I use all soft synths/instruments.
 
Using Kontakt5 for my question:
 
What are your preferences or how do you go about setting up your tracks when using soft synths.
 
I load a new instance of Kontakt5 for each instrument on it's own track and always play out of channel one.
 
The other option is to load a single instance of Kontakt5, load all the instruments into it, and have each instrument on a separate channel.
 
So gang, how do you prefer to handle this?
 
I am considering the affect to the overhead and whether either method is better than the other.
 
Regards,
Lance

I never do that. I always use one instance of Kontakt and point MIDI tracks to it. Kontakt can load a lot of instruments. I then send each instrument to its own audio track. I like to have first module  be MIDI channel 1 and I follow that with the audio out.  The next is MIDI channel 2 and so on.
 
One neat thing people may not know about Kontakt is that suppose you decide you want a different instrument in a module in the second slot and have a number other slots full.  You can replace that module by simply deleting it and open another. It will take its place.  
 
Also I never use simple instruments tracks. 

Thanks John.
 
I like your approach and I do use simple instrument tracks always.
 
If you have a single soft synth structure, say Rapture, do setup your midi and audio tracks the same way? 
 

LanceJ
Thanks John.
 
I like your approach and I do use simple instrument tracks always.
 
If you have a single soft synth structure, say Rapture, do setup your midi and audio tracks the same way? 
 

I often have single instrument soft synths. I still use separate MIDI and audio tracks. 
 
One reason is it gives me great flexibility. Say I want to try a different soft synth. I don't even have to unload the current one just reassign the out of the MIDI track.  
 
 

Handy.
 
Thanks.
 
Lance

I have been told that with multi-core processors like we all have (e.g., 8-core) separate instances can actually be more efficient; but obviously there are many variables.
 
I use separate instances because it is simpler for me, but, based on this thread, I may run a few tests.

I guess it also depends on the size of your projects and samples libraries. Workflow-wise, I prefer having one Kontakt per instrument unless it's a logical set like violins/violas/celli/basses. I also like splitting drums so I can use my own plugins on the various kit pieces rather than rely on the built in mixers that come with Abbey Road 60's drummer etc.

I don't usually mix piano, strings, drums, bass etc within a single Kontakt instance. I have a reasonably modern computer (i7 3770 with 8GB RAM) but nothing really top of the line and I haven't run into issues yet for my purposes.

I think I might like fewer instances.  Does seem like it would be a better use of overhead.
 
Like you Conrad, I think I will experiment.  It may come down to which appearance of track management I prefer.
 
Sanderxpander, most projects are not huge so the multiple instances seem to be manageable.  Plus it is easy to let everything flow through channel 1 and let the simple instrument track do the wiring.
 
Lance
 

Kontakt will make more efficient use of resources with fewer instances, so overall efficiency will be better with a single instance in multi-timbral mode.
 
However, the improvement is marginal. By far the most significant resource is memory, and that's mostly determined by the libraries themselves and won't increase or decrease based on the number of Kontakt instances.
 
Furthermore, when you use a single instance, you lose the ability to freeze each instrument independently. So if resource management is a big deal, such as somebody trying to squeeze giant libraries into limited RAM, then you may be better off with separate instances that you can freeze when you're done with them. Or at least purge the sample sets to reduce their memory footprint.
 
If, however, CPU is your bottleneck rather than RAM, then a single instance will definitely be more CPU-friendly. Each individual instance will use the first core, whereas with multiple instruments Kontakt is smart enough to at least attempt to use one of the other cores (assuming multi-core has been enabled).
 
My own method is a compromise between single and multiple instances. I combine instruments that are likely to be frozen as a group, such as a string section made up of 3 or 4 libraries, or a percussion group. But the big instruments that I'll be editing throughout the project (e.g. large guitar libraries) get their own instance.

I seem to use only one of each synth and I too never use simple instrument tracks for the same reason as John. I often will try different synths as I get to the fussy part in mixing. 
My brain likes to see Audio tracks, Midi tracks and then the soft synth tracks all on there own for when it come time to use the console view. I like some tracks at full width so I can see the effects bins. A narrow track signifies it has no effect in the bin. 
I put all the soft synths at the top of track view. Below are all midi tracks, and on the bottom are all the audio tracks with the Vocals always at the bottom. So then these appear in console view from left to right. 
I have taken to using the track color to keep things nicely organized, at a glance I can tell which synth the piano is using etc. 
I think the reason for only needing one of each is I rarely would use 2 instruments from the same synth. TTs-1 is possibly the only multi channel synth I might use and it has a pretty good built in mixer and even usable effects.