Hi everybody! This is my first post to the forums, so I'm not sure if what I'm about to ask is particularly kosher, since it doesn't have much to do with the TNT series itself (which I love), but is more of a request for help with a complicated environment. Still, seeing so many helpful folks around, I figured I'd give it a go. Here's the skinny on it: Recently, I've been able to create a pretty nifty multi-channel setup with Kontakt 3 and Logic 8. I've routed the outs from a Kontakt 3 instance to the 16 channels of a multi-instrument in Logic with Aux tracks, which allows me to see the K3 volumes in the Logic mixer (awesome). The problem I've run into is that any Controller data I send to the multi instrument is applied to the entire stem. There seems to be no way to send individual hyperdraw data to each 'sub-channel' on an aux track of the multi instrument. I recently found an environment which claims to be able to do everything I'd like to be able to do, but it's extremely complicated to understand and modify. What I am wondering is, if I posted the environment file, would folks be willing to help make sense of it in a step-by-step fashion, if possible? Another reason I thought of posting it here was that perhaps it would be a very useful tool for others to have... Please chime in and let me know if you'd be interested in providing your expertise in helping me understand! If so, I'll post the environment! (I should mention that it's an environment I found over at Logic Pro Help, from a thread which seems to have died long ago). Thanks for reading! S.

Hi Steve! Thanks so much for your willingness to help! After many tries at uploading the environment as a zip file in the File Exchange section, I've given up and decided to host it on my server. Here's the link! [url]http://www.kuklamusic.com/Multi_Channel_Instruments.lso.zip[/url] Hopefully that will take you to the zip file! I'm really looking forward to finally understanding this and being able to modify it for my own use, so, from one Steve to another (and everyone in between!), thanks again! Steve K.

Thanks, I look forward to it! :)

Hi! I'll try to explain as much as I know. 1. This particular environment wasn't something I made, but was instead a nifty-looking solution I found elsewhere. Unfortunately, apart from making some guesses about how it works, I know very little about it. 2. The comment I made was a description of my attempts to solve my problem on my own, not this environment I'm seeking help with. Essentially what happened in my own setup was, I would do the following: a. Start with a 16 stereo out multichannel instance of Kontakt 3. Insert, say, 8 more tracks in that arrange window. (Create with next midi channel). b. Inside of Kontakt 3, I set up 16 outputs, so that all 16 channels of the instance could be routed back into logic. c. Used Aux channels in the Logic mixer which corresponded to the outs of Kontakt 3. So, in effect, I could then control individual volumes of the channels of the K3 instance inside of Logic through the aux tracks while inputting notes and such on the respective tracks in the arrange page. This was necessary because whenever I'd make volume edits in one of the arrange window tracks I'd inserted, it would make the edit across the entire instrument... Problem is, while I can see the volume in the aux tracks and edit it for mixing, I still can't use hyperdraw on those tracks I inserted in the arrange window because any hyperdraw data gets applied to the entire multichannel instrument. So this environment claims to allow a user to have different multi-channel instances, and then to be able to have control over individual channels within the instances. So, then for example, if I have an instance of K3 which has Violin, Viola and Cello, each one could have its own hyperdraw data to allow for different hyperdraw envelopes, but still come from the same instance of K3. Here's the thread I took it from, hopefully it can offer more information than I have! [url]http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=3017&sid=b8a06c8647cd0a45c52156728bbc5e37[/url] I really hope I haven't scared you and Igor off... Thanks for spending time on this, I really appreciate it!

Hi again, Just in case the forum post above is inaccessible, here's the text from the author of the environment: "This environment includes mini-mixers for each one of the instruments I use the most: EWQLSO, MOTU Symphonic Orchestra and Stormdrum. The MIDI faders for the sub-channels of each multi are linked with the corresponding instrument and aux levels, so that adjusting the level on the Arrange Track's MIDI fader adjusts the level of the Aux object that has the corresponding intrument's output. To use this environment with another multitimbral & multichannel software instrument: You can import one of the mini-mixer layers into your own Autoload or template, and use it with any other multitimbral instrument. You'll also have to reinstantiate the inputs on the aux objects, and also import the Software Instrument layer. Sustain pedals and all controllers other than 7 through 10 are now transmitted to the plug-in. Song start, end marker repositioned, locators cancelled (both on 1 1 1 1). You can't accidentally turn on the cycle by clicking in the Bar Ruler. Turning Cycle on always plays the whole song from the top. The Arrange window now loads instantly." I hope this is helpful! Steve K.

