[ISSUE]Expression Map Program Change Unexpected Behavior

Cubase
,
1

Windows 8.1, Cubase Pro 8.0.20

  1. New Empty Project
  2. Add a MIDI Track to the Project
  3. Track Inspector>Expression Map>Expression Map Setup>Expression Maps Panel>click “+” to add a map
  4. Remote Settings>Select “Program Change Messages”
  5. Create an Expression Map consisting of 6 sound slots assigned to Remote 1 through 6 (no need to add any articulations or output mapping)
  6. Load this Expression Map
  7. Send Program Change 1-6 to the MIDI Track–Behaves as expected
  8. Sending MIDI Note Events on MIDI Note Numbers 0-5 also activates Sound Slots 1-6. MIDI Note Events for Note Numbers 0-5 are not sent from Cubase to an external MIDI instrument.

Expected Result: Creating an Expression Map with Remote Settings set to “Program Change Messages” allows sound slots to be selected using Program Change Messages. The Expression Map does not intercept MIDI Note Events and Sound Slots are not activated by MIDI Note Events.

Actual Result: Creating an Expression Map with Remote Settings set to “Program Change Messages” allows sound slots to be selected using Program Change Messages and MIDI Note Events. MIDI Note Events in the range of the Remote settings for the Expression Map are intercepted by Cubase.

Is this Steinberg’s expected behavior for Expression Maps set to receive Program Change Messages?

2

Confirmed.
I think this can indeed be considered to be a bug. If the remote triggering is set to program Changes, the similar-numbered incoming note-ons should in this case behave as “regular” notes.

3

Cubase 8.0.20
Following up.
Seems that the “Remote Keys” for Expression Maps can be switched from Keyswitches to Program Change messages, but this is a global setting affecting all Expression Maps in a project.
I have two observations:

  1. Given that, at the moment, Remote Keys are global, the fact that both Note-In and Program Change numbers with a number assigned to a Sound Slot are intercepted by Cubase starts to make sense.
    This makes the “Remote Keys” like Quick Controls.
    But
  2. I think the idea behind Expression Maps is that they allow users to create per-instrument custom behavior (CC’s, Keyswitches, Program Changes, and combinations thereof) that can also be edited in the MIDI Draw and Score views. As such it seems intuitive that the Remote Keys be defined on a per-Expression Map basis, and any filtering of Program Change or Note In numbers be adjusted on a per-track basis

Anyone out there?

4

Hello.
Testing Cubase 8.0.30 64Bit Windows 8.1.
Cubase 8.0.30 seems to resolve the issue:
When “Remote Keys” are set to Program Change note events with the same value as the Program Change are intercepted by the Epression Map
Thank you!

5

Yes the people at Steinberg do earn their keep :wink: