Is there a way to do Channel Insert?

If I am understanding this and I'm really not sure I am try out putting the tracks to a buss that has the fader pulled down.  You can then have the send post fader on the tracks and control the send output with them. 

The FX bin is a place for VST inserts! I guess what you're asking for is the ability for that to come back post FX, but even the inserts on my mixing desk don't offer that.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the question - couldn't you control the output control of the tracks with their individual faders?

The problem with putting Amplitube in each track FX bin is that I have three instances of the plugin running, and I need to keep the project light for the lowest latency.  If I use that strategy everywhere, then I will have a ton of instances running.
 
Perhaps another strategy would be to use/learn the comping feature as it seems to be able to have multiple virtual tracks per channel, but then I need to mess with automation for level variations instead of having separate tracks.
 
New to Sonar.. still figuring it out.

200bpm
The problem with putting Amplitube in each track FX bin is that I have three instances of the plugin running, and I need to keep the project light for the lowest latency.  If I use that strategy everywhere, then I will have a ton of instances running.

Once you've got the sound you want you can freeze the track. This converts everything in the track to audio and turns off all the VSTs in it, so you get your latency back.  You can still mix as normal.  If you need to edit the track, un-freeze, make your edits, freeze again.

From what I understand, what he really wants isn't a SONAR feature but for AmpliTube to handle three separate audio streams under the same set of controls, each with its own output level control. AmpliTube can't do it. I think Guitar Rig can accept stereo signals, so you could process the L+R as separate streams subject to the same controls...but I'd have to try to verify.
 

Anderton
From what I understand, what he really wants isn't a SONAR feature but for AmpliTube to handle three separate audio streams under the same set of controls, each with its own output level control. AmpliTube can't do it. I think Guitar Rig can accept stereo signals, so you could process the L+R as separate streams subject to the same controls...but I'd have to try to verify.
 

Thanks Graig I think I understand what the OP wants now. Really, I think, he is looking for an insert for an inserted FX. That, as far as I know, is not possible.
 
Randy thank you for giving me a laugh. It was timely. 

You don't lose use of the track faders when you out put to a buss. 

John
You don't lose use of the track faders when you out put to a buss. 

... thinking. .. When you send to a bus, the original track fader controls the level of the DI, which you don't want to hear.  If it was send to a parallel FX then yes, that would work. I use that technique with my miked tracks.
 
Because this is a VSTi the track fader is useless.  If the send is post fader, then it only controls the level to the VSTi which influences the input gain, which is not the desired affect.

Karyn
What precisely is the problem you're trying to solve?

 
Just when I think I know, I realize I have no idea what he wants to do. Obviously he's not getting three separate audio streams through a single instance of AmpliTube 3 so I guess if he's solved the problem, that's not what he wanted after all.

Anderton

Karyn
What precisely is the problem you're trying to solve?

 
Just when I think I know, I realize I have no idea what he wants to do. Obviously he's not getting three separate audio streams through a single instance of AmpliTube 3 so I guess if he's solved the problem, that's not what he wanted after all.

 
Yes I am.  Just took some creativity.  Sonar does not normally allow this but RME totalmix has some cool features.. 
 
The setup I'm using is just like if I had multiple DI tracks that were feeding a single hardware amp, except in this case I am using totalmix to create a piece of "hardware" using a VST.
 
This is better than having multiple instances of a plugin because much less overhead and you don't have to worry about changing each plugin separately.  And you have independent fader control of each track so you can change level of track independently depending on what song needs.  Better than using automation or setting levels independently at the clip/object level (does Sonar allow that?)
 
 

John
Sorry 200bpm that is as clear as mud. If you output to a buss with the FX inserted in it why are you not able to use the track faders to adjust volume of each track? 

Because the original track, a DI, needs to be fully processed by the plugin.  So lets say I send it to a bus with Amplitube, only the bus fader is relevant at this point.  OTH, if the send was POST fader, then the signal being sent to the VSTi would control the input gain to the plugin, and that is not the desired affect.  
 
I can send multiple DIs to a VST on the bus, but at this point the bus fader controls the output; I dont have independent control of each track's level.
 
If it was a miked track and I was sending it to a bus with parallel FX, the original fader would be relevant.
 