I'm wondering if I'm out of luck with this environment? If so, I'm wondering if there's a way to do what I'm looking for. I know Logic can do this--everyone I know is bashing on Logic for making it difficult, but I'm standing by it! I imagine it's most likely my lack of knowledge and not a shortcoming of the software... Any suggestions?

Hi Colin! Thanks a ton for helping with this issue. I'm greedily making my way through SteveH's videos on the subject now, (thanks, Steve), and I'm wondering: I pretty much hate the way this template is so convoluted in the arrange window. Would you be willing to detail your solution to the multi-timbral problem (as it were) from a blank logic document? I'd love to follow along and actually understand what's happening... Thanks again! Steve K

So, I've followed Steve H's awesome tutorials on the subject using Kontakt 3. Everything's set up, I have my track, and my transformer working, I'm playing notes on the midi instrument track (not the audio instrument) just as in the tutorial... And nothing happens. Can it be that Kontakt 3 doesn't respond to CC11? Hopefully someone can help shed some light on this one for me, I'm so close! Thanks! Steve K

Woo, solved this one. Okay, for those who are interested, and who don't already know: Depending on the sample library, you may need to go into each instrument you load into Kontakt and manually add a modulator for volume. (Or, as Kontakt calls it, an Amplifier modulator, which is likely a more appropriate way to put it...) Anyway, to do this, open the instrument for editing by clicking the wrench icon. We need to make sure we edit ALL groups within the instrument, so, first, we'll need to select the 'Group Editor' tab. Once there, make sure that all of the groups have check-marks next to them, and that the red box labeled 'Edit All Groups' is bright red. (I had to click on it a few times to compare...) Next, click on the 'Group Editor' tab again, and you should see the first screen you saw when you opened the instrument editing panel. In the green area, you'll see two 'sections': 'Source' and 'Amplifier'. Under Amplifier, you should see a tab called 'Mod', for Modulation. Find the tab which says 'Add Modulator' and choose External Source -> midi CC from the menu. Next, in the box beside the tab, or dropdown, or whatever it is, enter 11 for Expression. (You could, of course, enter another number for another controller, etc.) In the next box, enter 127, the max range of the controller. The tab next to that with the lines on it is the curve by which the modulation occurs. Normally, you'd want a smooth diagonal line. I only found one odd way to achieve this outside of drawing it manually, and my drawing skills kinda blow. Here's how I did it: When you click the curve button, under preset, select: factory->velocity curves->concave1. Then, click the 'table' button which will amend the concave shape into a straight vertical line. Then, re-click the 'table' button, and you'll have your linear fade-in curve. Leave Invert alone and slide the slider next to it up to 100% (I think this is the maximum percent of range the curve can access?) So, in essence, we're saying that, when the controller is up to it's full range (100%), it should be referencing 127 (which 100% in MIDI terms)... Yeah. Anyhow, leave the LAG box alone, and the final tab set to 'volume'. Once I did all of that, my instrument responded wonderfully to Steve H.'s tutorial. Awesomeness. It does kinda blow that over 20GBs worth of patches have to now be altered in this way to ALL take advantage of using CC11, but then again, it's an older library, and I really don't see any other way of doing it. Hope this is helpful to somebody! Steve K

Hi all, Recently, I was pondering over some nifty things I'd like to try with Logic, and I thought of something cool. What if I could create a nifty effect with a plugin, let's say the Delay Designer, and then have it follow a sort of trigger envelope of sorts, so that I could trigger the effect at a particular moment. Better yet, what if I could even hyperdraw in a fade-in to the delay effect? Are these sorts of things possible with plugins, and what are some strategies to best achieve them? I do remember watching one of Steve's tutorials on side-chaining effects and then triggering them with the midi keyboard via an EXS24 instance with no input. That might be the best way to trigger an effect wherever you might want it, but I thought perhaps there might be a more straightforward way, and it would seem like if you could create an envelope for controlling a Logic plugin, you could easily automate its attack, volume, pan, and release... Eager to hear from those who know! Thanks for reading! Steve