How to make Group Folder VST

Cubase
1

Hey guys. Ive done a number of search engine queries, but I don’t think I really even know how to phrase a search, so hopefully someone here can help me out.

Im running Cubase Elements 9, Windows 10 PC with four core processor, 8 Gigs DDR3 RAM. Anyway, here goes:

My band mate and I want to do some Christmas songs. Recently, I found out a person could download entire MIDI arrangements and so I went and found some Christmas ones to use as templates/experiments. Everything is cool and Im having a good time with a few songs. Then, one particular one had about a dozen MIDI tracks, with the instruments preloaded using HALion (all the songs are constructed this way). When I try to change the vst instrument on the tracks, the audio randomly drops. One of two things happen, either the volume dial in the instrument turns itself to zero, or the track will go silent, even though the keys are showing as being played. It happened on three different vsts by different creators.
This bothered me to no end, so I just ditched that song altogether thinking it was something in the song itself. So, I got another song with about the same amount. It was much more stable with only one vst giving me the problem after multiple instances of using it (its called Sonatina Orchestra, a free VST). After about the third track of trying to use that vst, that last track has the cut out problem. So, I just used a different one called Hybrid; and viola, all stable.

I figured that maybe running too many instances of the same instrument is what was giving me fits. Though, none of the HALion presets were having the problem. Based on that hypothesis, I started searching for solutions. And what I found was that you can actually set up VST folders and then put the data and multiple tracks of the same instrument into one folder, apparently running multiple midi tracks off of one instrument track (this appears to be how the MIDI songs I downloaded were constructed in the first place). However, I cannot figure out how to do it. Ive searched and searched. I can make a group track, group fx, I can make folders of tracks, but I cannot figure out how to run one VST and have it play multiple different tracks with different presets.

Thanks for reading, I know its long. Any help is appreciated. Video links and tutorials etc. I cant zero on a good search query though.

2

Hi,

The VST Instruments folder is created automatically once you add a Rack Instrument. But you can do multitimbral even with the Instrument track. Add an Instrument track and then add a MIDI tracks. The MIDI tracks are routed to the Instrument (track) Channels 2,3,4, etc.

3

Thank you so much. So, I did that, and viola, all the midi tracks were assigned to that instrument.

But, I didn’t see how I could assign different sounds to each track using the same instrument. When I changed the sound from, say piano, to cello, each track would adopt the same instrument. Would I need a VST that is multitimbral capable? Im assuming HALion is, as this works with the songs I open.

4

Hi,

It depends on the Instrument itself, do it’s different in every single Instrument. In HALion Sonic you have 16 slots. Every single slot represents one MIDI Channel (is assigned to the unique MIDI Channel) by default.

5

Thank you for your help, Martin. I do notice those slots when I open HALion and will keep this in mind with other plugins in the future. I have enough to work with here to proceed.
Thanks again!