Aria as plugin, some questions

[Bernt]

I use Aria for GPO and JABB as a VST-plugin in Cubase Essential 5. I now how to get things working, but I am not sure whether my procedures are the most reasonable, so here are some questions

1. Let's say I want to use a cello and a flute of GPO. Presently, I set up two different "Instrument tracks", to which Aria is loaded. Then the instruments, cello and flute, are loaded in Aria, both in the first column. This works, but what I have been wondering about is that, this way, I do not do anything about the MIDI channel setup in Aria, both seem to be om channel 1. Is this right?

2. The use of effects, such as reverb. Obviously, it may be done in two ways

(a) by using the reverb internal to Aria, or
(b) by keeping a dry signal in Aria and add reverb as a send (or insert) effect on an FX channel of Cubase E, and adjust it on the track settings.

Which way is to be preferred, from the point of view of quality, adjustability, or CPU (the sound I get seem to be quite different)?

Let me add that I am sure not everyone here uses vesions of Cubase as their sequencer. However, I would presume that my questions are applicable to most sequencers, in particular the latter.

[Reegs]

Hi Bernt,


1. Let's say I want to use a cello and a flute of GPO. Presently, I set up two different "Instrument tracks", to which Aria is loaded. Then the instruments, cello and flute, are loaded in Aria, both in the first column. This works, but what I have been wondering about is that, this way, I do not do anything about the MIDI channel setup in Aria, both seem to be om channel 1. Is this right?

You'll see a number in the bottom right corner of each loading slot, varying from 01 to 16. These are the assigned MIDI channels. If you click on it, you'll get a dropdown to change it. Multiple instruments can share the same channel (of course, they'll each respond to the same notes). From Cubase, you'll need to assign the midi tracks to the corresponding channels in Aria. There should be a little dropdown somewhere that allows you to do that.



2. The use of effects, such as reverb. Obviously, it may be done in two ways

(a) by using the reverb internal to Aria, or
(b) by keeping a dry signal in Aria and add reverb as a send (or insert) effect on an FX channel of Cubase E, and adjust it on the track settings.

Which way is to be preferred, from the point of view of quality, adjustability, or CPU (the sound I get seem to be quite different)?

From the CPU perspective it really depends on what reverb you're using. A convolution reverb with a really long tail will eat a lot more power than an algorithmic one (such as Ambience). You'll find users here who take both approaches. Personally I switch off with the project or stage of project. In-built tends to be fast, but you get a little less control and fewer options with the sound. Separate FX gives you greater control, but you have more knobs to turn. When using separate effects I'll run them as send effects, not inserts.



Let me add that I am sure not everyone here uses vesions of Cubase as their sequencer. However, I would presume that my questions are applicable to most sequencers, in particular the latter.

You presume correctly! :D

Reegs

[buckshead]

You seem to be using instrument tracks here with a separate instance of Aria in each one. It is probably better, to my mind at least, to set up one instance of Aria, put the flute in slot 1 and the cello in slot 2. Open 2 midi tracks and use the drop down in the inspector (Output routing) to set the midi to play the sounds on the relevant midi channel in aria. That way you get to use all 16 channels in the one instance. If you need more instruments THEN start another instance of ARIA. I, personally, turn all reverbs off until the end then open FX channels with reverbs in and send the sound through these. That way you get each sound 8 sends and 8 inserts.

This means that you could have one very long tail, being the distant reverb, and different short tails being local reverb. You might send both sounds to the distant reverb and each to a different short reverb or have two distant reverbs say left and right or front and rear