help needed with automation

[psykotik]

Hello

I've got a virus ti desktop and am having trouble with automation. I'm using cubase sx3. I instinctively want to add the automation to the midi channel but when i do this there are only the standard items there. I've looked at the cubase vid on the access site and now realise that you have to use the vst automation lanes as you can only have one instance of the control running. This I can do but I dont really understand this or how this will work if I say want to add automation effects to all 16 channels? Do I have to do this sort of manually and then bounce it down to audio or can i assign different and multiple automation effects to all of the parts????

I feel very confused and am hoping someone can make sense of my rambling and point me in right direction