I’m experiencing an odd effect and wanted to clarify if it’s expected behaviour and if so, understand if there’s a workaround.
I have a VST in instrument slot 1. It’s Massive from NI. I have a melody playing on that instrument on track 1. After a couple of patterns, I introduce a harmony, using the same instrument, but on track 2. I’d like this harmony to fade in.
However, as soon as I use the 0Lxx command in track 2, this affects track 1 also. If I alias the VST, same behaviour. The only thing that works is to create a completely new instrument, add to instrument slot 2, and use this to program my harmony, with the obvious CPU consequences.
If you have a VST instrument with only one audio output (i.e. the vast majority of plugins in existence), then it can only be played on a single track at any given time.
If you try to play notes on multiple tracks, the notes will fight with each other and try to ‘steal’ the output. Basically, whichever track played some notes most recently, that’s where the sound will go.
If that track has some DSP effects, then the entire plugin will get those effects. If that track has something changing the volume, then the entire plugin volume will change. And so on…
Creating a basic VST instrument alias is not enough by itself. You must also set up the proper MIDI and track/channel routings for each voice within the plugin, so that each sound goes to the correct track.
However, since Massive itself is not a multi-timbral plugin, this multi-channel approach is not possible.
Using multiple unique instances of Massive is likely to be the only thing that works correctly in this particular case.
If you’re playing some kind of melody or arpeggio with lots of regular notes, then some simple volume/velocity commands in the note columns may do the trick?
On the other hand, if it’s a sustained pad sound or something similar, then it will not be possible to smoothly fade it in using pattern commands alone.
Thanks dblue, excellent explanation, I understand what’s happening now.
I did experiment with the individual note column commands, in the volume column and 0Cxy etc. but these don’t always have expected results with VST, and sometimes don’t do anything at all.
I’ll work with multiple instances, or render out as samples.
Thanks dblue, excellent explanation, I understand what’s happening now.
I did experiment with the individual note column commands, in the volume column and 0Cxy etc. but these don’t always have expected results with VST, and sometimes don’t do anything at all.
I’ll work with multiple instances, or render out as samples.
Thanks again.
could you maybe use/automate the gainer tool on each track instead of rendering out as samples? just a recommendation that may or may not make ur life easier, i haven’t tried it out for myself
If you want to program midi notes on multiple tracks to a single plugin, it’s helpful to explicitly route the plugin output to a specific track so you don’t get the audio fighting thing that dblue talked about.