The number of layers Unify can support is limited in three ways:

1. There is always exactly one Master Effects layer (hard limit)
2. There can be no more than four AUX Effects layers (hard limit)
3. There can be no more than twenty-four layers in total (soft limit—see below)
4. Your computer's CPU capacity

If you want more than 24 layers, the simplest way is to create a combination patch by putting some of the layers onto an “embedded” Unify instance on a single INST layer. Every Unify instance has the same 24-layer limit, so by using more instances, you can have more layers.

The actual maximum number of layers per patch (#3 above) can be adjusted by editing the Unify.settings file.

• On a Mac, this is found in Users/<your user name>/Library/Application Support/PlugInGuru
• On a PC, it is in C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Roaming\PlugInGuru

The file can be opened with a text editor (NOT a word-processor or rich-text editor). Locate the line

<VALUE name="threadPoolSize" val="24"/>

and change the quoted number following val= to some higher number.

The default maximum of 24 layers per patch is a reasonable number for the kind of CPUs most users can be expected to have. If you have a very powerful computer, and you feel like pushing its limits, you can edit the Unify.settings file to increase the maximum to something like 50 or even more. Be aware, though, that any patches you create with a great many layers may not be suitable for sharing with other Unify users.

Creating exotic combination sounds with layer upon layer can be fun, but the most musically-useful sounds are generally fairly simple. Beyond a certain point, you are just over-taxing your computer and creating a “muddy mix” unlikely to please listeners.