Rendering Multi-Out VSTi to Multiple Audio Tracks in SS Using MWS

[mr_rmz28]

Question for anyone who knows how to do this or if it is possible with MWS... Feel like I'm really close as I play around with MWS - I'm considering buying it during the sale, but haven't been able to get this to work for me... yet.

If I have a Multi-Out VSTi like Superior 2.0 or EZD in the Pre-FX of track #1 in SS - let's say EZD... I've got MWS talking to it through a Virtual Port - the drums play the short bit of MIDI data from a single track in MWS. I've got it all set up for multi-out - The kick is coming through SS track #1, the snare top on SS track #2, the snare bottom on SS track #3 (I can verify this from the SS meters and by soloing the different SS channels.) Can I render as audio each of EZD's outs so that I have the kick in track #1, the snare top in track #2, the snare bottom in track #3, etc... and preferrably to be able to do this in one pass.

Maybe the thought process behind the design here is to just stay with MWS driving the VSTi(s) through the final mixdown... but for whatever reason, I feel like I should get things rendered as audio first, disable the VSTi(s), then mixdown the audio tracks to final track.

What are the options here? Is there a way to do what I'm trying to do, or should I be thinking differently? Thanks!

Rich

[Himhui]

You can assign different MT tracks to different output channels, also assign those output channels to your soundcard physical ouputs in order to mixdown each track simultaneously. The downside is that your soudncard must have enough outputs. Dunno if there's any better methods

.......

[Cary B. Cornett]

Yes, it is possible to record the output of a VSTi to a sound file. You patch the VSTi in the Pre point, move that patch point before EQ/Dyn (I forget the exact method, because although I have done this I do it seldom enough that I have to re-discover the details each time I do it). You then choose the input channel as the record source rather than a physical device. You do this for each mixer channel you want to record, as many as needed for one pass, and the desired multiple files will be created. Remember that it is possible to record to a track from a different numbered channel.

I do not normally render multiple parts at once, because it placed more of a load on the machine, and partly because I'm still stuck on the idea that only one midi even can pass through the cable at a given time (even though I know that in this instance there is no cable involved...:rolleyes: ). I will generally select on track at a time in MWS, render just that part, then disable that MWS track, repeating the process for each track. Or course, I am doing each render in real time, more or less as I used to do with MIDI modules and tape machine.

But yeah, before I seriously work on a mix I want to render all sequenced stuff as audio tracks so that the VSTi's do not have to run at mix time. Print, then mix.

Oh, and whether SAW can split channels in the way you desire is not determined by MWS at all, because MWS does not handle any audio. You would have the same audio signal flow setup using an external sequencer.

[mr_rmz28]

Thanks for the ideas... I'll give them a try later on this evening and see what happens.

[mr_rmz28]

Well, here's what I've been able to accomplish -

Himhui - That worked! I mapped Input Track #1 to Output Track #1 to Device #1, Input Track #2 to Output Track #2 to Device #2, etc. and then used the Build Mix to SoundFile(s) to get my 8 separate audio files generated from EZD faster than realtime. But there's lots of fiddling around with the Out Assign buttons & devices before and after, and then the Add SoundFile To MT (either individually or add to a library and then into MT that way) to get the generated files into the MT. So it works but several hoops to jump through to get to the end result.

Cary - That also worked! I had to disable the SAC Link in SS in order to have the option to choose a Mixer Channel as a recording source (and shut down SAC's engine to release the audio drivers back to SS and EZD), but was then able to arm the 1st 8 tracks to Mixer Channels 1 - 8 in SS for recording, hit SRP, and record the 8 channels of output directly into the 1st 8 tracks in the MT in realtime. So this also works, but also had some fiddling around to get it to do its thing.

(I want to make note of a "gotcha" here... I understand that you have to click the RML logo on the VSTi window and choose "Disable SoftSynth" to get your rendered audio to playback while the VSTi is still assigned to the track. Well, in the case of the VSTi being assigned to Multi Channel Outs, the other tracks [2 - 8 in my example] remain muted even with the VSTi disabled. I could only get those audio tracks to play back by removing the VSTi from track 1 all together, or by disabling the VSTi and setting back to just the 1st output [which was most quickly done it seems by clicking the "None" option at the top of the list.] No biggie, but this had me stumped for a while - I could see the waveforms but couldn't hear them until realizing this.)

I also discovered another way to do this, which I almost had working yesterday before posting my question earlier today (but the "gotcha" above made me think it wasn't working)... You can use the "Build Mix to Current Hot Track" option repeatedly. You've got to select (click the track number on the MT to have it's box turn black) the 1st track, make track #1 be the Hot Track, then use BMTCHT. That'll give you track 1. Then select track #2 (leaving track #1 selected - it's where the VSTi is, so it has to stay selected with each pass it seems), make track #2 the current hot track, mute channel #1 in the VSTi, and use BMTCHT. Repeat this process (leave track #1 selected, select the track you're going to capture [deselect all other tracks other than this one and track #1], make it the hot track, and mute all lower channels in the VSTi, and run the BMTCHT function.) A bit tedious, but works.

And I think my preferred method, similar to Cary's solution, is to load the VSTi in SAC... have MWS drive the VSTi with LoopBE (an internal, virtual MIDI cable/driver for routing MIDI from one app to another), and then record the VSTi's output channels in realtime via the SAC link to the appropriate channels in SS. That seems to be (for a SAC user like myself) the most straight forward way to do this.

The only drawback I see is that it's realtime... Boohoo. :) Not a big deal. Would be nice it would just render out the 8 (or however many tracks) from your VSTi(s) in one shot right into the MT, but I don't think that's possible at the moment.

Hopefully this is all good info that someone may find useful in the future... I couldn't find much of this info in any one place yesterday.

[Bob L]

I find that I like to skip the complexity of the multi-outs and just keep the plugin on a single stereo track... you can get a reasnable balance in midi world while you compose the drums... but then... its easy to render back faster than realtime each drum onto a separate track with the build mix to hot track... and this way you leave the plugin patched and do not have to disable it... you start building the tracks to the next track under it... or anywhere really... so, select the MWS kick and the plugin... then buildmix of the kick to its own track, then do the snare... etc... each to its own track... none of which are the same as the plugin... works great... now you can mix the drums as audio instruments with full use of eq, comps, gates... aux sends... etc.

Bob L

[Microstudio]

With Superior 2.0 why not just input all data on 1 track in
MWS and then do all your drum mixing in the Superior mixer
this will be much easier on the pc and you I think?

I made a video showing how to do it this way.

[Cary B. Cornett]

With Superior 2.0 why not just input all data on 1 track in
MWS and then do all your drum mixing in the Superior mixer
this will be much easier on the pc and you I think?

I made a video showing how to do it this way. If the Superior mixer can provide the desired drum sound, fine, but it may not be as versatile as the mixer in SAW. It may also not actually be as good. I personally would prefer to track the individual sounds as though I had recorded a live kit, then handle the mix entirely in SS.

[mr_rmz28]

With Superior 2.0 why not just input all data on 1 track in
MWS and then do all your drum mixing in the Superior mixer
this will be much easier on the pc and you I think?

I made a video showing how to do it this way.

Yes - That's certainly another option, and there seem to be many. I think I'm with Cary on this one though, and would prefer to have the individual drum tracks as audio in SS... at least most of the time.

I guess whatever makes the most sense and works the best for the task at hand.:)

Thanks!