Multi timbral AU instruments

The following applies to Miroslav Philharmonik in Logic Pro 9.0.2, but any MULTI-OUTPUT instrument should work in a similar way.

Insert New Instrument Track (16 Multi-timbral ticked)
This will give your 16 tracks in the Arrange Page (all called Inst 1).
In the top Inst 1 track - Insert Philharmonik (Multi-Output / 16xStereo)
In Philharmonik - change the output column to 1+2, 3+4, 5+6 . . . . .31+32
Load your Philharmonik instruments into each slot (DO NOT load an instrument into slot 1)

In Logic's Mixer - Look at the Philharmonik (Inst 1).
Keep clicking on the + sign under the solo button to create all the Aux channels for the instrument.

Now write/record your midi into each track in the Arrange page (DO NOT put any midi in the top Inst 1 track (This is MIDI channel 1).

(If you use the Channel 1, any volume and modulation controller data in it will affect all the tracks).

I've probably made this sound "as clear as mud" so let me know if you need any more help.

Richard

Multitimbral Instrument handling is one of Logic "Pro"s greatest weakness, in my opinion, and it's the number one upgrade/fix I've been asking for since version 6 - but to no avail.

While you can route your multi-timbral outs to different aux's, the big problem is that you can't independently control the multiple MIDI channels of your multi-timbral synth the same way you can with a MIDI module. More specifically, even though you can create 16 'tracks" to send notes to each of 16 channels for a multi-timbral synth, all midi volume and pan info from ANY channel will only get sent to the "master" channel.

Thus the only way to control individual volume or fx on each channel is to route the signals to an 'aux' in Logic, then automate the aux accordingly. Far from elegant, but it does work.

My fingers are still crossed that some day Apple will redress this glaring oversight and give us at least the same multitimbral MIDI control of VI's that we had "back in the day" of external MIDI modules 10 or 15 years ago...


🙂

Automate on the AUX channels
http://www.digimixstudios.net/logic8multioutputnocc7tocc11needed/

Automate on controls with your loaded instrument (varies between AU instruments)
http://www.digimixstudios.net/logicmultimbral/

Do velocity automation (knowledge of Logic's Enviroment required)
http://www.digimixstudios.net/velocityautomation/

the only way to control individual volume or fx on each channel is to route the signals to an 'aux' in Logic, then automate the aux accordingly.

Not true. You can easily automate Omnisphere's mixer (volume, pan, Auxes, FX everything). No extra audio routing necessary unless you want separate Logic plugins on individual Omnisphere channels, which is a different topic altogether.

Christian

Very strange! - I use the method above for using multi-output instruments, but haven't tried using controller data since upgrading to Logic 9.
This used to work in Logic 8, using a similar method to the one above, but by creating a multi-instrument in the Environment.

I've just tried it - controller data affects every track - as timkertoy wrote.
Has something changed from 8 to 9?

Richard

christianobermaier wrote:
Not true. You can easily automate Omnisphere's mixer (volume, pan, Auxes, FX everything). No extra audio routing necessary unless you want separate Logic plugins on individual Omnisphere channels, which is a different topic altogether.

That doesn't let you put different plugins on different outputs, additional auxes are necessary for that. I really hope Apple improves multis someday, it's one of the most glaring weaknesses in the app.

multi-timbral and multi-instrument are 2 different setups.
each of the methods I mentioned are for a multi-timbral instrument loading the multi-output of an instrument.

Mike, multi-output was not the topic of the OP nor what I was responding to. I tried to address the incorrect claim that you can't control the internal levels, pans and other parameters of a multi-timbral instrument.

As I said, you can automate the individual channels of the Omnsiphere Mixer directly.

If you instead want to use plain old CC7 for that, you can do that as well. Create a Multi-Instrument (MIDI), patch it into a Transformer set like this http://home.arcor.de/fuzzfilth/Other/omnitrans.png and patch the Transformer into the VI with Omnisphere. Done.

Mike, we have discussed Logic's current implementation of multi-timbral audio instuments numerous times in the past. I actually don't care at all how perfect or imperfect it is. All I want is getting things done.

Christian

303, to actually address your original question, as you have assumedly used +New Track>8/multitimbral/Software Instrument+, you got eight Audio Channels of Omnisphere. In fact this is only one actual occurrence of Omni addressed from eight MIDI channels, thus no extra memory is used.

As has been mentioned, using Volume Automation on these MIDI channels only ever accesses the master volume fader of that one Omni Audio Channel. Instead you automate the internal mixer of Omni directly (check the Audio Channel's parameter popup for that). Also see my previous posts on using CC7.

Christian

christianobermaier wrote:
Mike, multi-output was not the topic of the OP nor what I was responding to. I tried to address the incorrect claim that you can't control the internal levels, pans and other parameters of a multi-timbral instrument.

The comment you responded to mentioned "fx on each channel". You can't put different effects onto different channels of a multi instrument with automation, you need to use multi output. And I don't agree that having to automate a parameter of a plugin to do simple mixing is as "easy" as mixing with the fader and panner on a track. I really hope it's near the top of the Logic team's to-do list.

Mike Connelly wrote:

christianobermaier wrote:
Mike, multi-output was not the topic of the OP nor what I was responding to. I tried to address the incorrect claim that you can't control the internal levels, pans and other parameters of a multi-timbral instrument.

