Last-used CC Data indicator in all midi parts' Key Editor

Hello,

I have a suggestion regarding cc data. Please, if you have a suggestion for a better title, i’m all for it.
So here is my concern. I am using a large template for film scoring. I play a lot with CC1 and CC11 for the best possible balance between instruments. I avoid touching the volume of my channel too much as it gets messy with hundreds of tracks.

I would love a feature where you would get an indication of what was the last CC you used in a previous key editor window. Please see screenshots to understand.

Screen 1, i have a trumpet line at expression 70. Simple.
Screen 2, later in my score, i will use the trumpet again, but i have no expression. Rather than going back to see what was the last expression setting (70), i would have an indication (here in yellow) of the last known expression setting. This way, i would directly know where i stand.

This would be a huge time saver.

Regards,
Aleksi.

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Interesting feature. I edited your title, hope that makes sense to you.

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Perfect, thanks !

Good idea!

Until this idea is programmed by Steinberg (hopefully), I can recommend the following workaround:

  1. Your initial situation

2.Instead of creating a new MIDI part, you can extend the existing one and then cut off the rear part

image

  1. If you open the resulting 2nd part with the key editor, it contains CC commands at the beginning with the last values of the first part

The following program settings are required for this to work :

Hello P.A.T,

Thanks for taking time to show this, it is a good suggestion. However, i have so many tracks, that this may end up confusing and time consuming. I do my film and game scores entirely in one session. Last project had up to 1500 tracks. May get messy if i use this workaround. Hopefully Steinberg will look at this option.

Cheers

I understand, and as I said, I think your idea is good.
Another possibility would be the glue tube tool, then the controller line is also transferred to the glued part and is retained even after cutting,

If you don’t mind me asking, why is the last Expression value important?
If you want a quick way to reset the Expression value, here is a macro I created.

Process Logical Preset - Create One-Shot CC#11
Process Logical Preset - Set CC#11 to 127
Note Expression - Dissolve Note Expression

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Hi JBuck,

Well, i use many sample libraries, and that they don’t always have similar volume response regarding one another. Trumpets from library A playing fortissimo will be too loud, so i need the expression to be 80 for example. But Trumpets from library B in fortissimo may be at expression 50 to be at an equal volume. And since i use hundreds of tracks from many different libraries, i cannot remember all of the expressions for each instruments at every dynamic playing technique. This is why it is useful to me.

And let’s say i have 40 cues in my session. I want my strings/brass/etc to all have the same level in every cue. The danger (which happened in a previous project, less organized) is to have different levels and then using volume automation everywhere, it then gets terribly messy. So if i used the trupets on cue 2, and then only on cue 35 later on, i already know what was the last expression used. So my trumpet will have the same volume in cue 2 and 35.

I hope i was clear enough.

However, thanks for the macros, maybe i can start from there and find something more personalized for my use.

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This macro creates a CC11 event with a fixed value of 127 at the position of the first selected note event.


In my opinion, there is currently no method of reading the controller status from the previous MIDI part and transferring it to the current part. If there is a possibility, I would be very interested in it too!

Incidentally, the presets for the Logical Editor are not factory presets. I tried to recreate the first two commands of the macro:


Thanks, yes, that could be a workaround for me as i could customize is for all of my sample libraries. But, it would probably takes me a month to do this… Thousands of possibilities… i think, in the meantime, the glue and cut option would be the most viable.

But, really, a reminder of the last known CC position would be great. Funny that it hasn’t been discussed more often.

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Editor preset #1 is identical to mine, preset #2 has the same effect :wink:

I didn’t look in the forum archive, did you do that?

Actually, i haven’t really. But browsing the Steinberg Cubase forums for years, and never stumbled on a similar suggestion. But it doesn’t mean it hasn’t been discussed… :slight_smile:

@Aleksi
Have you considered using track automation of the CCs instead of Event CC? You could even use a quick control preset for quick access to what u need then automate the QCs.

@ LoveGames

That’s a good idea, i haven’t thought of that. However, after trying it out a bit, its not perfect regarding my workflow. It adds an automation line under my track, and since i have hundreds it gets confusing. But it still is a good solution as i could hide/show them easily.

Though i cannot seem to find how to translate the expression from my key editor to match exactly the automation and have both. I can extract the midi automation, but it then disappears from the key editor. Is there a way to keep both ?

Another way: I added a modulation for the expression, but it seems that if works like a VCA. It keep my CC11 modulation, but adds on top of that. (see image)

The best for me, would be to have the expression CC11 data in the Key Editor, and the exact same data transposed as an automation. If i move one, it changes the other one as a mirror. But, is that possible ?

for viewing/editing purposes? cant think off the top of my head, perhaps working in Edit In Place mode when you’re in these particular situations

It’s not a bad FR though, I’m just looking for a useable workaround for you for the time being.

In regards to FR, perhaps it could be some kind of MIDI editing preference, whereby MIDI CC Lanes act more like how Automation lanes extend throughout a project. Ie, the last automation point continues to the very end of the project. there could be two modes
-Active
-Show Only

Active meaning, the CC automation would continue through to any future events (that don’t have automation already written) and be read, using last automation point as the level reference, essentially acting just like track automation typically does.

Show Only, would only show what last level reference was but not actively be reading it.

Very good idea. I’d add that it would be nice to have an option for a continuation of the CC data when creating a new section, not only as a reference. Because, if i use a Kontakt instruments and the last known CC11 was 50 for example, when creating a new part, the expression will still be located on 50. So why not automatically add it as well (or give the option to).

Please Steinberg, read us ! :wink:

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