# Cubase & VE Pro Template: Freeze and Unload?



## Dominik Raab (Feb 2, 2019)

I've googled this and searched the forum, but I didn't come up with anything pertaining to my situation. If I messed up and this is a frequent question - I'm genuinely sorry.

I recall some people saying they freeze tracks in Cubase (with a VE Pro template) for faster loading, but I can't really reproduce this. My goal is to have essential instruments loaded and active, with non-essential instances turned off (no RAM usage) until I turn them on. The tracks are there and routed, the VE Pro instance exists, but the samples aren't loaded.

The problem I'm running into is two-fold. I'm doing at least two things wrong here.

1) I can't freeze tracks that don't have data on them, apparently. Clicking the button in Cubase (in the VST rack bar, where the VE instances are loaded) does nothing, because there's nothing to bounce. Is this how it's supposed to be? Can't I freeze 'empty' tracks?

2) Freezing in Cubase unloads the VE Pro plug-in inside Cubase, but does nothing on the VE Pro server.

Is what I'm trying to do even possible, or did I get that wrong? I could swear I saw posts on this forum claiming they're freezing VE Pro tracks, but I could be mistaken.


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## Øivind (Feb 2, 2019)

If you are running your instruments in VEpro and for the most part have only midi tracks in Cubase, disabling them in Cubase wont do much.

But you can both purge all samples (if using Kontakt) and/or disable any plug-in you use in VEpro to save RAM and loading time. Just right-click on the instrument/plug-in instance in VEpro and click disable, it will unload it, while keeping all the information for when you enable it again.


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## Guy Rowland (Feb 3, 2019)

Yes, I think what you want to do isn't quite what you've been looking at. You need to have disabled tracks, but in VE Pro not in Cubase - freezing in Cubase will achieve nothing. Then you need a method in Cubase of remote controlling the enabling / disabling process. Doing this means projects open and close super-quickly, consume very few resources and you can have a huge template ready to go, requiring only very short load times when you activate the instruments you actually want to use.

I wrote a bit more about this on p8 here - https://vi-control.net/community/threads/i-dont-care-for-orchestral-templates-your-view.72009/page-8 . I really must do a walkthrough video soon as its ruddy brilliant.

As for freezing tracks, I'm currently doing this for multi-out rack instruments entirely within Cubase. I have a dummy note on bar 3 that enables the process, because you're right you cannot freeze an empty track. Its not a very elegant solution, but until Steinberg fix multi-out Track instruments it's the best way of saving resources for now.


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## Dominik Raab (Feb 3, 2019)

Thank you both!

Guy, your explanations here and in that other thread both intrigue me. I'll have a detailed look on those. Thanks a lot!


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## marcodistefano (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi, I built a solution for this
you might be interested to read this
https://vi-control.net/community/th...e-vienna-lemur-spitfire-audio-and-more.79201/


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## Guy Rowland (Feb 5, 2019)

Ach, sorry I'm duplicate posting in two threads, but this exact issue came up in both.

I've put up a 3-part video on the Cubase / Disabled VE Pro thing. Part one is just a 5 minute intro to what it does, part two how its put together and part three why its worth the bother rather than other methods. Just linking part 1 here, the other parts are linked in the info.


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## J-M (Feb 5, 2019)

If I run a huge template in VEPro and use disabled tracks in there, are the save times faster versus disabled tracks in Cubase?


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## marcodistefano (Feb 5, 2019)

MrLinssi said:


> If I run a huge template in VEPro and use disabled tracks in there, are the save times faster versus disabled tracks in Cubase?



Like mentioned in the initial thread the two things are not comparable, you cannot do with cubase what can be done with vienna

2) Freezing in Cubase unloads the VE Pro plug-in inside Cubase, but does nothing on the VE Pro server.

but surely disabling in VEPRO will require more time since the instance of Kontakt needs to be reloaded in memory


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## mark.warman (Feb 5, 2019)

Guy Rowland said:


> Ach, sorry I'm duplicate posting in two threads, but this exact issue came up in both.
> 
> I've put up a 3-part video on the Cubase / Disabled VE Pro thing. Part one is just a 5 minute intro to what it does, part two how its put together and part three why its worth the bother rather than other methods. Just linking part 1 here, the other parts are linked in the info.



Huge thanks for taking the time to make these videos, Guy. As ever, they are both entertaining and informative!


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## lucor (Feb 5, 2019)

MrLinssi said:


> If I run a huge template in VEPro and use disabled tracks in there, are the save times faster versus disabled tracks in Cubase?


Yes, by a long mile. With VEPro decoupled, save times in Cubase are basically instant (and project files are only a few mb in size).


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## Guy Rowland (Feb 5, 2019)

What lucor said. It's one of the big advantages of the method, saves are almost instantaneous. Also nice that you can just keep the template loaded all day working on different stuff, and you never need to worry about saving multiple versions of it. It's very nearly as good as running a fully loaded template but with none of the overheads.


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## Dominik Raab (Feb 5, 2019)

Thank you all for your input, once again!

Progress report: I've started setting up a completely new template with VE Pro automations, disabling instances with a CC message. It's coming along nicely, but I don't have as much time for finishing it as I'd like to have. Soon, though.


