Hi
I want to experiment with switching to different instruments while playing a certain midi part. I cant find the way to achieve this in Cubase. Basically what I'm looking for is some kind of automation that can change the VSTi that currently plays.
Help anyone?
Thanks.

Make two tracks... unless you want to mimic a multi instrumantalist playing two instruments at the same time...

I'm not talking about merely two instruments, but many instruments. I want to achieve a kind of glitchy/IDM sound by switching between multiple instruments in the middle of a midi part.

Record as audio
Dump both into a sampler on two separate keys.
Randomise with a MIDI note selector or the samplers own LFO.

It's a shame you don't use Live. There's sooooo many ways to do it in that program.

Assign multiple synths to different tracks, each with a unique MIDI channel. You will need to set up a MIDI transformer effect on each track to delete all notes that do not match the desired channel for the track.

During your performance, switch MIDI channels to change synth.

Peace,
Andy.

Very simple: Insert a program-change-event at the beginning of the new midi-part.

Additionally you have to enable the track so that it "receives" program-change-events.

Another way to do this would be to use a MIDI FX note splitter to send different octave ranges to synths on separate tracks. Assuming a 4 octave keyboard, you can now play 4 synths (transposed appropriately) using a different section of the keyboard.

Peace,
Andy.

I think that program change is the way to go here. But I'm not sure how to use it. Could you give me a hint on how to use it? I see "Program change" in automation of the midi part (cubase 5), but it doesn't seem to change anything. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?

Plus, can it switch between instruments? Or just between different presets of same instrument?
Thanks!

Hi,

First: Program-changes do change presets of (multitimbral) instruments. Usually every preset of a slot of a sampler (Kontakt, Halion, Shortcut etc.) is an "instrument"! Thus by activating a program-change-event you change the preset - and with that you also change the instrument.

That of course means: The assignment of your VSTi to a track is fix. You can't change that while a song is running by a program-change or any automation. You can only change presets of course (and in sample-language a preset is an instrument - yeah, it's the definition of the term).

Insert program-changes: Open the list-editor of a midi-part, go into "edit-mode" and choose "program-change" - that easy.

Thanks for your answer enroe

It doesn't seem possible in Halion or Kontakt, but it does seem to work for some random synths.

Not sure what's the consistency here... Anyone knows why it works for some VSTi and doesn't work for others?