BrainModular

Hi!
I'm gonna try using my laptop as an effect processor for live use, running Usine as the effect host ofcourse! I'm playing an electric octave mandolin (similar to electric guitar) into the audio interface input, and the output goes to a guitar amplifier (for now, may use amp modelling later). I will be using a Behringer FCB1010 for foot control of Usine.

What I want to do is to create a workspace which can be used in the above situation. I want to be able to change between different sounds (patches? lines? conductor?) during songs (turning several effects on/off and perhaps changing the presets of them, all in one program change midi event). I also want it to be quick to modify the setup, if I want to change a particular sound or add a sound.

I was thinking on how you guys would do this, in order to be maintainable, and not unnecessarily cpu-expensive. I was thinking of creating each effect as a patch (like if a patch was a pedal) and then for each sound I create a line in the grid and add the pedals as sub-patches, so that each sound have it own "pedal board". I guess this may be cpu-expensive though, because several instances of a patch could exist in several places (e.g. if I use reverb in 8 different sounds).

Any tips would be helpful

CLeRIK wrote:I was thinking on how you guys would do this, in order to be maintainable, and not unnecessarily cpu-expensive. I was thinking of creating each effect as a patch (like if a patch was a pedal) and then for each sound I create a line in the grid and add the pedals as sub-patches, so that each sound have it own "pedal board". I guess this may be cpu-expensive though, because several instances of a patch could exist in several places (e.g. if I use reverb in 8 different sounds).

Hi mate, nice to meet you!
Off the top of my head you could look in to using the send channels for common effects like reverb?

A few tips...

-A preset manager can store the entire state of a VST plugin for instant recall. Then you can in turn recall presets from many patches at once via the conductor.

-Also, the preset managers or conductor can be used to store the VST bypass states if you connect a switch to the bypass inlet of the VST. This way you can have many VST's loaded but only use cpu for theVST's that are enabled for the specific program you load.

-If you connect a button to the show vst inlet of a plugin and place it in the top parent patch you can always quickly open a VST for editing.Of course you would probably also want to show controls to store and clear presets from the preset managers.

There are lot of ways to organize a Usine workspace as an effects processor. As already mentioned, you can use the Preset Manager so save and recall patches individually, and also use the Conductor as a Preset Manager for the whole workspace.

If you want to set up very distinctly different patches for each song, your idea of creating lots of patches is a good one. However, if you plan on emulating something more of a typical effects set up where eg song 1 has fuzz and chorus, song 2 has fuzz and song 3 has neither, a better approach would be to check out the routing possibilities. Remember that each track/channel in the grid can run the separate patches either in parallell or in series as well as the normal "selected line/patch" behaviour. You can also route the output of one track as the input of another without using an aux send. And of course you can create your own custom routings using busses...

Whatever setup suits you best, remember that you can turn off unused patches to save CPU. Unless you're be using some heavy convolution IRs and/or very long delays/loops, I suppose RAM isn't much of an issue.

Thank you for the tips, very informative! I haven't even looked at the conductor mode yet, so I'm gonna do that. Didn't know that VSTs were free from CPU when they're bypassed.

I have 4 GB of RAM, so I hope it won't be a problem. I'm thinking of getting a MIDI-system for my mandolin though, and in that case I may use it for triggering sampled instruments (considering Kontakt, but the price is pretty high) so then the Ram will have to be considered more.

Hopefully I'll post some examples of the setup then it is finished (or, well, usable at least)