Automate read/mute on/off 4 individual controllers lanes?

Cubase
#1

I am trying to set up a poor man’s analog style sequencer using a controller/ pots.

Is it possible to automate read on/off of different external midi controller lanes on one midi channel(diff cc’s)… Or is it possible to automate ‘mute incoming signal’ of specific midi controller automation lanes?

Idea for the sequencer thing would be have say 32 different pots that would all ‘read’ only for 1/16th note of (a 2 bar) sequence each. I could then create a template setup where pots could ‘step control’ for volume, gate, pitch…I would just set up straight 16th notes all in root key for base.

#2

Simplest (yet a bit ugly) solution is to have as many instances of the VSTi as you have notes in the same number of instrument/midi tracks.
Split the pots in your controller to 8/16 channels and each instrument track would get one channel as input.

For a different way, you could set up the channels and then set the generic remote to perform the split.
With the generic remote you could also make banks so you could have any number of parameters modifiable. Like “bank A” would be “volume and pitch”, “bank B” would be “gate and filter” etc.

You won’t want to have the automation stop writing, because that means you could only modify things when the note is playing.

As a different approach, you could use one of the VSTis with a built in step sequencer.

#3

Thanks for the suggestion on possible routing. On the vsti step sequencer side… although I haven’t explored too many of them I am unsure if there is one that would allow for different cc mapping for each step. I wonder if there is a midi tool vst that would let you automate midi input/thruput… It seems I could accomplish what I am after with simple automated muting of incoming midi events and a vsti or out to hardware that could accept multiple cc#s mapped to same parameter.

#4

Here’s another idea. You’ll still need many tracks but you could try this.
Place a MIDI Transformer insert on each track, with Location set to “outside of a beat range” and the transformation set to delete. Then route it to your VSTi.

Actually, if you have a couple of these, you could make one for each note area, and each deleting values of Midi channels other than the one you want, leaving only the one you want.

Only problem: There’s place for only 4 midi inserts on each track.
You could still use just 4 tracks instead of 16, which is better, and only have one VSTi.

#5

If there’s a way to automate which channel the VSTi listens to, that would be enough, without the need for transformers. Maybe there’s a MIDI filter that you can automate and use that instead, somehow I doubt it, but I’ll look into it when I get home.

#6

Yea that seems like something to look into…

There appear to be some good sequencer vst’s after looking into it… haven’t figured out yet if any allow ‘per step’ midi assign. I hadn’t thought about trying to automate a vst’s midi channel… that might work

#7

Usually they have assignments for everything.
Also, most of them have demo versions to see if they work out for you.

There’s the “Context Gate” midi insert, it can filter according to channel. Unfortunately, I don’t see how to automate its value. It seems like Midi inserts don’t like being automated other than on/off.

#8

I did some demos on a few vsts… ended up buying Kirnu Cream.

Pretty good vst for $50 – has midi control assign for individual steps for many parameters as well as scale note select for transpose, etc.

The defined ‘accent’ velocity control range did not go to zero - so I just used a CC step setup to #7 so that I could just set up initially every step ‘on’ and then change to off just dropping velocity to zero.

Should be very flexible to set up 32 pots with banks to control each step for velocity [note off > to full range] scale defined transpose notes by pots, gate length, and whatever else I’d want.