[Ardour-Users] input monitoring

[David Adler]

I'd like to use Ardour in the following way:

A sequencer is driving some (let's say eight)
softsynths/samplers.

At first, during "composition", Ardour would
just be used as an eight channel mixer, with
some effect sends per channel.

Whenever DSP load approaches the limit due
to the number of softsynths/samplers, I'd like
to record some of them to tracks in Ardour.
Thus finally, when composition is done, I'd have
eight recorded tracks that I can mix down to
stereo.

I've found two ways of doing this:

(1)
* create eight tracks in Ardour
* connect the synths to their inputs
Then, to make the tracks play through when
transport is rolling:
* set Options -> Monitoring -> Ardour does monitoring
* turn 'Auto Input' off (not green)
* record-enable all tracks

Downsides:
* when recording one synth to a track, I must
  first un-enable the record buttons of all
  others.
* when recording this way, all other synth
  tracks are silent (which is tolerable when
  recording a synth driven by a sequencer,
  but this makes it impossible to play-through
  and record an analogue instrument along with
  the synths.

(2)
* create eight buses and eight tracks in Ardour
* connect each synth to a bus and to a track

Downsides:
* complicated
* more CPU-usage, due to the extra routing
* fader settings of the corresponding
  buses' and tracks' effect sends must always
  be the same.


Anyone a better idea? Preferably without any of
the downsides. Best would be (1) without the need
to rec-enable all tracks.

The question isn't exactly new [1][2][3], but none of
those answers really helped me.
This somewhat lengthly mail is just my attempt to
provide some workflow context rather than repeating
the same question.

[1] http://linuxaudio.org/mailarchive/lau/2011/1/29/178208
[2] http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.comp.audio.ardour.user/10389
[3] http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.audio.jackit/25095


best,
david