When browsing/selecting VST Presets with Key Commands and the Preset Management window is NOT open - Cubase always selects the wrong Vstpresets from the wrong folder (#003)
This is happening despite that the correct ‘Location Three’ folder AND Vstpreset have been previously selected AND are listed in the Inspector view (check the first image below)
This problem happens every time a project is loaded -OR- until you open the Preset Management and then select a VST Preset from the already selected folder in Preset Management ‘Location Three’.
Steps to replicate the issue
Open a VSTi
In the VSTi plugin header click on ‘Save Preset’
Click on ‘New Folder’ and give it an arbitrary name
Save several VSTpresets in that folder
Open ‘Edit - Key Commands…’ and set the following Function: ‘Preset Open/Close Browser’
Open ‘Edit - Key Commands…’ and set the following functions: ‘Preset Previous’ and ‘Preset Next’
Select one of the previously saved Vstpreset so that it will show up in the ‘Inspector’ area ‘Programs’ windows (image 1)
Save and re-open the Cubase Project
Use the assigned Key Commands for ‘Preset Previous’ OR ‘Preset Next’. But do NOT use the ‘Preset Open/Close Browser’ KeyCommand yet!
Cubase will select and off-side Vstpreset from another folder within the ‘Location Three’ area.
This issue will NOT happen IF you use the ‘Preset Open/Close Browser’ KeyCommand BEFORE the ‘Preset Previous’ OR ‘Preset Next’ Key Commands
Annoying but, hey that’s the reality, I’m having a hard time believing that this has not been reported yet.
From what I understand Preset Previous/Next commands are in fact dedicated to program changes and not to vstPresets changes. But maybe I’m missing something here…
To be honest, I can’t precisely make out your repro sequence.
What the two commands are meant to do is to move through presets in the folder last selected in the preset browser. And I observe that the folder selection is not saved across restarts.
Sounds like this works as designed, but you don’t like it that way, so presumably this would be a feature request as opposed to a report about something being broken.
No, the folder selection IS saved across the restarts. You can easily check that upon re-opening the project, just by opening ‘Preset Mangement’ with the Key Commands or using the mouse. The correct selected folder is there and then the issue is not present.
This problem happens every time a project is loaded -OR- until you open the Preset Management and then select a VST Preset from the already selected folder in Preset Management ‘Location Three’.
If you can describe and demonstrate the exact issue it would be helpful. (I think I see what you’re saying, but won’t do any more investigating in my spare time.)
Maybe you should to open a support ticket to get this reported. The forum is mainly user-to-user assistance.
Yes, I already did that, hopefully, the Steinberg support will solve the issue.
To summarize, IF Key Commands for ‘Preset Previous’ OR ‘Preset Next’ are used BEFORE the ‘Preset Open/Close Browser’ - Cubase will open a totally off-side Program/Vstpreset. Despite that correct folder has been selected already.
I’ve done some research and testing with interesting results.
The preset management system is jumping between different folders and choosing the .vstpresets depending on their Alphabetic hierarchy!
For example, if a file with name 010 is in one folder, but you are browsing through another folder, it will jump to that folder depending on the .vstpreset name.
That ONLY happens IF using assigned Key Commands for .vstpreset (Program) Preset Browsing & Previewing AND Preset Browser Windows is NOT open.
Select a third-party plugin, NOT the M1 that you’ve chosen (the Korg collection’s devs did a good job), because this one handles the program changes and binds them to vstPresets. Select another one, so that in the inspector you can see this:
Now, you’ll notice that the shortcuts of previous/next, change the programs in the inspector.
You’ll also notice that there is no change to the selected preset of the VST.
This is because, when in the project window, Cubase uses these shortcuts to change program.
Now, if you open this VST and create some vstPreset files, you’ll notice that inside the browser, the previous/next shortcuts will change vstPresets.
This is how Steinberg decided to implement the previous/next preset commands. It is up to the VST to handle the program changes, and unfortunately not all of them do. This is why I initially commented that a program is not a vstPreset. Furthermore, note that you can create your own vstPresets, and then again, these will not appear in the inspector’s view which will continue to show whichever preset the VST attaches to the selected program.
