How to achieve separate outputs from a multi-timbral/output VST in Cantabile.
Having pulled my hair out on this for a while, I grasped the nettle again today and finally cracked the convoluted and visually misleading procedure which provides discrete rack processing for each output of a given multi-output VSTi.
The first thing to note is that what you see is NOT what you hear. When you attempt this task (and boy is it a task considering how easy this should be) Cantabile's meters will provide various versions of a SUMMED output from the VSTi which results in every meter on the breakout racks appearing to be doing, more or less, the same thing, differentiated only by what additional VST processors do to each rack.
The cure for this is to employ something with a meter in each rack. I have used Sonalkiss's excellent (and free) fader/meter http://www.sonalksis.com/freeg.htm This will allow you to see what is really going on inside each rack when you're setting things up and to prove that each rack is truly independent.
As TiUser has mentioned in other posts on this topic, the trick is to employ the so called 'auxiliary' channels. These get pretty scant attention in the manual and they are crucial to making this work.
Start with Configure Master Bus and select the preset 'Stereo Pairs'. This is definitely more helpful than the surround sound default - unless you happen to be working in surround, of course. Scroll down and enable all the auxes you are likely to use. I just do the lot - and you can rename them as you like. For example, Kontakt 1L, Kontakt 1R, etc. The default names start at Aux 19 and I shall use that nomenclature for this example.
Click Audio Engine Options and then click on Assign Audio Channels.
Scroll down to the Auxiliaries and tick as many as you need, selecting the appropriate physical audio output as you go. Assuming straight stereo use, you will select your interface's main outs, left and right respectively as you work your way down the list.
Create your instrument rack and then create additional racks for every single multi out you intend to use. Let's assume three stereo pairs. That means you create the instrument rack and three additional racks. You can name each of those to identify it - in the case of Kontakt, say K1, K2, K3 etc. It's arbitrary - whatever helps you know where you are.
Insert a Sonalkiss fader or similar into each of the 3 breakout racks. The original source rack does not require this.
Highlight the (for our purposes) Kontakt in its rack. Click on the Tools tab and then Audio Channels on the dropdown menu. Tick every required output, incrementing each with a unique routing to the Aux's you set up earlier, left and right as you work your way down the list. So the first output goes to Aux 19, the second to Aux 20, the third to 21 etc.
In the first breakout rack you created select the Tools tab for the Sonalkiss fader.
Click the 'input' radio button and make sure that the only ticked boxes are auxes 19 and 20 respectively and, to the right of that, assign VST inputs to 1 and 2 respectively.
Click the output radio button and make outputs one and two go to Auxes 19 and 20.
Repeat this for the next two racks incrementing the Auxes to 21/22 for the second breakout rack and 23/24 for the third. If you have created more busses, increment accordingly.
Very crucial!! For the actual instrument (e.g the Kontakt rack) In the Send To Column, set the output to the first breakout rack. Then set the second breakout rack to the third breakout rack. If the third breakout rack is the last, set that to Output. If you have created more breakout racks , continue routing in this daisy chain style, incrementing each rack's Send To into the next rack until you get to the last breakout rack which you set to Output.
Having done this, you have completed the basic task of placing each of the multi outs into its own, discrete rack where it can be processed by other plugins.
To incorporate additional FX into each breakout rack:
Place required FX BEFORE the Sonalkiss fader and use the same aux numbers to daisychain for each rack respectively. For example, in the first rack, place a delay line before the sonalkiss fader and, using its Tools drop down, set its inputs and outputs to 19 and 20. That will pick up the signal and pass it to the fader.
This is a PITA to set up but at least this is (hopefully) a definitive approach to getting my pet peeve achieved. Let me know if I have screwed this up and I can revise.
Just watch out that only the required routings are ticked when setting up the ins and outs. The gain and panning are best set by each Sonalkiss fader.
Also note that the source rack is not directly outputting anything.The action all happens at the breakout racks.
Good luck!!
PC
This is how to achieve separate outputs from a multi-timbral/output VST in Cantabile
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- KVRist
- 197 posts since 7 Dec, 2005
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 197 posts since 7 Dec, 2005
Yeah really LOL
One thing to clarify...
I made it appear as if one can only use from AUX 19 onward. This is not the case.
As long as you reserve one stereo buss for your physical output (more if you are sending physical audio to more than one destination) all of the remaining 30 destinations are available. That should be more than enough for a live situation I would think. 15 stereo pairs.
PC
One thing to clarify...
I made it appear as if one can only use from AUX 19 onward. This is not the case.
As long as you reserve one stereo buss for your physical output (more if you are sending physical audio to more than one destination) all of the remaining 30 destinations are available. That should be more than enough for a live situation I would think. 15 stereo pairs.
PC