Generic Remote Banks question

Cubase
1

Hi,

My MIDI Controller, Akai Advance 49, has a set of eight push button switches assigned to a MIDI Channel set to transmit a MIDI CC when pressed. (I’ve used eight open MIDI CC, all the switches transmit on the same MIDI channel).

In my Generic Remote for the Switches, I’ve assigned functions to the switches for the first Bank of the Switches Generic Remote. That all works perfectly.

My question is regarding the Banks in the GR. If I assign a new set of Functions to the Switches in a New Bank in the Generic Remote, will Cubase use the Values in the Banks even if the MIDI Channel and Controller messages is the same in all GR Banks with only the assignments changing? If yes, then, in theory, I’d be able to put the GR on Screen and just flip the Banks to have the switches change functions.

The MIDI Controller itself only provides one set of eight switches and no internal “banks,” for them.

What I’d like is something like this if that is possible:
Generic Remote Bank 1: Switches 1-8 – MIDI Channel 1 - Controller x 8 - Command or Function assignments, set 1, Bank 1
Generic Remote Bank 2: Switches 1-8 – MIDI Channel 1 - Controller x 8 - Command or Function assignments, set 2, Bank 2
and so on…

Do you know if the GR Banks can have shared MIDI Channel and Controller messages, but different sets of assignments in the GR Banks? I honestly can’t tell from the OM and haven’t found any posts/videos on this. Thanks for any suggestions or guidance with this.


Take care. :slight_smile:

2

Hi you,

YES - switching the banks in GR will allow you to use the same set of controllers and midi channels for different purposes (triggering different assignments).
If you are in doubt create a minimal GR with two banks simulating the situation of what you want to achieve.
BTW.: CHanging the bank (upwards, downwards) is also available as a GR-command. So you can reserve 2 Buttons that just do the bank-switching if I remember correctly.

HTH; Ernst

PS.: In fact what you want to achieve is the sole purpose of the GR-Banks. If it wouldnt accomplish that, the whole concept would be obsolete - there is no other meaningful use of separating a single controller into various banks.

3

Thanks for answering and confirming that the Banks will work that way. It seemed as they should, but I didn’t want to spend time with something only to discover it won’t work.

I’m not sure what “HTH; Ernst” is?

One more question, if I may. May we use multiple Generic Remotes at once? If yes, then I may have one GR that just has the Transport functions, another for the Advance’s Pad (8 Pads in 4 Banks, my main set of Automated Functions live here), and yet a another Generic Remote for the above Switches and the Banks for those.

Some time ago, the venerable and missed Vic from France, posted that he likes to keep his Generic Remotes “small.” I now have Generic Remote and then Three Other Generic Remotes 1-3, so four in all.

The OM is opaque on all this; individual systems can sometimes have unique problems; I want to simplify things and isolate the functions, so using multiple generic remotes seems logical. There’s no need to duplicate the same items in each GR this way. Good plan? Common practice?

I’m integrating Metagrid into my system which may eventually replace all this, but I have a workable system in place. I want to tidy up the GRs and the OM does not help, nor have I found any detailed videos on this topic.

Thanks for reading and for any comments or tips. This GR/Automation stuff takes time. I don’t mind doing the work, but I’d rather touch it once and get it right right the first time and not run into problems. I struggled with this, as have many, but ended up with a working system. Now, I’m re-doing it all and hope to refine and improve things.

Sorry if some of this is a bit disorganized and/or redundant. It’s tricky stuff to discuss and I’d rather over do it than leave a reader not understanding what I’m trying to say. Thanks, again.

Take care. :slight_smile:

4

Hi you :slight_smile:

HTH is “hope to help” and Ernst is my first name - I am Austrian and we speak German. :slight_smile:

To your questions: Yes, you may have multiple GRs - I have done that again and again - it helps to keep things cleaner somehow. Don’t forget to export all of them and reimport them into your projects.

The Manual does not really help with Generic Remote – one of the Steinberg representants here in the Forum some years ago said “GR is a bastard feature”. - obviously not an area with too much attention - but still very useful.

HTH, Ernst

5

Ernst, thank you very much for confirming this. I remember that quote from an older post on a GR thread. :laughing:

There was a question in the recent user survey on improving the automation system. Let’s hope that this antiquated system is replaced by something better. In the meantime, I’ll slog on with this. After a few years of working with this I feel that I’m only now, finally, understanding it better.

You’ve been very helpful. I really appreciate it. Things are working well and the system is much neater if a bit more complex.

Cheers. :slight_smile:

6

:laughing:
Based on what I’m experiencing at this very moment, that might be an understatement.