Optimal Setup for recording jam sessions using Studio One, Overbridge + external effects

I think this is probably easier to explain with a video:

But here’s my attempt at a text based explanation of the issue.

So I use Elektron Overbridge to record jam sessions with my hardware kit in Studio One. It works great and gets around the issues of lack of inputs on my audio interface (and in other cases the lack of outputs on some of the elektron kit).

So it effectively works as a VST with multiple outputs.

The problem is that I don’t record the midi in Studio One, I perform and jam directly on the elektron boxes and use their pattern sequencers. So I need an audio track to record the jam session and that’s fine, I set up an audio track for each of the Overbridge VST outputs, set the input to come from the instrument outputs, and record/monitor enable those audio tracks. Meanwhile I set the output of the instrument tracks to a null output so I’m not hearing it twice. Then I can hide the instrument tracks and just see the audio tracks to which I’m recording.

The issue here is that if I solo an audio track it mutes the source instrument track. So I tried grouping each instrument track with its corresponding audio track and that works, except when I want to do a pre-fade send and lower the volume of the audio track to not hear the source but still send the audio to an outboard effect.

Anyway, I can of course just ungroup when I need to do that, but whichever way I seem to do things, there’s always something that means I can’t just control my setup using just the hardware and my Faderport16 - I always end up needing to grab the mouse and tweak something in my setup on screen mid-jam.

Anyway, I was hoping perhaps I’ve missed some other way to go about this, but if not, no worries at all. I just thought no harm asking!

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No one encountered this sort of issue using Overbridge before? Definitely intrigued to hear if anyone has other approaches they find work well.

Kick. Why can’t the instrument inputs be recorded just using a arm button. I know it sounds
silly but sending incoming audiosignals to audiotrack doubles the amount of faders and I don’t find this a neat convenient approach. Which daws are the easiest to use for jamming thru overbridge on different channels tape recording style?

Yeah, for some reason this isn’t an option. I suspect it wouldn’t be an option in most DAWs. The VST output tracks are a different type to an audio track.

I still haven’t found a perfect/elegant solution. I must have a play around with my template some more and see if I can come up with something better than I currently have.