Looks like Fabio checked out. i have been begging Steinberg to make external effect routing save with the project for 7 years now. I made a resolution to stop upgrading until that happens, and I am still at 7.5. At least it’s a known set of annoyances.
[mod note- thread split off from STEINBERG! Make the DAW better!]
Studio settings save perfectly per project here?
Are you saying per project, in addition to the setup in VST connections? (and the SB guys do get to go on winter break. It’s even a law over there I think…)
Does 7.5 have External FX Preset Favorites?
Yes but you have to manually assign the routing if another project has reassigned it. This doesn’t make sense at all I would add. When you load a preset in the inputs or outputs tab, the routing is assigned as saved with the preset.
I see what you’re saying, it appears to be unchanged in 9.
They save until you go to a different project that has the i/o used differently, then, when you go back to the previous project with external effects, you have to manually reassign them.
If you were a regular user of external effects, especially if you worked with lots of musicians in a scenario where you were continually going back and forth between projects being tracked and projects being mixed using external effects, you would understand why this is a huge annoyance.
Every device has it’s own input, the combination of devices used, is saved per project
If you swap,a port (i,e. using a TR909 on one project and a Moog on a 2nd project on the same port), that’s never going to work, but any combination of used devices is just saved fine
No. Say you set up a stereo external insert and assign it to, say 15 and 16 in and out (and you’ve done this with the other 14 i/o on that sound card as well) Then you transition to a project that only has the i/o set up for 2 buss compression, but it also was recently used to track vocals on input 15, but I never deleted that input bus. Now when I go back to the first project, the insert using input 15 will need to be re connected.
This doesn’t sound like a big deal to you because you don’t run the same kind of business I do. I am nixing 2 records this month, and tracking a few songs with one band, and an entire album with another - and that to be mixed asap after tracking. I also record myself. So stuff moves and gets re patched constantly.
Repatching wires is one thing, but when I open up a project, the external inserts should be virtually wired as I left them.
The same ports (io’s) on the sounddevice are still in the project, think of the ext instruments or fx as port names rather device names and only define 1 device per port
You can’t name rme port in 1/2 moog synth in 1 project, but but together with out 1/2 compressor
Unless you save and recall presets, the last name will be remembered.
Your ext fx and inst are STATIC how many you use per project can be dynamic
Via presets you can define multiple studio configurations but since it’s a global setting it’s not saved on project level, just like midi ports
This has nothing to do with how I think of it. I am not sure you are understanding the problem. I shouldn’t have to repeat work. Assuring that people don’t have to do mindless repetitive functions is what a well programmed computer should do.
The fact that a workaround exists - having a version of the External Plugins xml file corresponding to a particular configuration saved and reloading it prior to booting up Cubase - demonstrates how easy this would be for Steinberg to fix.
But, the fact is Steinberg’s business plan doesn’t allow for catering to the needs of people who work in studios and use real gear; the money is obviously in offering a product which allows people to more easily throw together collections of loops and call it music. Call me a snob, but I don’t need my software to suggest chords. I do, however, need it to save information I want saved - and that includes the input and output routing for external effects, just like input/output busses in general.
It’s not about what YOU think of it, it’s about how you need to think of it in order to wrap your head around it and make it work for you.
The labels in the external fx are GLOBAL, they can be saved in a preset, but only 1 configuration can be active.
If you use ports for only one single purpose, you have no problem, buy more ports, I’ve got 56 physical I/Os
Have everything statically patched and have no configuration problems.
Just don’t swap ports and you’ll be fine.
+1
This really needs to be adressed.
Hi Raphie,
I have enough AD/DA ports (40+40) to keep all my external devices mapped to a fixed configuration.
With the sole (but not negligible!!!) exception that the fact that you cannot use dual mono is limiting a lot.
However think about the following case.
I have my API550a eq mapped on Out_1 In_1
I have my 1176 comp mapped on Out_12 In_12
Now when I setup my mix, I insantiate boh the API and the 1176 on the, let’s say, snare track.
