a moderately powerful com-
puter or if you are using a large number of VST instruments,
you may come to a point where your computer cannot han
-
dle all VST instruments playing back in realtime (the CPU
overload indicator in the VST Performance window lights
up, you get crackling sounds, etc.).
Enter the Instrument Freeze function! This is how it works:
• When you freeze a VST instrument, the program renders
an audio file of the instrument output (taking into account all
unmuted MIDI parts routed to that VST instrument). This file
is placed in the “Freeze” folder within the Project folder.
• All MIDI tracks routed to the VST instrument, or the in-
strument track associated with the VST instrument, are
muted and locked (the controls for these tracks will ap
-
pear “grayed-out” in the track list and Inspector).
• When you start playback, the rendered audio file is
played back from an “invisible” audio track, routed to the
VST instrument’s Mixer channel. Thus, any effects, EQ, or
mixing automation will still be applied.
• You can also freeze the Mixer channel of the VST instru-
ment. This freezes any pre-fader insert effects for the
channels, just as when freezing audio tracks (see “Freez-
ing (rendering) insert effects for a track” on page 136).
The result of the Freeze is that you get exactly the same
sound as before, but the computer processor does not
have to calculate the sound of the VST instrument in real
-
time.
Performing the freeze
The instrument freeze function is available in the VST In-
struments window, the track list, and the Inspector for in-
strument tracks.
1. Set up the project so that the VST instrument plays
back the way you want it to.
This includes editing the MIDI tracks routed to the VST instrument, or ed-
iting the instrument track, and making parameter settings for the VST in-
strument itself. If you have automated parameter changes for the VST
instrument, make sure that the Read (R) button is activated.
2. Open the VST Instruments window from the Devices
menu, or, if you are using an instrument track, select the
track and open the top Inspector tab.
3. Click the Freeze button for the VST instrument (the
button to the left of the VST instrument slot), or the Freeze
button in the Inspector for the instrument track.
The Freeze Instrument Options dialog opens with the fol-
lowing options for the Freeze operation:
• Select “Freeze Instrument Only” if you do not want to
freeze any insert effects for the VST instrument channels.
Use this if you are using insert effects on the VST instrument channel(s)
and want to be able to edit, replace, or remove these after freezing the
VST instrument.
The Freeze button in the
VST Instruments window…
…and in the Inspector.