Have a look here, if interested, the VST3 SDK supports program changes, but many VST makers simply do not implement this:
Yes, the Preset Browser MUST be opened for Previous/Next Key Commands to work properly. If not, Cubase will do the things you described for VSTi Programs.
Actually, user-saved Vstpresets do show up in the Inspector’s Program View if we are talking about the Program area in the Inspector. Check the below.
Exactly, but only when the VST implements this, such as M1. Honestly, I never understood why other manufacturers didn’t implement such a useful feature.
My opinion is that it’s something in the middle The only thing I would do differently is to assign separate buttons for programs and vstPresets, since this way, whenever a plugin is not responding to a program change, we could use the second pair of commands without the necessity to open the browser first.
Does this actually explain why browsing Vstpresets with shortcuts outside the Preset Manager Browser jump-select Vstpresets between folders and selects, at first glance, random vstpresets sometimes?
Exactly. This is based on the way the VST interprets the program change.
A workaround might be to create two macros to a) open the browser, then b) choose next/previous preset and then c) close the browser again. Not sure if this could work, taking into account the time it takes for the browser to open (some ms but not 0).
I’ve already done all that, except the ‘C’ one, so there’s no Key Command for closing the Preset Browser, except using the ‘ESC’ key -OR- actually just pressing the ‘Enter’ when previewing the VSTPreset, which will automatically load the VSTPreset and then close the Preset Browser.
Great thread! Let us summarize what it is all about, as it might be of help to other users, too.
If assigning the Cubase Key Commands for 'Preset Previous’ OR ‘Preset Next’ and using them WITHOUT opening the Preset Browser first - then they are browsing & loading the VSTi Programs (…).
If assigning the Cubase Key Commands for 'Preset Previous’ OR ‘Preset Next’ and using them WITH the Preset Browser open - then they are browsing & loading the user saved .VSTPresets.
Do not confuse the Cubase function Key Commands for 'Preset Open/Close Browser’ and ‘Preset Previous’ and ‘Preset Next’ with a
‘Track Preset: Next’ / ‘Track Preset: Previous’ and ‘Track Preset: Open Browser’
The second group one DOESN’T have a dual function. It’s just the first group ( 'Preset Open/Close Browser’ and ‘Preset Previous’ and ‘Preset Next’ ) that will also work/browse for/with VSTi Factory Programs.
Could you please elaborate? In Cubase 13 Pro, when using Halion 7, I am confused in regard to these hotkeys. The behavior seems random.
All I want, is to be able to use a single hotkey to go to the next or previous preset on the right panel (Media) without double clicking the preset or using arrow keys and enter.
There are 2 problems, though. First, the Media section needs to be in focus / selected, and then I need to press Enter to actually switch to the next preset.
This means that if I am AFK and play a keyboard and I just want to quickly press a single key to go to the next preset, or if I have focused other windows in Halion 7 and I’m fiddling with some parameters, then I have to manually select Media window (to switch focus to it) for the arrow keys to be functional again.
If Media section is not in focus / selected then arrow keys just act as “go up” or “go down” to the previous/next track in the main (event?) window. And same happens with the new hotkeys I just tried to assign, per your instruction. Halion 7 (I have full, and I uninstalled the Sonic version) seems to ignore the assigned keys and does what Cubase would do per default, as if the VST wasn’t even open.
I could of course manually press these arrow keys:
…but that means that my mouse cursor always have to point at those tiny arrows and I have to click them.
Speaking of “load previous program” and “load next program” - I didn’t find any hotkey commands pertaining to those 2 functions in the Halion’s hotkeys, nor the Cubase’s own.
Here is the closest thing I found in under Key Commands:
Problem is, if I choose a library like FM Lab (and its controls/interface show in the Macro window) and I choose one of FM Lab’s presets in the Media window (on the right), and then I press 4 (Next Preset), then it chooses “12 String Acoustic”, which is the very first preset that belongs to “All Library”, meaning all presets from all libraries. And then it shows “No Macro Page” again in the Macro window, like in the screenshot above:
The only thing I would do differently is to assign separate buttons for programs and vstPresets, since this way, whenever a plugin is not responding to a program change, we could use the second pair of commands without the necessity to open the browser first.
