Multiple Audio tracks from one VST?

Hi, I am new to the forum, I have been using Cubase SX for years but just upgraded to Cubase 6 and a Macbook Pro.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I simply wonder if there is any way to have more than one audio channel ‘assigned’ as it were, to a VST track.

For example I have FM8 softsynth on a VST channel which also creates an Audio track which I have assigned an EQ and other audio inserts.

I then duplicate the VST channel so there is a second track running the same instance of FM8, but there is no second audio channel so I don’t see a way I can apply different audio effects to this output without creating a second instance of FM8 and applying the same sound etc…

Hope that makes sense? any help much much appreciated…

thanks

Tris :nerd:

I may have misunderstood but I’ve just checked FM8 and it doesn’t offer multiple outs, just a single stereo out (if you open the VST Instruments box and click on the the little box with an arrow just to the left of the ‘FM8’ name - in Cubase 5 at least) so this could be the problem.

I’d normally just do an audio mixdown - save the effects settings on the FM8 VSTtrack, take a note of where the track level is peaking, then turn all the effects off, centralise the panning and get the level peaking at -1db then do an audio mixdown to a new track.

Then just mute, freeze and hide the FM8 VST track, duplicate the audio file to another track, load the saved effects presets onto one track and tweak away at the other audio track (also bring the volume down on both so they are peaking at the previous level).

Although that doesn’t really help if you want to play live :neutral_face:

Can I ask why you wanted the two audio outs? Was it to process the bass & treble seperately? If so a bit of creative routing is the answer.

If, for example, you wanted to add distortion to the treble without affecting the bass you could create an FX Channel Track and in Insert 1 place an EQ, then set the EQ to high pass at the point at which you want the Distrortion effect to start working (say 200Hz). Then in Insert 2 place the distortion effect. Then create another FX Channel Track and in Insert 1 place another EQ, this time low passing at 200Hz. Now go back to the FM8 VST Audio Channel and under Sends place the first FX Channel in slot 1 and the second in slot 2, then set the Send levels to full (0) on each and click on Stereo Out, to the right of Sends, and select No Bus so that the original FM8 signal isn’t still going to the Main Bus/Mixer.

Although this would mean that, unless the Distortion effect had a Dry/Wet knob, the entire Treble section would be 100% affected by the Distortion. In which case you could create ANOTHER FX Channel Track with just the Distortion effect in and in the Treble Track go to the Sends, select the Distrotion FX Track and dial in the amount you wanted.

Similarly, if you just wanted to process the Left/Right or Mid/Sides instead of Bass/Treble you could create 2 FX Channels and place the free Brainworx ‘bx-solo’ in the first slots set to Left/Right or Mid/Side instead of the Bass/Treble EQ.

I hope that made some sort of sense! :smiley:

Hi Beany, sorry for such a late response - I havent managed to try out your solutions yet but they are top advice and I appreciate it thanks very much - ill get in touch once I’v decided which is best for me :slight_smile:

at the moment trying to an alternative to waves Q10 eq that is compatible with MAC. As I don’t want to use iLok and I want unlimited or 8+ band EQ parametric to make real surgical cuts. I’d like to find a free one. best i’v found so far is reaper REAPER | Download just about to try it out. any other suggestions let me know. cheers!

The Reaplugs are good, unlimited bands and you can’t argue with that price - I’ve got Reaper running on my 2nd-hand battered old Tablet Laptop.

Although not free I recommend the DDMF IIEQPro for mixing. $29 or $55 for the EQ bundle which also includes the LP10 & ColourEQ. The IIEQPro & LP10 were my ‘go-to’ EQs for a couple of years until I bought PSPs Neon last month which is slightly easier to sweep around the frequecies with (plus it was on offer at $99 :smiley: ).