User Manual

INSTRUMENT TRACKS
146
An option is also provided to place the new
instrument and MIDI tracks together in a new
Track Folder, if desired. Each instrument is placed
in its own folder, with its MIDI tracks.
2. Choose Add Unassigned Instrument. Doing so
creates the new instrument track with no
instrument yet assigned. You can then assign an
instrument in the Mixing Board from the
instrument insert, as explained later.
3. Choose a specific instrument from the
Instruments sub-menu. This creates an audio
instrument track for it with the instrument already
instantiated, but afterwards, you’ll need to create a
MIDI track using Project menu > Add Track >
MIDI Track.
VST, AU, and MAS instruments
All instruments in all supported formats (VST, AU
and MAS) appear in Digital Performer’s
instrument plug-in menus. You can manage which
formats you wish to use, using the audio plug-in
preferences. See “Plug-ins with multiple versions
(formats)” on page 878.
Organizing instrument menus
Instruments are organized into several convenient
sub-menus, which you can further customize using
the plug-in browser. See “Choosing a plug-in for an
insert” on page 805.
Unavailable instruments in the sub-menu
If an instrument is unavailable (grayed out) in the
Instrument Track sub-menu, it means that there is
no current audio bundle in the project that
supports the instrument’s audio output format
(quad, 5.1, etc.) Create a bundle that matches its
format, and it will become active in the menu.
INSTRUMENT TRACK SETTINGS
Each instrument track has the following universal
track settings:
■ Name
■ Track t y pe icon
■ Play/mute
■ Solo exemption
■ Output assignment
■ Tak e
■ Automation settings
■ Lock
■ Color
■ Comment
For further details on these universal settings, see
“Track settings” on page 118. Each instrument
track also has the following setting, discussed in
chapter 16, “Audio Tracks”:
■ Enable/disable (page 142)
WORKING WITH INSTRUMENT PLUG-INS
Instrument plug-ins work very much like
synthesizers, samplers and other hardware
instruments. You send them MIDI data from a
Digital Performer MIDI track, and their audio
output goes to the output of the instrument track
itself.
When you first open (“instantiate”) an instrument
plug-in, it publishes its MIDI ports, which appear
in the output menu of Digital Performer’s MIDI
tracks, as shown below in Figure 17-3.