Is there a way to open many plug-in's at once, on several tracks?

Nuendo
1

I am using a vocal synthesizer plug-in, called EmVoice, and I am trying to tame the vocals, since there is a great amount of energy in certain syllables, that if countered with automation, prior to recording; the effects only become apparent when syllables occurring before or after the “plosive” are increased or lowed, to such an extent that the automation curve becomes warped.

This means I can only reduce transients by so much before the sound starts fading or becoming too loud, at different points in a word or phrase.

I also use the mvMeter plug-in, and it is helping me understand where drop points should occur, in order to maintain a lower average level over time, than would otherwise be the case using meters in the DAW.

I would like to know how I might open and close a collection of plug-in’s, that exist on various tracks simultaneously since this is something I must do many times over.

Cheers for any help.

2

Only way I know of is Shift_Option clicking the e-button of the channel (on Mac).

I don’t know of a way to open different plugins spread over different channels simultaneously.

3

hello, a quick way could be to create a workspace (at least it will work in that session) open all the plugins you need and distribute them across the screen as desired. then go to Workspaces and create a new one.

I also suggest first creating a “default” workspace with no windows open, only in the project view. so you can switch between the two.

note. Those workspaces are designed (I think) to a keyboard command،of course I can change them to your liking.

4

Hi,

I’ve never used workspaces, but I thought that might be raised,

If it will only will work in that session, then I would need one for every project, or song to open the plug-in’s and then one more to close them all.

I just tried it by creating a Global Workspace in my template project and then activating it in another project and the plug-in dialogs don’t appear. as how I believed they would once I had saved the workspace, and even if I do make them show, in the new project, the workspace is not updated.

If I attempt to update the Project Workspace, which mind you I did not create; nothing happens except the project minimises into the top left-hand corner so is this how it’s supposed to work?

If so, then it doesn’t appear to do what I always thought it would but which I had never tried so it would seem rather useless at present and for such an old feature, first go; genuine disappointment.

Cheers

5

hello, the workspaces, in your case you must create it in each project. It would work in all of them, for example if you have to open control room plugins.

for your specific case there may be another alternative solution, for example using the Logical Project Editor (PLE) but you would have to comply with some rules, such as that those tracks where you need to open insertion 1 have X color, or something like that. then create a macro and assign it to a keyboard command.

I would have to test if it is feasible.

6

Might be a far-fetched idea - but after some training, all those new AI-powered assistants should be able to do this (provided you’re willing to let them take control of your mouse and screen).

7

Best I can think of off the top of my head would be…

At first you’ll need to build a project template by hand that simulates the working environment you’re attempting to build. Be sure to set up VSTi instances as ‘track instruments’ (as opposed to rack instruments). Set up your tracks and plugins according to your ideal for beginning a brand new session of working with your vocal synth. Give yourself head-room with extra tracks for doing sketch work, auditioning ideas before committing to them, etc.

From there you can also make ‘track presets’ that also include your most commonly used mixer settings, insert effect plugins, etc. A ‘track preset’ preserves all the mixer settings for the track, your plugin chain and the status of all the plugins, etc.

Once you’ve worked out your ideal setup, save the project as a template. You can later ‘import’ any number of tracks from this template project into any other project at will. Your imported tracks should be set up and ready to start working with.

I.E. you could use “File/Import/Tracks From Project” to bring in several tracks that are all named, colored, set up and ready to go fairly quickly. The plugins and mixer settings should remain intact. Or, you could do it the other way around if it’s simpler…start a new project based off your template, then import what ever you need into it from another project.

You’ll also have some ‘track presets’ on standby, which will allow you to quickly add individual tracks that are all set up on demand. I.E. If you only need one or two instances, this can be quicker than importing things from a different project or track archive. Just make a new track “Using track preset…”, or make a new track of the desired type, and then load up your desired track preset.

You’d still need to ‘create, move, or copy’ your desired track content, or in the case of existing MIDI tracks, change track end points to correspond with your new imported tracks.

While you can save track presets at any time that preserve the state of all plugins on the track; In the case of working with something like multiple instances of a track/plugin-chain mid project where you also need to preserve the full state of the track (I.E. different variants of word building information, MIDI events, etc), then your best best is to simply ‘duplicate’ the reference track and work from there.

I.E. Sometimes I work with Hollywood Choirs in Opus. I’ve already gone into the Opus VSTi plugin to set up and poke in the lyrics for the 1st Sopranos. The 2nd Sopranos have the exact same lyrics and rhtyhm, or close to it. So, I just ‘duplicate’ the track to preserve all the work I did with the ‘lyrics’, and then adjust or replace the MIDI performance events and tweak my choir’s vocies as required. My duplicated track begins with the exact same setup…so all I need to do is ‘mod’ it to become my 2nd Soprano part.

