First time user could use some help: Vienna Pro & JogShuttle

Cubase
1

Dear all,
after a long time using Live and a deep exploration of alternative DAWs i finally jumped to Cubase (9 Pro).

I probably have been super lucky that version 9 has just been released, but all i can say is that i am absolutely blown away. It will take months to become proficient, but there are some features which are just mind blowing. Couldnt be happier.

Now, i have some rather basic questions:

1- VE Pro on a relatively small orchestral template (around 2-300 tracks). Coming from Live, i was used in having each articulation (midi) track having the audio routed from VEP into that specific track, so that all the mixing, eqing etc. was done within DAW. Those midi tracks where just the same as audio tracks (except for the data contained obviously). If i had 200 midi tracks, those 200 midi tracks coudl be equed, panned, etc. one by one. Now, if i do want to have audio for each of the tracks (at least in the preliminary stage), (i will then obviously route it into bus, etc.), do i need to effectively have double the amount of tracks if i want that? One track for the midi data and one track to receive/monitor the audio coming from VEP? There’s no way to have audio routed /monitored back to the relevant midi track? What’s your workflow on this? What scares me is that a 200 midi track template will become something like a 450 track mix when i add in audio tracks, etc. It’s like, if i am playing on one track, i want to be able to instantly pan/whatever it without having to dig on “where is the corresponding audio output for the track that i am playing”? Am i missing something? Or do i “just” have to accept either an enormous track count or to pre-bus instruments/articulations in VEP, reducing the number of outputs?

2- Expression maps: besides “wonderful”, when playing around on one track with different articulations loaded and mapped in an expression map, is there anyway to choose the articulation that you are about to be playing besides pressing the relevant key switch? (i.e., it would feel natural for me to click on one of the articulations displayed in the expression map section of the inspector).

3- Small thing: i have a Korg Studio Kontrol midi controller that i am customising in the device menu. All good, and i have managed to assign the controller’s jog wheel to the transport’s jog shuttle. Problem is, i can’t find the “jog shuttle speed control”. It’s nowhere to be find in the manual and couldn’t find it in the menus. I need it as i need to increase the jog speed as the standard value is too slow and makes the jog wheel useless. Anyone knows where is it buried?

Thanks for the help, it’s a fantastic piece of software.

Ciao,

Vanni

2
  1. Preferences / Transport / Wind Speed ?
3

Thanks for the try, but that effects the forward/rewind speed :frowning:

4

Oh well. Not sure how to do that then. Good luck.

5

Regarding your first question. The equivalent of a “Midi” track in Live is an “Instrument” track in Cubase. Well actually a midi track in Cubase would be like a Midi track in Live without any synth or anything inserted. So if you do a Midi track in Cubase, it is like creating a midi track in Live and then you have to route that track to a different track with the instrument…

So there are two way s to handle it:

  1. Have an instrument track for each of your 200 tracks…that would create 200 instances of Vienna and will probably be rough on your computer.

  2. Create a rack instrument for Vienna and then send all your midi tracks to it. Then you do all you panning, etc either in the midi tracks or inside Vienna.

BTW, I have never used Vienna so I don’t know exactly how it works, but I’m making an assumption that it is like Kontakt.

What I like to do is create a Kontakt instrument for one section of the orchestra (like violins) and then another for brass, etc. So then I have individual midi tracks, but then you can mix the group outputs in the mixer without having to mix 200 tracks.

I hope this helps because I don’t know Vienna…

6

Yes, Instrument Tracks are not Multi-Timberal.
You can use a Multi-Timberal VEP instance for the instrument track, but the actual instrument track will only access the first VEP MIDI Input and return audio from the first VEP Output. You can then create MIDI Tracks to access the same VEP Instance and activate more outputs (which show up as new audio returns in the mixer), but then we’re back to the same as Rack Instruments.

As Mbira said, you would have to create a bunch of VEPs to get what you want.

When I’m using VEP, I create the Rack Instrument and MIDI Tracks as mbria said, but then I have only the MIDI Tracks available in the Project Window, and the Instrument Returns in the Mix Window . . generally. Keeps things clean.

I have other visibility configurations set up if for some reason I want to see MIDI in the Mix, or Just the Strings, Brass, etc.
Love Visibility configurations.

Hugh

7

Vienna Instrument instances share resources, so just try it and I have a hunch it will be just fine.


That was only true when they were just introduced years ago. They can fuction similarly to a rack instrument now.

8

Well, you address the same VSTi with additional MIDI Tracks.
And you can add additional outputs from the VSTi in the Mix Window.
So, in that way, yes. Like a Rack Instrument.

But the actual Instrument Track can only address one input and accept one output.

Hugh