# Software for a quick overview of my instruments?



## maikey music (Dec 30, 2022)

Hello dear people,

I have a question regarding a software I am looking for. Is there a program that reads all my different VST instruments and loads them on every start? I just want to have all my instruments loaded with just one click so that I just keep a good overview of what I own ...so like Kontakt for all VST's with folder function.

So far I've found Vienna Ensemble Pro, which should theoretically allow this...I wouldn't need the master-slave mechanism. Are there other tools that would be even better suited?

Thank you


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## hvarland (Dec 31, 2022)

What your describing sound more like a template? I have templates for various genres of music i want to make, with the vst's i use the most for that kind of music. Since i have so many plugins it would be meaningless to have them all loaded. 

Other than that, i use Cakewalk as my Daw. And it allows me to set up a directory of all my audio plugins and all my vst's. 

So if i want to load a synth vst i just click on insert softsynth, and find the folder saying synth.. This is a feature that should be available in any daw.


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## maikey music (Jan 1, 2023)

Thanks for the answer, my problem is the instruments in the samplers like Kontakt, Sine or Spitfire...I want to organize these instruments better, because there is only one VST file of them.


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## Xabierus Music (Jan 1, 2023)

Do you use Cubase? If you do, check the "track presets" function, it will allow you to save several tracks with kontakt libraries added and configured as you want within a track preset name, then, you can load this track preset with one click and it will load all the kontakt instances with the libraries you configured in one click, a very useful function


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## maikey music (Jan 1, 2023)

Yes, I do, I'm trying it out.


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## ZeroZero (Jan 1, 2023)

I keep a Master Audition Template for this purpose. I load one instance of every instrument into gthis template. One instance of Kontakt for each Kontakt Instrument. All disabled using the disable track function - otherwise such a template is too big to load. I organise them all according to instrument types. Then when I am searching for a sound, I enable the relevent tracks to hear them. I always start with a clean project when making a music track and when I need a sound I use Import Track from Project (file menu) in Cubase to import the track from the Master Template. This is a lot of work, setting up the Master but once done, it's really useful. Working this way any music project does not carry any baggage


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## ErwinVos (Jan 1, 2023)

I use Patchboard it's not cheap but oh man wished I bought it earlier, it works great









Patchboard: Your Sounds at Your Fingertips


The ultimate composing workflow and productivity tool.




patchboard.app


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## NekujaK (Jan 1, 2023)

I actually use Kontak's Quickload to keep track of most of my instrument libraries, not just the Kontakt ones.

I simply make dummy entries in my Quickload folder hierarchy to represent relevant VST instuments. So for example, when I'm browsing Quickload for string libraries, I also see all my VST, Sine, Spitfire Player, etc. string libraries listed as well. Of corse, the non-Kontakt stuff can't be loaded thru Quickload, but at least I'm looking at everything in a single place and don't overlook libraries.

Obviously this is not a solution if you need to quickly audition sounds. But as a quick and dirty way to get an overall picture of all your different VIs, it works well enough.


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## maikey music (Jan 2, 2023)

So far I have created a new folder structure in the plugin manager of cubase, there I have at least a first good overview, later I will use the track presets of cubase, but that makes a little more work 

Thanks to all for the helpful tips

@ErwinVos 
To expensive for my case


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## Loerpert (Jan 2, 2023)

I've been experimenting with creating a database / app / website for VI's. It would allow for so many things like, keeping track of what libraries are out there, which ones you own, comparing libraries, creating / sharing presets, doing reviews etc.etc. I've gone as far as storing number of dynamic layers, round robins and negative delays per articulation. The only problem with this is that someone has to add all that data to the database, which can be done in various ways, but probably requires community effort.

Still might be worth it though. Let me know what you think.


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## Soundbed (Jan 2, 2023)

ErwinVos said:


> I use Patchboard it's not cheap but oh man wished I bought it earlier, it works great
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This looks very cool!

I didn’t easily find on their website:

Will it “find” all the patches on it’s own, or do you need to tell it everything about each instrument beforehand?

Edit— found my answer: “Patchboard will automatically show you any controls you’ve created for that instrument.”


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## ZeroZero (Jan 2, 2023)

Soundbed said:


> This looks very cool!
> 
> I didn’t easily find on their website:
> 
> ...


Took a swift lot - seems you will have to do a awful lot of manual tagging. Please correct me if I am wrong


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## Mornats (Jan 2, 2023)

Sounds like you should check out Komplete Kontrol from NI.


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## ZeroZero (Jan 2, 2023)

At a slight tangent, but I decided to upload some of my Cubase templates today. Here is the link.





Lots of Templates For Cubase free!


A gift for the Community: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ai7g90pI7-tKjdU5eNr0pt4tecii4g?e=ratW5j Most Templates I recently created. One for each product. Opus has two templates - one for the normal orchestra and one for the Orchestrator. Of course these will not directly work in your system without...




vi-control.net


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## Elrik Settee (Jan 5, 2023)

Coincidentally , I just posted this. Might help? [Mac]






Easy way to find and open all your Kontakt instruments? (Mac)


Hi I used a smart search for .nkr And saved it, and aliased it to the root of my several drives. It's now simple to find instruments just by opening the SavedSearch. The downside is having to look at the filepath in Finder window to see what the heck STRBTQ.nkr is, for example. But that's...




vi-control.net


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## ZeroZero (Jan 5, 2023)

Sorry to hear about this, it’s a horrible fact that a modern composer has to be 60% engineer. When you have got yourself sorted, take a deep dive into your orch-castrator (!) and if you wish let me know your experiences.


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## Loerpert (Saturday at 12:56 PM)

ZeroZero said:


> I keep a Master Audition Template for this purpose. I load one instance of every instrument into gthis template. One instance of Kontakt for each Kontakt Instrument. All disabled using the disable track function - otherwise such a template is too big to load. I organise them all according to instrument types. Then when I am searching for a sound, I enable the relevent tracks to hear them. I always start with a clean project when making a music track and when I need a sound I use Import Track from Project (file menu) in Cubase to import the track from the Master Template. This is a lot of work, setting up the Master but once done, it's really useful. Working this way any music project does not carry any baggage


This is an excellent tip! I just started doing it in Studio One. Works better than using presets even.


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## Loerpert (Yesterday at 8:32 AM)

Unfortunately I'm running into an issue with Studio One. I've got about 500 tracks in my master audition project, but when I import a track from there into my destination project, it takes a really long time as it seems to first load the whole audition project every time before importing. Does anyone have suggestions on how to improve this?


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