In the past I have always converted (rendered?) an Instrument Track (with a VST) to audio by routing it out to my audio interface (RME Fireface), then looping it back in and recording the incoming signal on an audio track. However, a friend tells me that such a method is complex and creates an addition D/A conversion. He suggests that I simply freeze the Instrument Track which automatically creates the audio track.
Is he right? What is the best method of rendering an Instrument track to audio?
If you run the full version of C6, then you can route the track to a group and the group to an audio track and record realtime. You can also just Export Mixdown. Don’t know if Freeze method works via Inst tracks. MIDI tracks yes.
With the FF 800, You can even create a loop inside your totalmix, without having to A/D convert.
guitman : thanks, I’ll take a look at those suggestions.
thinkingcap : I guess that’s exactly what I do, though I did not appreciate it was not A/D converting. Is looping via the Fireface a perfectly reasonable way to convert to audio?
If there are different ways, I would like to see if there is a standard or preferred way to convert to audio. Any general views?
Interesting…I have just been doing realtime mixdowns of vsti’s and importing them back into the project.
As for superior drummer 2 I use its built in rendering feature.
Is or would their be better results from sending the instrument to a group channel and recording on to an audio track from the group ? Or is this just another way to convert to audio?
I do this with my VSTs to keep CPU load to a minimum. I solo the track, perform an audio mixdown, create a new audio track, and import the mixdown file to this audio track.
After some experimentation I found that the method of routing the MiDI track to a Group Track and then to the Audio Track, recording in real time, is perfect for me! I can follow the track to make sure it is sounding OK during the recording process and it is an easy and neat method. Thanks!