Are MIDI Tracks Easier on a Machine than Instrument Tracks?

Cubase
#1

Hello!

As per my title, I would like to know if using MIDI tracks will be easier on my computer than instrument tracks, especially for bigger instruments like Kontakt. In my latest project I’m starting to get some lag and other issues in playback and I’m up to about 12 instrument tracks. Will converting them to MIDI tracks alieviate this issue at all? I’ve not had this problem in the past, but ever since buying Ample Guitar’s G II, I’ve noticed that at least is pretty hefty for my computer.

Related, but if the answer is YES, what functionalities am I losing/gaining by using a Rack instead of Track instrument? I’ve seen a TON of posts about this all dated from 2012 to the present but most seem to be “there used to be a difference but not anymore” essentially? What I noticed is I can’t have Sends run individually through MIDI tracks, only the host rack instrument, so for example I can’t have different amounts of reverb on different MIDI tracks, whereas I could do that on Instrument tracks if I wanted.

Thank you for any time and input!
-Eriias

#2

Hi,

It’s not about MIDI/Instrument tracks. Instrument track is grouped MIDI track with the Audio Return Channel.

To reply your question… Using 10 Instrument tracks need more CPU power then using 1 Rack Instrument (or Instrument track) and 10 MIDI tracks connected to it. Every single VSTi instance eats some CPU power. So to lower it, we try to use the instruments in the multi-timbral mode. I.e. 1 instrument (it doesn’t matter if it sits in the Instrument Track or in the Rack Instrument) + several MIDI Tracks.

#3

No, it is almost always easier on your cpu to use multiple instrument tracks instead of using multiple midi tracks to address a single multi-timbral instance. This is because the load can be spread across multiple cores. There are exceptions, but it is almost always better to use multiple instrument tracks.


I’ve seen a TON of posts about this all dated from 2012 to the present but most seem to be “there used to be a difference but not anymore” essentially?

The posts you are referring to are talking about instrument track features, not cpu usage.


What I noticed is I can’t have Sends run individually through MIDI tracks, only the host rack instrument, so for example I can’t have different amounts of reverb on different MIDI tracks, whereas I could do that on Instrument tracks if I wanted.

You can have different amounts of reverb on the different instruments of a single multi-timbral instrument. You just need to enable multiple outputs for the multi-timbral instrument.

Note however, that bringing multiple instruments together into a single signal path via sends to a single group or effect can defeat the ability to spread the cpu load across the cores.

#4

All the generalized statements about CPU efficiency of one or the other way (Instrument track, Rack instruments) are at least inaccurate or iow. wrong because of the generalizations they are based upon. It highly depends on a lot of paramenters whether a special VSTi is more efficient in terms of CPU usage using only one instance or more of them.
You will for sure have to compare directly. Any general statement can be completely misleading.