Better implementation of multi-timbral instruments.

Cubase
,
1

I was using Logic at a friend’s place today, and the way it handles multi-timbral instruments makes Cubase feel old and lacking.There should be a single track with both MIDI and audio for every channel of a multitimbral instrument, not just the main one. That way we can also move the main plug-in automation with events on different multi-timbral channels, and can freely assign all of the different instrument’s outputs audio-wise, which right now you can only do on the main multi-timbral instrument channel. In Cubase MIDI is a completely separate thing from the instrument itself with a multi-timbral instrument, aside from the main first channel. In Logic (and many other DAWs) you don’t have a separate channel for each MIDI part and each audio part – they are together as one, and you can freely assign any audio output or MIDI channel as you wish.

It’s simple, pro, fast, elegant, and far more efficient than the way Cubase handles it now, and I hope to see an improvement in that in an upcoming update. Most other DAWs have it this way for a very great reason, and so should Cubase. Having a separate MIDI channel and also needing a separate corresponding audio output of the instrument makes for way more navigating and clicking about than is necessary.

2

Sounds like you got this straightened out here, yes?

3

I figured out how to do something that was related to this, yes.

But this is addressing the overall way that Cubase handles multi-timbral instruments. It’s night and day in other DAWs like Logic, especially when you’ve got huge projects and templates as I mentioned in that post. I’ve been setting up a huge orchestral template and the fact that you need to have separate MIDI channels for every part in a multi-timbral instrument, in addition to separate audio output tracks, is something that I strongly feel Cubase should join most (all?) other DAWs in as far the workflow greatness of having it be one track that has both MIDI and audio. That’s exactly how it is for the first part only of a multi-timbral Rack instrument in Cubase right now, but not for any other parts of a multi-timbral instrument. It would save largely noticeable amounts of time and effort, and is in most other DAWs that way for a very good reason.

I strongly feel that Steinberg would create a a lot happiness from its users if it implemented this - it greatly simplifies and speeds up workflow, and is just as deep as it currently is as far as overall functionality.