Ableton Forum

I hope this is not a stupid question (I checked the manual but couldn't a solution), but is it possible to automate the selection of presets for VSTs? E.g., I have a different preset for a guitar track's VST EQ for verse and chorus and would like to automate switching between the two.
The way I'm currently doing this is adjusting every setting by hand so it matches the preset, but simply being able to automate presets would be a lot easier and quicker. Any ideas?

You can do it with a combination of an Audio Effect Rack, the Chain Selector & Dummy Clips. There's a thread around here somewhere explaining how to do it, but I can't seem to find it, so I'll try and explain as best I can without any screenshots.

1. Create a new audio track.

2. Route your guitar tracks 'Audio to' to the new track.

3. Create an 'Audio Device Rack' on the new track.

4. Open the 'Chain list' (2nd button down from the racks on/off switch).

5. Drag your VST EQ into the list twice. So you now have two chains each with your VST EQ.

6. Click the uppermost chain and load your 1st preset into this EQ, then click the 2nd chain and load your second preset in that EQ.

7. Click the 'Chain' button at the top of the chain list next to 'Hide' (hide will be highlighted by default) and drag the 2nd chains region to 1-1 (1 step to the right).

8. Record some silence to a clip in the track containing the rack to create a 'Dummy' audio clip, which will be used to select the active chain of the rack you just created. Rename this something like Preset 1.

9. Copy the clip to the slot below and rename it to something like Preset 2.

10. Click on the 2nd clip to show the sample window and open the 'Envelope' section. Then make sure 'Audio Effect Rack' is selected in the device chooser, and 'Chain Selector' is selected in the control chooser.

11. Now grab the automation line and move it up 1 semi-tone (+1st)


Now when you trigger the 1st clip your 1st EQ preset will be active, and when you trigger the 2nd clip your 2nd EQ preset will be active.

Thanks! That's a crazy amount of work. Let's hope they add this functionality in an update!

It seems long winded to acomplish a pretty simple task, but when you get the hang of it it's really not that bad. Plus once you start using dummy clips and chains you soon begin to realise the potential for other neat tricks they offer.

Try searching google with - 'dummy clips site:ableton.com' or 'chain selector site:ableton.com' without the quotation marks to see some of the possibilties.

Ok I'll look into it. It does seem rather CPU intensive though. I'm not sure how it will hold up on a project with a lot of tracks.

I guess your right the cpu needed could start to be an issue if you wanted to automate presets on a lot of tracks. You might save some cpu by having just two versions of the EQ without the rack, and automate the 'bypass' or 'device on' parameters. Dummy clips and chains are definitely the way to go if you want to retain flexibility in the way you trigger the preset changes though.

Xspringe2 wrote:I hope this is not a stupid question (I checked the manual but couldn't a solution), but is it possible to automate the selection of presets for VSTs? E.g., I have a different preset for a guitar track's VST EQ for verse and chorus and would like to automate switching between the two.
The way I'm currently doing this is adjusting every setting by hand so it matches the preset, but simply being able to automate presets would be a lot easier and quicker. Any ideas?

If you click the main record button, then play the clip, and switch among the vst presets, the changes of the vst parameters are saved (automated), I always made it like that..

stardust3000 wrote:

Xspringe2 wrote:I hope this is not a stupid question (I checked the manual but couldn't a solution), but is it possible to automate the selection of presets for VSTs? E.g., I have a different preset for a guitar track's VST EQ for verse and chorus and would like to automate switching between the two.
The way I'm currently doing this is adjusting every setting by hand so it matches the preset, but simply being able to automate presets would be a lot easier and quicker. Any ideas?

If you click the main record button, then play the clip, and switch among the vst presets, the changes of the vst parameters are saved (automated), I always made it like that..

Thank you. I tried that but that creates an automation point for every single automateable parameter, even the ones that stay the same. I've noticed Live doesn't like having so many automation points all over the project. I get noticeable CPU spikes (often with clicks/pops) during those moments that a lot of automation is happening at once.

Xspringe2 wrote:Thanks! That's a crazy amount of work. Let's hope they add this functionality in an update!

indeed...

I worked and am working in order to avoid "artificial work" too.
I mean, in order to compose, to build my set for live without any parasites and anti musical tasks


I use chain selector too, with a lot of chains inside racks too.
I'm working on chain selecting + on/off automation. to save cpu breath...

have you tried standard program change? That is how you do it on a hardware effects or MIDI module

PC work with software or hardware which accept that...

operator,analog, and a lot of software don't ..