QuickScore Elite Tutorials

Audio Mixer Tutorial

Getting Started  How To  Manual  MIDI and Audio

The Audio Mixer lets you control how audio from audio files, VST instruments, ReWire sources and audio inputs is processed. For this tutorial we will use one VST instrument and one effect.

Using VST Instruments

VST instruments are also known as VSTi plugins. Before using any VSTi plugin, it must first be installed on your computer and the plugin itself must be copied to the plugins directory that QuickScore Elite is using, which is either the system VST plugins directory, or the QuickScore Elite VST plugins directory. The QuckScore Elite VST plugins directory is named VST Plugins, and is in the directory where you've installed QuckScore Elite. You choose which plugins directory QuickScore will use from the Audio Setup dialog, available from the Options menu.

For this example we will use the Native Instruments FM7 VSTi as a VSTi plugin in QuickScore Elite, but any other VSTi plugin can be used in the same manner. It is assumed you have installed the FM7 VSTi and that the plugin itself, FM7.dll has been copied to the plugins directory that QuickScore Elite is using.

Start QuickScore Elite and click the VSTi button in the Audio Mixer, or choose Synths & MIDI Effects from the Options menu. From the list of available instruments, choose FM7 by double-clicking on it or by clicking on it and then clicking on the left arrow button. The FM7 entry will appear in the active list, and in the Audio Mixer a gray strip named FM7 will appear.

Select the output and channel or channels on which you want your VST instrument to play. Now any tracks with the same output and channel set in the Track Sheet will play with the FM7 software synthesizer.

You can open the instrument plugin by clicking on the Edit button in the dialog or the EDIT button in the FM7 strip in the Audio Mixer.

Close the Synths & MIDI Effects dialog.

Using VST Effects

For this example we will use the reverb effect Ambience as a VST effect plugin in QuickScore Elite, but any other VST effect plugin can be used in the same manner. It is assumed you have installed the Ambience VST effect and that the plugin itself, Ambience.dll has been copied to the plugins directory that QuickScore Elite is using.

In any active strip, such as, the FM7 VSTi strip, the Ambience plugin will be available to be used as an insert effect or a send effect. To use Ambience as an insert effect, click on the box below the INSERTS text and choose Ambience from the drop-down list box. To use Ambience as a send effect, click on the box below the SENDS text and choose Ambience from the drop-down list box.

For this tutorial, choose Ambience as an insert effect in the FM7 VSTi strip.

Click on EDIT to edit the effect if you like.

Exporting Audio

Now open a QuickScore file to play using your VSTi instrument and effect.

In the Track Sheet, make sure your VST instrument is selected as the output for each track.
Click on Export in the master strip to activate exporting audio. When Export is active, any audio sent through the master strip of the Audio Mixer when playing or recording will be saved to a Wave file or an MP3 file. The Save Audio dialog appears.

Choose Save All to save all the audio or choose Save between times to only save audio that occurs between a start and end time that you specify. Click on the Browse button to choose a Wave or Mp3 file to which your audio will be saved. The number of channels in the file saved will be the same as the number of channels of audio passing through the master strip.

Specify the resolution (or sample size) and sample rate for the saved audio file.

Click OK. Now play your song from the beginning. When you are finished, an audio file with the name you specified will be created for your song.