The comment you responded to mentioned "fx on each channel". You can't put different effects onto different channels of a multi instrument with automation, you need to use multi output. And I don't agree that having to automate a parameter of a plugin to do simple mixing is as "easy" as mixing with the fader and panner on a track. I really hope it's near the top of the Logic team's to-do list.

+1! Exactly.

Yes, you can automate the volume and pan parameters WITHIN the plugin. That is way less convenient when it comes to viewing and editing your automation. Every channel of a multitimbral VI should have at least the same automated functionality as old school MIDI gear. Other DAW's manage to pass channelized volume and pan information on to the host plugin.... Logic itself does it just fine with external MIDI instruments. Does it seem so outrageous to ask for the same basic functionality with VI's? Wouldn't you rather just grab the fader or pan control to automate your VI channels?

Sure hope the Logic team takes this request seriously. It's looooong overdue.

Guys, I know all this. We have discussed it to death several times over. You can keep hammering it, but all it will do in the future is keep me from supplying an OP with a workable solution for the time being. Maybe you can fill in that part then, thank you.

Christian

timkertoy wrote:
Multitimbral Instrument handling is one of Logic "Pro"s greatest weakness, in my opinion, and it's the number one upgrade/fix I've been asking for since version 6 - but to no avail.

I do not agree with that. If you have a bit little environment skills (you must have cause it is Logic) the MULTI is Great !

While you can route your multi-timbral outs to different aux's, the big problem is that you can't independently control the multiple MIDI channels of your multi-timbral synth the same way you can with a MIDI module. More specifically, even though you can create 16 'tracks" to send notes to each of 16 channels for a multi-timbral synth, all midi volume and pan info from ANY channel will only get sent to the "master" channel.

Lets leave the Multichannel method for the end of this article...

I'll give some examples using Kontakt as Multitimbral Instrument and at the end of this article as Multitimbral and Multichannel. I'll make a combination of the "Old Way" - using one Kontakt instance "Ch.All" which has to be cabled from a MULTI and today method when you can load Kontakt as "Multichannel" instance from the "New Tracks" dialog.
I decided to combine both methods to give some light about "Channel Splitters" and a transformer object as splitter and mapper.
Anyway all that will work in the same way using the "Old Way" with MULTI and one non-multitimbral "Ch.All" instance etc.

*Scenario 1*

Look at (Fig.1). Here I combine the "Old Way" and the"New Way".
Many people think that when the Logic channel strips are channelized that means that the MULI Instrument can be cabled directly to them and they will play its own matching channel only. It is deceitful conception, and I would like to add that you will need a Channel Splitter cabled from the MULTI. Is it the reason I decided to combine the "New Way" in the following scenarios below.
I have patched one transformer which will solve the problem with the MULTI CC7. In this scenario all CC7 will be mapped to dummy CC12.
Look at (Fig.2) where I have made a "Midi Learn Autom" using same CC12 for all the 4 Kontakt instruments which use midi ch.1-4. I.e if you play a SMF tracks from the MULTI Instrument all CC7/ch.1 will be transformed to CC12.ch1; CC7/ch.2=CC12/ch.2 etc. This way you can use the Logic Midi Track Mixer to control the Kontact multitimbral levels without to open Kontakt. Even more - if you hold your mouse over the default "Rev", or "Chor" knobs of the Logic midi mixer you can assign them to custom CC# and learn the Kontakt "Midi learn Autom" to that controller. You can enable in the Logic Midi track mixer for that MULTI more knobs by "Assign 1", "Assign 2" Assign 3" etc. In other words you can control many Kontakt parameters using the Logic Track Mixer "Midi", using the Inspector "Vol" box for each MULTI track etc.

*Scenario 2*

In this scenario I combine Multitimbral and Multichannel methods. All four Kontakt Instruments are routed thru Aux objects for extra FX audio processing...
Let's say we play Standard Midi File (SMF) on the Kontakt MULTI tracks and there are lots of CC7&CC10 events in that SMF tracks which can be a problem.
The transformer is set to (Condition Splitter thru Top cable) and splits the note events to the red Channel Splitter i.e to the Kontakt Multitimbral instances while all CC messages inc. CC7&10 will control each Aux level and pan separately (cause it match the Channel Spliter cable ).

*Scenario 3 ( Update )*

It will be better to change the Transformer conditions to:
Status -> Control
Data Byte 1 -> Inside 7-10

Patch the Top Transformer cable to the Yellow Channel Splitter so all CC 7-10 will go to the Aux objects to control the Levels and Pans.
All other midi events will pass thru the bottom Transformer cable inc the other CC# will go to the Kontakt instrument cause you may need CC1, CC11, CC64 etc for your Kontakt Instruments' performance.

!http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7849/cc712.gif!
(Fig.1)

!http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/4664/kontaktq.gif!
(Fig.2)

!http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/1378/splitauxlev.gif!
(Fig.3)

!http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/4967/aglogo45.gif! [www.audiogrocery.com|http://www.audiogrocery.com]

Nice explanation and mini-tutorial, with helpful graphics as well! Well done!


(Mind you, I still think that this level of user initiative and tool building to achieve something as simple as volume automation of a multitimbral instrument is completely and utterly ridiculous. Imagine if "all you needed to do" to roll down the window in your car is "build this pulley system, hook it up to your turn signal, then attach these three paper clips to.... " Automating midi channels is a BASIC part of modern DAW life. Logic should have this capability BUILT IN.)

But thanks again for the helpful and well illustrated tutorial! (honest!)

🙂