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## Mishabou (Feb 5, 2019)

Guy Rowland said:


> Ach, sorry I'm duplicate posting in two threads, but this exact issue came up in both.
> 
> I've put up a 3-part video on the Cubase / Disabled VE Pro thing. Part one is just a 5 minute intro to what it does, part two how its put together and part three why its worth the bother rather than other methods. Just linking part 1 here, the other parts are linked in the info.




Instead of inserting Transformers on each midi track in CB to enable/disable VEP's instruments. You can simply create two buttons in Metagrid, or any app, that will send midi cc. Save you loads of time!


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## Guy Rowland (Feb 5, 2019)

Mishabou said:


> Instead of inserting Transformers on each midi track in CB to enable/disable VEP's instruments. You can simply create two buttons in Metagrid, or any app, that will send midi cc. Save you loads of time!



There's a million ways to do it. I wanted to use physical buttons that are always in front of me, no need for any other paraphernalia that I wouldn't otherwise use. As I said in Part 2, I could have set these up as simple midi CCs rather that notes, but I'm a dummy there as I didn't realise that til I was half way through. That said, I kinda like having a note on bar 3 to enable / disable when re-loading a project, rather than a CC - you always know where you are with a note on the key editor...


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## quark (Feb 11, 2020)

Mishabou said:


> Instead of inserting Transformers on each midi track in CB to enable/disable VEP's instruments. You can simply create two buttons in Metagrid, or any app, that will send midi cc. Save you loads of time!


Hi,
related to this, how can I know if the instrument in VEP is enabled or disabled without inspecting VEP?.
I have a button on Lemur that is red when disabled and green when enabled. But this state is lost when I close lemur.


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## Mishabou (Feb 13, 2020)

quark said:


> Hi,
> related to this, how can I know if the instrument in VEP is enabled or disabled without inspecting VEP?.
> I have a button on Lemur that is red when disabled and green when enabled. But this state is lost when I close lemur.



I have not use my big template in a while but if i remember correctly, the state of my midi tracks in CB will dictate whether the corresponding VEP instrument is enable or disable.

Basically, i have two buttons on my iPad to enable/disable CB midi AND corresponding VEP pro instrument.


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## quark (Feb 13, 2020)

Thank you Mishbou,
Finally I've taken the idea of another person and I've created a PLE script that adds the symbol [**] to the midi tracks through which ones the VEP is enabled. In Lemur I use an script that sends CC messages that are received in Cubase Remote control that activates the PLE script and disables/enables VEP instrument (sends two CC messages when switch).
Moreover, I've created a macro that shows only the [**] tracks (that's to say, those that corresponds to VEP enabled instruments). But this show/hide macro, by the moment, is not working very good, I have folder structure and i've to work more on the script to show only that tracks. I do not know the reason but is showing some folders that should not be showed.


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## javarsaa (Oct 25, 2020)

Mishabou said:


> Instead of inserting Transformers on each midi track in CB to enable/disable VEP's instruments. You can simply create two buttons in Metagrid, or any app, that will send midi cc. Save you loads of time!


Mishbou: Well i recently bought metagrid, and i'm wondering if you can explain me how you do that, or send me a "view" setting, so i can import to my metagrid (new format in metagrid).
Any help will be appreciated, thanks in advanced!


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## Vonk (Oct 26, 2020)

In Metagrid make a button called "VEP Disable". In the actions, assign a CC of your choice (I use CC100 as it's easy to remember) and give it a value of 127. It needs to be assigned to channel one.
Make a second button called "VEP Enable" also to Ch 1, CC100 but give it the value 0
In VEPro go to the instrument occupying Ch1 of your instance - you plugin of , say Kontakt, which can hold 16 channels, but note which is on midi channel one. Open the automation panel, Midi Controllers. In the first half select Midi in 1, Ch1, CC100. In the second half choose your instrument and then Disable.

When in Cubase on the relevant midi track, pressing the buttons will now disable or enable the items loaded in the instance. You will need a VEPro automation entry for each Midi In used to host your various channels.

Hope this helps, that's how I do it and it works a treat. Good luck.


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## javarsaa (Oct 26, 2020)

Thanks Vonk, for the comment. I've tried, and it works!. But is necessary to enable "Metasystem-MIDI-in", in "all MIDI inputs" in cubase, for this to work. After doing "enable Vepro", sudenly the focus in my Ipad goes to Vepro, and i need to click in vepro, and after click in cubase to return the focus to cubase in Metagrid, and be able to "disable" vepro Cheers!


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## Vonk (Oct 27, 2020)

Yes you need to have Metagrid set up according to it's instruction videos. You will also want to to check the Project Logical Editor macros are working, as these are the main power of the visibility controls of Metagrid. There are videos available to guide you on this.
You can lock the focus of Metagrid onto Cubase by double tapping the icon at the top of the screen on the ipad.


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## javarsaa (Oct 27, 2020)

Thanks Vonk!...i didn't realize the " double tapping the icon at the top of the screen on the ipad"...great feature ). Have a nice day!


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