Check out images below.
To reproduce, just create 3 songs (in images below named SOURCE, Song 1 and Song 2) and assign Song 1 and Song 2 instruments as shared instruments from SOURCE:
Then open the instrument plugin view from Song 2 and find out that the shared instrument title bar tells you that it is shared from Song 1, not SOURCE as it should be:
Personally I like to use one song called SOURCE where I put all shared instrument “sources” so that I can keep up with shared instruments. It is quite important here that the shared instrument reference information in plugin window title bar is correct.
Also, when deleted the Song 1, other songs’ instrument plugin title bar still tell you the instrument is shared from Song 1.
This has been ocurring at least since version 1.4.6.2. I noticed several days ago before upgrading to version 2.06.
It’s disturbing because if the Song/Part data context has a reference to the shared VST via a reference that reflects another Song/Part name, are there other data context members that are not unique to the Song/Part I’m currently editing? For example, how do I know that a Volume change issued to the shared VST from on Song/Part isn’t affecting all other Song/Parts that use the same Shared VST?
… yes, that’s a visual bug. All visual reference should name - like ein your case - the first part. We’ll fix that. But technically the instrument is shared and belongs to all parts. If you would delete the SOURCE part, the next “visual owner” part (in the shared part-chain) would be “Part 1” of “Song 1”.
… yes, we’ll fix that. Thank you.
… it depends in your Layer Setting : “Shared MIDI Controls global” and “Audio Controls global”.
Okay, that works, and it changes how I approach configuring whole sets of songs. However, there is nothing in the manual about it. If you search the manual for “Shared” you get two references:
“The multitimbral capabilities of virtual instruments can be used by sharing the same virtual instruments across Layers, and setting each sound program slot to a different MIDI channel.”
I’d never do that. I think I’m just trying to save memory and feel certain I’m always getting the same sound across multiple songs.
Shared Handles
Some handles are shared by multiple event types.
That’s not for me either.
I’ve seen the word “Shared” in the forum all over the place for years, for several product features. You find out what they are by trying to use them. How is it that there is no documentation in the manual for these “Shared” features? Maybe this forum is the documentation - is that the idea?
What is shared is the Instrument, not the Layer. So each Layer can still have individual settings like Volume etc, a Layer is basically a MIDI processor. Only the plugin instance is shared.
The obvious use is for multitimbral instruments (like when you set Halion Sonic to GM Mode). Then you can address up to 16 instruments with just one HS instance throughout the entire project.
The other use is to save resources, but you need to be aware of the fact that Layers are not shared. Duplicate Shared is a great function to acheive a duplicate which also duplicates all Layer settings.
Okay, thanks for the clarification. I also collect instruments to be shared in the first song, which is never actually played. I noticed that its layer settings are meaningless other than the instrument binding. Is this also true for Global Shared instrument layers?
