Can a VST Instrument produce more than one sound at a time?
Most VST Instruments are multitimbral, so you could create entire songs using them, although you would probably need a very powerful computer processor to do so. Some, like Steinberg’s Model E respond to multiple MIDI channels simultaneously, so you only need to launch one instrument and then allocate different sounds to each channel. Often this type also provide four or more outputs, so you can get a basic stereo mix on the main pair, and then send sounds that need individual EQ or effect treatment to one of the others. Other VST Instruments, such as Native Instruments’ Pro 5, are mono-timbral, but you can still run multiple sounds by launching a separate instance for each additional MIDI channel you want to run. Although this approach may take slightly more processing power overall, it does have the advantage of giving every sound its own stereo mixer channel for EQ and effects.
