How to create a copy of the main output to use as a monitor output?

VST Live
1

Hi there

I’ll be using VST Live purely as a Virtual Instrument host, just to play my VI’s live from keyboard controllers and that’s it.

The main output will be my stereo mix to FOH, and I want a copy (mirror) of this mix to go to another pair of audio outputs on my interface to send to my onstage personal stereo monitor speakers.

I don’t want the monitor output to be a separate monitor mix (if possible), just a straight copy of the FOH mix with independent output level control.

Unfortunately, I don’t understand the Output Channels feature well enough to figure out how to do this (assuming this is the right way to go).

Can anybody point me in the right direction?

Thanks.

2

Hi back to you!

Ok there’s no way to directly mirror the Main Out so here’s a workaround…

In the Devices menu select Connections. Now click on Audio

In the Outputs (bottom) section click +. You will asked to name it - I’d call it “MonitorOut”

You will see that it’s NC - drop down that item and select the appropriate output channel on your interface.

Close the window.

Now go back to your mixer. Add an Out channel. Connect that channel to MonitorOut using the drop down at the top of the fader.

Now go to each of the mixer channels feeding into your main out and click e. Drop down an empty send and select your new Out channel. It’s post fader and set to an appropriate level already, so don’t change the send level.

That should do it. The monitor send is global, and so is its level, so you only have to define and set it once but you will have to set up the sends in each song. Upside is that you can add eq to it if needed.

Have fun!

3

Hi Clive,
Thanks for your response.

Yes, that should work fine, it’s pretty much how I do it in my current hardware rig’s mixer.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, much appreciated!

Regards

Alan

4

I just realised you can do something with Virtual Audio by changing your Main Out connection to VA and then adding 2 global stacks using the VA as input. Then send the stacks to the appropriate outs (which you’d have to add in connections). That will get you round having to set up the Sends and you’d have a fader for each out. You’d still have the Main Out fader but you can hide that if needed.

That’s quite neat - I might use it myself!

I hope that makes sense.

5

Oh, that’s clever!

Haven’t looked at Virtual Audio yet, but I get the gist of your idea. It sets up a “virtual output”, then splits that into two actual audio outs.

Nice one.

Regards,

Alan

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6

You’ve discussed above a possibility.
I would suggest another two options in addition:

var1:
Create a GROUP (in mixer) then from this group

  • Route all your sources here (instead of MainOut)
  • SEND1 to MainOut
  • SEND2 to MonitorMixOut

var2:
What if going back how we do monitor aux/bus mixes? What if SEND signal from all your sources to a separated MonitorMixOut? You can then do finetuning in your monitor mix w.o. touching your output mix?

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7

VL has so many ways to skin this particular cat :grinning:

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8

Indeed. It will be great when they start documenting them.

Again, thanks to you both for your helpful suggestions.

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