"Combinators" of the VST world

[chaosroyale]

Does anyone have experience with VST "combinators" such as Kushview Element or Plugin Boutique Unify?

https://kushview.net/element/
https://www.pluginguru.com/products/unify-standard/

EDIT: or how about VCV rack or Cherry modular using a "VST host" module?
https://vcvrack.com/Host
https://store.cherryaudio.com/modules/plug-in-host

Anyone who actually uses any of these?

The main thing I use Reason for is building super-effects/instruments in combinators because it is such an intuitive and easy way to connect and control multiple VSTs with flexible and complicated audio paths.

Basically I want to make a combinator with various VSTs, mixers, splitters, etc, save it, and load it into any DAW. Like the RRP should but can't.

[Billy+]

Take a look at Blue Cat Audio.

https://www.bluecataudio.com/Main/Home/

https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/P ... PatchWork/

https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/P ... ugNScript/

[DaveyG]

Which DAW do you use?
Many of them have an equivalent to the combinator. Examples:
Studio One has Multi-Instruments and Multi-Fx where you can "wire up" any combo of Instruments and Fx and create a control panel full of macro knobs.
FL studio has Patcher, a similar idea that gives you separate routing for midi and audio within it.

[chaosroyale]

Yes, those features are great, but I want something that I can save patches and be able to load them into any DAW as a plugin. (Like we should have been able to do with the RRP!)

Which DAW do you use?
Many of them have an equivalent to the combinator. Examples:
Studio One has Multi-Instruments and Multi-Fx where you can "wire up" any combo of Instruments and Fx and create a control panel full of macro knobs.
FL studio has Patcher, a similar idea that gives you separate routing for midi and audio within it.

[Despondo]

I use Blue Cat Audio's Patchwork mainly for effects chains, and Plugin Guru's Unify for instruments.

[zoidkirb]

I have Unify.
It's great , but missing a couple of key features personally - midi out, and individual mixer channels out.
They seem to be constantly adding free updates, so I think eventually they'll get there.

[reusenoise]

Mutools mux https://www.mutools.com/mux-product.html

[chaosroyale]

Thanks! You really came through! How come I have not heard of this plugin before? It's been available for 8 years!?

Basically, this is a Combinator, with 32 Macros, that can load VSTs, and do all kinds of parallel processing and mixing. Even has a couple of crossfader modules (very useful. I always use the Groovymelon RE in combinators).

The only down side is a slightly dodgy UI, for example you can't just pick up cables and move them around after plugging them in. And occasionally the menu windows are a little small, or don't default to sensible settings (lots of context menus instead of just point and click). But I can use this to re-make any of my combinators, to use them in other DAWs.

Apparently VCV Rack version 2 will also have all these features, with the added bonus of being able to use the amazing VCV modules too: that may be ultimate modular rack solution. For now I will keep Mux as a backup possibility.

Mutools mux https://www.mutools.com/mux-product.html