Can I ask, regardless of which DAW you use, how do YOU work with a single controller, and multiple tracks (different Virtual Instruments)? Do you turn off the input (Keylab) on Track One when working on track 2, or do you know a way of each track being controlled destinctly by the same controller.
I wonder if you have you read the link i've posted.
I suggest you just try to load 2 instrument tracks in your DAW and eksperiment. Use the informations in the link i posted. Spend some time with it.
I use the method that solve a specific task for me. There are different methods.
I in example use
- midi channels
- keyboard split
- note ranges
I suggest you study things like this.
I don't turn off my controller input for a track, when i work with another track. A controller input will only produce sound, if the track is set to be heard through the input, by arming and/ or monitoring the track. You can even use the same midi channel on multiple tracks, if you don't control more than one track at a time, or wan't to send the same control messages to multiple tracks. This does'nt require you turn of the controller for any track.
But turning off the controller for a track is a method that can be used. And who knows, if you run into a task, where it's a very good solution?
A way to work with many instrument tracks, but only to control one instrument track at a time is to use different midi channels for each track. You can read about setting midi channels in Live in the link i posted.
A Keyboard that have 2 or more split channels, can be set to send on different midi channels for each split to control different tracks separately at the same time, where one part of the keyboard control one track, and another part of the keyboard control another track and so on.
You can read in your controllers manual about that. I also think you can see about this in Arturias videos. Keylab MKII can be split in 2 parts.
Many DAWs also offer other solutions.
In example things like filtering notes. When using a note/ range filter, then many tracks can be controlled by different notes determined by the note/ range filters, even if all is done on the same Midi Channel.
Different DAWs may offer other possibilities. So i just give examples.
In many cases it's about finding out, how to do what you wan't to do. Reading manuals can also give you an idea about the possibilities.
Not all use all the methods that excist, or even know about all the methods that excist.
Many things can be done in more than one way. But solutions for working with multiple tracks at the same time will likely involve midi channels and/ or note ranges - and/ or perhaps controllers - in one way or another.