Why can external instruments be used only in one single instrument track?

[mediterrano]

After setting up external instruments as VST instruments

if I use them in instrument tracks, I get the benefit of seeing the patch names

The downside is that I cannot use the same external VST instrument in more than one instrument track.

If, on the other side, I add them to the VST-racks and use them in MIDI tracks, I can have multiple MIDI tracks, each with a different MIDI channel, thus triggering different sounds which is nice.
The downside is that the Inspectors of those MIDI tracks won’t show the patch names. They show only numbers.

Unless I am doing something wrong, I find the limitations in both cases very frustrating.

[mitchiemasha]

For the M1 script, if loading the External instrument in the VST rack you need to make sure the other midi track is assigned to the correct output routing.

Good luck in the Midi Device Manager, Open Device, Patch Bank / Bank Assignment. I spent many months in here expanding the included CS1x script to include all the CS2x internal samples… and a way to access the jv1080 expansion cards from the inspector.

[Nico5]

Just using Midi Tracks seems to display the patch names for me ok for multiple midi channels to the same external device on my system (Cubase 11 Pro on Win 10)

[mediterrano]

I had to remove and re-add the track and now, indeed, Midi Tracks do show the patch names too.