MU.LAB Docs Questions & Answers   

Q: How can I import an audio file?

A: You can import audio by using Audio File Parts.

Just draw a new part in the Composer using the pencil tool, then choose "Audio File", then browse for the file you want to play.

Then eventually double-click that new part and trim the start point in the Audio Lab.

Alternatively, you could also simply drag & drop the audio file onto the composer.


Q: What's the difference between a single-timbral VSTI and a multi-timbral VSTI?

A:A single-timbral VSTI can only play one sound at a time, a multi-timbral VSTI can play up to 16 different sounds at a time.

Not all VSTIs are multitimbral, for example NI Pro53 is single-timbral, but e.g. NI Kontakt is multi-timbral.

If a synth is single-timbral, you can bypass that limit by plugging in the same synth multiple times


Q: How can I sequence my hardware synths via MIDI?

A: MU.LAB differentiates between a MIDI Port (MIDI Setup) and a MIDI Output (Modular Area).

In order to use MIDI Output there are 2 things to check:

  • Check Edit menu -> MIDI Setup -> Choose at least 1 MIDI output port
  • In the Modular Area, double-click the MIDI Output box (create one if not yet there) and choose one of the MIDI ports that you have activated in the previous step

Now you can use that MIDI Output as a target for any sequence part.

The sequence part can also target a rack, and the rack can target the MIDI output. This way you can insert MIDI modules in the rack that will process the events before they're sent to the MIDI output!

Note that, by default, when you do "New Session" MU.LAB automatically creates a MIDI Output for each activated MIDI output port.

Note that you can choose the MIDI channel via the sequence part's or track's context menu if you're using a single target module for the full track. For more info click here.


Q: How can I use a MIDI controller to control VST parameters?

A:

  • Open the VST plug-in editor
  • Give a little tweak to the parameter you want to control
  • Open the plug-in context menu
  • Choose "Map MIDI Controller". You'll see that the last tweaked parameter is already selected; but you can also choose another one if you want.
  • Now turn your MIDI controller. MU.LAB will listen to the incoming MIDI and copy that controller into the open dialog

Note that MU.LAB offers 2 MIDI controller mapping modes: "Global Span" or "Plug-In Span".

When you map a MIDI controller with "Global Span", then the mapping is always active. When you map a MIDI controller with "Plug-In Span", then the mapping is only active when the respective plug-in is focussed.


Q: How can I bounce down MIDI instruments to audio tracks?

A: If you want to get the sound of your MIDI instrument into MU.LAB, you have to record the audio output of your MIDI instrument.

If you want to turn a sequenced VSTI into audio, then select the relevant parts and choose File menu -> Mixdown Audio.


Q: I did a mixdown with "create new part" checked. The audio File appears in the Composer and plays fine but I can't see any meter going up and down in a rack. Why?

A:

By default, the new part which results from a mixdown is routed straight to the main "Audio Output".

This is because a mixdown is expected to contain everything and so MU.LAB by default assumes it's best to stream it 'dry' to the audio output.

So that's why you didn't see any level meters moving because the mixdowned part didn't go via a rack.

Of course you can easily change the target module for the mixdowned part e.g. to a rack, and so it's easy to further process the mixdown if you want.


Q: I did "Put Into Rack" for the Audio Output and now I don't here anything anymore. Why?

A:

The "Audio Output" is MU.LAB's final audio output object that sends the audio to your audio device.

Putting the Audio Output in a rack won't work because the audio output does not have any outputs (as you can see in the Modular Area) because it only sends the audio to the audio device driver, and so it blocks the audio in the rack because it has no outputs.


Q: Can I make a skin for MU.LAB? Where do I find info about this?

A: You find it here: MUTOOLS Skin SDK.

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