Convert me from Acid Pro 7?

Welcome to the forums! :) Not sure if I understood your post entirely, but this thread explains the different methods of routing audio and MIDI to multi-out VSTi. In short, your folder track (folder=bus in Reaper) can't be the same as the VSTi track without additional steps because that would create a feedback routing, so you have to put the VSTi together with its outputs into a folder. There is also a description how you could exploit feedback routing to use the VSTi track as folder track and have MIDI input and audio output on the same 8 output tracks.

Thanks, the post got me half of the way there. Now I know how to add MIDI channels "automagically" by choosing "Options/Build 16 channels of MIDI..." in the FX chain window that hosts the VSTi. So now I have 24 tracks: 16 MIDI channels and 8 stereo outputs from the VSTi. But what I really want is 8 tracks: I want each of the stereo out pairs of the VSTi to have a MIDI track associated with it (since that's how I work--MIDI 1 goes to out 1, MIDI 2 goes to out 2, etc.). Here's an "ASCII" diagram of what I *want* (each line is a track), but what doesn't appear to work. 1. VSTi Master (not sure what this does) 2. VSTi Out 1 (sends MIDI ALL=>ch1 to Trk 1 VSTi, receives out 1/2=>1/2 from Trk 1 VSTi) 3. VSTi Out 2 (sends MIDI ALL=>ch2 to Trk 1 VSTi, receives out 3/4=>1/2 from Trk 1 VSTi) .... 9. VSTi Out 8 (sends MIDI ALL=>ch8 to Trk 1 VSTi, receives out 3/4=>1/2 from Trk 1 VSTi) I derrived this by looking at the MIDI send of the auto-generated MIDI tracks 1..16 that I got when I used the "Build 16 channels of MIDI Routing" and the auto-generated audio output tracks when I said "Insert Virtual Instrment on New Track..." The problem is that these don't seem to work together. I get no AUDIO, no MIDI. If I delete the Receive I get MIDI flowing to the VSTi, but now I don't get audio because I, of course, deleted the receive from the VSTi. So what am I doing wrong?

You are trying to use the same channels as MIDI input and audio output channels as described here - using the "build 16 MIDI channels" function is useless here. Just build the output tracks and according to the screenshots in the post above make sure the MIDI sends to the VSTi are not sending audio and make sure that the receives from the VSTi are not sending MIDI, only audio. Then allow "feedback routing" in the project settings and set up the combined output/MIDI channels properly for input from your keyboard. Sounds more convoluted than it actually is. :)

I edited my post probably after you read it to say that I also tried this method step by step and couldn't get it to work at all. I'm not sure what setting I got wrong, but I tried it twice and it didn't work :(

I tried the post on combined MIDI audio outs again.Ok this is totally freaky. Channels 4-8 play but 1-3 don't. I checked and double-checked and they all seem to be set up exactly the same!?? Also the audio is all glitchy/poppy on the tracks that do work and sometimes notes get stuck on. I'm using the same VSTi 8ch template I use without issue in Acid.

Ok here's another screenshot from a 4 track template I made for someone. You see the I/O window of the VSTi track so what I wrote about "send to" and "receive from" is vice versa here (the VSTi track is receiving MIDI from the tracks and sending audio to them) Have a look: - make sure the "channels" dropdown on top is set to 16 channels (you want 8 channel pairs) - note how the different "internal" channel pairs (each carrying one output from your VSTi) are routed to the first channel pair 1/2 of each output track. MIDI is set to "none" - each output track sends its MIDI to the corresponding MIDI channel in the VSTi, audio is set to "none". - the "master/parent send" checkbox is unchecked, I can't even remember why exactly but otherwise the VSTi track duplicates the first output track IIRC.

That's pretty much exactly what I have. See attached JPG. For MIDI channels (and outputs 4-8) I get audio but it's crackly and funky. For MIDI channels 1-3 (even though they are configured identically (as far as I can tell), I get no MIDI to the plugin. Please excuse my laziness in track naming ;-)

Hmm..no idea... according to your screenshot, that should work. Can you upload the .RPP file? Maybe someone finds the culprit in there. And what is the plugin? Maybe there's a known issue with it?

Because this appear to repro on every VSTi with multiple outs, I'm attaching the RPP without the performance because it takes up 300k of my attachment space ;-)

one more thing, i just tried a completely different 8 channel VSTi from a completely different vendor and i have the exact same results. MIDI channels 1-3 do not send to the VSTi when configured this way! I'm also still getting audio cracks and pops in the audio from this new VSTi. ?? I also verified if I start a new project and just right click in the track space and choose "insert virtual instrument on track" (which auto creates the 8 outs), then choose in the FX window "build 16 channels of MIDI routing" and keep MIDI and audio separate everything works on all 8 MIDI channels and all 8 audio returns.