Hi,
thanks for your input. I'm not sure if there might be a misunderstanding.
You state that my basic assumptions are invalid (and hence my follow-up questions), but I don't quite agree. At least I don't see why they should be wrong (see direct comments below).
I'll try to clarify my point with a more concrete example:
Let's assume I have created a VEP instance called "Basic Strings". It includes some string instruments, basic articulation matrices and standard level balancing in the VEP mixer. I now want to build a (very simple) template for string music, thus I create a VEP Server project "String Template" which will host only my "Basic Strings" VEP instance. It is the starting point of all my string music projects and at the beginning of a string music day, I load this server project and connect my DAW to it (with whatever project using this template). And of course, I can change DAW projects and reconnect as long as my template is "preserved".
BUT: What if my DAW projects demand different mixes? That is, DAW project #1 demands +6dB on 1st and 2nd violin of my "Basic Strings" VEP instance inside "String template". And DAW project #2 wants -20dB on the Violas plus a high cut at 3 kHz? How to save those changes? More importantly, how do I now switch between project #1 and #2 without reloading all samples (only the faders/processing plugins have changed). Because, understandably, if I saved two versions of the server project (one for #1, one for #2), I need to reload the correct one for the current song and then connect.
I hope my OP is clearer now - the three questions remain.
Kind regards :)
Lukas
+++
Originally Posted by: civilization 3 
"Now, if I want to mix my song #1 inside VEP7 (and not my DAW) and save that mix, I need to (a) save the VEP7 data into my DAW project (by "coupling" at least on the last save) or (b) save the VEP7 server project itself."
No. That is definitely not reason to couple the two, it's simply a matter of saving the VEP server project and saving the DAW project. It is not any standalone, it's just preserved (and decoupled) in order to not have it unload while you switch DAW projects, or to just close the one or quit.
To my way of thinking there is no upside to coupling the two, a project will soon enough become unwieldy to save along with a DAW project, long, long save times, and this situation can become unstable.
It seems to me you are contradicting what is given in the VEP7 manual (VEP7 - preserve/decouple) in the red "caution" box at the end of the "decouple" section. (Lets take aside the performance implications of coupling at this point.) What is the reason for coupling, if not to save all VEP data inside the DAW project, to your mind?
"It is not any standalone, it's just preserved [...]" I don't understand what do you mean by that.
Originally Posted by: civilization 3 "#2 (which we assume to use the exact same set of instruments/VEP instances, i.e. the same VEP7 server project, basically), I need to either load the plugin data from the song #2 DAW project (if I followed route (a) when saving) or load the respective VEP7 project"
All you need to do is launch the DAW project while VEP sits there. I can't tell what 'plugin data from the song #2 DAW project' refers to but it's not relevant. It's a very simple matter, the two [VEP vs DAW] are separate projects which may be connected. So, "Assuming that what I stated so far is really correct," - it isn't, so the questions after that point are moot.
"I can't tell what 'plugin data from the song #2 DAW project' refers to but it's not relevant." If I open a DAW project which contains VEP data (because they were coupled at the time of saving), VEP7 server allows to load this stored data - which is what I meant to refer to.