diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/route.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/route.h
index 89a0cac214..bdda941a97 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/route.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/route.h
@@ -397,6 +397,15 @@ class Route : public SessionObject, public Automatable, public RouteGroupMember,
 	boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> gain_control() const;
 	boost::shared_ptr<Pannable> pannable() const;
 
+	/**
+	   Return the first processor that accepts has at least one MIDI input
+	   and at least one audio output. In the vast majority of cases, this
+	   will be "the instrument". This does not preclude other MIDI->audio
+	   processors later in the processing chain, but that would be a
+	   special case not covered by this utility function.
+	*/
+	boost::shared_ptr<Processor> the_instrument() const;
+
 	void automation_snapshot (framepos_t now, bool force=false);
 	void protect_automation ();
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/route.cc b/libs/ardour/route.cc
index 6e36a133e9..3f68e266eb 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/route.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/route.cc
@@ -4054,3 +4054,15 @@ Route::has_external_redirects () const
 	return false;
 }
 
+boost::shared_ptr<Processor>
+Route::the_instrument () const
+{
+	Glib::RWLock::WriterLock lm (_processor_lock);
+	for (ProcessorList::const_iterator i = _processors.begin(); i != _processors.end(); ++i) {
+		if ((*i)->input_streams().n_midi() > 0 &&
+		    (*i)->output_streams().n_audio() > 0) {
+			return (*i);
+		}
+	}
+	return boost::shared_ptr<Processor>();
+}