Hello,
I recently bought an Ipad, becouse of it’s touch capabilities, and after doing some research (and trying out a number of aplications like AC-7, a mackie-protocol based controller for Iphone/ipad) I stumbled opon “touchosc” (TouchOSC | hexler.net), an aplication with wich you can build your own (Osc or midi)controller. Take a look at what they have already accompliced with Logic or/and Live on a Mac: Nomore controller-mapping, track-, plugin-names and valuedata like dB’s or Hz displayed automaticly, opening and controlling plugins and VSTI’s on the fly… long story short: Finaly a controller that can do it all, without breaking the bank, and: wireless! Huray!!
If you are on a pc you can download a windows version of the editor for Touchosc, and for connections you need to download “rtpMIDI” from rtpMIDI | Tobias Erichsen .This program works great by the way.
After installing it creates two connections between Ipad and your pc, (two way communication) and converts the touchosc data into midi-streams.
Now if you create a midicontroller-surface for Ipad/Iphone with the Touchosc editor on your pc, you can upload this to your ipad (disable your firewall if it doesn’t work), and make a connection between Cubase and your Ipad. You need to create a “generic remote” in Cubase (devices>device setup>generic controller) and you have to chose the RTPmidi in and outputs as midi in and outputs for this controller.
I made a (work in progress) template for a “selected channel” page, an “EQ page” and an 8- and 16- channel mixer-page (no bank-select yet so only the first 8 or 16 channels can be displayed) you can download the files from:
UPDATE: v326, date:110531
48 dedicated channel selectors for “selected channel” 1-48 in 3 layers, cleaned up layout.
Automation buttons, workspaces, controlroom button, mixer buttons,
You will also need my “generic remote” midi-mapping- file for this setup to get it to work, this file is included in the download.
What you get: a complete channel-overview with eq, insert slots, aux faders with on/off switches and pre/post status lights, VU-meter, buttons for plugin-preset management, a “close al plugins” button, you can scroll trough al your channels with a big fader, open/close the on screen channel editor, and control basic transport- features. Locators and markers, channel up/down buttons, etc. Also a big EQ-window layer, and a 8- and 16-channel mixer layer.
You can see some screenshots of this version here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20606376/110531_JBGELUID%20Touchosc%20and%20generic%20remote%20for%20Cubase6_v326%20layout%206.PNG
A short explanation about switching layers:
There is an “activate” button for the different pages, what it does;it switches between mixermaps (different mixermaps for “selected channel 1-48 + selected channel eq pages” and the 8 and 16 chanel mixers). You have to use this if you switch between selected channel and any multichannel mixer (I find myself using the “selected channel” all the time actualy, so then there is no need to use the activate buttons).
What I do now to keep channels at the right “spot”: I have 22 channels for “the band”, and I insert “empty channels” at channels that are not used, in a closed map if they are many. (just not assigned to in or outputs, so you can make a “the band” folder , put channel 1-22 in it, an off you go recording (one record-enable button for the whole band). channel 23 and 24 I use for communication, an omni mike in the controlroom, and a sm 58 in the drumboot. These channels monitor buttons are switched on/off by the “COMM” button. You can ad more channels just by linking them in the mixer (ad a comp/limiter on the drumcom mike!).
Channels 25-32 are subgroups in my setup, 33-48 I use for FX right now. You can change this to your liking, I’ve succesfully recorded and mixed a few bands this way, its only a few minutes to change the channel names and colour to your liking in the touchosc editor, upload it to the Ipad and off you go. The great thing about this layout is you can reach any channel from 1-48 realy fast, and you have total controll over a channel. Not to mention the dedicated two-way intercom-button…
If you have a favorite plugin you use on a lot of channels it’s realy easy to make a page for this, simply insert it always at the same slot in every channel, and it will work.
Not working yet in Cubendo: studiosends (Steinberg, where are they in the CC list? And the channel “listen” and “phase” button?
(And another thing: As far as I know it’s impossible to “center” the channel-pan with a controller, 63 is L1, 64 is R1, and if you do "control + pan-click on your mouse/keyboard it looks as if the pan goes into bypass-mode (grey). Is there a way to center the pan with a controller in selected channel mode? Solved see my other post about this subject.) And: is there a single controller for zoom in/out by fader or wheel please??
This thing by the way seriously changed my workflow, I find myself not looking at the screen anymore but listening and tweaking parameters like in the analog days…And I get much better results, in less time…I’'m seriously considering buying an extra Ipad and/or a touchscreen for the mixer right now.
And now for the bad news:
What you don’t get: value, channel- and plugin-name display, and AUTOMAPPING for parameters. This is so because I had to work with MIDI CC’s, for I could not find any information concerning the mackie-protocoll or any other system that can display this. (Any info on this highly apreciated but soon obsolete anyway…)
This is where my request to Steinberg or any third-party comes in: “Please, Osc implementation for Cubendo” and SOON!!! The rest of the world (Mac Logic/Live- users) are already enjoying this “revolution of the controller”, and it’s NOT going away anymore! I understand that dedicated hardware-controller-companies are “not pleased” to say the least, but life is hard sometimes. Now Steinberg/Yamaha can wait, but for me personaly this will definitely be a reason to switch to Mac/Logic when I’m into a new computer because this realy makes sense. (FINALY nomore looking at your controller>computerscreen>controller, nomore boring mapping of cc’s, nomore limits to what you can controll, and it REALY works VERRY well, and even wirelesss!! Did I mention that you can use multiple Ipads?)
So, check this out if you’re into it, I think it’s realy going to change things, and let me know what you think. And Steinberg, I would realy appreciate it if you would look in to this, and answer some of my questions if you can. Thanks in advance! JB
And I’m realy happy sofar with how Cubase has grown, great work! (Maybe a mixer update with extra tabs so we can view all mixer parameters in one window? (Channel, EQ, inserts AND sends) My screens are big enough! Tip: since Steinberg = Yamaha take a look at their apps for Ipad, their way of reaching, controlling and viewing the channel-eq is great! and also their way of controlling aux busses …) Oh and aren’t the aux faders a bit thin for touchscreens?..I have plenty of trouble reaching for them with my mouse…
