Expression Maps in Cubase 15 not sending output after external trigger

Cubase
,
1

Hey there!

I would like to report a problem with Expression Maps I am experiencing in Cubase 15 Pro, while testing it today. It appears both in existing projects that have no prior issues in Cubase 13 Pro, as well as in new projects with a freshly created Expression Maps. It seems an “outer” switch via keyboard or clicking overrides Keyswitch outputs in MIDI events.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open or create a project with an Instrument or MIDI track that points to an instrument that supports keyswitches.

2. Create an “easy” Expression Map with at least two sound slots A and B in the same Group, with one articulation each. I always have the first slot empty, but it’s irrelevant in this case. Both slots get an input mapping for C-2 and C#-2, and likewise an output mapping for C-2 and C#-2. Latch on / off is not relevant (I usually have it on).

3. Create a MIDI event, switching articulation A at measure 1, articulation B at measure 2.

4. Play through the MIDI event: The articulations in the instrument are switching at measure 1 and 2 as intended.

5. Press one of the “outer” Sound Slot switches on your keyboard (C-2 or C#-2). The articulation switches as intended.

6. Play through the MIDI event again. The articulations are ignored and not switched in the instrument (also not highlighted within Cubase). It stays with the articulation that has been selected via keyboard. The same behaviour occurs when clicking on an articulation in the project window.

7. Removing the expression map from the MIDI track and reassigning it fixes the issue, till you do number 5 again.

My setup: Windows 11 Pro, Cubase Pro 15.0.5.

Kindly asking for assistance. I have never experienced this behaviour in Cubase 13. Currently, this issue would block me from using C15 in production.

Thank you in advance!

2

Hi,

Do I understand this step like: play the C-2 or C#-2 note on your MIDI keyboard?

3

Correct. The key that is connected to activating that Expression Map Slot.

Screenshot 2025-11-05 184529
Screenshot 2025-11-05 184529253×243 12.7 KB

4

Similar issue here, but I’m using an iPad with Patchboard, which is sending out Program Changes instead of regular keyswitches:

  • I assign an Expression Map to the appropriate instrument, draw in some MIDI and assign articulations. Everything works fine on playback.
  • I stop the playback and switch to ANY articulation using my iPad (it doesn’t have to be an ‘outer’ articulation, happens with all of them).
  • I try to play back my MIDI event from before. The expression map has completely stopped working, no articulation changes whatsoever.
  • As soon as I reassign the expression map to the track it works again.

Hope this can be fixed soon, makes using the new Expression Maps basically impossible.

5

Hi,

I can confirm the issue.

Reported to Steinberg. Thank you.

2 Likes
7

Hi @highway1024 again,

Sorry, I’m used to welcoming the new forum members. But in this case, I wanted to replicate the issue as soon as possible, so I didn’t even realised you are a new user.

So… welcome to the forum!

1 Like
8

Thank you! :slight_smile:

9

same issue here.

10

Experiencing this as well, as well as a couple more bugs related to the new expression maps. They definitely need a lot more beta testing and polishing

11

Hi and welcome to the forum,

Every user is experiencing this bug.

Please, make new threads - a thread per issue, please..

12

Same here.

13

Hi,

As mentioned already:

14

Same issue with program change.

It worked perfectly from a Cubase 14 setup

Since the Update, I can change programs from my controller and from the expression map with the mouse, but not when it plays. When It plays, it change and stays at the program 1.

When I check and the setup expression map window, all the parameters seems good.

16

Hi,

Same issue here but if it can help, here is a workaround :

I always had a default slot for all my expression map in order to get around the latch mode behaviour in cubase 14.

In cubase 15, the default slot seem to cause issue for the articulation changes as we had talked previously in this forum.

So, my trigger mode is program change, when I switch to keyswitch trigger mode and switch back again to program change. The articulation work as expected. If I change the articulation outside the midi clip where I have articulation changes, and I play this midi clip, it doesn’t work. I have to switch back and forth from program change trigger mode to keyswitch finally to program change as I mentioned earlier.

By the way, I don’t get the point why there is no latch mode option for the program change trigger mode as the keyswitch.

We could avoid to make a default slot if we had a latch option in the program change trigger mode.

Thanks.

Julien.

Mac OSX 15.7.1

17

I am on 12 and have this issue. These things are not being addressed apparently version after version.

18

It has not been a constant issue from version 12 until now, if that’s what you’re suggesting. It was working in Cubase 14.

19

I don’t know about 14, I stopped at 12. And if 15 has the issue then it is effectively perpetual.

20

I have this problem too! It doesn’t work!! When i recorded articulation change, i just play the same sound

21

Hi,

As I mentioned, this is a known and already reported issue. Every user experiences this in Cubase 15.0.5.

1 Like
22

A workaround: It seems Cubase needs to be reminded that there is an expression map. Choosing “no map” and the re-choosing the expression map solves it - temporarily…:roll_eyes:

Otherwise, articulation changes in the midi track are ignored. Sometimes. Not always.

1 Like