Hi,
Im primarily an Engineer, for control purposes im not looking to cut down a large template, just clarify best methods for grouping. I actually find Keyswitching a more confusng route and personally prefer having a channel dedicated to each articulation, partly because I need to see visually the seperate cue points for each track in the arrange window and partly because i want full control on every sspect of the mix. Im more interested in how people group their sections within Cubase.
Cubase’s Problem -
I’ve torn my hair out a few times at Cubase’s inability to allow rearranging of mixer channels. Half way through a new template only to discover i missed out a section which needs to go after X but won’t unless you delete the instruments inbetween. Cubase (7.0.3) alas will not let you slot this forgotten section into its coherent place on the mixer to coincide with the structure in your arrange window. Incredibly annoying!!
I have a pretty powerful daw, 48gb Ram, and this may be wasteful, but to solve the above problem, i preload kontakt into all 64 instances in the Vst Instruments panel before i add anything else (that includes using kontakts multi outs). any synths like Omnisphere or Synlenth can be added as an Instrument channel which will follow all kontakt instruments in the mixer - nice sat at the end of the mixing window because synths will come and go between mixes anyway (i dont usually need multi outs for those sorts of synths either)
So with a full up Vst Instruments Panel (64 - which takes up very little Cpu) i can then begin to structure the template without fear that if i miss something out, im going to have to start all over.
My Current Method
Probably not the best way, i would like different suggestions, and this might all seem a bit much, but Cubase has given me no other option until they allow sortable mixer channels (and i wont switch Daw)
VI slots 1 - 5 - are dedicated to any drums and percussion i may or may not want to use - Even if i only use one (16 multi) instance on slot 1, atleast i have the option later on to put something in on the remaining 2-5 - and they will go after drums in the mixer - not at the end
VI slots 6 - 14 - will be dedicated to things like kontakt Guitar libs/Ethnic Patches/Choirs and Keys etc
VI slots 15 to 54 (roughly off the top of my head) - are purely for LASS or my main String lib and any doublings. Every patch loaded and ‘foldered’ in Articulation groups -
Pitz - Bass/Cell/Vlas/Vln1/Vln 2 + One or two doubling Libs
Spicc - Bass/Cell/Vlas/Vln1/Vln 2 + One or two doubling Libs
Stacs - Bass/Cell/Vlas/Vln1/Vln 2 + One or two doubling Libs
Sords - Bass/Cell/Vlas/Vln1/Vln 2 + One or two doubling Libs
Divs - Bass/Cell/Vlas/Vln1/Vln 2 + One or two doubling Libs
Legs - Bass/Cell/Vlas/Vln1/Vln 2 + One or two doubling Libs
Trems - Bass/Cell/Vlas/Vln1/Vln 2 + One or two doubling Libs
Harmonics
etc etc
VI Slots 55 - 64 - will be divided up between the remaining Woods and Brass sections.
My Problem
Once everything is eventually organised into the mixer in a nice orderly setup its actually really flexible from here on in. The link tracks feature is a game changer and ALMOST makes up for the fact you can’t rearrange mixer channels. Almost…
Here’s where im on the fence as to which best Grouping method to choose. Drums and keys etc have their own group, but how are people doing it with the Orchetra sections?
Buss by Highs Mid Lows,
Buss by Instrument sections - Basses, Celli, Vlas,
Buss by Artuclation sections - Spics, Divs,
Buss by Spacial position ?
Theres more which i cant think of right now.
How are you guys doing it?
Thanks,
W