Flatten Midi Instrument, Just the Instrument, Not FX

[elgrayso]

Is there a way to flatten a midi instrument (a VST synth, for example) into audio without flattening all effects along with it?

Let me quickly explain:
1. I often have a bunch of synth plugins on different tracks and some different effect plugins added that I can map and control. I like how it sounds.
2. Now I need to convert some of these VST tracks into audio to help the CPU and keep things simple.
3. Oh no! Freeze/Flatten is flattening my "EQ Eight" device so that is no longer controllable.

The idea is that the EQ Eight doesn't take up any CPU and I don't need it to flattened. I want to convert my midi to audio, but I still want to be able to mix afterwards.

It makes sense to have the option of flattening the whole track with all of the devices, but I think there should also be an option to flatten just the instrument. I believe in Pro Tools and other DAWs you can convert a MIDI instrument to audio, but still keep the next devices in the chain separate.

[elgrayso]

In a perfect world, it would be ideal to be able to select how far down the chain you want the audio flattened by shift clicking devices, so you could leave a couple unselected devices (at the end of your chain) and those wouldnt be flattened.... but thats just me day dreaming!


Currently, my workaround is to duplicate the track, delete the FX devices in the chain of the original, flatten, then cut and paste the devices from the duplicate back into the original. It works, but it's an annoying part of my workflow. It seems like it would be very helpful to just convert the original midi instrument to audio in a single command. I've got my fingers crossed that this already exists and I just don't know about it....

[TomViolenz]

put your effects on another audio track and route your instrument track (frozen/flattened or not) to this track.

[drez]

put your effects on another audio track and route your instrument track (frozen/flattened or not) to this track.

This is what I do.

[elgrayso]

*deleted post*

[elgrayso]

thanks for the input.
i messed around with your routing method a little bit and it seems like you have to do it that way from the beginning. so as soon as you add a device with any automation, you have a second track to route it to.

Once i already have automation lanes programmed, there doesnt seem to way to be a way to copy and paste these devices with automation lanes to a new audio track (and keep the lanes).
so let me know if I am correct: i cant go back and flatten my tracks without loosing the automation, not even with any copy and paste methods. I guess I can take screenshots of the automation and just re-do it manually.

for future projects, what is your workflow. Do you start a midi track called "Massive" and then an audio track called "Massive FX" that you route it to, then group the two?

[TomViolenz]

sorry yeah, that's something more for the future then.

for future projects, what is your workflow. Do you start a midi track called "Massive" and then an audio track called "Massive FX" that you route it to, then group the two?

sure

[elgrayso]

surprisingly, when i copy an EQ Eight device and paste to a new audio track, it DOES keep the automation lanes!

which is nice because you dont have to start with two tracks from the beginning. so I could mess around for an hour generating ideas and then only start routing stuff if I knew I wanted to take the production further. That way I dont have to route anything and can just experiment using devices automation lanes like normal (on the same track) and if I want to clean it up and flatten, I dont have to start over in the future.

[elgrayso]

thanks a lot for all the help and sorry for all the noob questions, just trying to wrap my head around a new way of thinking

I just had a quick clarification I was curious about:
Would you also do your Volume and Reverb Send automation on your new "Massive FX" track, and send the original track to it completely untouched at 0db?

[TomViolenz]

thanks a lot for all the help and sorry for all the noob questions, just trying to wrap my head around a new way of thinking

I just had a quick clarification I was curious about:
Would you also do your Volume and Reverb Send automation on your new "Massive FX" track, and send the original track to it completely untouched at 0db?

That depends what you want, no?!

Only the instrument to the sends, only after the effects to the sends, some sends after the instrument-some after the effects, hell, you can send it to the sends twice if you like
Let your ears decide

[Booli]

put your effects on another audio track and route your instrument track (frozen/flattened or not) to this track.

I'm new in Live, coming from years of Cubase.

Is this above still the quick and easy solution?
Or any "flatten instrument only" new offline command in Live 10 I'm missing?