User manual

260
VST instruments and instrument tracks
VST instruments and processor load
Unfreezing
If you need to make adjustments (either to the MIDI tracks, to the VST instrument
parameters or to the VST instrument channels if these were frozen) you need to
unfreeze the VST instrument:
1. Click the Freeze button for the VST instrument again (either in the VST Instruments
window or in the Inspector).
You will be asked to confirm this operation.
2. Click “Unfreeze”.
The tracks and VST instrument are restored and the rendered “freeze file” is
deleted.
VST instruments and processor load
If you are working with VST 3 instruments, another way to relieve processor load is the
“Suspend VST3 plug-in processing when no audio signals are received” option in the
Preferences dialog (VST–Plug-ins page). This is described in the section
“Smart
plug-in processing” on page 228.
Using presets for VSTi configuration
About track presets and VST presets
Track presets and VST presets allow you to quickly set up tracks or instruments with
all the settings required for the sound you want. Cubase provides various types of
presets for various purposes. Two of these are of relevance for VST instruments:
• Track presets for instrument tracks save the parameter settings of a VST
instrument together with all track/channel settings (applied audio insert effects,
etc.).
Instrument track presets can only be applied to instrument tracks, not to
instrument channels activated in the VST Instruments window.
• VST presets save all panel settings for a plug-in (VST instruments and VST
effects), but no track/channel settings.
Note that you can create instrument tracks from VST 3 presets, i. e. selecting a
VST 3 preset will create an instrument track with all settings stored in the VST
preset plus an “empty” track.
As described in the chapter “Audio effects” on page 227, there are two types of VST
presets that can be used: the VST 2 standard FXB/FXP files and the VST 3 preset
standard with the extension “.vstpreset”. Some of the included VST instruments use
the VST 2 preset standard, and others use the VST 3 standard.
All VST 2 instruments can import FXB/FXP files and also convert them to the VST 3
standard. Once converted, you can use all VST 3 features, see
“About earlier VST
instrument presets” on page 264.
Ö For further information on track presets and VST presets, see the chapter “Working
with track presets” on page 422.
Browsing for sounds
One important and often time-consuming aspect of music creation is the search for
the right sounds. You might spend a huge amount of time trying out the presets for a
particular instrument only to find out later that the preset for another instrument
contains the sound you were looking for.
This is why Cubase features extensive browsing possibilities, allowing you to preview
all available presets without having to load them first!