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In Qtractor parlance, a MIDI track holds one single addressable MIDI channel (1-16), usually assigned to drive one and only instrument or voicing.

A MIDI bus is a virtual mix-down of all the assigned MIDI track streams, so that it merges all 16 MIDI channels in one MIDI data stream. This is how a MIDI bus can drive a multi-timbral sound module generator which can be a plugin, an internal or external synth or sampler, where each MIDI channel drives one distinct instrument voicing (or instrument patch, preset whatever).

Fluidsynth and Linuxsampler are examples of multi-timbral soft-synths/samplers. In opposition, Phasex are one example among many, of a mono-timbral soft-synth as each instance is addressed by one or any MIDI channel (the latter case means it functions in "omni mode" as in MIDI standard).

Most instrument plugins are mono-timbral and thus only make sense inserted on a MIDI track (1 channel). Multi-timbral instrument plugins are better used when inserted in a MIDI bus (16 channels).

HTH