random mixer channels appearing

[Jerm]

To record MIDI to a softsynth configured on an aux buss do this:

1. Set up the aux buss to have an output to an audio device with modify outputs and busses.
2. Install the plug-in (soft-synth) on the aux-buss. Make sure the effects window is set to the aux buss before dragging the plug.
3. Re-visit modify outputs and busses and add 16 channels on the soft-synth port added in step 2.
4. In the graphic editor select 1 of the 16 soft-synth channels.

[sigmasix]

ok got it. thank you.
although, forgive my ignorance, i still am not understanding why i would want to setup up that way. why would i want to have a soft synth play through (audio wise) an aux mixer channel AND a port mixer channel. isn't that redundant or is there an underlying reason that i'm not seeing?

[Jerm]

The only reason to do this, like I said before, is if your soft-synth supports more than 1 MIDI channel. In this case you only need one instance of the soft-synth and it provides up to 16 channels of MIDI which you most likely would want on separate MIDI tracks.

For example take the DLS-MusicDevice. This soft-synth takes a Soundfont such as a general MIDI bank. Then with 16 channels setup on it you can assign bass as MIDI channel 1 to track 1 and guitar on MIDI channel 2 to track, etc, etc. This way you will definitely get a big processor savings especially for synths that have effects that can be shared.

In the above example all 16 MIDI channels share the same reverb. If you do it the other way where each track gets a separate instance of the DLS then you are creating 16 reverbs which will definitely start to bog down most processors. There is also CPU overhead in the instances themselves. And last but not least, you may run into problems, especially if you have a setup like the following:

Track 1 MIDI Data -- the DLS Music Device plug is on this track
Track 2 MIDI data -- to DLS Music-Device (on track 1) Channel - 2

In this case since the plug-in is on track 1, when track 1 gets muted, so does track 2 because the plug-in is getting muted. If the plug-in is placed on the aux buss this problem is avoided.

[sigmasix]

makes complete sense.
also by placing soft synths on an aux bus you mentioned earlier about sending audio signals to the synth as well.
i have a synth that enables filter processing of a live audio source like an audio track in metro for example. how does this work? i studied your chart and it looks like the audio channels are sent to the busses automatically. but i couldn't seem to get it to work.

[Jerm]

How does this work? i studied your chart and it looks like the audio channels are sent to the busses automatically. but i couldn't seem to get it to work.

No. The audio channels send to the aux busses from the aux page(s) of the mixer. Select the aux buss from the upper right popup and then the fader levels reflect that aux page. You can also specify pre or post fader there.

[Scoot]

Or another way of saying it in scoot's terminology.....the popup in the righthand corner of the mixer window does the following......


MAIN - Is displaying the volume for each track by the level on the faders

Aux 1 (2,3,4....) - Is showing you the strength or the amount of effect you have placed on the tracks.

So if you have a reverb on aux 1 and you're displaying the aux one popup, if you slide a fader halfway up on track #7, then that track will have a reverb of 50% of the full strength of the reverb settings.
You could then slide faders up on other tracks to getting differing amounts of reverb out of the same reverb.....saving on CPU.


scoot.

[sigmasix]

great!! thanks for the very useful info...