How best to minimise plug-in instances?

[dmacintyre]

Hi All,

Sorry to ask but I have watched the (obsolete) DVD, read the (PDF only) manual and trawled the message boards and am still not sure.

My objective is to minimise the number of instrument plug-ins in use but I am not sure I exactly how best and most efficiently to achieve this. What I have tried so far :

1. Place plug-in in Aux track, load patches into each channel in the plug-in, create midi tracks and direct each of these to the relevant channel of the Aux track plug-in (Violins channel 1, Cellos channel 2, etc.). This gives me separate instruments in separate tracks from the same plug-in and the ability to control track levels in mix window. Output meters register activity in both midi track and aux track.

2. As above but use Instrument tracks instead of midi. In this situation, I still get separate instruments but the fader levels in the mix window seem to have no effect on output volume. Also, there is only output activity on the aux meters.

I had thought the point of Instrument tracks was for just this situation but can't understand why the faders have no effect when they do with Midi tracks. On the Method One DVD, midi tracks are shown as routed to audio tracks for processing. Again, I thought that the introduction of Instrument tracks in v.7 would negate the need for this. Does this mean I have to still use midi and route via audio tracks for final mix / mastering process when using plug-in instruments or am I missing something about instrument tracks. This would seem to be a very inefficient arrangement if true.

Apart from that, I am running OSX 10.4.4 with PT7 and NI Komplete / IK plugins (without any other problems).

Sorry if this is a bit unclear.

Thanks in advance

David

[Slim Shady]

If you're using a multi-channel instrument plug-in, then your first example is the way to go. The "Instrument Tracks" are only better when using instruments that are non-multichannel... i.e. you have to create an actual instrument plug-in on each track.

[bassntreble]

if your instrument supports multiple outputs, you should still use instrument tracks. Remember, like audio and aux tracks, instrument tracks can source directly from a plugin's output. You can have a 16 channel multitimberal instrument with 16 stereo outputs on a single instrument track and 15 additional instrument tracks, each assigned to a different midi channel and sourcing a different set of outputs. This will give you complete control of part level and pan (and inserts, sends etc) in the protools mixer.

[dmacintyre]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. I am still very confused. What bassntreble describes is exactly what I am doing but with unexpected results, i.e. I don't have part level and pan control (unless I am doing something else wrong).

Whether I insert a plug-in on an instrument track and use that instance on other instrument tracks with different midi channels or insert it into an aux track, I have the same problem : the only fader which has any effect is the one on the track with the original instance of the plug-in. So, if I insert on track 1, midi channel 1 and insert another instance on track 2 but with midi channel 2, when I play track 2 midi channel 2, the only levels I can control and the only audio activity are on track 1, i.e. playing the second instance sends audio to the original instance of the plug-in. Perhaps this is as expected.

If I insert separate plug-ins on each instrument track, the track faders alter the levels of output as expected. This is what I would like to do when sharing a single instance of a multi-channel plug-in on separate tracks. Closest thing I can think of is rack wrappers in Tracktion or V-Racks in DP if that helps. It's driving me crazy!

Thanks for any help.

Regards

D.

[dmacintyre]

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks

D.

[dmacintyre]

Just received a message from Digidesign tech support - apparently it is not possible to do this. Got around it by routing the stereo outs from individual Kontakt instruments to separate instrument tracks - et viola. One plugin, many instances, full mix control. (as bassntreble suggested).

If anyone's interested.