Ah, I guessed that was the case, but thanks for clarifying.
To be honest, the Process/Audition method of using VST plug-ins and effects is not really the best way to do so. It's a throwback to a time when computers had much less RAM and processing power than they do nowadays.
Fundamentally it's a destructive method of editing - once you've applied the effect and saved/closed your project it's permanent. For example, if you apply a delay echo to a guitar track, once you've closed the project that effect is permanently applied to the waveform - you can't remove it later (it's like trying to take the eggs out of a baked cake).
If you do want to use it, the effects will remain greyed out unless you first select an audio clip. First, open a project in GTPro3 and switch to the
Edit View. Now you can either:
- Left click on an audio waveform to select it, then click on Process > Audio Effects to open the menu
or - Right click on an audio waveform and select Audio Effects from the options
Either way, the options should no longer be greyed out.
Try this little example to make sure all is working properly Scott: In the
Edit View, right click on a waveform and select
Audio Effects > GT:FX > Echo - this will open the interface for the bundled 'delay' plug-in. Select a preset and click on
Audition to hear the effect it's having on your track. Once you're happy with the effect, clicking
OK will apply it permanently to the waveform (you can use 'Undo' while the project is open but once saved/closed it really is permanent!).
There are a lot of downsides to editing your audio destructively/permanently. The main reason is because it's permanent! You can't change your mind later. Also, you only hear a small 'snapshot' of the plug-in's effect when you audition it, and it's nigh on impossible to relate that to how the effect will sit in your overall mix.
By far the best way to use VST plugs is non-destructively. This involves inserting the plug-in into the signal path and allowing it to process the recorded signal in real time. This takes up much more processing power than applying an effect 'offline', this is why it was a serious consideration when computers were much less powerful, especially once you start adding more and more effects to a mix.
However, the benefits far outweigh this potential problem.
For a start, the effect is never 'physically' applied to the recorded waveform (although the processed effect is added when you mix-down your project) so you can, at any time, change the effect's parameters in real time while listening to the changes you've made. You can also remove the plug-in completely and replace it with others - as you can appreciate, this really is a much more flexible way of editing/mixing.
Have a quick run through this little exercise Scott - it will demonstrate how easy it is to use the FX Bin of a track, and how flexible this approach is compared to the rather limiting 'Apply/Process' method.
Open a project in GTPro3 and switch to the
Mix View - right click in the FX Bin of a track containing some recorded audio:
Here's the pathway showing how to insert GTPro3's bundled Reverb effect into the FX Bin of the selected track:
Incidentally, you can do this
even while your project is playing - another benefit of using this way of working.
The Verb interface will open - select a preset to use and you will immediately hear the effect in real time if your project is running (if not, just press Play to hear it). You can toggle the Solo button on the track to make it easier to hear the effect in isolation.
Once you're happy with a particular effect, just leave it there sitting in the FX Bin - there's no need to process it. Obviously, you can now see how easy it would be to change the preset in future, or add in more VST's. And remember, because this method is non-destructive, you never physically alter your original recorded guitar signal.
This should also answer the other part of your question about '
when' the effects are added Scott - any VST effects are always added after recording the guitar signal, whether it's by processing that signal destructively or by using the FX Bin of a track.
Incidentally, there is a way that you can hear the effects before, or during, recording.
To do this, with GTPro3 open and your guitar plugged in, arm a track for recording and insert an effect into the FX Bin of the armed track. If you play your guitar, you will hear the unprocessed sound. Now, click on the Input Monitor (also often referred to as
Input Echo) button on the track:
In the Edit View:
In the Mix View:
Now when you play your guitar, you will hear the effect it has on your signal. There may be a slight delay or echo, this is due to the extra processing time it takes to route your guitar through the effect.
However, even though you can hear the effect/s the VST is adding to your guitar, the beauty is that GTPro3 still only records the dry signal - the effect is not printed to the recorded waveform.
Anyway Scott, that should give you some food for thought - happy experimenting!
And fire back with any questions you have (and also bear in mind you might get a few more replies if you start a new thread dedicated to each question).
Steve