It is possible to build a macro that could do something like: Duplicate this track 5 times. Then you could combine macros and project logical editors (PLE) to rename, set colors, change the order, move events from other tracks to the new ones, etc.

Unfortunately, I don’t know of a way to build a macro or PLE that can call up a ‘specific’ track preset on demand (though you can build them that will call up the UI to pick a preset). This might be possible with the Remote API, but I personally don’t have the chops to build such a script. To date I have not seen such a remote script (though I have seen plenty that call up the media bay, and allow scrolling through presets via remote to pick one).

8

Hi,

The problem is, using a Track Preset, would mean that the vocal synth, i.e., Emvoice, would need to be re-instanced each time.

I actually thought it would be quite a simple, and potentially a common action but it seems to not be the case.

The thing is, as great as mwMeter, is it does take a while to open (and close) the plug-in window, so if implemented, e.g., ALT + SHIFT + click insert slot, it could potentially make the DAW unstable but I am not sure that Key Combinations extend to UI elements themselves.

Best

9

Correct. You end up with whatever plugin state the preset was saved with.

If you wish to start a new track with the same state as something you’re already working with, then ‘duplicate track’. If there are parts/events on there you no longer want, delete them.

It is possible to connect MIDI tracks to any existing instrument track, but I’m not sure if that’d help in your case. It’d depend on how the plugin works, and how much of it can be driven by ‘MIDI events’ in ‘real time’.

10

I recently converted all of my MIDI tracks, using multi-timbral VSTi’s, to single instance instrument tracks and I will never go back, and since I don’t have any external instruments, or effects, I have no need of this track type.

I have found that automation for Instrument Tracks, is plug-in based, that is standard MIDI controllers are not needed, and the control types available, are whatever methods the plug-in exposes.

It’s not a bad ideal using track presets, but I would be more interested if they extended to Group Tracks, since it is only there, where I ever use multiple inserts. Also, using an instrument on an instrument track does not use an insert slot, in this case only mwMeter does, and I do not use any effect plug-in’s since I record the audio of the VSTi’s only (no render).

I was really hopeful that Workspaces would cut it, but alas no and remember using Track Presets still constitute, an action that takes time.

11

Since I’m not familiar with your specific plugin, it’s not clear in my mind what you’re trying to achieve. When it comes to AI plugins, the few I’ve worked with have their own interfaces for inputting events and such (kind of like a DAW inside a DAW), then render out something to sync up with the DAW internally. In those cases it seems to me each track ‘must’ be re-instanced if you wish to overlay different takes of whatever the AI comes up with (or export different takes as pure audio tracks)?

My suggestions can help you speed up pulling in a working template with some routing already done, but I’m not sure what else to offer.

Does the suggestion of making a complete template, and ‘importing’ any number of tracks from it ‘as needed’ help?

I.E. you could have a complicated array of tracks/plugins all set up, and pull them all into any project in one go using File/Import/Track from project (or from a track archive).

12

Don’t sell their power and convivence short. MIDI tracks are very powerful for isolating things, getting it right, and still having the option to move it to your instrument track later if desired.

MIDI tracks can be teamed up with Instrument Tracks, just as easily as with ‘rack instruments’.

Again, they might not be very useful with an AI plugin that handles input through its own GUI/Editor/Etc, but they sure as heck are handy, and powerful for ‘everything else’. The biggest plus is you can easily redirect them to any VSTi or MIDI port in your setup…up to five at a time with their MIDI AUX sends.

13

P.S.

I think Nuendo comes with Spectral Layers Go, and Wavelab Go?

You’d render out your plugin’s best take, and then get the ability to go in and do micro surgery on those waveforms.

Check them out, as it might provide much of what you need to ‘tame vocals’.

It’s worth a look, and it might be something that saves you considerable time.

14

Workspaces are one of the most powerful tools for managing views in Nuendo! They really are a god send! For years I never thought of them or even grasped what they were about, but when I discovered the full power I was really amazed. I have 6 different global workspaces (I may create more for specific needs in different projects) that give me straight access to custom views (for example, one opens the score editor on top and the midi editor on the bottom, neatly arranged on the same monitor; other switches views in monitors for when I’m recording myself in the recording room, where I have another monitor; other opens the mixer view AND specific plugins part of my template, etc etc).