When I’m eventually fine with the mix and I bounce the final mix I would really like to avoid the double DA/AD conversion this implies and use my patchbay instead.
So I would like to load a configuration where a third device called API_1176 is mapped to Out_1 In_12.
Then I will ensure that the patching physically connecs the API out with the 1176 in.
I would like to save with the project the final “glued” configurations while, for example, I would use the expolded one for each new project.
Now I have to do it by manually replacing that xml file, why can’t we save it by project?
I do not know, really.
Then, if dual mono (see my post) would also be implemented I would really be an happy hybrid mixing guy.
Let’s hope to be head and considered.
Hope this clarifies.
I understand that this is more an hybrid mixing necessity than a Mastering one.
I get your point, but the structure is global
This means you define instruments/fx as resources first
Then you can insert those resources in your projects
In your case you should define 3
- API port 1/2
- 1176 port 3/4
- API/1176 chain port 5/6
In this example 3. Is a dummy port / placeholder until you physically repatch both to port 5/6
I would not create 3, but just patch them through on the patchbay, drag. Both plugins beneath eachother in Cubase
Then signal goes API in and 1176 out (though not being fed from 3/4 but from the patchpanel)
You can create as many variations as you like, but a physical port is exclusive, otherwise you get very strange inconsistencies
thanks for the reply, however…
Can I open project_1 and change this “global” thing?
yes I can.
Can I open project_2 and change this “global” thing again?
yes I can.
etc.
Can I change this “global” thing using a basic load menu that allows chosing one of the previously saved configuration of my 40in and 40out?
No, I cannot, I have to do it manually.
There’s no reason not having a Save/Load menu if you can do it by manual editing!
All my 40 ins and 32 outs are occupied 
no room for dummies.
doable but I would feel more confident in declaring the correct routing (e.g. 1/6): I fear inconsistencies in the RME driver delay compensation.
I agree 100%, but when you wrote “port is exclusive”… yes it is, by project!
Honest question: do situations exist where multiple projects can be run in parallel and simultaneusly access the i/o?
I think that Cubase handles External Fx in a very good way if it wasn’t for the missing:
-save/load
-dual mono
functionalities.
Raphie keeps trying to explain how the system works, as if explaining more will make up for its shortcomings. There is no reason why this hasn’t been addressed except for the fact that most Cubase users do not heavily use external effect routing, so there’s no money in fixing it. The fact that i have to either reboot Cubase with a particular saved xml or manually reassign the I/O one at a time when going from tracking one project to mixing another is obnoxiously negligent.
No, bottom line is that in Cubase land an I/O port assignment is global and exclusive.
If you want you want to use different assigments on the same port, you need to tell Cubase that something else is connected, you do that by saving and loading preset configurations.
This IS a design choice, not a shortcoming.
No. It’s a shortcoming because because it results in unnecessary work for the end user.
As long as I’ve used Cubase (18 years now), it allowed for presets in the configuration of input and output devices - except, of course when using them as external effects. This makes no sense whatsoever.
There is a particular console I wanted to buy (made by Aurora Audio, it is modular and I basically have 16 channels of pre and EQ, but finances made it impossible to get the summing/routing sections) which has the feature of switching inputs globally depending on whether you are tracking or mixing - in other words, when it’s time to mix you can, with the push of a button, switch from using inputs connected to mics to inputs coming from your playback device. Did I mention it’s analog?
If one guy who used to work for Neve can envision the utility of such a system, why can’t the software engineers at Steinberg?
Eh, I really would like to do that by saving and loading preset configurations.
This is exactely what we’re asking for.
We’re not saying that a port needs to be shared. I understand a port is exclusive. Fine.
We would like to load/save a global i/o preset for External FX within any project.
Currently we can’t.
We have to manually edit a global preset, this is nosense it’s pure time consuming.
Tell me why I can do it manually but I can’t do it by loading a preset.