Sampletank 3: Other channels don't trigger when recording subsequent ones

[EricWillhelm]

Oops, make that Sampletank. Okay, so PT12.5 on Mac running 10.10.5 with 16GB RAM (Macbook Pro mid-2014). Using Sampletank 3. I'll record a drum part on an instrument track. Then when I go to do a bass part on a separate track, using the same instance of the plug, all mapped properly to the new track, the previous drum parts won't play whenever I'm hitting a bass note. Mind you, if I crank the HW buffer all the way up, the problem goes away. But then I lose the feel. Is it really that hard for PT to allow this to happen at a lower buffer setting? And of course, I can't freeze the tracks as I do them, without making a new instance of the plug on each track. But maybe that's what I have to do? And of course, this is only during RECORD. During playback, all is well. Alas...

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by EricWillhelm

Oops, make that Sampletank. Okay, so PT12.5 on Mac running 10.10.5 with 16GB RAM (Macbook Pro mid-2014). Using Sampletank 3. I'll record a drum part on an instrument track. Then when I go to do a bass part on a separate track, using the same instance of the plug, all mapped properly to the new track, the previous drum parts won't play whenever I'm hitting a bass note. Mind you, if I crank the HW buffer all the way up, the problem goes away. But then I lose the feel. Is it really that hard for PT to allow this to happen at a lower buffer setting? And of course, I can't freeze the tracks as I do them, without making a new instance of the plug on each track. But maybe that's what I have to do? And of course, this is only during RECORD. During playback, all is well. Alas...

Are you saying that with the PT transport running and you play your bass track using ST3 into PT the drum tracks don't output audio? Everything mapped correctly between PT and ST3 on separate MIDI channels? Remember that you have to do separate MIDI learn assignments for things like volume control in each instrument in ST3.

[EricWillhelm]

No. What happens is, while in RECORD only, when I try record the bass part, the previously-recorded drum track does NOT play whenever I play a note on the bass. It's as if Sampletank can only handle notes from one or the other at a time. And yes, everything is set correctly. Separate out on Sampletank 3 for the two parts. Both routed to separate instrument tracks in PT. And funny thing is, when NOT in record, it WILL play all the notes. So I just have to soldier on and try to record the subsequent parts while not hearing the previous ones, and then check it out afterward.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by EricWillhelm

No. What happens is, while in RECORD only, when I try record the bass part, the previously-recorded drum track does NOT play whenever I play a note on the bass. It's as if Sampletank can only handle notes from one or the other at a time. And yes, everything is set correctly. Separate out on Sampletank 3 for the two parts. Both routed to separate instrument tracks in PT. And funny thing is, when NOT in record, it WILL play all the notes. So I just have to soldier on and try to record the subsequent parts while not hearing the previous ones, and then check it out afterward.

Please clarify: you haven't rendered to audio the drum track and it still exists as MIDI feeding Sampletank 3 right? Also what is your exact track setup - do you have two separate MIDI tracks feeding ST3 or is ST3 on one Instrument track with say the drum part MIDI there and the MIDI for the second part on a separate MIDI track? You don't need separate Instrument tracks for each; just one Instrument track and as many MIDI tracks to feed the instruments inside that instance of ST3 minus the MIDI for one part that's in that Instrument track.

[EricWillhelm]

I use a separate instrument track for each instrument because it allows you to mix each part as you would any regularly-recorded instrument. If I only used one instrument track, and fed each part into it via separate MIDI tracks, that control is lost. See the attached image. I've been doing it this way ever since plugs started allowing it. Only for some reason, ST3 won't/can't play back previously recorded parts while you're RECORDING a new one. And only while recording. Once you play it back, all is well.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by EricWillhelm

I use a separate instrument track for each instrument because it allows you to mix each part as you would any regularly-recorded instrument. If I only used one instrument track, and fed each part into it via separate MIDI tracks, that control is lost. See the attached image. I've been doing it this way ever since plugs started allowing it. Only for some reason, ST3 won't/can't play back previously recorded parts while you're RECORDING a new one. And only while recording. Once you play it back, all is well.

You don't need separate Instrument tracks; just do as I outlined in my previous post. There are plenty of times I do as I wrote - one Instrument track to host the vi and one track of MIDI, one MIDI track for another instrument, and so on with an aux track for each vi output that doesn't route to the Instrument track. This allows one to mix as one pleases. So if I have say 8 MIDI tracks to record I have one Instrument track (which carries one MIDI stream), seven MIDI tracks that feed MIDI channels 2 through 8 of the vi and seven aux tracks for the vi outputs. That way I get full control of 8 audio streams. Set everything up right in the vi as to routing and control and you're good to go. Just remember that you have to set up each channel in ST3 on it's own as to volume control and MIDI triggering although the latter is dead easy. Try it - it works.

The reason I say to use aux tracks is you don't need to have them in record ready to hear the output.

[EricWillhelm]

But the whole point of an instrument track is to consolidate all that stuff into one. Instead of having, say, one instrument track with the plug on it, and then 4 MIDI tracks that feed thru that plug to 4 aux tracks (that's 9 tracks) you just have 5 instrument tracks, and done. It serves as both the MIDI and the aux track in one. Unless I'm missing something. Always a possibility!

[EricWillhelm]

Here's a look at how it works (for me) ideally...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dr6p4zkmjq...%20PM.mov?dl=0

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by EricWillhelm

But the whole point of an instrument track is to consolidate all that stuff into one. Instead of having, say, one instrument track with the plug on it, and then 4 MIDI tracks that feed thru that plug to 4 aux tracks (that's 9 tracks) you just have 5 instrument tracks, and done. It serves as both the MIDI and the aux track in one. Unless I'm missing something. Always a possibility!

You ARE missing something and that's the way you're using Instrument tracks is NOT how they are supposed to be used. You have the use of essentially unlimited numbers of tracks - make use of them. In the scenario you mention here you'd only have 4 extra tracks. Try my way and see how it works - I know it will. It's the way most people work with multi-timbral vi's. It's also much simpler to debug if you have problems.

[EricWillhelm]

Okay, so what am I missing, exactly? The MIDI info is there, as it would be in a MIDI-only track. And the returning audio is there, as it would be in an AUX track. So what's the downside?