Any workflow tips for working with individual Automation and VST Effect Plugins?

    Hi all


    I'm struggling with the workflow when working with vst effect plugins on different channels. I already figured out how to route three stereo channels from my Virus TI (Keyboard) to three individual audio channels in my DAW (Ableton Live 8 ) where I can place different vst effects for each channel. So far so counterintuitive (in my opinion) - but it works.


    But: let's say I have three lead sounds, all stereo, all heavily automated in Virus Control and all routed to three individual channels in Live because of different EQ settings for each sound. Now I want to add a stereo pad sound. It has automated parameters in VC and needs its own EQ settings on its channel in Live.


    What now? Sure I could bounce some of the channels to audio. But I like to play with the automations while I'm building the track and once one or more channels are bounced to audio I am no more able to do so. I never faced this issue because I was only working with multiple instances of my soft-synths. CPU is not a problem at all so I never bounced anything to audio. When working with Virus it seems I have to...


    Could you guys please share some workflow tips? Am I missing a point? I love my new Virus and in a perfect world I would like to use all its 16 channels. But since I am tweaking the automation curves and the vst effects settings while arranging and composing my tracks I really wonder if and how it is possible to stick with the workflow i am used to.


    Your help is highly appreciated!


    Best
    Jan


    EDIT: Ok, browsing through the forum shows me I am not the only one... It really surprises me that there are only 3 outputs available...

    First of all, there is this thread that talks about how to reuse the same part with a different sound, I guess you can take a few ideas from there. Other options you have are (1) To route the parts to mono outs (separate R and L) when building the arrangement, and to change that to stereo when you finally bounce them individually. (2) Use the analog outs trough your soundcard's balanced line inputs. When using VC the analog outs play a little bit too early because of delay compensation (exactly how much depends on whether you're using VC's live mode or not). You resolve that be adding simple delay to the return audio tracks. (3) Change your workflow so that first you build all the beat, harmony and melodies without external effects. When done, bounce to audio and then apply effects to the recorded material.
    Hope this helped somewhat.

    Thanks again for your tips, mate! The video looks promising and I hope it will (along with your mentioned hints) improve my workflow. I had a really head-scratching moment yesterday when I recognized that output limitation - but maybe it's not as bad as I thought it is.


    This:

    Zitat von flabberbob

    (3) Change your workflow so that first you build all the beat, harmony and melodies without external effects. When done, bounce to audio and then apply effects to the recorded material.


    is new to me - but I think I will get used to it.


    Zitat von flabberbob

    Hope this helped somewhat.


    Yes it did indeed!


    Thank you very much!