Multiple Synths on MIDI

I'm trying to patch multiple soft synths to a single midi track and can't figure it out.  I'm new.  The midi track only has a single output.  How can I assign multiple synths?

I've been doing the copy and paste, but it seems like a lot of overhead.  I'm just trying to layer and detune a few synths to get a fatter sound.  Seems like something that would be a fairly common need.

Tessalator
I've been doing the copy and paste, but it seems like a lot of overhead.  I'm just trying to layer and detune a few synths to get a fatter sound.  Seems like something that would be a fairly common need.

hmm... detune? If you just want to have some octaves or fifths or whatever just copy the MIDI notes and lower/raise them.
 
As far as "overhead" it's not really a big deal if you have a decent computer. This type of layering is exactly what a multitrack program is supposed to do. What will really suck up resources is the synths themselves. The MIDI data is no big deal.
 
If you are using a multi timbral synth you can send multiple tracks to it through the various synth channels so you can play multiple instruments at once while only using one synth. I think there is a tutorial showing how to do this with TTS-1 at the start of the manual... not sure though.

Yes, I looked for a patch bay plug-in and couldn't find one.  Even being able to do a midi pass through from one midi track to another would be an option.  Though there would still be multiple midi tracks at least you wouldn't have to put the events into each track.

Tessalator
I'll check out the virtual midi-cable; sounds like an option.
 
Beepster - on the detuning, I'm just detuning a few cents.  Basically like double tracking or when you tune a piano. You don't tune all three strings exactly the same.  Just being a tiny bit off really fattens the sound.  (I was also looking for a plug-in that dynamically and randomly shifts the freq and timing just a touch to emulate double tracking)
 
The overhead was on me, not the PC  - I'm too lazy to copy and paste!  My PC is pretty massive.

Hmm... well a lot of those synths are tweakable so maybe you could fiddle with them to fatten things up and you may be able to use the multi outs on some of those synths to just use different variations of the same patch (I don't know enough to say if this is possible nor would I know how to set that up).
 
However as far as the copying you could just Right Click/Clone the track and it will set the whole thing up for you again (and I think create a new instance of the synth). Then just change the synths settings on the new tracks. If resources are no issue then it should be fine.
 
I'm not a proficient synth guy yet though so those are mostly theoretical guesses. Cheers.

Tessalator
I've been doing the copy and paste, but it seems like a lot of overhead.  I'm just trying to layer and detune a few synths to get a fatter sound.  Seems like something that would be a fairly common need.

Hi, Tessalator - As usual on this busy Forum, you've gotten some very helpful replies.  I'm adding my 2 ¢ because I think it may be helpful also.
 
You're right that what you want to do is a fairly common need, and the guys are right that you could deal with virtual MIDI cables and set up what you need - But that's not how people usually accomplish what you want. 
 
You said that you think C&Ping tracks is "a lot of overhead" - not sure what you mean.  That's very simple, and MIDI tracks don't need more than a whisper of power to be in your project file - it's the synths themselves that need the power, and at some point of course you'll hit the ceiling of how many you can have churning away at the same time.
 
But that's the best method, IMHO, to simply copy the mother track and re-direct the copies to the synth you want to have layered in with the first one.  Back when we only used hardware synths, layering modules was what the whole MIDI thing was about, detuning each one and getting that big wall of sound - The process was a bit different then, but that's the sort of result you're talking about.
 
If you want to layer various patches from one multi-timbral synth/sampler, that's even simpler.  You just set all the available slots (usually 16 on a multi-timbral unit) to the same MIDI channel, and then tweak each patch as needed, as long as you don't automate the tweaks, since all those loaded instruments will be reading from a single MIDI track.
 
So - Copy tracks - That's the quickest, most efficient way to do it.  Assign instruments to the same MIDI channel when you're using multi-trimbral plugins with instruments you want to include in your layers.

Randy

On each track you will see a button that looks like a snowflake. That is the "Freeze" button. Pressing this will "freeze" the track which is basically a temporary render that bounces any synths and effects to audio and disables the synth effects thus freeing up resources. You can click that button again to "unfreeze" it and now you can edit the synth/effects again. You can also just freeze the synth without freezing effects and vice versa as well. Look up Freeze in the manual to learn more.
 
Cheers.

Sorry... I should have mentioned you can Freeze a synth directly in the Synth rack browser too without freezing the actual tracks. Same benefits.

You guys are awesome, great forum.  Thanks.