why instrument tracks?

what is the advantage of using instrument tracks?
I’ve been using Cubase since VST days, and feel like I’m missing out on something here.

Krist Hochburger

Cubase 7-64bit, windows 7, pc blah, blah, blah

Less hassle.
You just create one track and you have the midi and the audio on the same track.

With F11 instruments, you need a separate midi track and and audio track. And a track just for the instrument.
In C7.5 you can even have multiple outputs from that single Instrument Track, so there’s no real reason to use the fiddly F11 instruments.

But if you have multiple outputs from a single instrument (example Kontakt. ch 3/4, 5 /6) - you still need to add new midichannels for those tracks … ? They cannot be instrument tracks right ?. Only channel 1 / 2 ?

I find this a bit confusing …

It’s not perfect, but it works great for non-multi-timbral VSTs (i.e not Kontakt).
In 7.5, with multiple outputs, it helps a lot with drums, because you usually have one midi track and multiple outputs.

Ok, i see. Thanks !

well, guess im not missing anything.

No - not missing anything. I think instrument tracks are just provided as a convenience so that you don’t have to route midi. OTOH, they do limit you to one output; you can use HalionSE, but only with one channel on an instrument track.

Could you explain how to do this? I want to use Groove Agent as an Instrument Track but with multiple outs. (not F11)

Add an instrument track with groove agent loaded. Go to F11 panel and there find the groove agent slot and use ‘Enable outputs’ button on the right to enable the outputs you need. That outputs will become visible in the mixer-console (but not in the arrangement view, in this instrument tracks are different from rack instruments)

I think they will add a new functionality in the near future so we have only VST instrument tracks instead of any midi tracks with multi VSTI’s. :bulb: :wink:

Best Regards
Freddie

Good point. I hope that is the way they are thinking.

It’s probably said in the past, a “multi-purpose” track that can do everything but one at the time would be nice. This multi-purpose track has midi in/out and audio in/out. It has a selector where you can choose if you want to deal with midi or the audio part of it. Those 2 doesn’t have to be in sync. If midi is bounced to audio and you edit audio, you’ll loose the sync. If that bothers you, you just edit the midi part of it and bounce again. Of course a smart bounce-in-place would be really handy.

to me the instrument track seems like a waste of time since it limits options and routing.
plus, I always feel like im wasting resources loading up Kontact for only one sound…

and I agree that some type of further integration between the two is likely to happen.

im gonna jump to 7.5 after Christmas

pray for me

It’s a good update,don’t be afraid. :wink:

I agree about the instruments track,i prefer to work with multi timbral vstis so i rarely use it
(with Pianoteq,NI FM8 or stuff like that).Kontakt,HalionSonic SE,Omnisphere,Virus ti
go always on the rack

Basically everything stated above about the limited capabilities of instrument tracks was true only through Cubase 7. Cubase 7.5 has changed the game. It has expanded the capabilities of Instrument tracks so that it has all the capabilities of the old MIDI track/VST Instrument system (which still works just the way it always did, BTW).

Multitimbral synths, yes.
Multiple inputs, yes.
Multiple outputs, yes.

There are none of the previous limitations.

Once you have created an Instrument track with a multitimbral synth, the synth now appears in the VST Instruments rack and you can route additional MIDI tracks to it just as with any other synth in the rack. You can route multiple outputs, too.

I don’t like saying this, but it’s a new version. Read the manual for more information.

It does make the title of the post a better question though. About the only difference I can see now is when you create an instrument track, you get just one fader in the Mix Console. When you do it the old way, you get a fader for both the MIDI track AND a separate fader for the synth output. Now, you get separate faders for the MIDI track and the Synth track for every ADDITIONAL input and output you assign to the synth in the Instrument track, just as before.

And what’s the use of adding multiple instances of Kontakt,let’s say,as instrument tracks?
It just eats cpu .
I prefer to use one instance of the plugin with multiple midi outs/tracks,same as before

So now , the only advantage to me seems to be the first midi channel has the audio fader and the midi on the same track.

The great advantage would be to have this possibility for every additional outputs/inputs…

I think a HUGE advantage of using the Instrument channels is the ability to Freeze a track and still be able to adjust the fader in a mix. As far as I know this can not be done with a multitimbral instrument (or instrument rack).

Example, If I take Kontakt and load a Piano, Bass, Strings, Pad and then freeze the instrument. I know I can still adjust the fader for that instance of Kontact but it controls the over all volume. If I discover in my mix I’d like to adjust the string it can’t be done unless I unfreeze the rack, make my adjustments and refreeze. This is not necessary if using an instrument channel.

For me anyway, using the instrument tracks is a big time saver and cleaner way to operate. I might be missing something and if I am I’d LOVE to learn a new way because I’d almost prefer to use the Instrument racks.

I don’t think you understand. Why would you add multiple Instrument tracks? You don’t need to do that. Just add one, then route additional MIDI tracks to the instrument on it. You can now do this in 7.5. RTFM!

Maybe I need to play with it more. So you are telling me if I freeze the instrument I still have the ability to move the midi faders and adjust the volume of a frozen multitimbral instrument? If so that is new and I will test that tonight for sure. That would be great. In past versions that was not possible.