Multiple Tracks to one VSTi

[vksf01]

Hi all,

Sonar user for the longest time, but I'm trying out Reaper again to see if it suits me.

One thing I do a lot in Sonar is use multiple midi tracks that are routed to a single VST. This allows me to try out alternate versions of parts. I also do this a lot when programming drum parts since each midi track is a separate drum instrument.

What would be the quickest way to do this in reaper?

[XITE-1/4LIVE]

http://tutorialsforreaper.com/
The Kontakt 4 video shows a great way to do this.

[arbogast]

OPen the track's fx window. In the Options menu select 'build 16 channels of MIDI routing to this track', delete those you don't need.

In the track's io window you can change channels if you need to.

EDIT: Damn! I'm too slow.

[vksf01]

damn, those are quick responses!

thanks, i'll try those

[mtthw]

Just to add a couple of things:

Remember there are 16 available channels of MIDI, so the VSTi either should receive "omni" all of the channels, or be set to receive whatever channel you are sending.

I think automatically a VSTi will just receive all MIDI channels unless it has options to select which channel or channels it will receive.

You will see on the track I/O that you can pick to send MIDI however you want.

Also, you can pick to turn the Audio sends off, not send any Audio.

This routing works very well.

Sometimes a VSTi won't let MIDI go through it, it will receive MIDI but not allow it to pass through to the next effect on the track.

In this case, the routing allows one to send MIDI simultaneously to two or more tracks, so that for example you could have a filter you like on one track receiving audio from an oscillator you have on another track, and a third MIDI track which sends the same MIDI to both, allowing you to, say, trigger the filter's envelope with each MIDI note.

Anyway, thats a great idea to send several different MIDI's to an instrument for drums and stuff. I have done that a bit, but actually thinking about it, it may be very convenient, I am going to try more of this out.

[vksf01]

In Sonar, the VST would occupy its own track (since it's an audio track) and then I'd create any number of Midi tracks and route their output to the VST audio track. These midi tracks all have the same midi channel and the same output source, just that each has an isolated instrument on the track.

I'll look at the methods mentioned and try to do the same

[PAPT]

Use the I/O button on the midi tracks and send each one to the vst track.

[vksf01]

Thanks for all the help. I was able to add midi tracks and direct them to the VST by changing the sends.

Here's a slightly different version of the question.

Suppose I have a VST with 4 stereo outputs (for example). Right now, there's an option to either create tracks for only 1 stereo output or all 4 stereo outs. If I were to create only 1 stereo output initially and then later decide I want to use another of the VSTs output, how would I do this? In the FX->Options menu, there's a "Build Multichannel routing for output of selected FX" which creates a track for every output. I was wondering if there was a way to add a track for the specific output only when I needed it, instead of having all of them created at once.

If this isn't clear, here's a real world example. I have a drum sampler with 8 stereo outputs. For an example track, I'll decide I only need 2 stereo tracks, one for the Kick and one for the snare. I can't seem to figure out how to only create those 2 stereo tracks.

[DarkStar]

As you have worked out, the "Build Multichannel routing" creates tracks for all the outputs; you can then delete the ones you don't want.

Or:
-- create a new track (Ctrl+t) and name it (double-click in the track name area)
-- create a Send, drag the [io] button from the VSTi track to the new track
-- select the VSTi output track channel(s) in the Routing window,
-- e.g. to send the second output of the VSTi to the new track, change:
from "Audio 1/2 v => Audio 1/2" to "Audio 3/4 v => Audio 1/2"

HTH

[vksf01]

ah ok,
i'll try that. i think i'll need to play around more with reaper's routing since this appears to be the biggest difference between how sonar works and how reaper works.

thanks!

[JonnyGinese]

My video will show you the long way to do it so that you actually know how the routing works. In one of the comments on the post it mentions a faster way to build the midi inputs. But, you still need to setup Kontakt the right way(which the video shows).

Jonny Ginese