Channel strip remote ropewalking

I’m trying to set up a generic remote with the channel strip.

So far I’ve set it up so that each plugin will receive on it’s own midi channel. Like this:

Gate=ch2
Comp=ch3
Eq=ch4
DeS=ch5
Mag2=ch6
Brick=ch7

Works ok. Next, I created banks for 2nd and 3rd option plugins that can be loaded into the strip.

So:

Bank1 ch3= comp, bank2 ch3=tube comp, bank3 ch3=vintage comp

Likewise with the others. All is working well, except when I change the order of the plugins. Then, upon changing the order, I retain control of the plugin I moved last, but everything else falls apart.

All this happens because when setting up the remote, the editor is strip position aware, not plugin aware, so when they move around… poof. How can I work around this? Could I edit the xml in any meaningful way to achieve proper function?

Hi,

You are totally right. The parameters refer to the specific slot, not to the specific plug-in. Unfortunately there is no workaround.

Ah what a pity! Thanks for the quick response!

Double posting to write that after giving it some thought, I found a workaround that allows me to control any channel strip plug-in, in any slot.

What is the workaround you found?

I’ll need a keyboard for this.

Here goes:

  1. I created 1 generic remote per Channels Strip Slot. That is: 1 generic controller for Gate, 1 for Compressors, 1 for EQ, 1 for Tools, 1 for Saturation, 1 for Limiters. Let’s take Gate’s case as a working example, which is just 1 possible plugin per slot, and so, easier.

  2. We can gut all inputs in the remote controller and start blank. Just use 10-20 inputs, just as few as needed to control the plug.

Important

Each Generic Controller/Plugin type will receive midi on its own channel. So, I started with Gate’s inputs being controllers ~70-100 on channel 2.

End

-Inside the Gate Generic Remote, create 6 banks. Name them Gate Slot 1, Gate Slot 2… up to 6.
-Now, in Bank 1 (Gate Slot 1), assign the parameters you wish to the gate.
-Don’t forget to assign bank changes.

  1. Now the fun part. We have set up our plugin to work only in slot 1. We need it to work in other slots too.

So, instead of \slot1:Parameter(x), we need to point it to the other slots too. This is what the banks will do. So, in “Gate Slot 1” everything points to selected/slot1:parameter, then in “Gate Slot 2” THE SAME ASSIGNMENTS will point to slot2:parameter, etc.

Personally, i used notepad++, copy/pasted the first bank over and search and replaced slot1 with slot2 etc.

4)We do the same for the other plugins, increasing midi channels. If Gate listens on 2, Comps will listen on 3, EQ on 4, Tools on 5, Sat on 6, Limiters on 7.

When we can have more than one option, like in Compressors for example, we have to decide if we will make 1 assignment for all plugs, or 1 assignment per plug.

In the first case, some control options may be missing. (punch/ratio in vintage compressor etc.)
In the second case, we have much better control, but we need to have 3 times as many control inputs.

Rephrased: You can either use 12 input parameters for a compressor, and live with the fact that you can’t use a button of the other 2 compressors, OR you can use 36 input parameters, (most of those will be duplicates anyway) and have full control over each plug.

To conclude, I just need to see in which slot the plugin I want to control is at, and I press the appropriate bank button before controlling it. For example I see the compressor is in slot 6, I press bank 6 (Compressor slot 6), then control away. I want to control the Gate at slot 3, I press bank 3 and control away.

It all sounds more complicated than it was. :frowning:

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Thank you :slight_smile:

Wow! That’s so interesting, that trick didn’t occur to me! thanks!

Also that’s pull me a question:
If I use something like, lemur, metagrid & etc.
Can we get feedback from cubase to our Midi to recognize which compressor loaded ?

I’m currently using TouchOSC to test this out, using my android phone.

I don’t know if we could know which plug is loaded exactly. I’m sure others that have spent much more time than me on the subject will surely know more.

The way I have it set up at the moment is that I have one page for compressors in TouchOSC. It’s like a rack that has Compressor, Tube Compressor, and Vintage Compressor loaded in the same page. So when I move one, the other one moves too (due to duplicate bindings). Everything works ok, it’s just I have to figure out how to make it more presentable.

If I can, I’ll post the TouchOSC layout and the remote.xmls by the end of the week. Surely someone could improve upon them.

@ggmanestraki big thanks! can’t wait to test it out!

For the impatient and knowing, grab and go!
Osc Remote.zip (21 KB)
For those that require some instructions:
-In the zip file you will find a touchosc layout, and 7 generic remote xmls.
osc map.xml is a remote for controlling 16 faders and master, in 2 banks of 8. It can also control sends per selected channel, and sends mix per send.
osc *.xml are remotes for the corresponding tool. osc comp.xml controls compressors, osc gate.xml the gate, etc.

HOW TO IMPORT:

After you’ve unzipped the file, in Cubase create 7 generic remotes. Then import the remote xmls in each remote, one by one. Activate midi ins and outs.

ATTENTION

My input mappings were chosen at random. If you wish to test the remotes with your own controller, you’ll have to teach the controllers yourself by using the learn button. With touchosc, I hope no modifications are needed.

AT EASE

GENERAL REMARKS

-In Page 1, there is a mixer, a sends mixer, and a fader channel selector. (I wish I could control focus in that way! But I don’t know how.)
-In Pages 2,3,4,5,6,7 there is the channel strip version of the tools gate, comp, eq, tool, sat, limit. The controllers assigned in touchOSC are assigned as found in the strip. HOWEVER. I saw that the strip plugins responded to extra parameters sometimes. Those I’ve included in the “Full” pages of the plugins.
-NO PICKUP MODE. The controllers DO get the values from cubase, so nothing to worry about here, but I’m just stating it. Go easy with the finger.
-NO DISPLAY. I don’t know how to make cubase’s parameters display in touchosc, so tweaking is blind.

  • The little “e” buttons in compressors don’t work. This is because I don’t know how to make touchosc talk to itself.
  • The “Full” plugin pages should be hidden, and navigated to and from with the little “e” button and “Back” respectively. I don’t know how to do that either.

TL,DR: TouchOSC layout and remote xmls for remoting the channel strip in Cubase. Don’t care about TouchOSC? Get the xmls as a basis for your own remote!

1 Like

Thank you so much for that hard work! I stumbled upon this and without much hope decided to try it with my kore 2 controller.

You have really given steinberg a big favor with this, that is something they should do themselves!

I will prob record a tutorial how I set it up before I forget…