Ableton Forum

I don't get the concept of this plugin. Why doesn't it allow to record it's output within its track? I only can record it's ouput when I export or when I route it to an open track..

I think this plugin needs work!

+1. seems redundant to me, when you can just use a midi and audio track. but i'm sure it's useful to someone...

+1

I thought I was the only one. Use also two audio tracks...

Laura_Live wrote:I don't get the concept of this plugin. Why doesn't it allow to record it's output within its track?

What do you mean by "record its output within its track"? Are you saying you want to record audio in a MIDI track? If so, why should a track that uses the External Instrument plugin be different from any other MIDI track?

Or do you mean that you want to be able to run your MIDI track through the External Instrument and save the corresponding audio as part of the same track? If so, isn't that what freezing the track does?

what the hell are you guys talking about? it's awesome!

-save presets from other programs in the live browser
-save hardware devices as presets in the live browser (!!!!)
-only need one track
-freeze external programs or hardware (!) (aka "record it's output within it's track" hehe)

You cant record the audio with a VSTi track either.

Instrument tracks are midi tracks that output audio. If you want to record it - then you need anotehr audio track - exactly as with a VSTi if you want to bounce the audio for some reason.

Yes the plugin kind of sux, but not for this reason

Then you guys are insane or don't understand it.

The concept is this: Normally with a hardware synth, you would need one midi track to send the mdid and one audio track to return the audio. The external instrument device lets you send the midi and recieve the audio in the same channel. This is good. Also, if you have a multi-timbral device like kontakt or stylus rmx or whatever, you can use the external instrument device for each of the devices in that plug-in, rather than spending a midi track and an audio track for each part.

Obviously it can't record audio overtop of a midi track, just like you can't record audio over a plug-in midi track. That makes no sense. If you want audio, freeze/flatten it or record it to an audio track, just like with plug-ins. That's the point of the external instrument device, it works just like a plug-in.

Winston wrote:Then you guys are insane or don't understand it.

+1

Winston wrote:That's the point of the external instrument device, it works just like a plug-in.

I was so taken with the simplicity of it and my hardware synth has suddenly become all useful and fantastic again

continuum wrote:I was so taken with the simplicity of it and my hardware synth has suddenly become all useful and fantastic again

So I guess that part of the idea is to give you functionality for which you would otherwise need a Virus TI?

Winston wrote: If you want audio, freeze/flatten it or record it to an audio track, just like with plug-ins. That's the point of the external instrument device, it works just like a plug-in.

well right there, you expose the redundancy of it. i'd rather just have the audio there to begin with... but i guess it all boils down to personal pref. for example, with a midi track, i can send the midi out to where ever, record the audio, and route the midi to as many diff external sources as i like, with one midi track. if i want to use sculpture, i'd rather get the audio down quickly, to unload processing, and with the midi, if there is something i want to change, it's easy to reload whatever, make the changes, and move on. plus you can tweek, and record the audio in real time, and not have to worry about automation and such. seems like too much work for the same result.

besides, how many prefer to work with just audio anyway? all the talk about live 3, it would seem more people would find this a little bloated... i just don't see it as a feature. i'm used to working this way...

continuum wrote:I was so taken with the simplicity of it and my hardware synth has suddenly become all useful and fantastic again

i've been using externals since version 4, what was the problem?

continuum wrote:

Winston wrote:Then you guys are insane or don't understand it.

+1

Winston wrote:That's the point of the external instrument device, it works just like a plug-in.

I was so taken with the simplicity of it and my hardware synth has suddenly become all useful and fantastic again

+1

arkoenig wrote:

continuum wrote:I was so taken with the simplicity of it and my hardware synth has suddenly become all useful and fantastic again

So I guess that part of the idea is to give you functionality for which you would otherwise need a Virus TI?

well LOL not really. It's just the seamless way it brings external synths into the ableton way of things in such a clean and simple way. I also use Cubase SX2 and that's not quite so straightforward.

d*cease wrote:i've been using externals since version 4, what was the problem?

No problem - I saw Live at version 1 and went "meh DJ loops meh" and stoically ignored it until version 6.

I know.

longjohns wrote:what the hell are you guys talking about? it's awesome!

-save presets from other programs in the live browser
-save hardware devices as presets in the live browser (!!!!)
-only need one track
-freeze external programs or hardware (!) (aka "record it's output within it's track" hehe)

+1

++1
The external plugin is the main reason i upgraded to 7.

I haven't used my Supernova this much since i got it 6 years ago.
With the macros setup correctly it makes it almost as good as using a vst.

d*cease wrote:

Winston wrote: If you want audio, freeze/flatten it or record it to an audio track, just like with plug-ins. That's the point of the external instrument device, it works just like a plug-in.

well right there, you expose the redundancy of it. i'd rather just have the audio there to begin with...

If you want to just use an audio track, then you just use an audio track. Obviously you don't need midi. The external instrument device is for midi. get it? Just because you don't want to use midi does not make it redundant. Not at all. That's like saying VSTs are redundant because you record audio from your hardware synths.