# VEP Templates: how to integrate patch-based instruments (e.g. synths, TOC, Sonokinetic stuff)?



## dadadave (Sep 8, 2020)

As I'm building my new Cubase/VEP template, I'm wondering how to best integrate instruments that have a large list of patches into the whole thing. Ideally, I'd like to have a VEP template that remains static and do any changes that are specific to a piece of music inside the Cubase project (so I don't have to keep track of a Cubase project AND a VEP project per musical project). Ideally, I'd also like to host all instruments inside VEP.

However, that would require somehow being able to control the patches in a synth that's hosted in VEP via midi coming from Cubase (which I guess is doable, but I don't get to see the GUI so easily to read and browse patch names, for instance). The same goes for things like The Orchestra or the various Sonokinetics phrase libraries like Sotto, Noir etc.

How do you folks handle things like that, do you simply host them inside Cubase (Logic, Reaper...)? Do you keep VEP and the DAW coupled so changes you make to stuff in VEP is stored in the Cubase project (that's an option, right? but then it slows down auto-save...). Mixing-wise it also present challenges to not have a clear-cut paradigm (e.g. if you mix everything in VEP, but then have to mix in these instruments in Cubase, that sounds awkward).


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## Kent (Sep 8, 2020)

For that, either have an instance that is preserved and coupled or run them directly in your DAW. I personally prefer (and recommend) the latter.


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## wst3 (Sep 8, 2020)

I've tried a few things with synthesizers in VEPro, none have been perfect, and I usually end up ditching that instance and just letting the synths live in my DAW.

About the closest I got to happy was a handful of instances of a synth (e.g. Omni) and I send patch commands from the sequencer, so no change necessary to the VEPro config, at least in theory. I don't remember exactly what went wrong with that solution, I think the patch change did not always work.

Back to synths in the DAW<G>


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## Dirk Ehlert (Sep 8, 2020)

The easiest way is indeed to have these kind of instances in the DAW directly. However, if that's not feasible (e.g. to CPU load issues) the easiest way is to use a coupled instance instead of decoupled. This means that all the settings of the instruments are saved and recalled within the DAW project instead of within the VEPro frame. It pretty much works the same as having the instruments within the DAW directly, it gets recalled upon opening - the only downside (at least for me) was to always need to go back to VEP to make edits/changes etc. I personally went back to in-project instances as it's much easier to just render them to audio instantly and have the GUIs accessible instantly.


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## dadadave (Sep 9, 2020)

thanks, guys! I guess I'll keep those inside Cubase. Might even get some use out of Komplete (that's what it's called, right?) that way, as an added bonus.


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