Breaking the 8-ID Limit: My Workflow with "Remote Direct" & "Channel Focus"

Cubase
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Title: Breaking the 8-ID Limit: My Workflow with “Remote Direct” & “Channel Focus”

Hi everyone,

After a lot of trial and error with the MIDI Remote in Cubase 13 (using an M-Audio Pro 88 & PG-200), I’ve finally found a workflow that bypasses the frustrating 8-ID limit of the standard Quick Controls (QC).

Many users get stuck with QCs and struggle with inconsistent mappings as soon as they switch between complex plugins or channel strip modules.

My Solution: The “Two-Pillar Arsenal”

I’ve moved away from standard Track Quick Controls (TQC) entirely. Instead, I use two parallel mapping pages that serve completely different purposes:

  1. Pillar 1: Remote Direct (The Fixed Console) I used the Functions Browser (Channel Strip → Pre/EQ/Strip) to hard-map my 8 encoders to the Channel Strip.

    • The Advantage: Muscle Memory! Pot 1 & 2 are ALWAYS Pre-Gain and Low-Cut for me.

    • This mapping stays “cemented” on the selected track’s channel strip. It gives me a true analog console feel while mixing on my feet, without looking at the mouse.

  2. Pillar 2: Channel Focus (The Flexible Effect-Hub) On my second mapping page, I use the Focus Mode.

    • The Advantage: As soon as I open an Insert plugin window (like Neural DSP or a specific compressor), the 8 encoders “hijack” the parameters of that specific plugin. Close the window, and they are released.

Why is this better than standard QC? Standard QCs are often too rigid (think of the 9th parameter on the De-Esser that just disappears). By using Direct Assignment in the Functions Browser, I can create an optimized hardware layout for every single strip module (Magneto, De-Esser, Limiter) on the same 8 pots.

This builds on the great discussions here about the “8-ID prison” and inconsistent mapping:

  • [Link to Thread 1]

  • [Link to Thread 2]

Combined with FX Chain Presets in the inserts, this gives me a modular “Arsenal” that stays stable, no matter how spontaneous my mixing decisions are. Hopefully, this haptic approach helps anyone else who is tired of “mouse-mixing” and looking for a more tactile workflow in the sweet spot.

Best regards, Ronald

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Nachtrag / Update: The “Empty Preset” Bug

Important Warning: My workflow only remains tactile as long as Cubase doesn’t lose the internal assignments. I’ve hit a wall where Cubase shows the Preset Names in the MIDI Remote, but the actual assignments are gone.

The “Ghost Preset” Symptom:

  • You select a mapping preset.

  • The display shows the correct names for the encoders (e.g., “Pre-Gain”, “Low-Cut”).

  • But: The mapping itself is completely empty. No parameter is actually triggered.

It seems like Cubase keeps the visual label of the preset but loses the “wiring” underneath. This is especially frustrating when multiple “ghost” controller surfaces (like scattered Korg or Generic Remote setups) are active in the background and seem to interfere with the focus of the MIDI Remote.

Tactile mixing depends on 100% reliability. If I have to re-map or “refresh” every time a preset name appears but stays dead, the “analog feel” is gone.

Has anyone else encountered these “empty shells” of presets where the names persist but the function disappears?

Best, Ronald

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Final Update: The Incompetence of the System

Addendum: To be honest, it takes me only a few minutes to reprogram these assignments every time. But that’s not the point. It absolutely sickens me that I have to waste my creative energy on basic technical troubleshooting before I can even start working properly.

I don’t want to be forced to reprogram my controllers every single day just to get a stable status quo. It feels like the entire world is teeming with “incompetent hacks” (Hoschis). Even the translation tools or the software logic itself aren’t programmed to a standard that I would call acceptable or professional.

A professional workflow shouldn’t be a daily battle against software amnesia. I’m here to create, not to be an unpaid support tech for my own gear.

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Perhaps add the ‘Issue’ and ‘Feature Request’ tags to your op

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Thx man..:wink: