100 Things #65 Save Time With Virtual Instruments Configurations

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Since 1997, SoundCheck has had virtual instruments to replace large, heavy hardware instruments. Incorporating these instruments in a software environment means you can utilize all of the benefits of precise digital instruments, with the flexibility of software. For example, limitless combinations of virtual instruments can be opened at one time, then can be saved as a virtual instrument configuration. This options allows for easily re-opening you instruments, and SoundCheck can automate this process and enable instruments to open automatically at startup.

Save Time With Virtual Instrument Configurations

Try virtual instruments

SoundCheck comes with a full library of ready-to-run sequences including a Virtual Instruments sequence. This sequence demonstrates all of the powerful virtual instruments SoundCheck has to offer, and shows how these instruments can be used within a sequence. To learn more about virtual instruments in SoundCheck, check out our page on SoundCheck features and functionality.

Video Script:

Virtual Instruments have been part of SoundCheck since 1997. They replicate the functionality of bench top hardware, for example, signal generators, multimeters, oscilloscopes, etc.  within the SoundCheck software. These are great when you need to make an instant measurement, and they’re even better than real hardware as you can  also integrate the results with your test sequences. 

But did you know that you can simplify your workflow with a startup virtual instrument configuration in SoundCheck? This means that every time you open up your measurement software, your tool bench is configured exactly how you like to use it. All you need to do is create your desired setup and save it. Let me show you how easy it is. Here, I’m just going to keep it simple with just a signal generator and a multimeter. I’ll set the signal generator to a default 1kHz tone, as I use that a lot. And I’ll set the multimeter to read my reference microphone.

Now I just  save this as a .vic file which is a Virtual Instrument configuration file and give it a name – I  can do this from any of the virtual instruments that I have open.

Now it’s saved, I can set SoundCheck to “Automatically Load VI Config” in the Launch tab of the preferences menu and set it to the file I just created.  Now each time we launch SoundCheck it will load our VI configuration at startup. I just showed you a basic setup, but you can truly customize it for your needs, for example with multiple signal generators pre-set to frequencies that you use a lot, or with multiple distortion meters, each measuring a different distortion type.

You can even save multiple startup configurations with different names – this is great if you have to share your SoundCheck system with colleagues, or have different virtual instrument needs depending on what you are working on.