Device Panel: Individual vs. Identical Channel ?'s

Cubase
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I’m trying to make a device panel for a “RADIAS” but I don’t know what the difference is between an Individual and Identical Channel.

Manual says: Identical channels share channel settings and parameters, whereas Individual channels are “exclu- sive”. An example for this are GM/XG devices – in these devices, the channels are all identical, except channel 10, which is always the drum channel.

I’m thinking I should set up MIDI Channel 1 as an Individual Channel as that is the Global Channel on my synth but I don’t know what the difference is at all. Couldn’t find anything via the search function here on the Forums.

Googled it and found a site trying to explain the difference: Cubase SX Device Panels TIPS - C.Y.KONG.com
-when you click Create New Device, this is THE ONLY PLACE where you can set these parameters. Once set, there’s no going back to change them.
-Usually one would want to create a Device Panel that could work on any midi channel, so when sharing with other people, or when you change your setup, the panel would still work on any user selected midi channel.
-By doing this, any parameters you define in any Channel node, will automatically be created across all 16 channel nodes.
-Individual Channels I’ve never really used.
But I guess it’s useful for some synths where there is a dedicated channel for specific parameters (eg the Roland JP8000). If I understand correctly, When channels are checked here, parameters in those channels are fixed to that channel.

but then he says:

-I started to understand more about Individual Channels.
If you have a Multi-Timbral device, you’re probably better checking ALL the Individual Channels rather than al Identical.
Checking ALL 16 Individual Channels, the Midi Device Manager will still create identical Parameters across 16 channels, but the Channel node are independent of each other.
-This is also needed, if your instrument can have different Patch Bank for different midi channels. (Otherwise the Bank Assignment would not work as expected).

I’m thinking I’m going to go all Individual Channels…

NOTE: by default every individual channel is selected as well as MIDI channel 1 in the identical category once pulling up “The Create New Midi Device dialog” by clicking “Define New…” from the Install Device Menu (after clicking the MIDI Device Manager from the Devices menu). HOWEVER if you unselect MIDI Channel 1 in either category the option becomes MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE as in you cannot re highlight MIDI Channel 1 for both the Individual and Identical categories. You would have to cancel and reopen the dialog for MIDI Channel 1 to be highlighted in both categories again.

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(Btw, Cy is the most knowledgeable person I know of as regards Device Panels… although we haven’t seen him here in the forums for ages! He certainly helped me in building/correcting a couple of panels :wink: )
I agree that setting individual channels is normally the best route (especially if you want to edit something later).
As regards the Default Panel that is created, I think that is just a little bug… you can eventually, in fact, get the buttons exactly the way you want, by clicking on all the buttons (and alternating them with their individual/identical counterparts).
The other bad news, is that it is very difficult to correct a mistake while programming a panel… even though “Undo” is supposed to work, it is really buggy. I found that, whenever I made a mistake, it was better to start from scratch again.
Steinberg haven’t worked on the Device Panels for ages (in their defense, I’d say that is because there are less and less new hardware devices, and there were so few users actually building their own devices anyways… and it really is almost a dedicated program in itself… would require an enormous amount of time to rework)

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So I did manage to successfully build a working device panel. However, because you can’t dump sysex data into the device, it turns out to be useless for what i was trying to accomplish.

Is there a way to make a CC automation folder where you can rename all the CC numbers? Sort of like how the general CC for filter cutoff is already named ‘Brightness’, I’d like to rename all the numbers to their assigned parameters for my synth.

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You can’t rename CCs - we’ve asked and no reply!

But, I use the midi TrackControl plugin. It’s a little like writing a Device but it involves a text script file and it simply gives you a few sliders and buttons. I’ve written some scripts to automate CCs and sysex in the past and it’s pretty easy. You can’t automate more than one value, e.g. MSB+LSB pitchbend tho.

Mike.

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Thanks for the tip GargoylStudio.

I’m going to copy and paste a response I left on Korgforums.com so Steinberg can see the frustrations I ran into while learning all about MIDI devices, should they ever decide to update MIDI Devices.

"I think… I’m going to give up on this project. MIDI Device programming severely lacks in the preset department. The best I could do is give you an initialized preset and the ability to store your own presets. Otherwise I would have to literally reprogram every damn preset by hand much like copy R3 parameters into the RADIAS Editor or something.

I could write a preset list that’ll send a bank and program change message to the RADIAS with a correct label, but the device wont mimic the preset that is called up. You would still need to reprogram all the parameters and then save the preset as a “snapshot”.

I found out that automating from the device itself works, however, that automation data does not show up in a lane for precision editing. Thus, automating from the RADIAS unit is more practical for editing purposes.

It was my idea that this endeavor would make the CC list names appear as their assigned values for the MIDI Device. That turns out to not be true so I’m stuck having to memorize the CC numbers and their corresponding RADIAS parameters anyway.

In conclusion, any real practical usage in the preset department would take much too much work with having to painstakingly copy parameters. Named preset aren’t a big deal if I just make a note of the bank and program change numbers in the inspector. Automation via the panel is essentially just a nice visual without precision editing via a lane. Mac users can simply use the Korg RADIAS Editor/Librarian software in tandem with their DAW which will not communicate with Cubase, but is much more capable than any MIDI Device could be.

If only Korg had made their RADIAS software plug-in capable like the M3, that would have been fantastic."

Most companies make editor/librarian software for their synths that work as plug-ins. Two examples for instance are the Novation Ultranova, and of course the Access Virus. Because of this, I’d propose that Steinberg scraps the whole Devices thing altogether. Who are they catering to with this software?

First the broken synths mystic and spector, the 64bit-uncompatible monologue and embracer, and now less-than useful device panels. Cubase 6 needs some serious updates, or just needs to ditch its old technology and stick with current gen instruments like HalionSonic SE.

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I know your pain! I started to program a device panel when they first added the feature, but it turned out not to work terribly well, or be terribly easy. I gave up pretty quickly.

There are a few third party companies who write VSTi wrappers for synths. Perhaps if you contacted one they might oblige? Also, have you lookd on http://www.KVRaudio.com?

The old VST5 version of Cubase used to have a proper Midi Patch editor, it was great, I had all my synth patches stored and ready to go (for over 10 synths), I could load/save/swap banks/etc. The new PatchScript idea isn’t a ‘patch’ on the old one.

Mike.

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Some good news for Radias owners. Jani from Mystery Islands has announced an editor to be released later this year. :raised_hands:

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While my editor from… seven years ago (geeze) does work, it isn’t a full SysEx editor. It IS possible to develop such an editor with Cubase but let’s see if this Jani went the distance.