Sorry, can't explain it any better than that.  Perhaps if you are primarily a keyboard player you don't recognize what will happen when the input gain to an amp plugin is lowered and why a post fader send is not relevant.

John
Sorry 200bpm that is as clear as mud. If you output to a buss with the FX inserted in it why are you not able to use the track faders to adjust volume of each track? 

 
Let me explain. With distortion, AmpliTube's tone depends on the level of the input signal feeding it. So, if the send is post-fader and he adjusts the fader, it will vary the input going to AmpliTube and change its tone. If the send is pre-fader, then the input level to Amplitude will be constant so its tone will be constant. However, the channel fader affects only the DI sound because nothing is in the FX bin. He wants the channel fader to affect the output of the processed sound, but wants to use a single VST, and wants to do this without using the FX bin.
 
Although he claims he can send three separate audio streams through AmpliTube, I can assure you he cannot. So either there is a language issue or a lack of clarity about what his routing actually accomplishes as opposed to his supposition of what it accomplishes. If he could clearly define what he needs to do, i.e., the intended goal, what are the outputs, the sources, the destinations, and the final result it may very well be possible to do what he wants in SONAR. However he has a solution that he at least thinks works, so if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

Anderton

John
Sorry 200bpm that is as clear as mud. If you output to a buss with the FX inserted in it why are you not able to use the track faders to adjust volume of each track? 

 
With distortion, AmpliTube's tone depends on the level of the input signal feeding it. So, if the send is post-fader and he adjusts the fader, it will vary the input going to AmpliTube and change its tone. If the send is pre-fader, then the input level to Amplitude will be constant so its tone will be constant. However, the channel fader affects only the DI sound because nothing is in the FX bin. He wants the channel fader to affect the output of the processed sound, but wants to use a single VST, and wants to do this without using the FX bin.
 
Although he claims he can send three separate audio streams through AmpliTube, I can assure you he cannot. So either there is a language issue or a lack of clarity about what his routing actually accomplishes as opposed to his supposition of what it accomplishes. If he could clearly define what he needs to do, i.e., the intended goal, what are the outputs, the sources, the destinations, and the final result it may very well be possible to do what he wants in SONAR. However he has a solution that he at least thinks works, so if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

I got that. Thanks Graig. I agree. 

Anderton

John
Ultimately Karyn's approach seems the easiest way to go. 

Agreed, but he seems to imply he has a much more complex setup that requires more than simply processing three inputs to produce three processed outputs. I was able to run three instances of AmpliTube on an ancient dual Athlon; I'm not sure what he uses because his sig lists an i7 but he said maybe he should buy an i7. If he's using an AMD PhenomX4, which he also mentions in his sig, although it's a quad core it's optimized for energy efficiency. There are likely tweaks that need to be made to defeat the power-saving features to have it run at its full potential. If it's paired with Radeon HD graphics, then he's also probably being stalled by the stupid HD driver I wrote the tip about. So we really don't have much to go on in terms of being able to help. But if he has a solution, great.

i7 is  my notebook that I only briefly used as a DAW and use for paying (non music) work.  It may become a DAW in the near future if I upgrade to a new notebook.  It has twice the power of the AMD, however notebooks generate alot of EMI so its not ideal when I am tracking with electric guitar.  The AMD is quieter.  The AMD has all my audio apps loaded and its optimized for music and solid for 4-5 years.   I haven't needed to upgrade and I still dont based on how I'm running.
 
Craig, you are closest to understanding this, but this you do not get:  I am able to send 10,20, 30 separate DI tracks to a single instance of Amplitude because I am using Totalmix to make it seem like a single VST is a piece of hardware.  This is not something that Sonar does on its own.  While I could start loading up tracks with VSTis, its bad practice because not all of them are lightweight- Revalver and Guitar Rig are heavier.  And I also want the headroom to run channel / bus fx at 48 samples / sub 5ms round trip latency.
 
It would be great if there was a "Insert effect" that you could set virtual I/O to/from a VST in the rack and route multiple tracks to it.  The way FX inserts in sonar work are single input, but theres no reason multiple tracks cant be routed to a VST as long as they are not playing at the same time.