A different instrument rack for Ableton Live

As you already know for using instruments with multiple outputs you have to create one additional audio track for each of the instrument's outputs in order to bypass its own mixer, which is not very convenient

This method only works with AU instrument plugins not with VST ones and the outcome is a very nice instrument rack containing a mixer with all your inserts for every output and no additional audio tracks. For this purpose I'll use the free Kontakt 4 Player but this method can be applied to any AU instrument with multiple outputs

Open kontakt on a MIDI track and group kontakt in a rack then drag the "external instrument" device in the newly created rack. Select its "MIDI to" and "audio from" as in the 1st screencap

In the 2nd pic you can see that I've added another "external instrument" device and connected it to the kontakt's next output in list whilst choosing the same "MIDI to" which we won't actually use as you can see from the key zones

I've renamed the chains accordingly, the first chain containing kontakt will be the only one receiving MIDI and will send only its 1+2 stereo output to the rack whilst the following chains will send the coresponding kontakt's outputs to the rack, just make sure you route the outputs accordingly as well in your instrument's own mixer/preferences

Just add as many "external instrument" devices in the rack as new chains you like based on the number of your instrument's outputs, unfold the rack's mixer in the session view and add effect plugins. Now you can save the rack as presets and no clutter with additional audio tracks

Thanks again for reading :)