How to patch and configure surround effects

For step-by-step instructions, see the following procedures.

To patch an effect into a surround bus

Right-click the FX Rack of a surround bus and choose a mono or stereo effect from the pop-up menu.

The SurroundBridge patches multiple instances of the effect you chose into the bus’s FX Rack (however, only one effect appears in the FX Rack), with default assignments of surround channels to plug-in instances.

Note: Mono plug-ins may not work properly when inserted in a Surround bus FX Rack. A common symptom is a Runtime error message.

To change channel assignments for a patched effect

1.	If the effect’s property page is not open, display it by double-clicking the name of the effect in the surround bus’s FX Rack.

2.	On the SurroundBridge tab of the effect’s property page, use the drop-down menus in the Left Input and Right Input columns to assign individual surround channels to instances of the effect.

Your assignments take effect immediately, and the names of the tabs in the property page change to reflect the new assignments.

To unlink individual effect parameters from other effect instances

1.	In the property page of an effect that’s patched into a surround bus, click the Link Automation controls button so it is disabled.

2.

Make some adjustments to the automatable parameters you want to unlink (non-automatable parameters are not linked together). You can select parameters on any tab. SONAR will automatically capture which controls you change and unlink them from the corresponding controls for the other surround channels.

3.	When you’re finished adjusting parameters, click the Link Automation controls button so it is enabled.

Now you can adjust the parameters you adjusted, without automatically adjusting the same parameters that are on other tabs of the effect’s property page. As long as the Link Automation controls button is enabled, all other controls will remain linked.

A list of the parameters that you unlinked appears in the Unlinked Controls field on the SurroundBridge tab, with the instance number listed in the Plug-in # column of the Unlinked Controls field.

If you unlinked some but not all of an instance’s parameters, the instance’s check box in the Controls Linked to Group column appears gray, with a check.

To view a list of the automatable parameters in a particular effect, uncheck one of the Controls Linked to Group check boxes on the SurroundBridge tab, and read the list in the Unlinked Controls field.

To relink individual effect parameters to other effect instances

1.	In the Unlinked Controls field on the SurroundBridge tab, select the parameters you want to relink—if the parameters you want to select are adjacent, you can SHIFT-click the first and last ones in the group. If they’re not adjacent, you can CTRL-click them individually.

2.	Click the Relink Controls button.

The parameters you relinked are removed from the list.

To unlink all of an instance’s parameters from other instances

1.	In the property page of an effect that’s patched into a surround bus, click the SurroundBridge tab.

2.	Find the instance you want to unlink in the Plug-in # column, and uncheck its Controls Linked to Group check box.

The parameters you unlinked appear in the Unlinked Controls field, with the instance number listed in the Plug-in # column of the Unlinked Controls field.

Note: To relink all of an instance’s parameters, recheck its Controls Linked to Group check box.

To disable an instance

On the SurroundBridge tab of the effect’s property page, clear the Enable check box of the plug-in you want to disable. The instance’s tab becomes grayed-out when you do this. You can re-enable the instance by rechecking the check box.

The Enable check box is a separate bypass system from the Bypass button that is on the instance’s individual property tab. Disabling an instance by using the Enable check box lightens the CPU load by taking the instance out of the processing path. The Bypass button on the instance’s property tab does not change color when you click the Enable check box, because it is a separate system. The Bypass button is automatable in some plug-ins.

To save a preset

1.	Set the effect’s parameters the way you want them.

2.	In the Presets field of the effect’s property page, type a name for the preset, and click the floppy disk icon that’s just right of the Presets field.

Saving a preset of an effect that’s patched into a surround bus creates a surround preset, which includes channel assignments and parameter linkage settings.