It would be a nice addition to be able to select a different midi device controller for the expression maps.
I’m trying real hard to find a way to make the expression maps work with midi channel switching but unfortunately, the midi channel always reverts to ch1 when stopping playback.
If I could select a different input device for the expression maps, I could work around that with an arpegiator of step sequencer that simply drills the notes to prevent the midi channels to revert to ch1.
Any ideas and work around are welcome at this point.
The first entry in the map is considered the default patch, so try making it a blank entry. But I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve exactly, so maybe give us a bit more info.
I tried the blank default patch but it does not prevent the mid channel from reverting to CH1 when I stop playback. I’m simply trying to make my own keyswitch patches with midi channels and a multi-timbral instance of Play or Kontakt. The expression maps is extremely easy to setup this way. It’s a shame that this simple flaw is ruining everything.
I’ve had to setup a very fast 1 note arpeggiator from a second midi controller and my maps are starting on C-2 so it’s out of all the instrument’s range. I then simply turn a knob that changes that 1 note sequence to different values, thus constantly triggering the maps so it stays to the chosen articulations.
Once anything is recorded and the articulation are assigned in the key editor’s controller lanes. It’s not an issue and I can stop the arpeggiator.
No that’s not the issue unfortunately and unless I missed something, none of the chasing settings in the preferences prevent the channel from resetting. I’ve tried several times.
I can live with my workaround for now. It actually work pretty well but I feel that the expression maps and the key editor could be improved a bit further. This midi channel reset issue is a small but very annoying detail that seems to have been overlooked.
I’m not following you then… With Latch activated the channel should remain the same until another articulation is sent and hitting stop doesn’t change this. if the playback cursor is over an articulation, its defined channel is used for live playing or for notes in the key editor.
Here’s a gif of what I’m seeing.
I activated Latch Mode in the expression map window.
I activated a midi monitor on the track
I recorded the keyswitches and the melody line in one pass, then I hit stop.
then I played in a few notes to display their channel, the channel was the one last set in the articulation.
Is this what you are seeing as well? Or have I entirely misunderstood what you’re saying?
I’m sorry, maybe I’ve not explained the issue well enough.
When it’s written down in the controller lane like in your gif, all is well. I’m talking about when I play around before any data is recorded in the expression maps. In that case, the midi channel always reverts to ch1 whenever I press stop or move the cursor. It’s unfortunate because I like to play a few different variations and try stuff before I record the actual part.
Latch mode will have me hold the note down to keep the articulation selected as opposed to just sending a note on message. Latch mode is not relevant to my current issue.
With normal keyswitches, (not midi channel switching) the articulations stays selected. I’m trying to achieve the same result with custom keyswitches using midi channels assigned to notes in the expression maps.
The independent input would help the work around using a second controller running an arpeggiator. Even without the issue, having a second controller to trigger the expression maps would be useful. The request comes from a lot of troubleshooting that made me realize that an independent input for the expression map would give us more flexibility.
I see what you’re saying, but Expression Maps don’t have inputs, it just filters, transforms, and invokes commands based on what the track receives and, on text and symbol objects in the score editor.
If they suddenly did, somehow, that in itself wouldn’t change anything in what your asking, and since the keyswitches in the remote column of the exp map are blocked from being sent to the track output, you could use a different device to send the arpeggiator note-ons as things stand now.
The germane issue is that when you hit ‘stop,’ the Cubase sends the data from the top slot, and apparently there’s a non-visible default ch 1 parameter set. The FR to make would be to allow that to stop being the case, which is something people have been asking for.
I’m curious, what instrument is it that requires such gymnastics?
Any orchestral track in my template that uses 16 different articulations on 16 channels. If I want to play around with staccatos or pizzicatos, the fact that it reverts to ch1’s legato articulation is very annoying. If I have a multi-timbral instance with 16 different types of percussions. The same thing applies to multi-timbral instances of Omnishphere with different synths.
I would not call that gymnastics but more of a complexe personalised template.
I hope you didn’t take my saying ‘gymnastics’ as a snide remark, I customize pretty much everything I use, though I have always shied away from channel based articulations, probably just because when I started out it seemed like too much detail compared to keyswitches.
Here’s a solution for you in a way. Its result will be that you can play using the the same keyswitches for channels, and not have them reset when you hit stop in Cubase.
You would get rid of the remote keyswitches you have in the exp map, and use this instead.
It’s a Bome Midi Translator Classic script that does this:
You hit a key, then, all notes will go to channel (X) until yo hit another key.
If you’re not already familiar with this software, you might fall in love with it. You can customize your setup quite a lot. I use the paid version to convert a couple cmc-fds, a tp and a qc into custom controllers. You might have to also use a virtual midi port like LoopBe.
I’ll attach the script I made- all the channel translation assignments have been made, the triggers for the 1st 5 channels are done, as an example. Shoot me a question if you need more info.
Thanks for the help. I would use keyswitches but the pre-existing ks patch that my libraries offer are not exactly the articulations I would have chosen. My orchestral template is mostly EW diamond series and the more demanding patches in terms of computer resource are often not included in keyswitchs patches.
I will definitly look at the workaround you’re suggesting.
