DimPro: Pros and Cons of using "Multi Timbral" mode vs. Multiple instances?

At a bit of a crossroads in my project. I have multiple MIDI parts I think I'd like to use DimPro for (bass, orchestra strings, vocal choir).
 
So I can set up Dpro in multi timbral mode (which supposedly allows up to four separate sounds/channels to play from one instance) or of course set up an instance for each instrument.
 
Multiple instances is obviously guaranteed to do what I want but is going to weigh down an already really heavy duty project. Just not sure if using it in multi timbral mode will essentially work the same.
 
Note: This will be my first time really using DP to accomplish something more complex than just a simple one track/instrument synth.
 
Thanks.

Thats fine for your own samples but for the Dim Pro library for most of the samples all four channels are needed. These are often layered.  One reason it has four channels. Dim Pro is really a single instrument sample player. 
 
I like to use Kontakt for multiple instruments and Dim Pro for its own sound of one or at best two instances. I have never used its channels with different sounds.   

The 4 elements are usually layered to an extent - esp. for strings and orch instruments.  It is usually more trouble than its worth to try to use multi-timbral mode unless you have a bunch of single-sample patches.  I'm not sure how much CPU you'll save by using it instead of more instances.  That is a little more draw, I would wager, but it ain't like doubling the CPU drainage to use two instances of Dimpro instead of one instance with 4 elements.  Each element is like a synth unto itself - they only share global effects.
 
@

Never been able to get Dim Pro to work in multi-timbral.

Most likely the "elements" will use the same CPU in multi-timbral or multi-instance. But each instance piles on internal effects, most likely. In some cases it might be good to disable the Dim Pro effects and bus the voices onto a common effects bus.

I have a standard "Quartet" patch that I use with Dimension Pro. I've loaded up Violin1, Violin2, Violas and Cellos, in each of the four elements, with individual panning to taste.
 
I then drive the single DimPro instance with four separate MIDI tracks, one per element.
 
I know this doesn't meet your needs, Beep, because I use the Stereo out from Dim pro. But it is a viable use case.

I don't see any advantage in running multi-timbral mode. Is there CPU gain? Otherwise, why bother?

I don't believe that there is any significant performance difference in using Multitimbral Mode in place of multiple instances of DimPro. Only use if you want more than one sound per note out of a single "instrument".

Here's an example. Load a pad multisample into Element 1. After tweaking the settings to your liking, copy and paste it to the other 3 elements. Alter the settings of each element in turn, e.g. add a slight tremolo to one and maybe a tremolo with a different frequency on another, or a slower attack, or different decay levels, or whatever. Now create some long sustained chords in PRV. By default the notes will all be set to Channel 1, so change some of them to 2, 3 or 4. Chords made up of subtly different variations around the same sample set will sound a lot richer and much more interesting.

Hi, guys. Very cool info in this thread. It's given me lots of ideas and insight on DPro. I've always known it was a good synth/sampler but as an old stage stomping guit hound MIDI, synths and sampler stuff was/is of course a massive learning curve. I'm really starting to get a handle on the basics but of course it takes years (or lifetimes) to really figure this stuff out so it's great seeing all the neat ways you guys use this thing. Bit of a kick start.
 
A while back I made a decision to stop pining over tools I don't have (and can't afford) and instead properly learning what I already own (which is pretty much limited to the stuff I've gotten with Sonar with a couple calculated upgrades/purchases of third party stuff... some of which Cake have actually made unnecessary over time with the newer packages).
 
I know Komplete and other things are the usual go to's and I'd love to try that stuff out but I am indeed finding that a) my insistance on forcing what I already own to do what I want and b) my initial investment in X1 Prod Suite (I did not know WTF I was doing but it seemed to provide all the tools I needed to make full productions in comparison to other packages) have paid off.
 
DPro is definitely proving its value with what I am currently doing. It seems if there is a specific sound I need there is a bank for it somewhere (perfect example is I needed some gregorian chant type vocals and there's a decent sounding patch in there... not the greatest but I think I can tweak it to make it more how I like).
 
@Kenny... I liked the history lesson. $250 is half the price I paid for the X1 Prod Suite which obviously came with a buttload more than just DPro (Sonar, Zeta+2 (which I love BTW), Rapture, SD3, a ton of other cool synths, a mountain of FX I'm still sorting through and a wicked upgrade path that has gotten me a few more buttloads of really cool stuff that I previously had been freaking out about buying from third party companies).
 
Anyway... I know I keep saying that type of crap but as a broke arse ARTIST attempting to become a PRODUCER (not necessarily an engineer) it's things like DPro that leave me wanting for very little as I work. Even though I dig the workflow in Sonar (and that may be simply because I have so many hours invested in it) I'm quite positive it has saved me thousands of dollars. More accurately though, since I don't have thousands of dollars to spend or save, it's allowed me to work reasonably unhindered by lack of sounds, tools or options. It almost seems like the program/package has been growing with my own personal needs. It's almost freaky actually.
 
So just popping back in to thank everyone for their suggestions (and to blather a bit... I was ill yesterday so wasn't around). It has all given me some good ideas for some stuff I need to do/want to try and pointed out some potential limitations which I was initially asking about but don't matter anyway because based on this thread I have mentally sorted out a ton of efficient workaraounds.
 
You guys, as always, rule.
 
Cheers.

Anderton
Don't forget that Dim Pro handles REX files really well. Until Propellerheads came out with the Octo Rex, Dim Pro was the best option for playing multiple, synched REX files.

I've slowly been mucking my way through the SWA Instruments vids again but this time I'm actually messing with the synths as I go. This of course in between the real "work" I'm doing in Sonar as well.
 
If you are familiar with those vids Karl seems to go through the simpler older stuff to give an idea of what specific things do then builds up to the more complex modern "replacements". I'm actually at the point of the SFZ and RXP section which progresses on to DimPro.
 
So yeah... even the included instruments is almost a history lesson but also a way to sort through some of the crazier synths like DPro which seem to be multi purpose. Also nice little peek into how those multisample type files look... which of course has led to me researching how to code and deploy them. Not that I'm doing that yet nor have I totally taught myself but now I know what all that crud means and where to find info if I really needed to dig in and create my own programs.
 
Slow but steady wins the something something...
 
;-p