How do I use multiple tracks from a VSTi?

[usalabs]

I noticed with other DAW's they have the ability to use all outputs from a VSTi, even if the VSTi, has 2 to 32 outputs, and the other DAW's just pop up a confirmation box asking if 2 or all outputs are to be used, but this doesn't happen with Cakewalk.

EG
I have a drum VSTi, that has 16 outputs, but when I insert it into Cakewalk, the DAW only uses the stereo pair from the master out of the VSTi, the DAW doesn't even ask if I want to use all 16 outputs.

Can Cakewalk actually use all outputs from a multi output VSTi?  If so, how?

[scook]

When using the Add Track menu - Instrument tab open the advanced options and select Instrument Track Per Output, "J" in the image below

For more control over the number and type of tracks added with the plug-in use one of the other methods for inserting instruments

• dragging the plug-in from the browser to the project,
• Insert > Soft Synth... from the main menu or
• the + in the synth rack top left

These methods open Insert Soft Synth Options dialog.

 

One can always add additional tracks after inserting the synth too. Here is a post with video adding a second audio track for Session Drummer

or right-click on the instrument track and select Append Instrument Track from the context menu 

or append instrument tracks from the synth strip in the synth rack view.

[usalabs]

The insert soft synth options don't show up when I drag a synth, and there's no + in synth rack as can be seen with this screenshot.

[Xoo]

That's not the synth rack: that's the browser.  View the synth rack using the View menu.

[scook]

The dialog defaults to showing every time a synth is added but the option may be disabled.

To re-enable the dialog, open the synth rack view and open the Insert Soft Synth Options dialog, "E" in the image below

and enable "Ask This Every Time" in the dialog bottom left

To open the synth rack view, use the main menu View > Synth Rack View or keyboard shortcut ALT+9

[lapasoa]

If you have a vst drums as Sessione dummer 3 or AD2, when you open the synth you open also the options and select midi source and  all synth audio output  mono, and you have all yor 16 outputs.

Edited November 23, 2021 by lapasoa

[usalabs]

2 hours ago, scook said:

The dialog defaults to showing every time a synth is added but the option may be disabled.

To re-enable the dialog, open the synth rack view and open the Insert Soft Synth Options dialog, "E" in the image below

and enable "Ask This Every Time" in the dialog bottom left

To open the synth rack view, use the main menu View > Synth Rack View or keyboard shortcut ALT+9

Yes it was disabled, now it opens every time I go to add a VSTi.  Thanks guys.

[usalabs]

1 hour ago, lapasoa said:

If you have a vst drums as Sessione dummer 3 or AD2, when you open the synth you open also the options and select midi source and  all synth audio output  mono, and you have all yor 16 outputs.

Yay, that worked too, thanks.

ADDENDUM
It seems it only creates 16 outputs from the VSTi, but only 1 MIDI input, what if I wanted to control each instrument in the VSTi, say AD2 for example, meaning having 8 of the 16 inputs assigned to 8 MIDI channels:-

1 = Kick
2=Snare
3=HiHat

etc etc. So that if I played a note on midi channel 1, it would play the kick only through AD2, or channel 2 would play the snare, etc etc, but only 1 MIDI input to AD2 having 16 audio outputs, means that what ever channel is played (omni) only the master out from the VSTi would play.

Edited November 23, 2021 by usalabs

[msmcleod]

19 minutes ago, usalabs said:

Yay, that worked too, thanks.

ADDENDUM
It seems it only creates 16 outputs from the VSTi, but only 1 MIDI input, what if I wanted to control each instrument in the VSTi, say AD2 for example, meaning having 8 of the 16 inputs assigned to 8 MIDI channels:-

1 = Kick
2=Snare
3=HiHat

etc etc. So that if I played a note on midi channel 1, it would play the kick only through AD2, or channel 2 would play the snare, etc etc, but only 1 MIDI input to AD2 having 16 audio outputs, means that what ever channel is played (omni) only the master out from the VSTi would play.

Unfortunately AD2 doesn't work this way - it listens on one MIDI channel.

Probably the easiest way to get around this is to use per-output instrument tracks,  which gives you a combined MIDI & audio track for each output, so you can record just the one drum on each track.

[scook]

21 minutes ago, msmcleod said:

Probably the easiest way to get around this is to use per-output instrument tracks,  which gives you a combined MIDI & audio track for each output, so you can record just the one drum on each track.

Because the AD2 uses a combination of stereo and mono outs, the best solution is a track template.

Whether using per-output instrument tracks or midi+audio tracks both require some tinkering to get the layout right.

Not much reason to break out the MIDI data into separate tracks.

I wrote an instrument definition file for AD2