I was delighted that the latest update of WaveLab enabled me to add plugins with extra unused outputs into the output effects slots of a 4-channel (in my case) montage. However, I have not been able to get around to testing it until now.
Positive: Yes, I can install such plugins.
Negative: They do not work.
Quite simply, the ones I need to use appear not to be inserted in the audio chain at all, though I hear a click when they are enabled or disabled - the plugins I have with built-in metering show no activity on input or output, yet the audio at the montage output continues unaffected. This is not only an issue with plugins that have extra outputs I’m not using - it’s the same for 4-in/4-out plugins.
Steinberg’s own plugins that handle multiple channels do work - Gain and Peak Master for instance. But Restore Rig reduces the output to just two channels in a 4-channel montage (which I guess is no surprise).
I tried this again, with a recently updated plugin added to the montage output of a four-channel montage. This time it gave me an error message when adding, saying that the plugin could not be used to process a stereo input. Why is it seeing a stereo input in a four-channel montage?
Ah; that was not stated when this came up before before.
Anyway, I continue to look forward to the day when WaveLab catches up with the rest of the Steinberg stable (and even iZotope RX7 now!). Of course, if you should need any beta-testing of processes you don’t routinely handle…
Hi Paul. I tried the AMBEO A-B in the montage output on a 4 channel surround montage and it seemed to work fine, all the controls working correctly. The VST3 anyway. (which it looks like you were using). The VST2 crashed wherever I put it (master section or montage), but the VST3 seemed fine.
In the previous patch of WaveLab, I didn’t get that error message (it may also depend on the version of the Ambeo plugin) - but the plugin has no effect on the audio leaving the montage, and this is true of any multichannel plugin I tried. Only built-in plugins like gain or peakmaster work on multichannel montages.
I’m not going to say it’s good to go because PG says it’s not, but that VST3 plugin seems to work ok as multichannel montage output effect here, if I do the following:
4 channel montage Lf Rf Ls Rs multi mono.
AMBEO in master section.
Play the montage to hear and see the processing.
Render to multi mono.
The render result files are AMBEO processed.
Import AMBEO plugin with same settings from Master Section to Montage Output (or save and restore the settings with AMBEO in montage output).
Remove AMBEO from master section.
With the same 4 channel montage Lf Rf Ls Rs multi mono.
AMBEO is now in montage output.
Play the montage to hear and see the processing.
Render to multi mono.
The render result files are AMBEO processed, and identical to the ones rendered with AMBEO in the master section.
It might take some pre-play initialization to get things working, but I’m not even having to do that.
I’m sure you’re right if you’re seeing things wonky with other plugins, but that’s what I get with the AMBEO VST3.
Interesting… I haven’t tried the “import from master section” route - I’ll try that later today, I hope. I will also need to check whether it then survives the montage being saved and reopened, of course. Oh, and I should have said, my last test wasn’t with the VST3 version of Ambeo, which is a recent addition, I think.
I just tried your procedure using the latest Ambeo VST3 and WL 9.5.40 with the same montage setup, and when I transferred the plugin to the montage, it said it wasn’t compatible, and left it unconnected, as was my previous experience.
Right now I’m just hoping that WL10 will be the magic point at which true multichannel processing appears in WaveLab; but I’ve been disappointed before. However, two other programs have gone from stereo to multichannel in recent updates (SpectraLayers Pro v4 and RX7), so it can happen.
