how to hear the effect without the source?

[Stromkraft]

How would you do it?

I'd buss the track, i e send it to an audio track that in turn sends to my main buss or master and I'd automate deactivation of the buss. I use many busses so this would be just another one.

[Stromkraft]

You mean something like this ("route"="Audio to", "send"=rotary dials):
- route the signal from my MIDI track to empty Audio track,
- route the signal from Audio track to Master,
- send the signal from Audio track to my Return track (with a "pre" mixer setting, 100% wet reverb),
- automate the volume of Audio track to enable/disable source, switching between 0dB and -Inf,
- automate the volume of MIDI track, to control the overall level of the source in the mix,

?

I was thinking like this:



Automation of the send of the original MIDI track and the fader of the buss track, which is supposed to return to Unity Gain at 0dB to reflect the fader level of the instrument track.

[hps909]

put a compressor on your reverb side chained to the feed track .. do it the post fade way so when you bring your feed track in it starts to activate the compressor dropping the volume of the reverb